At Christmastime, the anticipation itself is an experience that becomes almost a ritual – like when we were children and we counted down the days with our Advent calendar, impatiently opening one small door at a time to look for the little chocolate treat that tasted like a miracle.

Christmas is also a time of small familiar rituals; traditions that might seem strange or eccentric to others but that for us, represent home, love and sanctuary. For some of us, it’s a particular dessert that we absolutely must have at Christmas, for others, it’s waking up early to enjoy the reflection of the Christmas tree lights on the windows and for others still, it may be curling up on the sofa to watch the same old movie, year after year. It seems that these gestures, repeated over time, give us a sense of security that we rarely feel on other days of the year – small rituals that make us feel like we’re part of a bigger story.