Christmas

Manchester Christmas Markets 2023 mug design and price revealed

Last year's mugs were so popular the markets literally ran out of them

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 2nd November 2023

The design for the Manchester Christmas Markets 2023 mug has been revealed – along with how much it’ll cost you.

There’s a small price hike for the cups this year, with the cost of a mug rising from £3 to £3.50.

When you buy your first hot drink at the Manchester Christmas Markets you’ll be charged a £3.50 deposit for your mug – it’s then up to you whether you keep the mug and lose the deposit, or return it to the bar and get your money back.

The mugs are a popular collectible souvenir every year though, with last year’s demand so great the Christmas Markets actually ran out of them and had to resort to using retro mugs from previous years.

This year’s design features festive Nutcracker artwork with a Scandi feel, and comes from Manchester City Council’s in-house design studio.

ADVERTISEMENT

As always, there are two different mug designs and sizes to collect – a large white mug for hot chocolates, and a smaller navy one for mulled wine and other warming boozy beverages.

They’ll be available at all of the city centre Manchester Christmas Markets locations from 10 November, while stocks last.

ADVERTISEMENT

The council is urging people not to leave their visit until the last minute for fear of mugs selling out again, saying that in 2022 us festive lot got through a whopping 140,000 specially produced mugs.

Extra Christmas Market mugs have been ordered for 2023 though, with 170,000 speeding their way to Manchester’s cosy wooden huts as we speak.

The Manchester Christmas Markets mug design for 2023
The Manchester Christmas Markets mug design for 2023
The Manchester Christmas Markets mug design for 2023
The Manchester Christmas Markets mug design for 2023. Credit: Supplied

A few mugs are already in circulation at the ice rink in Cathedral Gardens, where a few festive market stalls have already opened.

ADVERTISEMENT

Councillor Pat Karney, Manchester City Council’s Christmas spokesperson, said: “Our iconic Christmas mugs are the must-have accessory of the festive season and absolutely no social media feed should be without one!

“With different designs every year the collectible mugs are highly sought after and even have Santa’s seal of approval. Don’t leave it too late to come and get yours!

“No-one does Christmas quite like Manchester and we can’t wait to welcome everyone to Santa’s favourite city and to our world-beating Christmas Markets again this year!”

Manchester’s Christmas markets open on Friday 10 November and close on Thursday 21 December.

They will be open daily at the following times:

  • All craft stalls 10 am – 8 pm
  • All bars and food stalls 11 am – 9 pm

Read more

Featured image: Manchester City Council

Christmas

The lyrics to Auld Lang Syne for New Year’s Eve, and what the song means

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson The lyrics to New Year's Eve song Auld Lang Syne

The clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, the confetti is thrown, the kisses are exchanged, and then up starts Auld Lang Syne and you realise, once again, that you don’t know the lyrics to the iconic song.

This classic song is traditionally sung as we welcome in a new year, but you may (like us) find yourself singing the words as ‘dah daaah dah dah daaah dah dah, dah dah daaah dah Auld Lang Syne.”

Well it’s time to stop that behaviour and learn yourselves the Auld Lang Syne lyrics, quick time, before we hit 2024.

The text of the song is actually from a Robert Burns poem, penned way back in 1788 and based on an old Scottish folk song.

It was set to a tune a decade later, and since then has been recorded by dozens of different artists.

Auld Lang Syne can loosely translate as ‘old long since’, or ‘days gone by’ or ‘old times’.

So its meaning roughly is ‘for the sale of old times’.

There are longer versions of the song, but the lyrics to the most commonly-played version of Auld Lang Syne are below.

So hold hands with your loved ones, crack open the champers, and ring in a very happy new year.

What are the lyrics to Auld Lang Syne?

Fireworks on New Year's Eve, when the song Auld Lang Syne is traditionally sung
Fireworks on New Year’s Eve, when the song Auld Lang Syne is traditionally sung

Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And the days of auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear
For auld lang syne
We’ll drink a cup of kindness yet
For the sake of auld lang syne

And surely you will buy your cup
And surely I’ll buy mine!
We’ll take a cup of kindness yet
For the sake of auld lang syne

We two have paddled in the stream
From morning sun till night
The seas between us Lord and swell
Since the days of auld lang syne

For old acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind
Should old acquaintance be forgot
For the sake of auld lang syne?

For old acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind
Should old acquaintance be forgot
In the days of auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear
For auld lang syne
We’ll drink a cup of kindness yet
For the sake of auld lang syne

Read more

Featured image: Unsplash

Christmas

Manchester city centre road closures confirmed for New Year’s Eve fireworks display

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A number of road closures have been confirmed as Manchester city centre prepares for its first New Year’s Eve fireworks display in three years.

The hustle and bustle of Christmas has died down, Boxing Day has been and gone, nobody has a clue what day it is currently, and we’re all just waiting for New Year’s Eve to arrive, and for 2024 to bring new beginnings and a fresh start.

And case you missed it, Manchester City Council confirmed last week that Manchester will be celebrating the big occasion with a bang.

In what is the first time since 2019, and post the COVID-19 pandemic and several accompanying lockdowns, Manchester city centre is gearing up to host a “spectacular” fireworks display that will “say goodbye to the old and welcome in the new”.

Families from all across Greater Manchester are invited down to Castlefield Bowl in the heart of the city centre this Sunday 31 December for the “fun-filled event” that’s free to attend.

Manchester city centre road closures have been confirmed for the New Year’s Eve fireworks display / Credit: Unsplash

Hosted in partnership wit Hits Radio, and kicking off from 10pm and running until the clock strikes midnight and beyond, you can expect a live DJ set from Hits Radio DJ Jordan Lee, a traditional time-to-hug-all-your-friends countdown to midnight, followed by a huge firework display to celebrate the start of the new year.

Capacity for the event is 10,000, and is being operated on a first-come first-served basis, the Council has confirmed.

The event is also alcohol-free, standing only with no seating – except for disability access points and dedicated viewing areas – and anyone attending is asked to limit the bags they bring with them to no bigger than A4 in size, as bag searches will be in operation.

The Council says that, in order to ensure “a safe and celebratory event for all”, security staff will be keeping a close eye on revellers to minimise any disruption and allow everyone to see in the new year together, while being mindful that this part of the city centre has a large residential population by making sure the event arena is promptly cleared after the fireworks display is finished.

To best accommodate the event and everyone attending, the following road closures and parking suspensions have been confirmed ahead of time.

Road Closures

  • Duke Place (Duke Street – Arena): 8:30pm – 1am
  • Rice Street (Duke Street – Arena): 8:30pm – 12:45am (resident vehicles managed in and out of closure)
  • Liverpool Road (Potato Wharf – Lower Byrom Street): 8:30pm – 1am
  • Duke Street (Stone Street – Castle Street): 11pm – 12:45am
  • Beaufort Street (Collier Street – Duke Street): 11pm – 12:45am
  • Castle Street (Car Park – Canal Bridge): 11pm – 12:30am (restrictions out of car park between 11:30pm – 12:15am)

Parking Bays Suspended and ‘No Waiting’ Orders

  • Liverpool Road – 31 December, x4 bays (bays opposite Potato Wharf/Castlefield Hotel)
  • Duke Place – 31 December, x7 bays
  • Duke Street – 31 December, x4 bays
  • Beaufort Street – 31 December, x4 bays
It’s the first fireworks display in the city centre since 2019 / Credit: Alex Jones (via Unsplash)

“We think the time is now right to show how proud we are of our fantastic city, and to celebrate it as we close the door on 2023 and look ahead to 2024 and beyond,” explained Councillor Pat Karney, who is Manchester City Council’s Christmas and New Year spokesperson, as he confirmed the return of the annual new year tradition.

“Mancunians really are the best people in the world, and we can’t think of a better way of welcoming in a new year filled with new possibilities for all of us than spending it with those we love.”

Read more:

Customer access to all businesses within the closures will be maintained on the night of New Year’s Eve (31 December), Manchester City Council has confirmed.

More information about the event, and road closures planned can be found on the Council website.

Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons

More Christmas

Peter Barlow leaves Coronation Street

Christmas

Viewers in tears as long-serving Corrie character Peter Barlow leaves the show after 23 years

Mrs Kirkham's Lancashire Cheese, a cheeseboard staple, has been recalled

Christmas

Mrs Kirkham’s Lancashire Cheese – beloved northern-made cheese urgently recalled on Christmas Day

The Trafford Centre has confirmed its Boxing Day opening times

Christmas

Trafford Centre Boxing Day and New Year opening hours

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches