As the big day draws near we chat about our preparations. Decorating the house, getting “the messages” - even meeting Santa. In the end, it’s not what is under the tree that matters but who is gathered around it that counts. We end with the Twelve Days of Christmas given a Scottish accent by Sheena Blackhall - lots of new words to add to your vocabulary! Wishing all of our listeners a very Merry Christmas.

While many of the festivities leading up to Christmas are now universal, Scotland retains a colourful patchwork of Pagan, Christian, Celtic and contemporary customs. From fire and candle light to pantomimes and nativity plays, we reflect on what makes a typical Christmas in Scotland with reminiscences from our own childhood memories. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas !

Nothing signals the start of the Festive Season quite like a Christmas tree. An ancient symbol of life and fertility, a modern emblem of community and friendship. This week’s episode debates the real versus the artificial, why Christmas tree farms are pringing up across Scotland and how communities are getting creative. With the lighting up of the local tree such an important event in the community calendar, it might come as a surprise that they can generate some controversy!