Christmas 2023

[Wellthisisinteresting]

Hey guys
Does anyone have any recommendations for the best Christmas markets they have visited in Europe please? Thanks x

 

[Jane Porcupine]

Cologne Christmas market is absolutely beautiful!

 

[Megansnarkle]

Hey guys
Does anyone have any recommendations for the best Christmas markets they have visited in Europe please? Thanks x

Depends what you want really. If you want a high chance of snow then you need to look at the Baltics and Poland (I read an article somewhere about places with markets with the highest chance of snow in December). If you want the best variety of market stalls then look at the largest. Personally as there's only so much time I want to spend outside in December I also look at what else there is to do in the city and think about food and also general cost as well - Switzerland for example is pretty but ruinously expensive.

 

[unluckyhippo]

I’m responsible for booking the Xmas do this year. I’ve been there 7 weeks so it’s hard to know the vibe/what people actually like. I’ve asked what they’ve done in previous years and I was met with an unenthusiastic “we go out for a meal”. I got the impression they weren’t too thrilled about it! Tell me, what’s your ideal works xmas do? Or a good Xmas do you’ve been to in the past?

I stay away

 

[WeepingCassandra]

I’m responsible for booking the Xmas do this year. I’ve been there 7 weeks so it’s hard to know the vibe/what people actually like. I’ve asked what they’ve done in previous years and I was met with an unenthusiastic “we go out for a meal”. I got the impression they weren’t too thrilled about it! Tell me, what’s your ideal works xmas do? Or a good Xmas do you’ve been to in the past?

Is that something you've volunteered for or been asked to do?

I did mine the last couple of years. I'm in a small NHS team so it was fairly simple - 15 people max to coordinate and organise and we're all pretty similar in that none of us are big drinkers, or fans of fancy food and hotels. Last year we did a meal at a hotel as part of an organised party with other people we didn't know. That was ok but if you've got people who don't really like others (especially drunks!) then it may not be for you. Our table was definitely the quietest and probably the only one who hadn't been pre-drinking before arrival. The year before we just went for a sit down meal with a set Christmas menu and then people who wanted to stayed on in town for a few drinks.

 

[Chocolategoggler]

Omg talk about chucking you in at the deep end !

I've organised ours for years but have bowed after they text me asking me to sort it whilst I was in Greece last yr !!

I would look at the kind of local venues that do weddings, corporate events etc (poss sporting venues) as these will usually do a sit down meal and variety show or disco. Most people seem to want a traditional Christmas meal somewhere central.

As others have said, lunch vs evening. Do people like to glam up and dance? Price points etc. I usually fix a date best for all, get a few brochures where there's availability and put it to a vote.

I've been to one in a casino, where you got a free £5 voucher with your meal. It seemed popular as they did it again. It started lunchtime/afternoon.

 

[FenellaTheWitch]

I went to Asda today ... bought chocolate christmas puds and snowballs.

 

[coconochanel]

B&M are starting to put their Xmas gifts out.

 

[bellinibobble]

I’m responsible for booking the Xmas do this year. I’ve been there 7 weeks so it’s hard to know the vibe/what people actually like. I’ve asked what they’ve done in previous years and I was met with an unenthusiastic “we go out for a meal”. I got the impression they weren’t too thrilled about it! Tell me, what’s your ideal works xmas do? Or a good Xmas do you’ve been to in the past?

I had this thankless task when I was a junior admin and a lot younger. My top tip/get out clause - let the most senior attendee choose the venue (mine was our HoD). That way no one can complain

 

[unluckyhippo]

B&M are starting to put their Xmas gifts out.

Anything worth buying?

 

[lookwhatthecatdraggedin1]

Has anyone been Disneyland Paris in December? We go this year for my sons birthday mid December and I’ve heard it’s not as special for Christmas as people make out

 

[coconochanel]

Anything worth buying?

Not really, same as last year.

 

[unluckyhippo]

Not really, same as last year.

That’s the only thing that annoys me about Christmas, I expect a lot of new stuff to come out and it’s the same stuff. One thing I love about Christmas is all the festive menus come out, when Mc Donald’s stopped having a limited addition pie every Christmas I was very unhappy. One Christmas I waited till Christmas Day hoping they would release a surprise festive pie and it never happened so much so I wrote them an email in June one year and their response was they haven’t thought about it it’s too early in the year

 

[ChubClubThug]

Has anyone been Disneyland Paris in December? We go this year for my sons birthday mid December and I’ve heard it’s not as special for Christmas as people make out

I'd love to do it too but I'm thinking is it worth the cost and faff

 

[coconochanel]

That’s the only thing that annoys me about Christmas, I expect a lot of new stuff to come out and it’s the same stuff. One thing I love about Christmas is all the festive menus come out, when Mc Donald’s stopped having a limited addition pie every Christmas I was very unhappy. One Christmas I waited till Christmas Day hoping they would release a surprise festive pie and it never happened so much so I wrote them an email in June one year and their response was they haven’t thought about it it’s too early in the year

Oh yeah Boots are the worst for the same gifts every year just in a different designed/coloured packaging. McDonalds Xmas menu has been crap since covid.

 

[unluckyhippo]

If I see the same chocolates in hotel
Chocolate this Christmas I will be banning them, i had a velvetiser years ago now I’m sick of seeing it every Christmas I can’t exactly buy it again for myself

 

[ChubClubThug]

Oh yeah Boots are the worst for the same gifts every year just in a different designed/coloured packaging. McDonalds Xmas menu has been crap since covid.

Not to mention the price increase for the same gift set. And this was happening way before the cost of living crisis

 

[coconochanel]

If I see the same chocolates in hotel
Chocolate this Christmas I will be banning them, i had a velvetiser years ago now I’m sick of seeing it every Christmas I can’t exactly buy it again for myself

Is the velvetiser any good and how hot does it make the drink?

 

[WeepingCassandra]

Is the velvetiser any good and how hot does it make the drink?

We have a knock off version (Amazon product - wasn't £60, I think we got it for £35 a few years ago), my mum has the velvetiser so I can give you a direct comparison!

They are both very good and both basically do the same thing. No milk frother or velvetiser will heat milk up that hot, I would say they both make it cooler than a Starbucks or Costa coffee but it's still hot enough that if you tried to drink it all straight away you'd burn your mouth/throat. We heat our mugs up with some boiled water from the kettle whilst it's frothing.

If I'm honest there's very little difference between the two machines, the velvetiser is perhaps 30 seconds or so quicker and doesn't struggle quite so much if you dump a load of chocolate shavings in at once. Our one can get a little gummed up if it's not melting the chocolate quick enough.

In terms of chocolate, the Clementine one from HC is gorgeous, but the ones sold by Pendragon drinks (https://pendragondrinks.co.uk/belgian-style-hot-chocolate/) blow them all out of the water. We sometimes just grate or chop normal chocolate as well.

 

[Em_]

Has anyone been Disneyland Paris in December? We go this year for my sons birthday mid December and I’ve heard it’s not as special for Christmas as people make out

I'e been to disneyworld in Orlando in December and that was great, once you get used to it be sunny, it is magical there.
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I collected my two trees earlier on. The girl serving me said "2 Christmas trees" in a very patronising way and gave me a snigger, so that wound me up. Once she brought them out and gave me another look, I said "they were only £1.50 each" and she looked at me like I was a nutter. I don't know why I said they were £1.50 and why I felt the need to explain myself.
Here's a photo of one of them, I've not put the stand on or fluffed it out as I wanted to get it back in the box.