Xmas fervour in London

CHRISTMAS preparations start in London in October, a good two months before the festival. Beautifully decorated and well-lit Christmas trees are displayed in every store as well as market square. Bundled up in layers of insulated clothing — woolly hats, scarves, overcoats and ear muffs — visitors brave the extreme cold to view the famous Christmas lights in Oxford Street and Regent Street. The Christmas Wonderland in Hyde Park has life-size ice sculptures, a special ice skating rink, ice mountain rides and games for kids and adults alike. Not to mention the traditional roasted hot chestnuts, hot chocolate and other delicacies.

The other day, my routine visit to the local supermarket in London proved to be a treat. There was a special aisle marked ‘Christmas Goodies’. The child in me jumped for joy, although I have two grown-up children of my own.

I wandered around awestruck and spent an hour in that aisle, forgetting the grocery staples I had come to buy. I loaded my shopping trolley with the ‘first view of Christmas pudding’. The gingerbread men and gingerbread mulled punch went in next, followed by an array of special treats like marzipan goodies and sweet minced pies. All sorts of goodies jumped by themselves into my trolley when, to my horror, I found that I had stacked up enough to last well after the festival. I was contemplating what to keep back on the shelves when I couldn’t help overhearing two pairs of fathers and sons walking past the Christmas aisle.

One pair comprised a middle-aged man and his adult son. The father was saying that there was nothing ‘healthy’ to buy from that aisle. The son kept running back and forth, trying to persuade him to buy gingerbread or at least gingerbread cinnamon spice latte mix. He argued that ginger was good for health, but the father didn’t bat an eyelid and walked to the ‘healthy salads aisle’, leaving the son moping.

The other father-son duo also lingered at the Christmas aisle. All attempts of the adult son to sneak in a Christmas pudding or a few chocolates into their shopping trolley were met with looks of disdain from the elderly father. The pair walked off as the son was unsuccessful in bagging any sweet treats. This showed how health-conscious families had become, with parents trying to set an example to their kids by opting for healthy food over sweet treats. I felt guilty for having overloaded on sweet treats and quickly went to the self-checkout area to pay and go home — before I changed my mind! There’s no harm in indulging the child within us once in a while, especially during festivals.