Merry Christmas! I have to say that I’m not exactly a “Christmas Person”, but it’s hard to escape the festive cheer in England leading up to and over the holidays. While the Christmas holiday itself isn’t much different in spirit – spend time with loved ones, eat good food, exchange gifts, goodwill towards man etc. – there are some differences in the way the country leads up to the holiday. I just wanted to tell you about some of the things that I’ve noticed about Christmas here that are different from at home!

The buildup starts earlier

We all know how Christmas starts to creep up on us earlier every year. In Canada, it begins in late October-ish. Here in England, stores embraced Christmas marketing and decor beginning in late September and into early October. I think that Thanksgiving and Halloween in North America help keep Christmas from encroaching into October too much. Two months of holiday leadup is plenty, thank you!

There’s a whole new soundtrack

My knowledge of Christmas music is weirdly warped – I grew up on traditional carols and Handel’s Messiah. We also listened to “oldies” style Christmas carols (like Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra), which I’ve heard here, but not as much as back home.

England has it’s own whole library of Christmas pop to choose from. I recognized some of it, like WHAM!’s Last Christmas and Paul McCartney’s Wonderful Christmas Time. A lot of it was brand new to me. More Christmas pop, more Christmas charity singles, and the concept of the Christmas #1 single. I think Christmas pop is more prominent over here (with less of the oldies), but that could just be my perception since I’m biased towards oldies. Either way, contemporary Christmas pop is alive and well here: Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, and the relentlessness of Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas is You.

Food products and packaging go wild

Speaking of Mariah Carey, her face is all over supermarkets come December because she’s on the festive packaging for Walkers Crisps! Truly the Christmas Queen.

All kinds of brands repackage their goods for the holiday season, even mundane things like bread and orange juice get a festive makeover. There is also way more of a selection of Christmas dinner and party foods, which is impressive since it’s not like Canadian grocery stores don’t do the same. There are just more options here for things that you don’t see on the Christmas dinner table in Canada – things like pigs in blankets and a vast array of finger foods. You’ve also got a wider selection for desserts here. In Canada, Christmas dinner is usually followed by pie or a Yule log. Here, Christmas pudding, mince pies, Yule logs, and profiteroles are among the many options for a post-dinner treat. So many variety for holiday goodies!

Christmas Markets are magical

I only went to our local market, but the European tradition of the Christmas market is alive and well in England, and they’re beautiful. A collection of traditional food stalls, local crafstman and vendors, funfair rides, bars, and even ice skating, these markets go all out to create holiday magic. There is so much apparent thought and care put into the Christmas market here in Nottingham, and it’s a really beautiful atmosphere. The tradition is starting to make its way to Canada – Ottawa has its inaugural Christmas market at Lansdowne this year – but it’s definitely a result of the traditions here in Europe. I’d love to visit some of the other Christmas markets while I’m here. Maybe next year!

There’s no “Happy Holidays” debate

Truly, war is over in England. The War on Christmas, that is. In North America, there is the whole debate on what to say to someone around the holidays (particulary as a greeting for customer service workers). You know, to say “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” in case the person doesnt celebrate the holiday? It’s more controversial in the United States, and kind of an accepted non-issue in most of Canada. I asked my coworkers about this – what’s the norm for the service industry here – and they all confirmed that “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Christmas” is the accepted greeting.

Christmas jumpers are serious business

In Canada, we have the whole “ironic ugly Christmas sweater” thing going on. I genuinely don’t know if the propensity for Christmas jumpers is motivated by the same irony, but they are everywhere in England around the holidays. You can find them in every style, ranging from understated to gaudy, with traditional designs or something appealing to every fandom. Everything from a traditional knit with Star Wars insignias to festive sports jerseys/kits to a screengrab from the Christmas talent show scene from Mean Girls can be found on a festive sweater. And they’re not relegated to Ugly Sweater Parties either. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, you’ll see these Christmas jumpers everywhere!

Christmas away from home is weird. A lot of what feels like leadup to the holidays was missing, because it’s traditions I follow with my friends and family. Decorating our tree and reminiscing over where all our eclectic ornaments came from. Going shopping for gifts with my best friend, before a sleepover where we drink wine and build a gingerbread house. I did have a lovely little Christmas here in England though, with a little tree and a turkey dinner and Christmas films. It took a bit of effort to remind myself that just because this Christmas is different doesn’t mean it’s any less of a lovely Christmas. Happy Holidays, everyone!