Humanity Hallows Issue 4 Out Now!
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By Rachael Burgess

Now, I don’t know about you, but my favourite time of the year is definitely Christmas. I love the excitement that surrounds this time of year, the traditions involved and, more importantly, the build up to the big day. Every year, people have their own views on when the festive period has truly arrived. For some, it is when they put up their Christmas decorations and make their homes all festive. For others, it’s when they can begin their Christmas shopping and can start to wrap their presents. Another sign of Christmas is the flurry of Christmas adverts from major companies that grace our TV screens; in particular the highly anticipated John Lewis advert which The Sun newspaper says, “Heralds the start of Christmas”.

For many people, however, the real start of the holiday season and the true symbol of Christmas is when they see the Coca-Cola Christmas Truck, whether it is on TV or in real life. The iconic red truck became famous through a popular Christmas advert that was first broadcasted in the early 90s. It was then taken off the air for a number of years before returning to our screens in the mid 00s. The advert became known for coining the catchphrase, “The holidays are coming” and the tradition of visiting the touring Christmas truck has been taking place for many years now.

I visited the famous truck back in 2014 and definitely felt all Christmassy after visiting. Members of the Coca-Cola team had done a great job organising the event and making sure everyone enjoyed the experience. They were handing out mini cans of coke to people who were waiting in the queue to see the famous truck. There was a snow machine which filled the air with tiny flakes which created a truly magical atmosphere. Members of the public could also have their photo taken professionally in front of the truck, and there was a mini fairground for all the young kids and for the adults who are still big kids at heart.

This year is set to be better than ever as starting on the 17^th November, the truck will be heading out all over the UK on its grand annual Christmas tour. This time round, it will be visiting 44 locations, and will be in Manchester on two separate occasions. On 1^st December, it will be in Manchester although the location has yet to be announced, and 2^nd December it will be at the Intu Trafford Centre.

According to the Coca-Cola website, this year, visitors will get the opportunity to walk through an enchanted winter wonderland, and then get the chance to have their picture taken with the iconic truck. Members of the Coca-Cola team will then be giving out free cans, and this year will see the release of the new and improved Coca-Cola Zero Sugar. Once the sun has set, visitors will then be able to watch a short Christmas animation which will be shown on the truck itself.

But that’s not all the company have up their sleeves. For those who don’t get the chance to visit the truck, then fear not. This year, Coca-Cola has created a special online treat for all those who have a twitter account. From 4^th November, twitter users can tweet the hashtag #holidaysarecoming and then they will receive a special truck-related treat on their post. With so much to offer this year, if this doesn’t get you in the Christmas spirit, then I don’t know what will.

For more information about the Coca-Cola Truck, the dates and the locations that it will be visiting, you can visit the website.

Rachael enjoys reading, photography and loves her pet dog, Hector.