![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentsunion\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2025\/11\/ross-sneddon-8bMYXnytrm8-unsplash-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/span>Visit the Markets<\/strong> <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n Belfast has quite a few markets during the festive period where you can find lots of local and international traders selling artisan and seasonal handcrafted wares. It\u2019s the perfect space to do a bit of window shopping, treat yourself or purchase some presents!<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you need some inspiration, here\u2019s a few of our favourites:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Watch a Christmas Film<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n If you, or someone you know has a streaming service you could organise a Christmas movie night at home with your roommates or friends, but if you feel like heading out lots of businesses will be hosting screenings of your festive favourites!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hit the Shops<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n Many of the main shopping centres as well as other retail outlets will start to stay open later in the run up to Christmas Day, giving you extra time to secure some presents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can check out their operational hours here<\/a> and don\u2019t forget as a student at Queen\u2019s you can avail of many student discounts!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Carol Singing and Candlelight Christmas Concerts<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n It wouldn’t be Christmas without carols \u2013 the traditional festive songs that, in some cases, can be traced back hundreds of years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Waterfront Hall<\/a> is hosting a festive celebration on December 6th. Featuring your favourite carols, accompanied by the Mulholland Organ, and with a variety of festive music and song to get your Christmas season off to the perfect start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019d prefer a cozy evening, why not attend a Christmas by Candlelight Concert! Both St. Anne\u2019s Cathedral<\/a> and The Ulster Hall<\/a> are hosting evenings filled with Christmas classics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Festive Fundraising<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n The festive period is also a time to give back to the local community, help others and spread some joy. Giving to charity is one way of extending that warm feeling of doing something good for other people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you’d like some volunteering inspiration, this year students can volunteer at our Santa Run and Elf Walk<\/a>! Whether you’d like to help participants register for the event, or act as a walking buddy for those partaking in the Elf Walk; there’s something for everyone!<\/p>\n\n\n\n From taking part in a festive 5k for Action Mental Health<\/a> at Ormeau Park, or volunteer at the Ulster Folk Museum\u2019s Christmas events<\/a>, there are plenty of opportunities on offer!<\/p>\n\n\n\n But if they don\u2019t sound like a bit of you, we have other volunteering taster sessions and info stalls that you can check out on our what\u2019s on page<\/a>. We also have a network of over 500 organisations that welcome student volunteers. Our friendly team at SU Volunteer can help match you to your perfect role, you can contact them at su.volunteer@qub.ac.uk<\/a>, or check out Volunteer Now<\/a> for more opportunities!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Events at Your Students\u2019 Union<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n The holiday season can be costly, luckily at the Students\u2019 Union we are hosting a lot of free events in the run-up to Christmas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n From decorating a mini Christmas tree, festive mascot racing, or creating your very own Winter Warmer Box, the SU has plenty of cozy Christmas events for you to take part in, and embrace the festive spirit! (Who knows, we may even treat you to a hot chocolate while you’re at it). <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can check out our what\u2019s on page<\/a> for our full listing of events in December.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Look after your Mind<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n We know the festive period isn’t always jolly, which is why it’s important to take care of your mental wellbeing throughout the Christmas celebrations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether you\u2019re unable to head home for the holidays (or maybe you\u2019re nervous about doing so) or simply winding down from a stressful exam season, there are plenty of ways to reduce any anxieties you may have. We\u2019d recommend letting off some steam by socialising, taking a winter walk, volunteering (and maybe even treating yourself to something on your Christmas wish list!). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember, self-care can be small and basic. It can include making sure you\u2019re eating and sleeping well, or a chat with a close friend. It comes in many shapes and sizes, and is unique to you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For further support, check out Mental Health UK,<\/a> and Student Minds<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some Final Tips for the Festive Period:<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n Whatever you choose to do this festive season, we hope it\u2019s safe, merry and bright!<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Christmas lights are twinkling, the shops are stocked with mince pies and pigs in blankets, and festive music is blasting everywhere we go. Belfast has fully embraced the upcoming festive season! Luckily there\u2019s lots of fun (and cost-effective) ways to get into the Christmas spirit, so here\u2019s some of our favourite ones: Belfast has […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5153,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[320,319,132,318,321,130],"class_list":{"0":"post-5139","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-local-living","8":"tag-belfast-christmas","9":"tag-chirstmas-events","10":"tag-christmas","11":"tag-festive-events","12":"tag-low-cost-events","13":"tag-things-to-do","14":"czr-hentry"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentsunion\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2025\/11\/tessa-rampersad-5toRIWF2GUY-unsplash-scaled.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6B2ST-1kT","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentsunion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5139","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentsunion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentsunion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentsunion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentsunion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5139"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentsunion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5139\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5168,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentsunion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5139\/revisions\/5168"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentsunion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5153"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentsunion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5139"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentsunion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5139"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentsunion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5139"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentsunion\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2024\/11\/cinema-2-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/span>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentsunion\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2025\/11\/heidi-fin-2TLREZi7BUg-unsplash-1024x664.jpg\")
<\/span>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentsunion\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2024\/11\/pexels-blue-ox-studio-218748-730588-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/span>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentsunion\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2025\/11\/pexels-efrem-efre-2786187-19373653.jpg\")
<\/span>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentsunion\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2025\/11\/cyrus-crossan-b2GxscsPBwU-unsplash-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/span>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentsunion\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2025\/11\/emma-simpson-mNGaaLeWEp0-unsplash-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/span>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.qub.ac.uk\/studentsunion\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/31\/2025\/11\/tessa-rampersad-5toRIWF2GUY-unsplash-1024x684.jpg\")
<\/span>\n