For and Against: Getting Ready on Christmas Day.

For- Amy McGarahan

How people spend Christmas day is always a hot topic around this time of year, especially when you are surrounded by people from different cultures and countries whilst at University.  Do you do presents in the morning or after dinner? Do you go on a walk whilst Christmas lunch is being cooked, or do you watch TV? One of the biggest debates between my friends and I is whether you should get dressed up on Christmas Day to celebrate the occasion or stay in your pyjamas to embrace the cosiness of the festivities.

I am always in favour of getting dressed up on Christmas Day, as I believe it is one of the few days a year where there are no limits on how dressy you are. You can dress head to toe in sequins and glitter, or sport red lipstick with an emerald dress and no one will think anything of it.

If, like me, you and the people that you spend Christmas Day with are the type to open presents in the morning in your pyjamas, and then get ready, dressing up on Christmas Day provides a great opportunity to experiment with your new gifts.

If you wear makeup, you can try out the items that you have received- why not test your new Fenty Highlighter with the makeup brushes you have just opened! Guys, you could even try your new aftershave on to show your Grandma that you’ve grown past the age for Lynx giftsets (hopefully she will get the hint for 2021).  

I think, particularly in 2020, a year where we haven’t had much to celebrate, or much to dress up for, getting your glad rags on to spend time with your nearest and dearest is going to be special and exciting. We tend to go to maximum efforts for everything Christmassy; the gifts, the nights out, the food, the decorations- so why not go to maximum efforts with our appearance for the big day? Now, Boxing Day… that’s a different story!

Against- Victoria Osho

Spending your time with the people you love the most can look like different things for different people, and as much as you need to do whatever makes you happy, I find that the sentiment of Christmas spirit gets taken away by getting ready.

Christmas is supposed to be about the crudeness and rawness of waking up with messy hair, making a hot drink and snuggling with loved ones to enjoy christmas cheer.

Its not about the appearances, its about love, and you know what they say, 'love is blind'.

At the end of the day, you want to look back at every Christmas with fondness, and a lot of the time, this fondness might not come from your attire or your eye shadow, but from the laughs at the table while pouring the gravy and how your parents still do not know how to work the video capturing on an iPhone. Christmas is messy, uncut, and funny. and that, exactly that, is what makes Christmas.