Christmas Day is almost here, the epicentre of the seasonal earthquake. You’ve probably been buying mince pies since October and justifying the consumption due to the proximity to the holy day, but as we go to print, we’re still a solid month from stockings and the sleepiest afternoon of the year. Enjoyment of any presents will hopefully extend well into January, along with that pound of weight you’re set to work off with your ‘new year, new you’ regime. Christmas isn’t a day, it’s easily a tenth of the year.
While the day itself is the peak of seasonal excess (research puts average consumption on the day at 5373 calories), it’s also the eye of the storm when it comes to the stress of Christmas. The insulin from that Christmas lunch digestion gives you a heady mix of serotonin and melatonin, which means happy and sleepy. Mmm… so happy and sleepy. The chance to indulge in a King’s Speech nap is a welcome calm, not only from the day but also the hazy memories of early December’s hectic Christmas party period and the impending onset of New Year’s Eve celebrations. Both are times of reduced sleep, one too many of something or another and probable excess of another kind. That dodgy office party outfit and your secret Santa faux pas fading into hazy corners of your memory as the Tony’s Chocolonely takes effect and you dream of living your best life as we welcome in 2025.
Before you nap and contemplate the meaning of Christmas, take a moment to flick through this ‘BIG’ edition of Gallery, a celebration of going large. Our Gorgeous Gift Guide features a great selection of gifts from wonderful local retailers alongside a gift edit for the man, woman, child, or dog in your life. We have a shoot that marries big hair with big jewellery and get a guide to visiting the world’s biggest wave from our Jerseyman in Nazaré. We profile a 15,000 square foot beast of a mega-house and meet the team of men who will be doing a big performance on stage at the Jersey Round Table Ball. We have a bumper Gradu8 careers guide for those of you making moves next year and profiles from some brilliant locals making it big in art, music, and sport.
After a solid November and the prospect of a busy start to December getting Gallery out to you, it feels like we’ll be due that Christmas Day rest. Thank you for picking Gallery this year. We’re looking forward to hitting our 200th edition in February, so get the malaise of January over and we’ll see you then for a few drinks, OK?
BD
