Blaise Tapp: Festive cheer, mandatory fun and elastic waistlines
The party season is in full swing, by the end of this week I will have been out for six festive gatherings and there’s still a week to go until the big day.
Yuletide socialising can sometimes drag a bit - there’s nothing worse than mandated fun, especially when it involves having to wear silly hats and jumpers - but this year feels different because it has been a 12 months which have been a bit of a slog to say the least for most people.
Apart from personal highlights and the odd sporting triumph - we will always have the Lionesses - there hasn’t been a great deal to shout about in 2025, which is probably why so many can’t wait for it to be over. And what better way to get it out of the way than by giving the ball a proper kick for one last time this year?
Perhaps the biggest problem with having a lovely time in December is that it all revolves around food and drink - lots of it, which is fine if you have the metabolism of an Olympian or even have the drive to visit the gym but for someone who puts on weight by simply sniffing a mince pie, this is a genuine issue. It’s an even bigger issue now that I’ve officially stopped dieting, which I may live to regret, especially now that I have given away all of my ‘fat trousers’ which I suspect would come in quite handy in January.
Of course, eating your own bodyweight in breaded prawns, baked cheese and crispy spuds isn’t obligatory but self control does tend to go out of the window when everybody else is incredibly jolly and fun to be around, especially those acquaintances who barely crack a smile the rest of the year.
The fact is that, right now, food is my number one obsession - I have tweaked my online Christmas shopping basket a good dozen times in the past few weeks, based on my mood, and I’m having regular dreams about how many times a turkey should be basted.
There are many who genuinely dislike this time of year, with some resenting the commercialisation of a religious festival and while they do have a point, I don’t think I will ever get bored of having the perfect excuse to meet up with old pals, while filling my face.
Nothing says Christmas like not being able to do your trousers up.