Christmas is about people trying to be the best versions of themselves

As a child it was all about the presents and the specials on TV like Morecambe and Wise, George and Mildred and even Minder on the Orient Express. When I entered my 20s (let’s be honest — I really mean from 17 onwards) my favourite part changed to the night before. Christmas Eve is the night out New Year’s Eve wants to be.

Everyone chatting and drinking, without the forced jollity the latter night comes with.

Now with our baby’s first Christmas approaching there are different festive experiences opening up.

The need to think about presents in summer was my first education in this new world and, as someone whose old practice was to order everything online one evening in mid-December, navigating the bewildering cacophony of noise and light packed into the aisles of toy shops was a novel turn of events.

Each item promised to encourage a child to develop motor skills, improve cognition, or start quoting Shakespeare and countless parents wore nervous expressions whilst deciding which their own child would like more.

This is year one of present buying and it should be the easiest. Given how stressful it was I dread to think what the future holds.

Still it will all be worth it on Christmas Day to see Erin’s smiling face as she looks at her gifts and decides which cardboard box to play with first.

My definition of ‘Christmas party’ has also changed.

Previously it signalled a night of eating well, drinking even better, and waiting in the cold night air for a taxi home.

This year the parties I’ve been to involved pass the parcel, the constant sound of balloons popping, and queuing to see Father Christmas as portrayed by Clare’s work colleague. I remember from my own childhood that honourable tradition of employees helping out the real Santa by covering for him at work parties. The tale of how I once declared the man with the big beard and wearing a red suit couldn’t be the real thing because he was wearing my Uncle Ged’s shoes has been told often.

Many reasons for liking Christmas have changed over the years but the one that remains constant is seeing others acting selflessly.

Take away the parties, the presents, and all the commercialisation that goes with it and Christmas is about people trying to be the best version of themselves.

It’s wonderful to see that transformation for a short time each year and it’s even more amazing to have found a way of experiencing it all the time simply by being a dad.

It’s quite something the change that comes over people when they see a smiling baby.

Old ladies let you board the bus before them, groups of teenage boys part like the red sea so you can pass by, and complete strangers standing in the same queue will happily tell you how cute your child is and ask if they are sleeping through the night?

Babies and Christmas bring out the goodness in people. This is the first time I’ll have the pleasure of seeing both things combined and I’m sure it’ll make for the most wonderful Christmas.

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