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FIND OUT MOREChristmas guide
Every day is a special day in Manchester but the festive season can be extra special... with a little help from yout festive guide.
1 Go shopping in Manchester city centre
In December, everything about Manchester city centre seems to conspire to get you to spend money - from the Christmas lights, flashing like mini shopping beacons, to the smell of food on the go wafting up from the Festive Markets, everything shouts 'Tis the season to be spending!' Resistance is futile, so go ahead and treat yourself. You can feel bad about it later.
Market Street, King Street, St Ann's Square, New Cathedral Street and Exchange Square and Deansgate is where most of the action will be - just follow the crowd, you can't miss it. Or get off the beaten track and head for the Northern Quarter, particularly Tib Street, Oak Street and Edge Street for a buzzing independent retail scene.
You're very unlikely to find parking in the city centre, so you're better off taking the bus or tram into Manchester to avoid the frustration. Alternatively, you can use the Park & Ride service: park your car free at the Siemens car park just off Princess Parkway A5103 at the end of the M56, and take the shuttle into Manchester city centre. The service is available every weekend until Dec 18 (more information on 0870 608 2608).
2. Visit the Festive Markets
There's nothing like a hot bratwurst and a cup of spiced Gluhwein to get you into the mood for Christmas. Or how about some hot chocolate and freshly made crepes? A stop at Manchester's famous Festive Markets is a must to take in the sights and smells that Mancunians have come to associate with Christmas.
You would have to try really hard to miss the markets, as they take over the city's main shopping streets and squares - Albert Square, St Ann's Square, King Street and Exchange Street.
Here you will find traders from Europe, Africa and the Far East, selling everything from Bavarian beer and wild boar sausages to arts and crafts.
3. Get high on the Manchester Wheel
A specially commissioned giant observation wheel forms the centrepiece of this year's Christmas celebrations in Manchester. The £3.5 million wheel consists of 42 glass heated capsules, which can seat up to eight people.
For an extra special treat you could ride in the luxury VIP capsule, where you can sip champagne while checking out views from 60 metres high.
The wheel is open from 10am - 11pm every day except Christmas Day. Tickets can be bought at the wheel or online at www.worldtouristattractions.co.uk. Adults pay £5.50 and children £3.50. The VIP gondola will cost you £50, or £65 with a bottle of champagne.
4. Check out the bling at The Trafford Centre
If you are curious to see what £1 million worth of Christmas lights look like, visit The Trafford Centre.
Manchester's massive retail and leisure destination has splashed out on some extra special Christmas decorations this year, including giant reindeers, columns of cascading lights and mini LED Christmas trees.
The shopping centre is worth visiting just for the Festive bling, and a trip here will make you extra popular with your kids. Of course, once you're here you may never leave: with 230 stores and a host of leisure and entertainment options on offer, The Trafford Centre can be difficult to be parted from. But hey, at least the parking is free.
5. Put your skates on at Old Trafford
If being the home of Manchester United is not good enough reason to lure you to Old Trafford, how about a bit of festive fun on ice?
A 750m2 ice rink has been built in the shadow of the East Stand, overlooked by the statue of Sir Matt Busby. Housed inside a clear domed structure, the rink is sheltered from the elements, while giving visitors the experience of skating out in the open air.
The dome also houses a cafe, where you can have sip on your hot chocolate or mulled wine and nibble on a mince pie while.
Tickets cost £9 for adults and £7 for children, while a family ticket is £28. Advance booking is recommended. To book, call 0870 060 1789.
6. Catch a performance of Handel's Messiah
Handel's Messiah may be one of the Christian world's most popular music works, but you don't have to be religious to appreciate it - its hummable tunes, rousing choruses and virtuoso arias make it easy on the ear and very inspirational. Love it or hate it, you have to experience it live at least once.
And where better to enjoy this concert than the magnificent Manchester Cathedral, which lies on the site of a church dating back over a millennium.
The Cathedral's exquisite choir is accompanied by The Northern Chamber Orchestra in this performance, which takes place on Dec 17 at 7pm. Ticket prices range from £10 to £15 and you can book on 0161 833 2220.
7. Cry your heart out with Miss Saigon
Musicals don't get much better than the legendary Miss Saigon, which is playing at Manchester's Palace Theatre until Jan 7, 2006.
Set in 1975 Saigon, the musical tells the tragic love story of Chris, an American GI, and Kim, a young Vietnamese prostitute whom he meets in a Saigon brothel.
The original musical, by Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil, premiered in London in 1989 and ran for ten years. It also became one of the most successful Broadway shows when it opened in New York in 1991.
The original West End production was too big and expensive to move, so Cameron Mackintosh created a new production that could tour Britain.
The new, touring production is said to use cutting-edge visual techniques and a brand new set design that vividly recreates the streets of Vietnam and Bangkok. The final helicopter flight from the roof of the American embassy promises to be an especially memorable one.
If you like musicals, this is the one to watch this Christmas. Just make sure you wear waterproof mascara and bring plenty of tissues to the show.
8. Watch a play at the Royal Exchange
The magnificent Royal Exchange building in St Ann's Square houses a small and intimate theatre that produces and presents truly amazing work. This Christmas, the theatre's 360 degree seating auditorium will play host to Harvey, a revival of Mary Chase's whimsical comedy.
The play tells the story of a good-natured eccentric, Elwood P. Dowd, and his best friend - an invisible six-foot-tall rabbit called Harvey.
One of the longest-running Broadway and West End Comedies ever, Harvey won the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 1944 and was also adapted to film in 1950, starring Hollywood legend James Stewart.
If you've ever refused to conform to people's accepted version of reality, this play will put a smile on your face.
9. Watch Harry Potter in style at the Filmworks
Harry Potter is so phenomenally successful that one is tempted to give the young wizard's fourth adventure it a miss just to break away from the spell-bound masses. But who are we kidding?
It's Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts and he faces a dangerous challenge as he competes in a multi-wizardry school tournament. Dark and difficult times lie ahead, but not for the film's producers who will be celebrating another blockbuster this Christmas.
For a luxury film-viewing experience, try the Gallery at the Filmworks. Available to over 18s only, the Gallery offers the best view in the house. It also allows you to relax in the exclusive bar before going through to a fully licensed auditorium, where you can slide into a luxurious leather armchair and enjoy your film with drinks from the bar and complimentary snacks and refreshments. Tickets cost £12 on Mon-Thu and £16 on Fri-Sun.
10. Give something back
If you woke up healthy today, you are luckier than the 1 million people in the world who will not make it until the end of the week. If you have food, clothes, shoes and a roof over your head, you are wealthier than 75 per cent of the people on this planet. Whether you realise it or not, you have much to be thankful for. And what better time than Christmas to show your appreciation by giving something back.
Buy charity Christmas cards and presents. Unicef has a lovely collection of gifts, including calendars, diaries, stationery and decorations, which you can buy from The Pier (Upper floor, The Trafford Centre) or online at www.unicef.org.uk/store.
Or, how about giving someone you know who loves cooking a recipe book with a difference? This is My Favourite Recipe Book is a collection of 100 recipes from chefs from all over the country, including Gary Rhodes, Michel Roux, Heston Blumenthal, Raymond Blanc and Manchester's own Harry Yeung, which aims to raise funds for the Children in Need charity. The participating chefs have contributed their personal favourite recipes for this great cause, so if you want to learn how to make Harry Yeung's Lemon and Honey Sesame Seed Prawns, Michel Roux's Squash and Shrimp Soup with Nutmeg or Gary Rhodes' Bread and Butter Pudding, hurry up and buy the book - a snip at £9.99. Published by The Ransom Group, it is available from Waterstone's or on-line at www.thisismyfavourite.co.uk.
Whatever you do, have a lovely Christmas and a happy new year.