Around Christmas each year there’s a sense of profound nostalgia in many people. Whether it’s remembrance of family, friends or partners, there’s a lot to think about. A specific version of this is felt by teenagers, a kind of longing to be younger, and experience Christmas through the eyes of a child again. Stuck in the space between being able to fully embrace the concept of Father Christmas and being Father Christmas, the middle ground is often difficult to navigate, especially if you have younger siblings who remain blissfully unaware.

There’s an undeniable sense being out of place in the celebrations, whether it’s because you’re stressed about school work and feeling like you can’t relax because of it or simply feeling detached from the whole thing. Its not always easy to ‘get involved’ with Christmas when you have twenty deadlines and a whole load of work on your shoulders. As well as this, the upcoming new year brings with it the promise of more school work, exams and the less than reassuring fact that another year has passed. Despite the fact that as a teenager, another year passing may not mean a lot at face value, it’s the underlying reminder that you are getting older and closer to being an adult, responsibilities increasing as the years go by. Christmas and the New Year are an invitation to contemplate the past year, but with these sentimentalities may we remember to not overthink too much. You don’t want to ruin the holidays!