Living in the UK: Best of this Season: Autumn and Winter
The weather is getting colder lately, and you may feel more inclined to stay at home more than usual. But the end of summer is not the end of this year’s excitement in the UK yet! There are still many amazing opportunities to enjoy the unique British life this autumn and winter.
“Grabbing the tail end of autumn”: enjoy autumn colours in forests and parks
Britain has distinctive seasons. Every autumn, a breathtaking swirling of red, yellow, gold and brown can be easily found in parks, forests, and suburbs. So, have an autumn photography competition with friends in a nearby forest or park this weekend! Or bring your children outdoors to learn about the life cycles of local plants and the habits of hibernating animals while having fun in the brilliant autumn colours! You can find a good spot to enjoy the leaves by using this Autumn Colour Map (for England) or by asking a local friend.
”Olé Olé Olé~!”
Football is undoubtedly one of the most popular sports in the UK. With the World Cup in full swing, and with the England and Wales teams entering the World Cup finals together this year, the World Cup will surely be the highlight of the season between your football-loving friends! The schedule for the two teams is:
25/11 (Friday) 10am Wales v Iran (BBC Live)
25/11 (Friday) 7pm England v USA (live on ITV)
29/11 (Tuesday) 7pm England v Wales (BBC Live)
18/12 (Sun) 3pm World Cup Final: teams to be confirmed (Live on BBC and ITV)
So gather your friends and have drinks and snacks ready! You can enjoy the live broadcast of the games and cheer for your favourite teams together at home, in a bar, or even outdoors. Let’s cheer for both the England and Wales teams this year!
The celebrations of winter: Christmas markets across the UK
When it comes to winter celebrations in the West, our minds may immediately come up with images of the fairy-tale-like German Christmas market scenes in continental Europe. But actually, many UK cities also organise their own Christmas markets! These markets are held mid-November to the end of December every year, and different Christmas markets offer different attractions: you can find the largest open-air skating rink in the UK at the Christmas market in Hyde Park, London. And you can also find rides like merry-go-rounds, traditional British and Continental Christmas treats, Christmas decorations, crafts and more at different Christmas markets.
Here you can find a list of the UK’s biggest Christmas markets, their dates, and their major attractions. But there are many more Christmas markets all over the UK, big and small. If you want to know if there is a Christmas market near you, you can look it up online, or ask your local friends about it. Visiting Christmas markets with local friends and learning about the local Christmas traditions is also a good way to enjoy your winter season!
