Different people, different families and different countries do things in different ways.
This selection of old photos taken from the Evening New archives includes many of the elements people in Edinburgh will associate with the festive season - nativity plays, Christmas trees, carol singing, going to see Santa, perhaps the panto, and of course, Christmas shopping.
Scroll through the pictures and get a flavour of what Christmas was like in the Capital five decades ago.
1. Santa hands out presents
Edinburgh Pentlands Round Table's Santa Claus distributes Christmas presents to children in December 1974. | TSPL Photo: Stan Warburton
2. Ainslie Park nativity play
The cast of Ainslie Park secondary school's nativity play in December 1978. | TSPL Photo: Alex Brown
3. Christmas pudding from Down Under
Edinburgh's Lord Provost James McKay and his wife accept the Christmas pudding, a gift from Australia, from Miss McMaster in November 1970. | TSPL Photo: Ian Porteous
4. Food parcels for pensioners
Students from Napier College in Edinburgh with Christmas food parcels for old age pensioners at Sighthill community centre in December 1978. | TSPL Photo: Alex Brown