Admittedly, the hot dogs are great, but that’s about it.
You’ve got the festively freezing weather to deal with, the massive queues, not to mention the bang average hot chocolate for £8 – if you want to keep the mug.
Despite not being the biggest fan, I do somehow end up there once a year and you can’t really deny that the mini pancakes are lovely.
Also if you like fudge (I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone eat fudge) then there’s plenty to choose from.
That being said, the best Christmas market in the UK has been decided and it’s apparently due to a wow factor.
Solo Press has shared its list of ‘the most popular Christmas markets based on social media scores’, and here it is:
3) Manchester
Manchester has a few Christmas markets scattered across the city (Getty Stock Images)
There’s been 1,541 recorded TikTok posts of the Manchester Christmas markets, and a total of 62,109 Instagram posts, giving it a score of 7.53.
The Manchester version is known for its iconic massive Santa and being nearby the shops if you want to get any Christmas shopping done.
These markets take place from the 8 November to 22 December.
2) Winter Wonderland London
Winter Wonderland is one of the most Instagrammable Christmas markets for sure (Getty Stock Images)
Expect to pay a little more for London’s Winter Wonderland, but it does offer a number of Insta-worthy food stalls, skating and shopping options.
A close second with 3,409 TikTok posts, along with 43,237 on Instagram, receiving a score of 8.60.
The festivities in Hyde Park are open from 21 November to 5 January.
1) Edinburgh
The people’s number one choice (Getty Stock Images)
But the number one choice was the Edinburgh Christmas markets, with less TikTok posts (2,738) than London, but more Instagram posts (55,304), coming in with a total score of 8.62.
But what makes it so popular is quite simply the setting.
You’ve got the backdrop of the castle, the ferris wheel, along with the festive ice rink.
Foodies are also previewed to ‘traditional Scottish food stalls’ at Princes Street Gardens, with Solo Press calling it ‘a rich cultural experience’.
The Edinburgh Christmas market runs from 15 November to 4 January, which could be a good option to help you deal with the January blues.
But if you fancy heading abroad, as voted by worldwide travellers via European Best Destinations, Gdańsk’s Christmas Market in Poland has been crowned as the European Best Christmas Market 2024-2025.
Expedia is also running a promotion which says you can book a one-way ticket for just £34.
Skyscanner is offering return tickets for dates in early December at £45 from London.
A simple but wholesome pleasure, starting your morning with a cheeky bar of chocolate is a treat when the festive period swings around – that is, unless you bought a Celebrations Advent calendar.
In fact, people have taken to social media to voice their annoyance at the types of chocolate bars (or lack thereof) they’ve unravelled so far this year.
The month has just started, so the complaints could be justified.
People aren’t happy with their Celebrations Advent calendars this year (Richard Baker/In Pictures via Getty Images)
Brits up and down the country got ready for school or work this morning, chomped down on their breakfast and opened the third door on their Celebrations Advent Calendars, only to reveal a Bounty.
The coconut-flavoured sweet treat is not exactly a fan-favourite, but the double-whammy here is that many are claiming this is the third Bounty in a row on the famous calendars.
It’s the 3rd of December.
That’s right, those who decided to get themselves the Christmas-staple from Mars, who own the confectionary brand known as Celebrations, have only been given Bounty bars so far, with some claiming that they’re ‘ruining Christmas’.
They are known as the chocolate bars that start arguments between family and friends if they’re the last ones left in a Celebrations tub when you go to grab one.
Getting them for one day is annoying. Two is absurd. Three in a row? Well, as someone who isn’t a fan of the coconut treat, that’s just plain ridiculous.
Taking to X, one user complained: “My kids have been really disappointed to get 3 bounty’s in a row on their Celebrations Tree advent Calendar.
“2 kids, 2 calendars, each have had 3 Bounty’s in a row. Surely a different chocolate each day???”
Another said: “I can’t believe it’s 3 days in a row of the same chocolate, let alone Bounty,” while a third stated: “Bought 2 Celebrations advent calendars last week. Every one opened so far has been a Bounty. Surely a production issue. Worst chocolate to get as well. Kids not impressed.”
A different user angrily pointed out: “Third advent chocolate and it’s yet another bounty I’VE HAD THREE BOUNTIES IN A ROW SINCE THE FIRST IF THE WHOLE CALANDAR IS BOUNTIES EXPECT ME AT YOUR DOOR.”
A fifth damningly put: “All three days now I’ve got a bounty chocolate, the worst one you can possibly get. Way to ruin my advent calendar.”
So take this as a warning sign – if you’re behind and haven’t got your Advent calendar yet, avoid Celebrations.
That is, unless you want three Bounties to feast on from the go, maybe they’re even your favourite. We won’t judge.
A Celebrations spokesperson said to LADbible: “Christmas isn’t Christmas without the annual chocolate debate. Whilst we know Bounty isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, we also know that for some of you these first few days will have gone straight on the nice list! Our calendars are all about sharing and surprises, so rest assured more variety is on the way behind the other doors. Watch this space, the nationwide chocolate debate is about to get even more intense…”
Not to mention it may only cost £34 to fly there from the UK.
But if Pep Guardiola and Manchester City were a Christmas market, they’d be Budapest’s Advent Feast at the Basilica.
What’s more impressive, winning four back to back Premier League titles, or being awarded the Europe’s best Christmas markets for the same period?
As a Man Utd fan, I think you know my answer.
The Christmas market has overtaken Budapest’s Advent Feast, voted as the best in Europe for four consecutive years (Getty Stock Images)
Well, Budapest’s Advent Feast – which is usually located in Szent István Square – has ‘nearly a hundred local craft exhibitors, real gastronomic adventures, a giant Christmas tree, lightpainting, light net and more heart-warming programmes’.
There’s also an ice-skating rink, traditional Hungarian delights and it runs from November 15, 2024, to January 1, 2025.
This year, however, there’s a new market in town which is taking home all the awards.
Gdańsk’s Christmas Market has been crowned as the European Best Christmas Market 2024-2025 (Getty Stock Images)
As voted by worldwide travellers via European Best Destinations, Gdańsk’s Christmas Market in Poland has been crowned as the European Best Christmas Market 2024-2025.
With a whopping 90,000 plus votes, the market ‘comes alive with illuminations, Christmas melodies, and the joyful sounds of children, marking the eagerly awaited Gdańsk Christmas Fair’.
“This event envelops both locals and visitors in a festive atmosphere, offering cozy dining and enchanting shopping zones where delightful treats and perfect holiday gifts await,” the travel and culture site states.
“The market is a hub of artistic performances and charming corners, seamlessly blending theater, dance, carols, and the crafting of festive ornaments.
“Wandering through Gdańsk’s picturesque streets, visitors can discover enchanting spots such as Santa’s corner, the artistic nook, the famous moose Lucek’s hideaway, the delightful Venetian carousel, and an angelic corner illuminated with breathtaking lights.
“The Orzechowski family, a charming pair of nutcracker grandparents dressed in traditional Gdańsk Garrison attire, guide guests through the magical history of the market, inviting all to fall in love with its enchanting beauty.”
Now, Expedia is running a promotion which says you can book a one-way ticket for just £34.
But at the time of writing, Skyscanner is offering return tickets for dates in early December at £45 from London.
Either way, there are deals to be had before the really busy period sets in.
The Gdańsk Christmas Fair runs from 22 November to 23 December 2024.
If you’ve got a Celebrations Advent Calendar, you probably won’t be the happiest after opening three Bounty bars in a row, but that may be the least of your worries.
Apparently, there are two odd reasons behind the move to have just 24 slots, which aren’t really acceptable, if you ask me.
Hopefully you aren’t one of the victims that has spent 24 days of Christmas eating your delicious chocolates, only to get to Christmas Day itself and realise that there’s nothing for you to unravel.
Apparently, we have to go back in time a bit and look at the history behind advent calendars to find the answer to this mystery.
It’s time to break those Advent calendars out (X/CozyLouise72)
So the word ‘advent’ in Latin means ‘coming’, and it is used in the Christian church to describe the period of preparation leading up to the birth of baby Jesus come Christmas Day.
The other meaning behind it is ‘preparation’ for the ‘Second Coming of Christ’.
According to Britannica, Western churches begin the period of Advent on the Sunday nearest to 30 November, which is also St. Andrew’s Day, marking the start of the liturgical year.
They further explain: “In many Eastern churches, the Nativity Fast is a similar period of penance and preparation that occurs during the 40 days before Christmas. The date when the season was first observed is uncertain.”
“It is thought that advent was first celebrated back in AD567 when monks would fast in the month leading up to Christmas,” writes Hotel Chocolat.
Now, the first theory as to why there’s only 24 days worth of chocolate is because the word ‘advent’ – as mentioned – relates to the ‘preparation’ of the birth of Christ, so in chocolate terms, manufacturers take that literally, as in, a day before Christmas.
The other theory is that it’s easier for manufacturers to pick a fixed number of days for a calendar so it can be reproduced or reused every season, which makes perfect sense, sadly.
“Although we now typically see advent calendars in houses from the December 1 until December 24, advent calendars aren’t strictly for December only,” Hotel Chocolat explain.
“Advent Sunday – the first of the four Sundays before Christmas Day – can fall between November 27 and December 3.
“However, most people tend to wait until December to pop open their first door – expect to see advent calendars during November in churches only.
“We can’t help but feel this should be made more of the norm at Christmas: who can say no to an extra few days of chocolate, guilt-free?”
They added: “The production of advent calendars began to slow after paper rations in WW2 were brought into place, but people’s love of them never died.
“By the 1950s, many calendars began including small gifts, such as chocolates or toys, behind the door.
“Over time, advent calendars became less religious, with more people seeing them as a fun way to countdown the days until Christmas.
