The decorations are up, the ugly Christmas sweaters are out and it’s finally acceptable to play Michael Buble’s Christmas album on full blast again…The most wonderful time of the year is here! For us students, December can be a pretty stressful month with deadlines and exams fast approaching, and student loans which could definitely do with that January top up already (Trust me, been there). So what better way to blow off some steam and stress than a city bursting with Christmas festivities?! Below, I’ve compiled a list of some of my favourite things to get up to in Manchester during the Christmas season on those nights where you need a break from Uni life, or just want to procrastinate from that piece of coursework a little bit longer…
Christmas Markets
Source: @manchestercitycouncil
Manchester’s Christmas markets are perhaps the most obvious things to mention, but are absolutely worth a visit! If you love your food and drink, consider this place your new spiritual home. We’re talking crepes, hog roasts, even roast dinners wrapped in Yorkshire pud (!!!). And even if the sound of a roast dinner doesn’t tickle your fancies, the markets are still a great way to see more of the city and get into the festive spirit.
Christmas movies at HOME
What would Christmas even be without the wonderful, if not slightly tacky films that come along with it?! A movie night at home with the housemates is always a good shout, but for something a little different you could hit up Manchester’s cosy HOME venue to watch one of the many Christmas screenings they show during the month of December. Including classics like the ‘Nightmare before Christmas’ and my personal fave, ‘It’s a wonderful Life’, HOME is definitely at the top of my Xmas list.
A classic Carol Service
Christmas Carols seem to put everyone in a good mood, and students, you’re in luck this year! The Christian Unions across Manchester have teamed up to put on the ultimate carol service, with carol sing-a-longs, mince pies and mulled wine! The event is put on in the RNCM hall, with hundreds of students from all Universities around Manchester expected to go, and if you want to find out more they even made a promo video just for you…
Teepee Time
Ok but seriously, look at this place!
Source: @theoasthousemcr
Each year, The Oast house in Spinningfields put up a giant teepee complete with fire pits, fairy lights and fur throws, and to be honest it’s just the most instagrammable place ever. I mean, look at it! Known as the ‘Curious Teepee’ the abundance of fairy lights make it pretty hard to miss, and it’s definitely worth spending an evening or two huddled up here with friends after a long, stressful day of procrastinating. You can find out more about the Curious Teepee here.
These are just a few of my favourite things to do without breaking the bank or taking a ton of time to plan, and even though this is now my second christmas in Manchester, I’ve found myself going back and doing all these things again! What can I say, I just love Christmas… Hopefully you’ll find these also give you a well deserved break from student life, and get you into the festive mood!