Not celebrating Christmas? Not a problem! Bristol is full of things that celebrate wintertime more generally. Other religious celebrations also take place during the holiday period, such as the last night of Hanukkah (16 December) and the anniversary of the birth of Guru Gobind Singh (5 January).
Please be aware that the Richmond Building: Home of the Students' Union will be closed from Friday 21 December through Wednesday 2 January. Students' Union services, including the Just Ask Centre, will be closed 21 December through Monday 7 January.
Carol Services
Carol services are church services where people come together to sing traditional Christmas songs
and hymns. Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, they are a good opportunity to find out more
about the origins of the holiday. There are carol services throughout the Christmas period all over
Bristol, but here’s a few ideas to get you started:
Shopping
There are Christmas markets in Bristol throughout December, which have lovely ideas for presents and are a great place to grab a festive drink like a mulled wine or hot chocolate. You could also visit Made In Bristol’s pop-up shop at Cabot Circus, where you can buy presents that have been made right here in Bristol!
Don’t forget that most shops start their biggest sales start at the very end of December, so you can
beat all the other students to the best bargains.
Christmas Dinner
On Christmas day (25 December), it’s traditional to enjoy a meal with your family. If you’re not with
your family, you can always cook a meal (or going out for a meal) with your friends - or you could help others by
volunteering on Christmas day.
If you haven’t cooked Christmas dinner before, don’t celebrate Christmas, or aren’t sure what a
traditional English Christmas dinner is, don’t worry. There aren’t any rules about Christmas, and
each family makes its own traditions. Why not start some traditions of your own?
You don’t have to wait until Christmas day to eat Christmas dinner: many churches organise
Christmas dinners throughout the holidays and they would be pleased to welcome you. Ask at local
churches, or try the following:
Christ Church Clifton, Clifton Down Road, Bristol, BS8 3BN
Ebenezer Church, 286 Filton Avenue, Horfield, Bristol, BS7 0BA
Woodlands Church, Woodland Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2AA
Helping Others
If you have spare time over the Christmas period, you can volunteer with
Caring at Christmas, a charity that helps homeless people over the Christmas period. There are many ways to get involved from cooking and cleaning to socialising with their Christmas guests.
Churches and community centres often need help decorating their halls for Christmas – if you have
one near to you, pop in and see if you can join in.
Theatre and the Arts
Pantomimes are funny plays based on traditional stories and a great English tradition. Audiences
are encouraged to get involved, which usually means shouting at the actors on the stage or singing along. Bristol Hippodrome’s pantomime this year is
Aladdin. You can also visit Bath and see the Theatre Royal’s production of
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Schools and community centres often put on pantomimes of their own, so have a look in your area
to see if there are any posters.
Other performances:
Random Fun
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During December at Westbirt Arboretum you can walk through beautiful woodlands (where the trees are decorated with fairy lights!) and listen to choirs sing traditional Christmas songs
Enjoy the Peace and Quiet!
With fewer students around, the Christmas period can be a good time to have fun (with a bit more
space to yourself). Here are some ideas:
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Take a stroll round Clifton village or Cotham and soak up the atmosphere
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Try the pub quiz at your local pub
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Try something ‘touristy’, like going to the Zoo or Berkeley Castle – most places will have something special on for Christmas
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Explore a neighbourhood of Bristol you haven’t been to before, or take a day trip to Bath
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Beat the other students to the bargains in the January sales
Please be aware that the Richmond Building: Home of the Students' Union will be closed from Friday 21 December through Wednesday 2 January. Students' Union services, including the Just Ask Centre, will be closed 21 December through Monday 7 January.