’Tis the season to be jolly, engage in merriment and folly; to give and receive. Every family has its own approach to Christmas – whether the wrapping paper has been shredded by 6am, or parents hold back the tide of children’s excitement until after the Monarch has addressed the nation.

But Christmas actually wasn’t the big deal it has now become until the Victorian period. Before this, people celebrated the entire period of twelve days from Christmas day to Epiphany on the 6 January (when the Magi finally made it to the manger), and saved their biggest feast for the end of this period.

Things have changed a lot since then. This is our guide to your new favourite traditions – and a few older ones that might be worth reviving… or at least incorporating into a pub quiz!

Lots of people leave treats out, and some even sprinkle ‘reindeer dust’ (oats with glitter in) on the front lawn. But have you ever seen landing lights on your neighbour’s drive? Tea lights in plant pots will make sure that the jolly visitor is in a great mood when he visits your house. It’s also a great way to soothe any little nerves that Santa might not make it if you’ve recently moved… indoors, icing sugar boot prints provide great evidence of a nocturnal visit.

WRITE STUFF... Christmas Eve is a great time to write letters for your loved ones

If you’re a little grown-up for this kind of magic, why not take the opportunity to write a letter to your loved ones. The care and thought that goes into a handwritten message will make it especially valuable – even in the midst of piles of wrapping paper. You might even like to write a letter to be opened sometime in the future – next year; at a milestone birthday; with your will. Channel the holiday spirit into your words and take the chance to say what you’ve wanted to all year.

For your final meal before the feast that awaits you on Christmas Day, you might also consider a ‘Bethlehem dinner’. Eating simple food from the region where Jesus was born – things like pomegranates, olives, salmon, hummus, flatbreads, crackers, tzatziki, lamb koftas, and cheese – serves as a reminder of our faith and can double as a nice, easy spread if most of it’s store bought. [/swpm_protected]

It’s finally here! The day we’ve all been waiting for! The feast you’ve fasted for (or, more likely, had a chocolate a day to warm up for…). Before you tuck into the rich foods on offer, you might like to start with plum pudding to give your stomach a chance to prepare itself. That’s what the Tudors did, and they introduced turkey too, so maybe they knew what they were doing.

It’s the Victorians, though, to whom we owe a lot of what we consider ‘traditional’ at Christmas. One great idea that seems to have fallen by the wayside is the ‘spider’s web’ approach to gift giving. In the room with the presents, each person’s gift is attached to a coloured strand of wool.

This strand is stretched around the room – or even the house. To get to the presents, the recipient has to follow the thread from beginning to end. It’s colourful, it’s chaotic, and it will almost certainly be competitive. But it all adds to the excitement!

If you’re trying to spread out the excitement, hiding a few presents away for later on is always a good idea. It’s even better if you can leave a riddle to be unwrapped that, when solved, will help the recipient figure out where they need to go to find the present.

Another way to ratchet up the entertainment without breaking the bank is to play ‘the dice game’. Pile up enough wrapped stocking fillers for each person and then take it in turns to roll two dice. If you roll 7 or 11 you can open a gift; a 5 or a 9 lets you steal someone else’s; any multiple of two and you must trade gifts with another person. After the last gift is open, go round one more time… Feel the tension! This is a great way to spice up Secret Santa exchanges, too! [/swpm_protected]

As everyone who has ever seen Elf the movie knows, ‘the best way to spread Christmas cheer is by singing loud for all to hear!’ But when your kids are too cool for school – or at least that film – how do you keep the magic going? When faced with the question of whether or not Father Christmas is real, why not use this as a chance to introduce the little ones to ‘the Spirit of Christmas’. Tell them the story of St Nicholas, whose generosity still inspires us today and invite them to join in the story. To make it really special, you could mark the year they joined in with the Spirit of Christmas with a special, keepsake gift.

But maybe the best way to make Christmas more magical is to use it to share instead of spend. Why not pick three families, whose Christmas you can improve and get everyone involved in doing something secret for them? This way you can do your best St Nicholas impression at the same time as practising the kind of generosity Jesus encourages us towards. [/swpm_protected]

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