Tallest Christmas Tree is in Northumberland

© National Trust / Bec Hughes

A mighty decorated giant redwood at the National Trust’s Cragside in Northumberland has secured the Guinness World Records title for the World’s Tallest Bedded Christmas Tree.

The 44.7m (146.6f) giant redwood (Sequoia wellingtonia) is dressed in excess of 1,300 dazzling lights to transform it into a towering festive showstopper standing at more than twice the height of the iconic Angel of the North statue.

It's one of millions of trees planted in the 1860s by the estate’s founders, the Armstrong family, some of which are now the tallest of their kind in the entire country.

Steve Howard, Visitor Operations Manager, told That's Christmas “It’s been quite a year of planning. Last year we presented the UK’s Tallest Living Christmas Tree, and we kept wondering if we could go one giant leap further and secure a Guinness World Records title… and we have made it!”

Steve went on to say: “It’s been a bit tough to keep this big secret under wraps and quiet over the last few weeks, but we wanted to share our huge news while many people are putting up their own Christmas trees.”

Visitors will notice that in addition to the lights, the tree is also dressed in two large purple bows to meet the essential criteria to have two traditional decorations on the Christmas tree. 

The tree was officially measured with witnesses present and signed off by a Guinness World Records adjudicator when the tree was dressed last month.

Guinness World Records adjudicator Carl Saville added: “The breathtaking giant redwood, perched on the edge of the hillside, is a vision of growth and pure beauty in Cragside’s historic landscape. It was a real privilege to give this tree the recognition it deserves.”

And if you are dressing a Christmas tree at home, spare a thought for the team involved who had the arduous task of  unravelling nearly 800m (2624f) of lights to hang on the towering tree. 

Festooning a tree that’s over 10 double-decker buses tall takes some industrial-duty thinking: the team used a cherry-picker which can reach to 51m (167f) and it took three people an entire two days to hang the lights. 

Every bulb had to meticulously checked and then draped and fastened vertically so as not to put too much pressure on the tree, which has been part of the Armstrongs’ ‘fantasy mountain landscape’ for over 150 years.

But this isn't the first time the grounds have been decorated in celebratory lights. Back in 1884, to commemorate a royal visit, the Armstrong famiuly decorated the estate’s hillsides in thousands of lamps. 

The Newcastle Daily Chronicle newspaper's contemporaneous report stated: ‘Ten thousand small glass lamps were hung amongst the rocky hillsides, and an almost equal number of Chinese lanterns were swung across leafy glades.’

The tree’s multi-coloured lights echo the Christmas spectacle inside the house, with a theme that takes inspiration from a real Servants’ Ball held at Cragside in 1894. 

It imagines the Armstrong family have gone away for the festive season, and their staff are throwing a mischievous party. 

The rooms are in topsy turvy colourful chaos as servants have abandoned their tasks to don their finest attire, ready for an evening of energetic dancing, mingling - and maybe even a touch of festive romance, too?

Steve added: “With the rooms in the house decked out in vibrant decorations, it felt only right to dress the tree in glorious technicolour, too, and we can’t wait to welcome our visitors to experience the World’s Tallest Bedded Christmas Tree throughout the festive season.”

The tree plays a starring role in BBC Two’s Christmas Treasures of the National Trust, which airs on Friday 19 December at 9pm and on iPlayer. The episode takes a behind-the-scenes look at festive preparations around the Cragside estate.

Christmas at Cragside is on until Sunday 4 January 2026.

Christmas Period Arguably The Most Important Time For Reflection, Explains Help4Addiction

The Christmas period is a time filled with mixed emotions for people struggling with addiction, explains community group Help4Addiction, led by its founder Nick Conn.

While the festive season is often viewed as a cheerful, family-focused time of year, it can also bring deep challenges for those facing substance misuse.

Despite this, the organisation has observed that fewer people reach out for support or enter rehabilitation during December.

Conn explains that the desire to be with family at Christmas is one of the main reasons people delay seeking formal treatment.

Many individuals feel unable to face being away from loved ones during such an emotional and traditional time of year, even when they know that their addiction is causing serious harm in their lives.

The Emotional Pull of Family At Christmas

During the Christmas period, most people want to be surrounded by family, friends, and familiar comforts. Celebrations, traditions, shared meals, and time together are central to the season. For someone considering rehab or intensive support, the thought of missing these moments can feel overwhelming.

For many, the idea of spending Christmas away from home, separated from loved ones, and in an unfamiliar environment becomes a powerful emotional barrier. This often leads to individuals postponing treatment until after the holidays, even though they may be fully aware that they need support.

Families Use Christmas As a Time For Reflection

While the number of people entering treatment may drop in December, Christmas often serves as an important time for self-reflection. Seeing families coming together, sharing love, and celebrating can make individuals painfully aware of what they may be missing or have lost due to addiction.

This contrast can be a powerful wake-up call. People may begin to think more deeply about their choices, their relationships, and their future. Feelings of sadness, regret, or longing for change can intensify during this period, pushing individuals closer to making a decision to seek help.

Increase Motivation in The New Year

As the festive season ends, many people feel more prepared to take action. January is often seen as a fresh start, and this mindset can encourage those who have been struggling to finally reach out for support.

The reflection that takes place over Christmas frequently leads to an increase in enquiries and treatment admissions in the new year. Individuals who have spent time thinking about their situation may feel stronger, more motivated, and ready to begin the recovery process.

Families Give More Support During The Festive Period

Even though fewer people may enter treatment in December, support remains available throughout the holidays. For some, Christmas can worsen feelings of loneliness, anxiety, or hopelessness, and in severe cases, it can lead to crisis situations.

Access to guidance, reassurance, and professional support can be vital during this time. Knowing that help is still there provides comfort and can prevent individuals from feeling completely alone.

Christmas Shouldn’t Stop People Taking a Step Towards Recovery

While the desire to spend Christmas with family is understandable and deeply human, it is important that this does not stop people from taking steps towards recovery. Reaching out for information, advice, or a simple conversation can be the beginning of a positive change.

Even if someone chooses to delay treatment until the new year, putting a plan in place can bring hope and a sense of control for the future. Recovery does not have a fixed timeline, and every journey starts with a single step.

Help is available for individuals and families affected by addiction, no matter the time of year.

https://www.help4addiction.co.uk

That's Food and Drink: Steaks Fit for a Vegan!

That's Food and Drink: Steaks Fit for a Vegan!: As part of our Veganuary feature That's Food and Drink is bringing you news about vegan foods that you can try at home or in your pub or...

Côte Brasserie’s New Year Feast in Branch or At Home

The countdown to New Year’s Eve has begun with the launch of Côte Brasserie’s most generous feasts both at home and in brasserie.

This year, guests dining in-brasserie can indulge in Côte’s four-course New Year’s Eve celebration menu (from £53.95 per head), a standout feast crafted to be filled with flavour, value and French indulgence.

Guests are welcomed with a complimentary glass of Crémant or Kisumé non-alcoholic sparkling rosé, setting a perfectly celebratory tone.

The menu is generous from the start including for the table dishes Comté Madeleines with hot honey dip, olives, and garlic-herb peppers and then a wide variety of delicious starters including Chicken Liver Parfait with macerated figs, indulgent Camembert Brûlée, King Prawns in Café de Paris butter, Beetroot-Cured Smoked Salmon and more.

Mains celebrate classic French comfort elevated for the occasion: luxurious Confit Duck à l’Orange, Cornish Roasted Hake with velvety lobster sauce, Steak Frites Deluxe cut in Côte’s own butchery (+£8 supplement), Chestnut & Sage Tartiflette with a baked half Camembert and an impressive vegan Roasted Miso Parsnip dish, among others.

A trio of sides for £15 encourages festive feasting, from Sprouts à la Française and hot-honey Pigs in Blankets to crispy confit potatoes with gravy mayo.

Guests may finish with a special curated French cheese plate, or choose from a line-up of desserts including Pain Perdu, Warm Chocolate Fondant and the striking La Bûche Rouge winter berry mousse log.

With its breadth of choice, generous portions and sparkling welcome, Côte delivers one of the most compelling NYE menus on the high street for the price, all served until midnight across all brasseries.

For those celebrating at home, Côte’s sell-out New Year’s Eve Feasts return featuring the NYE Feast for Six for £169.95 and the NYE Feast for Two for £84.95

The menu features beetroot-cured salmon with horseradish cream, followed by British & Irish Côte de Boeuf with gratin dauphinois and black garlic jus, finished with a dark chocolate financier and cherry compote. Show-stopping, indulgent - and completely stress-free.

For more relaxed celebrations, the Buffet Box (£76.95, serves 2–4) offers a ready-to-serve spread of French cheeses, truffle saucisson, cured ham, smoked salmon, pâté, confits and more - “a party in a box” when paired with Côte’s festive drinks range.

To keep celebrations lively, the first 150 orders will receive a complimentary Big Potato Games party game.

Back for another year of festive excellence, Côte’s at-home range continues to be a beloved ritual, even for Dame Judi Dench, who counts herself among the thousands who rely on Côte at Home for effortless festive dining.

Also available to celebrate the season in style is the Festive Breakfast Box (£67.95) - croissants, jams, granola, sausages, eggs, and Crémant de Bourgogne as well as the Festive Drinks Package (£79.95) - from Buck’s Fizz to Port for the cheese course.

All menus are created by Executive Chef Steve Allen, whose Michelin-starred background includes Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, Pétrus and Claridge’s.

Steve told That's Christmas: “Creating this year’s New Year’s Eve menus has been a real joy. Whether guests are joining us in the Brasserie for a four-course celebration menu or celebrating at home with our Côte at Home feast boxes, the focus is the same - generous, joyful dishes full of flavour, crafted to make the occasion feel truly special. 

"From elegant French classics in our restaurants to indulgent, stress-free feasts delivered straight to your door, we want everyone to be able to celebrate in the way that suits them best. Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année!”

Côte at Home festive menus are delivered chilled and ready to serve, with nationwide delivery from 18-23 December. Early booking is very strongly advised.

Order now at coteathome.co.uk

FACTFILE:-

Côte at Home delivers the very best of French cuisine direct to your door. Launched in 2020, the service offers luxury meals and produce from its in-house butchery, bakery, fromagerie and wine cellar. Côte at Home supplies premium butcher’s cuts alongside an expansive selection of artisan cheeses and a curated list of wines, champagne and beer. 

Each box arrives chilled, ready to eat, freeze or bake. Nationwide delivery Wednesday to Saturday (excluding the Scottish Highlands and Islands, Northern Ireland, The Isle of Man, The Isle of Wight, The Scilly Isles and the Channel Islands).

Ideal For Christmas. Kentucky Classic: Woodford Reserve Straight Bourbon

Carefully crafted in small batches in the heart of Kentucky, Woodford Reserve Straight Bourbon is a masterclass in balance and complexity. 

With hints of dried fruit, vanilla, toasted oak, and baking spice, this award-winning bourbon is the perfect, crowd-pleasing gift for friends and family alike.

I'm thinking of a winter warming Old Fashioned. This will be absolutely perfect for your Christmas drink mixing. How about sipping with mince pies by a roaring fire? 

Or perhaps for gifting to those members of your family or circle of friends who you know will appreciate receiving a bottle of a high quality proper Bourbon for Christmas. 

That is if you can bear to part with it? Perhaps you'd better buy bottles on the old adage of "One for you, one for me?" After all, it is Christmas! 

You can purchase this at The Whiskey Exchange or Amazon.

It should cost £38 a bottle, though if you use this link it should cost you £26 https://amzn.to/4pAsj7Z

And we'll give you our special Woodford Reserve Straight Bourbon Old Fashioned recipe in a while, so please keep an eye open for that. 

For the Rum Lovers in Your Life Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva

If you are looking for the perfect Christmas gift for the rum aficionado in your life, you need look no further than Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva.

It's wonderfully rich, elegant, and velvety smooth. Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva is a premium Venezuelan rum crafted from only the finest premier sugarcane.

It offers deep notes of toffee, dried fruit, vanilla, and subtle spice. Whether you’re sipping a Diplomatico Orange Cocoa neat by a crackling fire or stirred into a festive Manhattan it's a deluxe gift that brings warmth and sophistication to your loved ones this Christmas. 

And you might be able to increase their breadth of knowledge of rums, because I have to admit I was unaware that Venezuela was known for producing rum.

As well as being a great gifting idea it will also make the perfect addition to your Christmas drinks table.

It should cost £41 and is available at The Whiskey Exchange or Amazon where it will cost £32 https://amzn.to/4rKb3ym

Gold Coffee Truffles for Your Christmas Feasting and Gifting

These Gold Coffee Truffles are easy to make, easy to gift and easy to eat!

So you'd probably better make more than you think you'll need!

Here's how to make them:-

Prep: 10 minutes plus chilling

Cook: 10 minutes

Makes approx. 25

275g dark chocolate, 54% cocoa, chopped

150ml double cream

25g unsalted butter

2 tbsp Camp Chicory & Coffee Essence

125g white chocolate, chopped

To decorate, edible gold leaf and gold shimmer powder

Place 150g chopped dark chocolate in a large heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water.  Add the cream, butter and Camp essence and heat gently until just melted, stir until well combined.  Cool and then chill until almost set, about 3-4 hours.

Using a melon baller or teaspoon and using lightly oiled hands, mould into approx. 25 round balls and place on a tray lined with baking parchment. Chill until firm.

Melt the remaining 125g dark chocolate and the white chocolate in 2 separate small bowls over 2 small saucepans of simmering water until melted. Allow to cool slightly.

Dip half the truffles in the dark chocolate and half in the white chocolate, using 2 forks to completely cover.  Place on a tray lined with baking parchment and again chill until set.

To decorate, place gold leaf on the dark truffles using a clean dry paint brush and dust the white truffles with gold shimmer powder.

Cooks tip

Try dusting half in cocoa and half in icing sugar for a quick alternative.

A Christmas Warning: Preventing Food Poisoning at Home and in Catering Kitchens

A warning for homes and businesses on food safety, highlighting how food poisoning outbreaks can cause ill health and misery at Christmastime.

Christmas is a time of abundance. Packed fridges, overflowing ovens, buffet tables groaning under the weight of turkey, stuffing, pigs in blankets and trifle. It’s also, unfortunately, a time when cases of food poisoning spike sharply across the UK.

Whether you’re cooking at home for family and friends, or serving food professionally in a pub, restaurant, care home or events venue, Christmas meals must be prepared with care. One poorly handled dish can turn festive cheer into days of illness – or worse.

Why Christmas Is a High-Risk Time for Food Poisoning

The festive period creates a perfect storm for food safety problems:

Large volumes of food prepared in advance

Fridges overfilled and struggling to stay cold

Cooked food left out for long periods

People reheating leftovers multiple times

Temporary or seasonal catering staff under pressure

Add alcohol, distractions, late nights and “it’ll be fine” attitudes, and mistakes become far more likely.

Common Christmas-related outbreaks are linked to salmonella, campylobacter, E. coli, and listeria – all of which can cause serious illness, particularly in older people, young children, pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems.

At Home: Festive Food Safety Essentials

1. Turkey Must Be Fully Cooked

Undercooked poultry is one of the biggest Christmas dangers.

Ensure the thickest part of the bird reaches at least 75°C

Juices should run clear, not pink

If in doubt, cook longer – resting time does not finish cooking

Stuffing should ideally be cooked separately to reduce risk.

2. Don’t Overcrowd the Fridge

A packed fridge cannot cool properly.

Raw meat must be kept on the bottom shelf

Leftovers should cool quickly and be refrigerated within two hours

Fridge temperature should be 5°C or below

If necessary, prioritise food safety over drinks storage.

3. Reheating Means Piping Hot

Leftovers are a Christmas joy – but only if handled correctly.

Reheat food once only

Ensure it’s piping hot all the way through

Never reheat turkey more than once

If something smells off or looks questionable, it’s not worth the risk.

4. Hands, Surfaces and Utensils Matter

Festive cooking often involves multiple people in the kitchen.

Wash hands thoroughly before and after handling food

Use separate boards for raw meat and ready-to-eat foods

Clean surfaces regularly, especially during long cooking sessions

“Christmas germs” are not festive – they spread fast.

For Catering Establishments: No Festive Exceptions

Professional kitchens carry a legal and moral responsibility to protect customers.

1. Pressure Is Not an Excuse

Busy Christmas services increase risk, but safety standards must never slip.

HACCP procedures must be followed at all times

Temperature logs must be accurate and up to date

Hot holding and cold storage must remain within safe limits

2. Temporary Staff Need Proper Training

Seasonal workers are common in December.

Food hygiene training must be provided

Supervision is essential, especially during peak services

“Learning on the job” is not acceptable where safety is concerned

3. Vulnerable Diners Must Be Protected

Care homes, hospitals, schools and Christmas community meals must take extra care.

Avoid high-risk foods such as unpasteurised cheeses

Ensure allergen information is clear and accurate

Maintain strict hygiene during buffet and self-service meals

An outbreak linked to a Christmas event can have devastating consequences.

Food Poisoning Isn’t “Just a Stomach Bug”

Foodborne illness can lead to:

Severe dehydration

Hospitalisation

Long-term digestive problems

In extreme cases, death

At Christmas, when NHS services are already stretched, preventable illness places additional strain on an already pressured system.

A Safer Christmas Is Everyone’s Responsibility

Christmas food should bring people together, not send them home ill.

By taking simple, sensible precautions, at home and professionally, too, we can ensure that festive meals are remembered for the right reasons: laughter, warmth, and good food safely enjoyed.

Because no one wants their Christmas story to include food poisoning.

Cacen Waed Gwyddau: The Welsh Goose Blood Cake with a Christmas Past

Discover Cacen Waed Gwyddau, the historic Welsh goose blood cake once made at Christmastime, and explore its origins, meaning, and place in festive food heritage.

Christmas food traditions across Britain are wonderfully varied, deeply local, and sometimes a little surprising. 

While most of us are familiar with mince pies, Christmas pudding, and roast turkey, Wales has its own rich culinary heritage, including one of the most unusual festive dishes you may never have heard of: Cacen Waed Gwyddau, or Goose Blood Cake or tart.

This historic Welsh delicacy may sound startling to modern ears, but it tells an important story about thrift, seasonality, and how Christmas was once celebrated in rural communities.

What Is Cacen Waed Gwyddau?

Cacen Waed Gwyddau literally translates as “goose blood cake”. It is traditionally a baked tart or cake made using goose blood, combined with ingredients such as:

Goose blood

Suet or dripping

Flour or breadcrumbs

Onions

Herbs and spices

Sometimes dried fruit or oats

The result was a dense, savoury bake, more akin to a pudding or tart than a modern cake, designed to make use of every part of the goose.

Why Goose Blood at Christmas?

Before supermarkets, refrigeration, and global food supply chains, Christmas was the time when livestock was slaughtered for winter. In many Welsh households, the Christmas goose was the centrepiece of the festive meal long before turkey became fashionable.

Waste was not an option.

Using goose blood was practical, economical, and deeply ingrained in rural life. Blood provided richness, protein, and binding, much like it does in black pudding, and allowed families to stretch scarce resources further during the long winter months.

Cacen Waed Gwyddau was often made around Christmas or New Year, when geese were prepared, making it a seasonal dish rather than an everyday one.

A Dish Rooted in Respect and Resourcefulness

While modern tastes may recoil at the idea, dishes like Goose Blood Cake speak to a time when:

Animals were raised locally

Food was seasonal and precious

Nothing edible was wasted

Cooking was guided by necessity, not novelty

In that sense, Cacen Waed Gwyddau sits comfortably alongside other traditional British blood dishes such as black pudding, faggots, and savoury puddings.

This was not about shock value, it was about survival, respect for livestock, and feeding families through harsh winters.

Was It Sweet or Savoury?

Most historical references suggest Cacen Waed Gwyddau was savoury, often flavoured with onion and herbs, though some regional or family variations may have leaned towards a lightly spiced, enriched pudding.

Recipes were rarely written down. Like many traditional Welsh dishes, it was passed from generation to generation by memory and method rather than precise measurements.

Does Anyone Still Eat It Today?

Cacen Waed Gwyddau is now extremely rare, and you are unlikely to find it on modern Christmas tables — or in shops.

However, it occasionally appears in:

Food history discussions

Welsh cultural heritage events

Academic or museum references

Experimental heritage cookery

Its value today lies less in widespread consumption and more in what it teaches us about how Christmas was once lived and cooked.

Christmas Traditions Aren’t Always Pretty... But They Are Honest

At That’s Christmas 365, we often celebrate cosy, comforting traditions, but it’s also important to remember that Christmas history includes hardship, ingenuity, and resilience. And it is a nod to the Welsh ancestors of both my wife and myself who, as coming from Welsh farming stock, could well have made and eaten Cacen Waed Gwyddau at Christmastime.

Cacen Waed Gwyddau reminds us that festive food was once about:

Making the most of what you had

Feeding large families affordably

Preparing for winter survival

Honouring animals by wasting nothing

It may not be a dish most of us would recreate today, but it deserves its place in the rich tapestry of Welsh Christmas traditions.

A Taste of Christmas Past

So next time you sit down to a beautifully plated Christmas dinner, spare a thought for the generations who made do with far less, and still found ways to mark the season with care, tradition, and communal meals.

Cacen Waed Gwyddau may be a relic of the past, but it tells a powerful story of Christmas in Wales — one rooted in history, honesty, and respect.

Rudolph v. Santa: The Great North Pole Lawsuit

A humorous festive tale in which Rudolph takes Santa to the North Pole tribunal for making him pull the sleigh while ill with COVID. A light-hearted Christmas courtroom caper!

A festive legal drama from the frosty files of That’s Christmas 365

Everyone knows the classic tale: a young reindeer with a glowing red nose steps up on Christmas Eve and saves the day.

Children cheer, carollers sing, and Rudolph becomes the North Pole’s most famous employee.

But what the public didn’t know, until this week, is that the red nose wasn’t magic at all. According to brand-new legal documents filed at the mythical “North Pole Employment Tribunal,” Rudolph claims he was actually down with a nasty bout of COVID, and Santa “wilfully ignored workplace health and safety obligations”.

Yes. Rudolph is suing Santa.

And the elves are loving it.

A Nose That Wasn’t Just Shiny—It Was 38.5°C

Rudolph states that, on Christmas Eve, he reported symptoms including:

A glowing red nose

A slight cough that sounded suspiciously like sleigh bells

Feeling “achy in all four legs”

A positive lateral-flow test (which the Elves later used as a bauble because the lines were so festive)

But Santa allegedly insisted the only real issue was Rudolph “being a bit dramatic” and that the glow was “excellent for visibility through fog”.

According to leaked internal correspondence, the Head Elf of HR wrote:

“Whilst we appreciate Rudolph’s unique luminescent qualities, forcing a symptomatic reindeer to undertake global sleigh-pulling duties may breach North Pole Occupational Health guidelines, subsection 4b: ‘Do not make contagious livestock operate airborne transport.’”

Santa’s Defence: “He Looked Fine to Me”

Santa, for his part, is fighting back, claiming that:

Rudolph volunteered for the shift after Donner complained he was on a zero-carrot contract.

Rudolph’s positive test was “faint, like when you leave it too long and it’s just picking up the snow”.

He assumed the red nose was simply “winter radiance” brought on by excitement.

His official statement reads:

“In the spirit of Christmas, I have always supported the welfare of my reindeer. Also, Rudolph is the only one with built-in headlights. Let’s be reasonable.”

The Elves’ Union, UNITE-THE-TOYMAKERS, has already announced a solidarity strike… which will last approximately ten minutes, as they got bored and went for hot chocolate.

Courtroom Chaos at the North Pole

Proceedings are scheduled to take place at the Candy Cane Courthouse, where:

The Judge is Mrs Claus (independent, but not unbiased, she has opinions).

The jury consists of six penguins and a polar bear who promises to stay awake “unless something edible wanders past”.

The stenographer is an Elf who types exclusively in candy-cane-striped font.

Rudolph’s legal team includes Blitzen (for dramatic effect) and Vixen (for sass).

Santa is representing himself, which everyone agrees is brave but misguided.

What Rudolph Wants

The claim seeks:

Unlimited access to the “Posh Hay” storage barn

One full shift off every century

A glowing-nose allowance

A written apology from Santa Claus, embossed in gold, framed in gingerbread

And hazard pay for “exposure to inclement weather and airborne chimney soot”

Insiders say Santa is considering settling the case early, as Mrs Claus has already warned that “if Rudolph doesn’t get at least the posh hay, there will be trouble”.

Public Reaction

Across the world, reactions have been mixed:

Children: “Rudolph had COVID? Does this mean Santa might have it too? Should we leave out Lemsip instead of milk?”

Reindeer-rights activists: “This is exactly why we need stronger labour regulations in seasonal magical workplaces.”

The NHS: “Please stop calling to ask if reindeer can book PCR tests. We don’t have a protocol for that.”

A Christmas Moral

Perhaps the lesson here is simple:

Even Christmas legends deserve sick leave.

And if your nose glows so brightly it can guide a sleigh through a blizzard, maybe—just maybe—have a lie-down and sip something warm before you fly around the world at Mach 3.

Rudolph is now recovering well and has taken up yoga, while Santa is reportedly attending a mandatory seminar titled:

“Managing Magical Creatures: Employment Law for Festive Employers”.

The North Pole HR department has also quietly ordered 2,000 lateral-flow tests, 500 masks, and a laminated sign reading:

“If your nose is glowing, DON’T GO SNOWING.”