Christmas 2017

As Paul McCartney phrased it perfectly:

“The party’s on
The feelin’s here
That only comes
This time of year
Simply having a wonderful Christmas time…”

Soon it is the time of year again when everyone is celebrating Christmas with their family and closest friends. When people get together to share meals, to laugh, talk and reflect on the year.

Cards are being sent, gifts are being exchanged, good food is being prepared and everything slows down. We all take time to spend quality time with our families and be at home. And then the parties and nights out in the run up (and including) New Years eve.

As every year Christmas 2017 will be no exception!

 

Gifts, gifts and even more gifts

Everyone has experienced the stress of Christmas shopping at least once before and many of us make the same mistake over and over every year by leaving it all too late. Here are a few trends and ideas on what to think of for Christmas 2017.

Sometimes it can be a great idea to create an original gift yourself. If you have even the modest of DIY skills it can be one of the most memorable things you’ll ever do for a friend of a family member. Take it a step further. You could  agree with your family (making the most of it) that everyone creates at least one present for another family member. Or ask everyone to join in creating handmade Christmas decorations and make it a family event instead.

Shopping trends

Gifts are a huge part of Christmas. Retail shopping is increasingly loosing ground to online purchases. Deloitte describe a returning trend of From the 70s where a personalised shopping experience was common before chain retailers took over. Over a third of people report that they want to see the actual item before purchasing online.

Especially technology has played a large role as an increasing trend for gifts over the last few decades for all ages. Not only do kids often want the latest hardware or software from the entertainment industry but teenagers & adults are looking to get the latest in mobile phone and computer tech. As those come with a price it is a good idea to start saving early. Possibly from the after summer holidays. The good thing is that those can be easily purchased online. We would recommend waiting for Black Friday or Cyber Monday and then do the purchase.

A good alternative are gift cards. Certainly not everyone’s favourite choice. However if you are stuck or simply have no idea what to gift for example your cousin or friend that you haven’t seen for months this is a very good option. Why not invite them for food after Christmas with a special meal gift card? They will certainly thank you for that when they are enjoying a nice meal!

Christmas Parties

The run up to Christmas and New Years Eve are full of parties and Christmas celebrations. For some people  this can mean several festivities throughout the month of December. From private parties to office celebrations there are wide range of excellent offers available. And let’s be honest: who doesn’t want to be at an amazing Christmas party? This is probably even more true in Ireland where we love to celebrate.

While there are many excellent venues to book your Christmas party 2017 in, the Conference and Events venue in Dublin really stands out. They offer a full night of entertainment in the style of the Golden Era of Hollywood. Think 1920s up the 1950s. A fantastic show that sounds amazing and an excellent meal will be provided. Check out more details on their official website: Conference & Events Venue Dublin

Charity

Many of us are so busy that we rarely give a thought to charity. There is no better time than Christmas! If you have some time to spare then consider going to a local charity to help out. Or help one of your neighbours that is in need. Consider giving a gift or preparing food for someone that has little or none. A little bit of food for a homeless person can go a long way on a cold winters day. This is not about money and doesn’t need to cost a lot. Every little bit can go a long way.

And if you can, support a local charity. They will know where help where it is needed the most this Christmas.

 

Above all. When the time comes have a lovely Christmas! 🙂