The time has come to dig out your stocking, set up an eBay account for those incoming “thoughtful” gifts, and prepare yourself for a whole day with the extended family. But before you even get home for the holidays it’s necessary to transform your halls or house into a Winter Wonderland, a Seasonal Spectacular, and other alliterative clichés. Read on to discover what your bells and baubles reveal about your festive style.
First, at the bottom of the effort scale, we have the “minimalist look.” At home this may translate into a small white Christmas tree, a few silver stars and some tasteful yet trendy blue lights, but in the student world it’s a bit different. Paper chains made from old newspapers (though never Vision of course) are probably the extent of decoration in these houses. But who wants to return to uni in January, bloated and exhausted from overindulging throughout the festive period, to a sparkly mess destined for the wheelie bin? No, jolly they may not be, but this is a house of pragmatists.
Coming in second is the Party House, and its appropriately themed decoration. Think tinsel draped over the obligatory road signs in the front room, a Christmas tree of delicately stacked empty cans, and an obnoxiously large neon snowman/Father Christmas/reindeer in the backyard (stolen from a garden on the way home from Tru). Luckily Party House residents should spend most of the holiday drinking and sleeping, so the smell of those cans shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Walking into it on the way to the kitchen to warm up a post-night out kebab might be though.
The most stylish houses will predictably be those with one or more art students residing within. Effortlessly decorating a tree to resemble the perfectly polished displays in Marks and Spencer windows is not a gift that most of us are blessed with. So if you live with an artist, don’t try to help; they know what they’re doing and most likely won’t appreciate your tinsel draping; they’ll only rearrange it once you’ve left the room.
Taking first prize for effort in the student stakes is the Traditionalist Household. A tree as large as digs permit decorated with plenty of red and gold tinsel, commemorative baubles from family holidays or Royal weddings, and a crowning angel (never a star) to literally top it all off. There will be no neon signs in the windows, but an extravagant and expensive wreath will adorn the front door. Expect History students within. But be you a pragmatist, a party-goer or a perfectionist, your priority, of course, is to outdo your neighbours. Don’t delay; Christmas is coming, and York’s goose population is quite frightening enough as it is!