It’s getting darker, colder and frostier and you’ve all but ruined your favourite pair of trainers getting caught out in a snowstorm… Yep, the Christmas season is upon us!
Spending Christmas away from home doesn’t mean it can’t be fun! We’ve listed our five steps to celebrating Christmas in the UK – for the perfect #ExpatChristmas!
Warning: Reading this blog could cause extreme feelings of festivity. You might want to grab yourself a mince pie…
Roast
If there’s one thing that a UK Christmas can’t be without, it’s a traditional Christmas dinner! You will need; turkey, stuffing, roast potatoes, carrots, parsnips, brussel sprouts, ‘pigs in blankets’ (that’s bacon-wrapped sausages!), gravy, cranberry sauce and bread sauce. Phew!
The key here? Timing. If you can get all those items ready at the same time, well, you’re really winning this whole Christmas thing.
Still hungry? Follow your Christmas dinner with a generous portion of Christmas pudding!
TV
Christmas telly is legendary in the UK! What better way to spend the afternoon than by cosying up on the couch for a festive binge-watch session. Not only do they show the classic British Christmas films like The Holiday, Love Actually and The Snowman, but there are also special episodes of other British shows like Dr. Who. and The Great British Bake Off.
Festive tip: Try out the Fireplace for Your Home film on Netflix – it replicates an old-fashioned, wood-burning fireplace right on your laptop screen!
Call home
No Christmas is complete without hearing from your friends and family back home. That’s why the little elves at Lebara have been working hard to make you a truly one-of-a-kind Christmas gift this year; a 60-minute phone call home for absolutely free. Merry Christmas, lovely customers – ker-ching! Take advantage of our Christmas offer here: https://mobile.lebara.com/gb/en/christmas
Decorate!
Brits usually start decorating in early December and it’s what most people say makes them start to feel truly Christmassy! There’s one very important ingredient; a tree! You can get them cheaply from most supermarkets – just make sure you’ve got the strength to carry it home! Add lights, baubles and presents under the tree for Christmas Day.
Short on space? Buy a tiny tree and set it on the Christmas dining table instead!
Playlist
No Christmas would be complete without a truly cheesy, festive line-up of Christmas tunes. From Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You to Justin Bieber’s Under the Mistletoe, sing them loud and proud and spread some Christmas cheer! Check out the Christmas Is Coming playlist on Spotify – you can’t go wrong.
White Christmas
Now this one, we can’t guarantee, but every year Brits hope that we have a ‘white Christmas’ – meaning that snow falls on Christmas Day! Betting companies even offer odds on the chances of snow falling in each region. Our advice? Keep your fingers crossed and if in doubt, use cotton wool instead!
