Christmas is coming

Temperatures are plummeting at rapid speed. The streets of Britain are packed with panicked shoppers, driven by a desire to secure those sought after items. Wrapping paper has begun to appear all over the place, and family members talk in secret about whether or not they have bought Dad the same cerise jumper. Christmas is on the horizon.

My excitement for Christmas has been mounting since mid-November, as I dug up the Christmas playlist on my Spotify account and immersed myself in the beautiful tones of Michael Buble, Wham and of course Elton John. Judge me all you want, but I stand by my decision to listen to these particular artists, singing their festive themed songs, a good month before Christmas Day arrives.

Why hello there Michael

For the second year in a row, I have sorted out all presents and wrapping in excellent time. Each present has been bought after much thought, assisted by clearance sales and the glorious day that is Black Friday. I know it's an American thing, but this is one thing that I'm glad has made its way over the Atlantic Ocean. It's definitely on par with American reinforcements sent over for the D-Day landings and Red Vines. Ah Red Vines- you may be rubbery and deemed inferior to Reese's Pieces, but I still love you.

Come back into my life

I love this time of year. Not only does it give me the perfect excuse to break out the 'Ben Winter Collection', but there is plenty of baking and cooking to do. As I have matured into an adult (unfortunately), the kitchen has provided me with the chance to be creative and give Mum a helping hand with roasts and other culinary exploits. We have nothing on Mary Berry, but we give our all and do it good.

Besides, someone has to give Mum a hand on Christmas Day. With daytime drinking enticing away other family members, I take it upon myself to don the apron and get down to the tasks at hand. Vegetables are chopped, the meat is basted and everyone gets in a tizzy over the correct way of making gravy. I like to think that I've got it down to near perfection, so if anyone needs helpful hints then give me a shout. It will cost you though; I'm not willing to export my knowledge without some sort of monetary incentive.

What a handsome man

We are also treated to the crazy period of the football season that surrounds Christmas and New Year. Multiple games shall be played in quick succession and a team's season shall be defined over hard fought results. Even though Manchester City have all but wrapped up the title (in a bow that probably cost more than the entire GDP of Mexico), it's still gonna be an exciting time for the league. Let's just hope that the festive season brings about the wonderful gift that is a collapse in Tottenham's form.

Another peach of a goal from this man would do nicely as well

Sadly, even with all of these festivities, the season brings about conditions that are slightly hazardous. For instance, Monday afternoon/evening saw the first major power cut of the holiday season, as Christmas Cottage was plunged into darkness and candles were set alight. A temporary time jump back to a simpler time was certainly a wonderful break away from the hustle and bustle of modern life, but it did create a horror story kind of atmosphere.

Seriously, I expected a vast number of jump scares to as I walked around the house, armed only with my hockey stick and a plate full of candles. Having played Five Nights at Freddy's, I know that being alone in a dark and eerie setting can lead to certain death. Yet fate smiled upon me, and instead I was treated to a nice warm fire and a game of Trivial Pursuit. Now that would have been a better plot for Five Nights at Freddy's.

Game of champions

With the house well decorated and the Christmas lights blinding any passer by, I'm happy to report that I am most certainly ready to engage in Christmas celebrations. Even as I grow older and my needs turn from getting the latest Call of Duty to a stack of books or a new suit, the spirit of the holiday remains as strong as ever. After being confined to my home for the last month or so, an extended period of time surrounded by family is a pretty nice gift.

Of course, I know exactly what the future brings. It will start all nice and friendly, but soon cross words will be spoken and vicious debates will commence about what series of films should be binged over the Christmas break, or who ate the last Lindt Lindor. But isn't that what Christmas is all about? Good food, bright lights, a lovely spirit of exchanging gifts, needless arguments- never change Christmas, you're wonderful just the way you are.

All credit to Mumma Ben, of course

Christmas also brings with it a reminder that the year is coming to an end, and the time for reflection is very much at hand. There will be time in the next few weeks for a chance to properly assess the course of the year, but for now it is wise to focus on the opportunity to spend some time with loved ones and, fingers crossed, get ready to play the new Assassin's Creed. Hey, I may be 22, but you need to stay nerdy about some things.

It looks so prettyful

With Shakin' Stevens blaring out his Christmas banger Merry Christmas Everyone, I shall bring this post to a close. Remember to get all those gifts sorted, or else you will be stuck with the difficult choice of whether to buy the whole family fridge magnets or key chains. No one should be forced to make such a tough decision- so go get those presents!

Ben G 😁 xo

P.S. My Christmas playlist is one of the greatest creations in my lifetime, but the literary masterpiece that I crafted on Monday is one of my proudest achievements. Be sure to see its publication on some form of social media; yep, I think it's so beautiful that I have the balls to put it on the internet. I'm sure you will all love it...