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.
13. Panto time at Kings
Rikki Fulton in drag and (right) Una McLean in Sleeping Beauty pantomime at the Kings Theatre Edinburgh, Christmas 1976. | TSPL
14. Christmas shopping at Arnotts
Christmas shopping in Arnotts department store in Edinburgh, December 1978. | TSPL Photo: Hamish Campbell
15. Waverley Christmas tree
The Christmas tree at Edinburgh's Waverley station with a live canary in a cage in December 1975. | TSPL Photo: Dick Ewart
16. Nursery nativity
Toddlers from St Monica's nursery school in Queensferry Terrace Edinburgh hold their Christmas nativity play in 1978 - some of the choir of angels get a bit bored. | TSPL Photo: Alan Ledgerwood