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it comes to schools and teachers, my advice is to first check if there is any sort of class joint gift and, if not, then buy a small pres- ent for each teacher in your child’s class. Tese do not have to be especially extrava- gant or expensive, but the gesture is appre- ciated. It is also worth including any teachers of extracurricular activities. With work and sometimes groups of


spirit, all the major stores release their Christmas adverts at the end of November or the beginning of December. Te Black Friday sales, a relatively new concept for us here in the UK, have been inspired by the US promotions around Tanksgiving, al- though British people don’t actually cele- brate this festival. Te adverts vary in approach and tone, but John Lewis is espe- cially famous for releasing a tear-jerking advert each year featuring a poignant story, usually involving a child and toy. Clearly, you can then rush out and buy the fea- tured toy, which will be a popular gift choice, at any John Lewis store.


Secret Santa, gifting etiquette and thank yous: getting it right


How to gift and the custom of Secret Santa is an area which can be tricky if you are new to the country, and I receive many re- quests to explain how to approach this area. Let us start with gifting etiquette. When


friends, Secret Santa is a popular British custom. Te way this works is that all the names in the group are written on paper and go into a hat, from which you take a name secretly at random. Usually there are clear guidelines about how much to spend, perhaps £5 or £10, and the gift choice is yours. If you know the person well, then easy; however if they are an acquaintance or a lesser-known colleague, play it safe and go for some nice food or drink. Te idea is to wrap the present up, label it from Secret Santa (do not sign your name), and then give it to the Secret Santa organiser who will sort out the distribution. Tis often happens at the Christmas party, where each person will open their present in turn, watched by the others. Even at this point, people will keep silent about who chose the gift. Depending on the group and how well


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they know each other, sometimes you might receive a Secret Santa gift you do not like, do not understand, or is deliber- ately crazy or embarrassing such as a hu- morous book or a silly tie. Te main point here is to keep your cool, laugh it off and say thank you to Secret Santa in front of the group (obviously you do not know who you are thanking). You can always do- nate it to a charity shop afterwards, and these shops benefit hugely with a rush of unwanted presents post-Christmas. In no circumstances should you say you do not like or want the present. It is better to be polite and get rid of it after the event. If you are a manager of a team at work,


then usually you would additionally buy Christmas gifts for each of your direct re- ports, and food or drink work well for these recipients. Top tip: For lovely and thoughtful gifts on a British theme, I particularly like Fortnum and Masons, Cath Kidston or Biscuiteers for interesting present ideas, or try the amazing collection of unique and inspired gifts at notonthehighstreet.com. Sending Christmas cards is a lovely idea


but increasingly a nice thing to do for close family and friends, as life tends to be hec- tic before Christmas. Some people are switching to online greeting cards to be more environmentally friendly, except for


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their very nearest and dearest; however, in business sending Christmas greeting cards is still a common way to thank clients and suppliers. My final comment on this is thank


yous. I am a bit of a traditionalist on this topic and I still think a hand-written thank you card, or at the very least an email, for gifts received shows time and effort, is thoughtful and much appreci- ated. Tank you by text or mentioned when you see the person next is accept- able but is not as highly valued. Tanking people for gifts is a British tra- dition which applies to birthdays as well as Christmas, and the British still really love sending and receiving cards.


The Christmas Party: what to expect and how to survive


Now we are getting nearer to Christmas, you might be invited to a Christmas party, either for work, through school or by friends. Christmas parties are clearly not unique to the UK, however the style of them is perhaps different, especially if they are for the grown-ups only. Te office Christmas party especially


has a certain reputation. Depending on the company, they can happen at lunchtime and last the rest of the day, or take place in the evening, if it is a more classy, civilised affair. Usually only the employees themselves are invited, and not their spouse or partner. However, it does not tend to matter


when they happen, they are usually fo- cused on eating, drinking plenty and getting merry, so here are my top tips for enjoying the Great British Christmas Party:


✶ Dressing up – Find out the dress code, which will either be glam or fancy dress. For the latter, you can put your Christmas jumper on. Crazy, flashing Christmas-themed jewellery, Father Christmas hats or


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