Lessons in everything Life and Leam: how to get into the Christmas spirit

The festive season is well and truly upon us, and I have embraced every aspect of it. From decadent dining experiences to the small flurry of snow and captivating Christmas light turning on ceremonies; Leamington has even more to offer than normal at this time.

The great Leamington ‘Big Lights switch on’ is rivalled only by the spectacular lights that can be found adorning the Piazza. Whilst it isn’t as grandiose as other ceremonies I’m sure you have attended, it is abundant in charm. The grand turning-on ceremony occurred this year at 5pm, November 27 2024, hosted by the Radio 2 DJ Richie Anderson. This event encapsulated everything that is truly magical about the Christmas season. Warwick students, staff, and the general public gathered around the big tree on the Piazza like the Who’s of Whoville. Anticipation buzzed in the air as groups of friends eagerly awaited the countdown.

It was well worth it. The lights, the atmosphere and the songs sung truly put us in the spirit of Christmas

I would argue that mine and my friends desperation to attend this event was unparalleled, and our commitment to the cause was admirable. Finishing netball slightly early with the intention of making it back onto campus to see this event seemed easy. However, I fear I did not appreciate just how popular this event would be (or that it was right in the peak of traffic leading out of campus to go home. Either event could feasibly be responsible for such vast swathes of traffic). Traffic induced immense road rage from my friend, as designated driver, because she was desperate to make it on time. The infamous campus geese, however, had other plans as we got held up on the road by Sherbourne. Luckily, we made it around the geese and, onto central campus after driving at break-neck speed. A unanimous decision was made that we would take our chances with campus security and abandon our trusty vehicle at the interchange. In our minds, getting a parking ticket or the car towed seemed like a fair exchange for seeing the lights turn on. So, out of breath and slightly sweaty but full of Christmas cheer, we sprinted over to the Piazza and made it just in the nick of time. Whilst small, the markets were sweet and added hugely to the atmosphere. The countdown was displayed front and centre on the big screen, and everyone joined in excitedly. It was well worth it. The lights, the atmospheres and the songs sung truly put us in the spirit of Christmas.

For me and my friends, one light-turning-on ceremony was not enough. So, if you fancy experiencing a slightly larger event than the campus light’s turn-on, look no further than Leamington Spa. With cash in hand, we all had some free money to spend. After convincing one hesitant housemate that Prince William was switching on the lights to persuade her to attend, we set off in high spirits. As the event occurred on Parade Street, the weather, quite literally, tried to rain on our parade. There were rides and food stalls galore, we stocked up on hog roast baps, and bought an Indian selection box jammed with samosas and pakoras. As I am sure most will know, these lights are far more impressive than those on campus. They stretch from Lower to Upper Parade Street and down to the adorned Town Hall. Not only this, but they also decorated Warwick Street and Regent Street which are the two roads running perpendicular to the Parade. So, the ‘Big Lights switch on’ was far more impressive than campus, although finding a prime viewing spot is of the utmost importance. I recommend standing at the Parade on either the Warwick or Regent Street intersection as it offers the best experience. Despite the less-than-ideal weather, this event was a lovely Sunday evening festive activity, especially when there is a hot chocolate and a Christmas movie follow it.

This year, we all chose to buy a bauble that represents us, so our tree became an amalgamation of all the people we love

In my opinion, two other key aspects of the festive season are snow and a delicious Christmas dinner. We were lucky enough to have had a little bit of snowfall, and if that doesn’t get people feeling festive, then they are a certified Grinch. As Jephson Gardens was deserted, we wandered around to leave the first footprints in the snow as a Christmas treat. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for more. For the past two weeks, we’ve named any event a ‘Christmas Bonanza.’ Yet, as we reached the final few days of term, we realised we failed to have an actual Christmas roast. We sought to rectify this, opting for a ‘stripped back’ roast to minimise washing up and to save money. One of these plans was achieved, the other definitely was not. The moral of this story is, you’ll never regret a roast, and nobody, no matter how vehemently they claim otherwise, is interested in a stripped-back roast. We had roast chicken, roast and mashed potatoes, roasted carrots and parsnips, peas, cauliflower cheese, Yorkshire puddings with stuffing followed by a tapas-style sharing plate of apple and rhubarb crumble, chocolate lava puddings, lemon cheesecake, tiramisu, and mince pies. Consider us stuffed!

A special shoutout has got to go to the events we have conducted. This started with a classic Christmas necessity: Secret Santa. Ours took place on December 1 alongside a Christmas food takeaway. ‘Santa’ collected our presents from our room and left them under the tree so we had a proper Christmas morning-esque set-up waiting for us in the sitting room. Christmas arts and crafts are another necessity in our household, and we decked out our home in paper chains, stars, window stickers, and every form of candle possibly imaginable. A make-shift ‘Christingle’ service was held in the name of nostalgia and sentimentality. We made our own Christingle with things we had lying around the house and sang hymns. A Christmas tree also goes a long way in setting the Christmas scene. This year, we all chose to buy a bauble that represented us, so our tree became an amalgamation of all the people we love.

So, via our extensive ‘research’ we have concluded that Leamington Spa has Christmas events galore. Whilst my friends and I may have gone above and beyond what most people consider necessary for getting into the Christmas spirit, we have thoroughly enjoyed all the festive events. We hope these recommendations have inspired people to try something new and a little different or return to those age-old favourites.