Celebrate Friendsmas!

Christmas is the time of year full of glorious excess and festivities. It’s the perfect excuse to eat too much, drink too much, and spend too much – so what’s not to love? When it comes to the last few days of November, I’m the first to get my hands on the office stereo and put on a Christmas Spotify Playlist (sorry not sorry), you’ll be sure to find me guzzling mulled wine and eating bratwurst at Winter Wonderland (after going on the big rides, never before, obvs) and I’ll be shaking and feeling up every present under the tree, like Mystic Meg and her crystal ball, guessing what’s in each perfectly-wrapped parcel.

But when it comes to actual Christmas day, for lack of a better word, it’s just a little bit meh. We’re all geared up for the dinner – which is great by the way Mum, if you’re reading this – but then afterwards we’re all like well what now? The shops are shut, the TV really isn’t that good, and we all know whoever is The Banker will slip themselves a few accidental hundies to win Monopoly each and every year. So scratch the surface of the and the tree lights don’t twinkle quite so brightly.

But I’m not here to go all Scrooge on you, because all of this made me realise that celebrating Christmas isn’t really about the day itself, it’s about the festivities surrounding and leading up to it. This is where Friendsmas comes in. Many of us do it – you know, it’s that big night out that we all go on with our pals before everyone goes back to visit their family for Christmas. It’s about the new traditions we make spent with the family we choose for ourselves. Plus it means means that we basically get two Christmas Day’s; Friendsmas being the sexier, cooler version – the equivalent of your Tinder profile versus you sat in your fave cat pyjamas with no makeup on.

 To officially mark Friendsmas day, which this year is taking place on Saturday 17th of December, Jack Wills created the quintessential Friendsmas day at their flagship store with music, mulled wine, festive cocktails, and a Christmas food spread that probably makes your mum’s cheeseboard pale in comparison. To give it the truly friendsy spin, there was a few games of beer pong and a racecourse for the remote control cars to play around with, and the Jack Wills elves had worked ultra hard with gift bags loaded up under the tree.

So if it isn’t already in your diary, get on your group chat and call up your local favourite pub/bar to reserve a table now, making sure to share any of your festivities on social with the #Friendsmas hashtag. As for my own tradition, it usually involves my friends doing Secret Santa, heading for a meal promising we will absolutely in no circumstances go to the tacky local club afterwards, then without a doubt end up heading to the aforementioned tacky club. We all head home via the kebab shop for a not-so-festive midnight meal.

 If you want a Friendsmas slightly more classier than mine, then Jack Wills have their Dear Jack competition where you and four friends will win the ultimate day with an all-you-can-carry shopping spree in the flagship store followed by a festive feast in a luxurious London location.

One of the best things about Friendsmas is giving presents. Sure, what fashion blogger doesn’t love to be on the receiving ends of gifts right? But there’s something super satisfying about making your friends happy. To help you be the best Secret Santa you could possibly be, I’ve picked a few of my favourite Jack Wills products for every budget.