Let the Holidays Begin!

Yesterday kicked off what is easily my favorite part of every year, The Holiday Season! (of course it deserves all caps!) Although I am missing Thanksgiving, this year the season is even more exciting than most. It began with Halloween yesterday and we went to House of Horror at St. Andrews.

To follow, this weekend just so happens to be Raisin Weekend which is something I have been told only St. Andreans are fully able to appreciate! Raisin weekend revolves around a really old tradition here in which third year students would adopt first years, and on this weekend the first years would take their parents raisins in return for a receipt. Over time this tradition has evolved. I haven been adopted by third year parents who I refer to as my academic mum and academic dad. Evidently I lucked out as far as academic parents go and got really sweet parents. On Raisin Sunday it is tradition to go to your mum's with your siblings and tradition is now to drink and do other fun things which I am not yet aware of! Mum's then send us to or dad's to continue the day of drinking well into the night. In the morning on Monday all children head back to their parents houses to get Raisin receipts. I have been told that receipts can range from large objects to carry around, such as couches, to funny costumes and everything in between. The only thing I am completely aware of for this Raisin weekend currently is the note below that our academic mum gave my siblings and I at a family dinner.

So, like I said the season has an added weekend of shenanigans this year which I am sure will be a blast! To continue the fun, on Thursday of this coming week Griffin and I are leaving the Bubble to head off to London for five days! We have been prepping for this trip for quite some time by compiling lists of places we are going to eat, things we want to do (go see Christmas lights anyone?!), and of course places we want to hit up for some shopping! Before we leave though, we are starting the long weekend with a mani- pedi to get ready for the focus of our trip, The Hunger Games Premiere. The premiere is on the Monday that we are in London, so we will head back to St. Andrews the following morning.
A few essays and two weeks later is Revision week. Revision week is the week before exams begin and many students leave town for a short break away before the two long weeks of finals. For revision week we are hoping make our way to either Amsterdam and Brussels or to Prague. Both of these destinations would have fun things to do, pretty places to see, and my personal favorite, huge Christmas Markets with lots of festive food and handmade crafts!
Then there are the two dreaded weeks of finals and a long journey back to the States. Once home it is lots of food I have missed, my favorite day of the year, Christmas Eve, then Christmas, New Years and to wrap it all up, (drum roll please....) my 21st Birthday! It is gonna be a great couple of months friends!