Chrimbo is a thing. It’s a British word for Christmas-time. I’ve seen it in TV and magazine ads, and I’ve heard it referenced on the radio. It can’t be that they’re trying to shorten the word: both Christmas and Chrimbo have two syllables. How odd.
Other Christmas oddities: you know Bill Nighy’s character in Love Actually? Well, having ‘UK Christmas No 1’ is really a thing. It’s announced each year whose song has been named No 1, and it seems a group called Ladbaby has won the last five years in a row. God, I’m old.
Department store Christmas TV commercials are much anticipated, with John Lewis’s being the biggy. They’re discussed at water coolers and covered in the mainstream news media.
Red cabbage, like Brussel Sprouts, is a must at the Christmas dinner: I counted seven separate recipes in: the Guardian, the BBC news, and British morning TV shows. (My host’s was very good; I had seconds.)
Mince tarts are practically a religion. Enclosed or open? Sugar-dusted or not? Shortcrust pastry or shortbread casing? With nuts or without? Feelings run strong.