There is no one version of Yuletide Nirvana | Blaise Tapp

Never mind Christmas, this is the official week of gluttonous behaviour; seven days when we eat our own bodyweight in pastry, confectionery, the odd roast potato or six, and more cheese than even a battalion of Frenchmen could stomach.

For many of us, stuffing our cake-holes while doing not much else besides, is what Christmas is all about.

For others, it is about going to church and remembering what this time of year is really about. It is about celebrating the birth of Christ, be that by attending church or by giving thanks.

Despite what we hear about shrinking church attendances, pews tend to be packed during this week of weeks – the true meaning of Christmas still resonates loudly with vast numbers.

The extension of this is that lots of us feel compelled to commit acts of kindness which we wouldn’t necessarily consider during the rest of the year. It is our very own reimagining of the Christmas Story, without the immaculate conception and a night in a stable.

It is why we tend to be more generous of spirit this time of year and why an increasing number of us are losing patience with a society which seemingly tolerates a huge proportion of the population to suffer from chronic loneliness.

There is no one version of Christmas as we all have our own different take on what a perfect one should look like. For me, Yuletide Nirvana consists of good grub, a contented family, trips to church and at least one viewing of It’s A Wonderful Life.

The binary nature of large parts of society dictates that there is a right and a wrong way of doing things. There is no wrong way of celebrating Christmas and it is nobody else’s business if we choose tacos over turkey or queue up for the Next sale from 5am on Boxing Day.

If you are lucky enough to have had at least some time off this week, it is entirely down to you how you spend it – as long as you have cheesy snacks handy.