Christmas is celebrated throughout the world, by Christians and many non-Christians alike. Modern customs of the holiday include gift-giving, Church celebrations, exchange of Christmas cards, and the display of various decorations—including the Christmas tree, lights, mistletoe, nativity scenes, and holly.

Santa Claus (also referred to as Father Christmas, although the two figures have different origins) is a popular mythological figure often associated with bringing gifts at Christmas for children. Santa is generally believed to be the result of a melding of St Nicholas and elements from pagan Nordic mythology.

The modern appearance of Santa originates in 19th century media. Because gift-giving and several other aspects of the holiday involve heightened economic activity among both Christians and non-Christians, Christmas has become a major festival for many retailers. 

A breathtaking example of this is the annual display of Xmas decorations for sale at Notcutts garden centres. As always this display goes on sale in October and runs through into December. If you have never seen it I can thoroughly recommend a visit both to buy some new decorations and as a great photographic opportunity.

A selection of photographs of their wonderland display can be found here.