Having spent the majority of my life since birth, in the UK, I am in as good as any position to give you reasons not to stay during winter. However, after spending the most recent few years traveling and working abroad in Asia, I have grown to miss the cold climate and atmosphere that we get during the festive period.
Previously, and I know I am not alone in feeling this, I used to dread the winter period – going to work while it was dark and coming out to the same; constant rain, occasionally icy roads and a just generally drab mood, all had me wishing I could spend my winters in a hot, sunny climate. It wasn’t all doom and gloom, though. The festive period can really bring out the best side of people, in spite of the weather, and here are my three reasons you should enjoy staying in the UK during winter.
It just doesn’t feel like Christmas if it isn’t wet and cold
I have spent my last three Christmas periods in countries with hot climates. The first Christmas was nice, but what they all have in common is that none (including the Christian countries) had a festive feeling that could match what I was accustomed to in the UK. There is something about expecting the weather in December to be chilly and giving you the opportunity to wear multiple layers of clothing, that even 30 degree Celsius weather couldn’t appease.
Ordering my mother and sister raincoats for women online from Rains, while in a dry, sunny city on the other side of the world was a weird experience, seeing as I had not felt any rain in over two months. I’ve learnt to appreciate the weather as what makes life memorable, and often associate rain and the cold with the festive period. Stick around if you enjoy this too!
The weather is not always better on the other side
A play on the saying “the grass is greener on the other side”, I discovered that while it may be cold and wet in the UK during winter, this doesn’t necessarily mean it is warm and sunny in other places. On the contrary, many places in Asia at this time experience their “monsoon” season – constant, torrential rain – exactly what I personally wish to avoid.
Christmas dinner
Is it really worth putting up with all this bad weather for the sake of one meal? In my opinion, yes. Christmas dinner is not just purely about the food – although the roast turkey, potatoes and all the trimmings do play a big part – but it is all about the ambience and good feelings while having a family gathering with those you may not have seen recently. This, for me, is pretty much priceless.