As part of a recent trip to Essex to catch up with relatives before Christmas we spent time exploring the London Christmas Markets -see previous post: https://amidlifeadventure.org/2024/12/15/exploring-the-christmas-markets-in-london/
Whilst in London we also took time out to catch the Christmas lights in Carnaby Street, Oxford Street and Regent Street.
Christmas Lights:
I hadn’t been to London to do this for some 20+ years since my children were small and we lived in Essex. I cannot even begin to explain my disappointment. This was Carnaby Street for example!
There I was hoping and, to be honest, probably expecting it to have not unduly changed. I craved Christmas spirit and was looking for this experience to top up my Spirit of Christmas bucket which was, at this point, not even halfway full!
Instead I was just dumb founded. Where were all the multi coloured twinkling lights? I remember strolling down the whole length of both Oxford Street and Regent Street stopping only to buy myself and the children mugs of hot chocolate to stave off the cold. Back then time flew as we stopped every few minutes to stand still and gaze in awe. Each set of lights would display something different; Christmas bells, stars, presents with bows, angels, tinsel. Every emblem of Christmas could be found and you were committed to walking the length of these streets so you didn’t miss anything.
The lights this year were still pretty but they were all the same. This was Oxford Street…..
Just strings of silvery lights with stars on the end and this was Regent Street
Golden angels with wings. Nothing else just row after row of the same design. Tourists from home and abroad used to flock to London to see the lights and I’m sure were often tempted into shops whilst strolling the length of these streets. Regent Street even boldly displayed a message…..
In case you cannot read it this is a close up.
The Spirit of Christmas! Sorry where is that then?
Lakeside Shopping Centre:
Disappointed by this inadequate display we took ourselves to the Lakeside Shopping Centre the following day to focus upon some Christmas shopping and in the hope that our own spirit of Christmas might be restored.
The decorations were not really any better….
I thought this was actually embarrassing but I guess it is aimed at the Insta crowd.
I’m not sure if this is suppose to look elegant or they had a batch delivery of gold baubles. It certainly doesn’t substantiate the message below of “Destination Christmas” to me.
This was a little better but again I remember a time when you would take your children to the “Turning on of the Lights” at your local shopping centre. The children would get all excited as a known personality prepared the switch-on and when the countdown was complete everyone would exclaim in wonder at the magic on display in front of them.
The lights on display in my nearest market town of Dursley look better than any of those I’ve seen up in London. I actually find it incredibly sad.
Commercialisation
Yes that dreaded word where everything is managed or run principally for financial gain. That was the word that rang in my ears when I was driving back home from our four night break. It feels like even Christmas is being lost to this one word. No one in retail seems to do anything purely for uplifting peoples’ spirits anymore.
Strolling through the lights in London used to be a beautiful experience for families and couples alike at a minimal expense but now it’s like a token gesture. The people who sit and make the decisions about these decorations are only doing something it seems rather than nothing. I find it really sad and very indicative of this world we now live in.
Perhaps it’s not what the majority want anymore, maybe people are so busy shopping they take no notice. Maybe destination shopping centres are just that, a destination? Our experience at Lakeside certainly seemed to indicate this. It was like a swarm of locusts descending upon the shops.
Listening to conversations around me I heard comments like “oh that will do for auntie so and so”, ” Well we have to get the nieces and nephews something, yes you’re right we’ll just get them all pyjamas”, “We can’t turn up without a present that will do”.
What happened to actually putting in some thought as to what would suit Auntie? What the nieces and nephews might be interested in or even showing up with a handmade present? Where is the care, the joy of gift giving? I fear it is disappearing.
It was just a crazy experience, people were shopping with their babies/toddlers in buggies with car-phone style attachments so the child could watch the mobile phone or tablet while the parent(s) shopped, hopefully I’m guessing without any interruption from said child. An absolute ton of money was no doubt being spent all in the name of turning up with a present.
To cap off our trip and prior to meeting family for lunch on the Sunday we popped to Pitsea Market in order to peruse the stalls for presents and also wreaths for family graves.
Romford Market used to be a favourite haunt of mine when I lived in Essex, pre 2005, and again you could feel the spirit of Christmas as you wandered the stalls.
Alas that is just a memory now. Pitsea was once again heaving, the stalls were overflowing the parameters of the market and nearly every single one was selling “knock off” gear. It appeared that everyone was so caught up on delivering “named brand” presents to their loved ones that there was no regard for the fact that what they were buying was 100% not the real thing.
How many famous brands can you spot by the packaging here?
Apple Air pods £10.
Jo Malone candles £15
Uggs at £10 or £15
How on earth do these market traders get away with this? What happened to Trading Standards?
This is yet another form of commercialisation. Fulfilling the need of the consumer for financial gain whilst totally disregarding authenticity. I was even made aware of videos on TikTok blatantly displaying this law breaking activity.
Have we just completely lost the spirit of Christmas?
Christmas used to be about friends and family gathering together to eat, drink and be merry. It was the act of giving a present, no matter how small to show your appreciation for a person. It was the wonderful countdown that children enjoyed in their eager anticipation of Father Christmas arriving on Christmas morning to deliver presents.
Someone, just this week, said to me ” Our children only receive one present from Father Christmas each, we don’t hang up stockings or leave sacks of presents by the tree. ” when I enquired why, the response was “We live in a commercial world where so many children demand really expensive presents these days from Mobile phones to iPads to Gaming stations from Father Christmas. When that child returns to school post Christmas and tells their friends what they received from Santa what does the child who received a colouring book and crayons think? That Santa doesn’t love them as much? “
“We give them one present from Santa and then the remaining presents are from us as parents, we feel that is fairer” .
On the YouGov polling site this week I even read that some people are having to forego Christmas this year because they simply cannot afford it and do not want to get themselves into debt as a result.
This is so far away from the real spirit of Christmas, what on earth is this world coming to? When did it stop being about sharing the spirit of Christmas and instead become such a commercialised venture?
I would love to hear some feedback on this opinion piece particularly how you feel you maintain the Christmas Spirit in this ever changing world
A Midlife Adventure 