’Tis the season to be jolly! Right? While most western countries have been advertising Christmas long before its due time, Istanbul’s not quite up to par on the Christmas-advertising front, which serve to remind us to prepare and stress for feasts of extravagance and presents in abundance. Whilst this may prove pleasant on our pockets and peace of mind, for those who simply adore Christmas it can seem like an anti-climax to a normally festive year-end. Despite claims that St. Nicolas originated from down south in Demre, he apparently visits all the little Turkish boys and girls on New Year’s Eve. In a similar way, the Christmas tree and present giving has also been adopted for New Year’s Eve.  While the adaptation may seem odd, it gives a means to celebrate a Christian holiday in a predominantly Muslim country, albeit several days before they do. While you may find proper Christmas decorations and food, it doesn’t always come cheap; so a little imagination will do your pocket a world of good. Add booze to a party, and no one will even notice what's lacking after his/her third eggnog.

Jingle bells

If your CD collection doesn’t include a range of cheesy Christmas CDs, log on to www.accuholidays.com for a good range of tunes and jingles over the holiday period. Here are a few must-haves to get you started: White Christmas, Dean Martin; Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Frank Sinatra and of course, I’ll be Home for Christmas, Silent Night, Santa Baby- many versions of each.

Turkey’s in Turkey

Don’t stress if you can’t actually see rows of huge turkey arses poking out of supermarket freezers in the weeks leading up to Christmas; ask at either your local butcher or some of the big supermarket chains (Carrefour, Migros and Macro) and they can most likely order one in for you. Make sure you specify that you want a whole uncooked turkey (as sometimes they sell cooked slices as well), how big you want it (yes, still on the topic of turkey’s), and what date you want to collect it.

If you can’t be stuffed (pardon the pun) to cook your own turkey, you can also order a pre-cooked, pre-stuffed turkey, delivered to your door on the required date; Okko in Ulus provides this service, as well as Kömür Lokantası  (Fevzipaşa Cd. in Fatih), and Kanaat Lokantası in Üsküdar for Asian side residents. For an all out, deluxe dinner, try Sausage King’s Christmas Hamper with organic turkey and every possible gourmet side dish you can think of, enough to feed a small army (www.thesausageking.co.uk).

Make your own cranberry sauce from fresh cranberries (found in Kolaylar Manav in Arnavutkoy) or grab some dried ones from Carrefour. 

Secret Santa

We’re all getting a little sick of the words ‘economic crisis’, but reality as it is, Santa’s sack is most likely a little light this year; rather then depriving yourself of present pleasure (even if you have to feign delight for your gift), try doing a ‘Secret Santa’ amongst friends. If you’re the host, put each guest’s name into a hat and pull out one name for each person for who they must buy a present. Add a low price budget to keep it fun and to avoid stress about how much everyone else is spending.

O’ Christmas tree

Most houseware stores sell a range of plastic trees (Koçtaş, Bauhaus, Metro etc). If you want that fresh pine smell, check out a nursery near you for evergreen trees, or if you’re lucky you may even find a potted one to the left of the Spice Bazaar. If you have a car, drive out to the forestry commission in Göktürk (near Kemerburgaz) where they have an assortment of different sized trees; they usually come roots and all, so sweet talk or bribes are an option if you want them trimmed. Real trees can be expensive though, so any spindling that can take the weight off copious amounts of tinsel and lights will suffice.

Deck the halls

If you’re looking to keep Christmas cheap this year (although those two words are rarely used in tandem), head to the back streets of Eminönü and Sirkeci where you will find shops packed with party decorations; while you may not find the decorations crammed with Christmas motifs in an array of red, green and gold, you will find streamers, tinsel, party hats, plastic trees and fairy lights that can be adapted with a little imagination. You can also find a range of shops with Christmas themed cake and cookie decorations. Basically, if you want it, Eminönü has it (or some version of it). Euro Flora in Kagithane is a decoration warehouse that sells decorations for the exterior of homes, interior and more, plus it’s all at a discounted price, www.euroflora.com.tr.  If all else fails, IKEA has a surprisingly comprehensive Christmas decorations section.

Drinks

If you’re feeling particularly nostalgic, or desire to impress your Turkish friends, try making your own eggnog! If you’re worried about the pulled faces once you explain eggnog is traditionally made with raw eggs, use this cooked eggnog recipe instead. In a saucepan, whisk 6 eggs, 2 cups of milk and 1/3 cup of sugar over a low heat until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Cool quickly by placing the saucepan in a bowl of ice water and stir; add 1tbsp. of vanilla and ¼ cup each of rum and bourbon and chill in the fridge for several hours. Before serving, whip 1 cup of cream and 2 tbsp. of sugar to fold into the mixture. Top off with a sprinkle of nutmeg!

Mulled wine (literally meaning heated and spiced) is another festive drink to warm you up in the cold weather. Over a low heat, slowly stir a couple bottles of red wine with 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 cinnamon quills, 6 star aniseeds, 1 tbsp. cloves and 1 sliced orange (including the rind). It makes any cheap wine taste half decent.

Church services

Hidden away between all the minarets and mosques you will be surprised at how many churches you can find. Check the closest one to you to see if they are running a Christmas service; St. Antoine Church on Istiklal holds a lovely mass on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (although midnight mass is actually held at 8pm on Christmas Eve).