As the fireworks lit up the London sky on New Year's Eve, columnist Lucy Mangan was enjoying a rather different celebration. Her preferred ritual involved a plate of smoked salmon, a glass of champagne, and the company of her books, a tradition she has upheld for a quarter of a century since last venturing out for the millennium.
The 'Twixtmas' Debate and a Linguistic Apology
Mangan's weekly digest began with an act of contrition. A year after coining the term 'Christmas perineum' for the days between Boxing Day and New Year, she corrected herself to the more apt 'Merryneum'. This led her to a firm stance on the season's naming controversy. She asserts it should be 'Twixtmas', not 'Twixmas', unless one has a sponsorship deal with the chocolate bar, arguing the term refers purely to the 'between time'.
Her linguistic scrutiny didn't end there. Mangan also hopes 2026 will bring clarity to the use of 'either' and 'each'. She was taught that 'either' implies a choice between one or the other, while 'each' applies to both sides individually. A sentence like 'There was a tree either side of the road' therefore, in her view, makes little sense unless the tree is capable of movement.
A Civilised Plea for Sunken Living Rooms
Moving beyond personal goals, Mangan's primary resolution for the world in 2026 is the revival of a 1970s interior design trend. She is championing the return of the sunken living room, or 'conversation pit'. Her argument is that they are cosy, civilised, and offer a difference that doesn't disturb the fundamental order of things—a perfectly manageable global ambition in her eyes.
John Lewis Lounges and the Joy of Missing Out
Another hope for the new year rests on the expansion of the John Lewis members' lounge, trialled in the Oxford Street flagship store in November 2025. Mangan sees the retailer as always having been a club in spirit, and she prays these lounges will proliferate, offering a sanctuary for those weary of pubs and ambient music.
This aligns perfectly with her philosophy for New Year's Eve, which she declares her favourite night due to the potent 'jomo'—the joy of missing out. World Introvert Day on January 2nd is, consequently, her highlight of the year. She plans to celebrate by fortifying her solitude, even encouraging her family to leave the house so she can relish the quiet. As she succinctly explains to her son: 'I love you. I just can't stand you.'
With these wry observations and hopes for a more grammatically precise and architecturally cosy future, Lucy Mangan ushers in 2026.
