Edinburgh Napier University

Category: Christmas

Winter and Christmas in Edinburgh

Glossary: 

Dreich – tedious; damp and wet (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-50476008) 

Hogmanay – New Year’s Eve (in Scotland) 

 

If it’s your first Winter in Edinburgh: you’re in for a treat! Edinburgh tends to get crisp and cold between December and February (ok, sometimes wet, and dreich too…) but there’s plenty going on and our city is buzzing over Christmas and the New Year. 

Winter Walks 

If you’re willing to wrap up warm, why not take a walk around Arthur’s seat? Arthur’s seat is an extinct volcano in the centre of Edinburgh, near to coffee shops on the Royal Mile if you need a gingerbread latte to warm up afterwards. 

Another lovely place to go in the frost or snow is Dalkeith country park – there are festive events on too! There are many trails to walk in this beautiful park, set over 1,000 acres. The park has a rich history, having been in the Buccleuch family for over 300 years. The site dates back to the Roman times. 

Another option is to head up Calton hill for a panoramic view of the city lit up in full Christmas mode – it’s not a difficult walk up the steps. You can also see the National Monument and Nelson monument. This is a popular spot on Hogmanay to take in the fireworks too. 

 

Calton Hill in the snow

Calton Hill in the snow

Picture Credit: Pixabay 

 

 

 

A little further afield but worth a trip is the lovely Roslin Glen. You can see the ruin of what was once Scotland’s largest gunpowder mill. You can also see the impressive and partly ruined Roslin Castle. A short walk through the glen takes you to the famous Rosslyn Chapel, founded in 1446 by Sir William St Clair. In the New Year, you might see the snowdrops starting to come out in the Glen. 

Finally, another bracing walk in the wintertime is a walk along the promenade at Cramond. If you so desire, you can walk from Silverknowes along to Cramond and if you’re feeling adventurous and have checked the tide times , you can walk over to Cramond island. According to the Cramond Association, Cramond is the oldest known site of human habitation in Scotland. 

Christmas Lights 

If you’re looking to soak up some festive illuminations, there are a number of options in Edinburgh! 

In the city centre, the Christmas Market lights up Princes Street Gardens with an Ice rink, big wheel and Christmas tree maze – https://showcatcher.com/edwinterfest/christmas 

At the west end of Princes Street garden, you’ll find Santaland, with a festive family funfair. 

George Street also boasts Christmas lights and an enormous Christmas tree which can be seen at the top of the mound – apparently this tree has a history, and is a gift from Norway each year. This tradition dates back to WW2. 

Looking for more lights? The Botanic Gardens hosts a light trail each year, which is pretty spectacular, and you couldn’t ask for a nicer backdrop. Have a look at Christmas at the Botanics for more information. 

Another light spectacular to take in this winter is Edinburgh Castle’s ‘Castle of Light’. This involves projecting light onto the castle’s walls and ramparts and a historical walking tour. 

 

Last but not least, Edinburgh is well known for its Hogmanay celebrations, and in 2022 Edinburgh will host its giant street party once again. For the uninitiated, Hogmanay is the Scottish word for New Year’s Eve. 

The celebrations also include live music and a huge fireworks display at midnight. Lots of kissing, hugging, and dancing ensues! 

Looking for something quieter? 

If you’re looking for a cosy corner to curl up in when it’s cold and snowy, come to one of our campus libraries. You can check our festive opening hours here. 

You can borrow Library items from Friday 9 December 2022, and you won’t need to return them before Monday 16 January 2023. Full details can be found here. 

Remember, we’re always here online too – you can continue to access ebooks, ejournals and databases usingLibrarySearch, even if physical libraries are closed. 

 

By Judy Wheeler

Spanish New Year

New Year in Spain

Not for Spaniards the heavy stodge of black bun or shortbread. They prefer something altogether lighter to bring in the New Year. To navigate the transition between the old year and the year to come – año nuevo – Spaniards stay at home, and, at midnight, it’s customary to eat las doce uvas (the twelve lucky grapes), one on each stroke of the clock.

It doesn’t matter if they’re red or white, seedless or not, eating 12 grapes is supposed to bring good luck, prosperity, and happiness for the year ahead because they represent each month of the year.

The truth is that the practice became established in 1909, when some of Alicante’s vine growers popularized this custom in order to sell huge numbers of grapes from an excellent harvest.

Before COVID arrived (and ideally again in the future), families or friends usually got together for a delicious dinner and then meet in the central square or any iconic local place to welcome the new year on this special and magic night.

The chiming of the clock is broadcast on TV all over Spain. After eating the grapes, the atmosphere is an explosion of joy, fireworks, confetti, music and dance until the early hours.

This year

This year like the previous one, the excitement will need to be much more contained and restricted in order to protect one another. However, I still encourage you to make the most of it with a physical or virtual toast, good wishes and resolutions.

Let’s be hopeful about 2022 and the good things to come. And above all, don’t forget to prepare your lucky grapes: the race to swallow all twelve before the clock stops chiming is lots of fun and your 5 a day fruit intake will be more than accomplished!

¡Feliz Año Nuevo!\

by Emi Pastor

Read about Spanish Christmas traditions in our earlier post here

 

Staying on Campus over Christmas?

Christmas is a period of relaxation and spending time with family and friends. However, some students may be staying on campus over Christmas due to living far away and this can be an opportunity to explore festive activities or take some time to relax.

There are advantages to staying on campus over Christmas like having more space, peace, and quiet! The library even has Ebooks to get you in the mood for Christmas for example the classic, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Activities include the Christmas Market, Edinburgh Napier University’s Carol Service, and Hogmanay 2022. There is even a Christmas Tree Maze you can get lost in and the Santa Fun Run & Walk at Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh is open to registration to help fundraise for Children in Scotland who live with threatening illnesses:

Edinburgh Christmas Market

Edinburgh Christmas Market

https://www.whenyouwishuponastar.org.uk/events/2021-12-05-edinburgh-santa-fun-run-walk-2021

https://www.napier.ac.uk/about-us/term-dates/christmas-arrangements/whats-on-in-edinburgh

https://you-well.co.uk/edinburgh-christmas-market/

https://www.edinburghshogmanay.com/

Perhaps you may want to visit and check-in with your friends, which also opens opportunities to explore more of the United Kingdom. Or even hike the wonderful mountains and hills of the Scottish Highlands, where you may even find patches of Snow- the Cairngorm Mountain near Aviemore is best known for Skiing and Snowboarding in Scotland!

 

Snowy mountain Highlands

Snowy mountain Highlands

 

The University is here if you need a little extra support over the holidays:

https://www.napier.ac.uk/study-with-us/undergraduate/student-support

Studying over the Christmas Holidays?

The Christmas holidays have finally arrived, and you might be thinking it is time to get those feet up, relax, enjoy a hot drink and binge-watch all your favourite Christmas movies!

 

A cosy Christmas

A cosy Christmas

 

But wait a moment… as there is still studying to be done. Here are some tips on how to motivate yourself whilst studying over the festive season:

 

Break it up:

Spend a few hours each day or every other day to break up your study period- you can set some time during the morning or evening then you have the rest of the day to enjoy your break and catch up on those movies!

 

Read and Research:

Set time in your schedule for reading and researching in your comfiest chair, you can do this along with your cup of coffee or tea for extra comfort. You can check out some of our books to help you with your studies via our Library Search

 

Christmas Treats:

 

Treat yourself in between breaks (by this we mean opening the celebrations tubs, eating mince pies, gingerbread men, and anything festive to motivate you throughout the Christmas period).

 

Christmas Star Biscuits

Christmas Star Biscuits

 

Family and Friends: 

Ask a friend or family member to proofread your essay, project, or dissertation. You could engage in a conversation about your current topic and share your opinions which you never know…may end up being the main outcome of your work!

 

Organising and Planning:

 

Use your home space to organise your work, create study note tips, and plan your schedule throughout the week using a calendar, a table, or a ‘to-do list’.

 

Christmas Planning

Christmas Planning

 

 

Edinburgh Napier Information Services sends their best wishes to everyone studying!

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