The college I lecture at invited everyone out to a big Christmas do on Friday – a celebration with work colleagues over good food and drink. At first I was a little bit annoyed because I thought the reason why we were celebrating Christmas in January was so that the college could save money, but I found out that the dinner was delayed due to disorganization – they simply forgot to book a place in time. We were all invited to a lovely place on Fade Street in the city center and were served cocktails before dinner, which was a tapas-like array of a multitude of delicious flavours. Since the place wasn’t really set up for as large a group as we were some of us ended up seated at the cuter, the food being prepared right in front of us – and I have to say i can only recommend it. As the chef de partie (section chef) sizzled and cooked I got a chance to ask all sorts of questions and even try a few tasters, the sous-chef (second in command) topping up the offerings with a few extra plates and the hostess leaving a bottle of wine for me and my counter companion to share. It was an entertaining evening, chatting to people you see most days but don’t ever really get to know, and even if it was a month too late there was something nice about celebrating a past event. So ho ho ho and a happy non-Christmas to you – or maybe we should all just celebrate that it is January!
Let us celebrate the occasion with wine and sweet words.
Plautus
jensinewall 
I think your university may be on to something there. There certainly is something to be said for gathering in January, when we can often use a bit of a lift, and can relax and enjoy the company – perhaps a little more than during the (sometimes) frantic holiday season. Cheers!
Kind of nice to have a celebration when all of the rushing around has ceased… Diane