‘BAH HUMBUG!’ Jane glared at me from across the desk.

After my outburst in this column about office Christmas parties, I have gained a reputation at work that is a cross between Scrooge and the Grinch who stole Christmas.

But Jane would have had quite a surprise if she’d called in at our home over the weekend. Two weeks ahead of schedule, Christmas has arrived at the Field household. Our expedition to source the perfect locally grown tree (the place just next to St Martin’s School where you turn up with a saw, go out into the plantation and cut down a fresh, happy, free-range tree of your choice) was successful.

The Christmas paraphernalia was located and retrieved from its hiding place in the loft, lovingly unwrapped and messily welcomed into an otherwise tidy home like the return of a prodigal.

Miracle of miracles, the lights all worked when we plugged them in and we decorated the tree with ornaments that have taken on the mantle of ‘a much loved part of the Christmas Tradition’.

My suggestion that the rather tired, unreliable set of snowmen fairy lights should be retired this year, was met with a howl of derision from Ollie. They had to go where they ‘usually go’ – above the dining table. (‘Usually’ in this case meaning from the mists of time stretching back all of two years).

A friend of mine told me about narrowly escaping a lynching by her two daughters. Returning from university they told her of their plans to spend Christmas catching up with friends, boyfriends and going round to their father’s for Christmas day.

‘Well, I don’t think I’ll bother with a tree this year then,” she sensibly suggested. “No one’s going to be here to see it.”

But no, she was told, even though it might only be glimpsed through bleary eyes between parties, it had to be there!

Traditions bind people together around things that they have in common – they reassure us that in a world of change some things will always be the same.

That’s why churches are full at Christmas, and why the preschool play will only ever be a slight variation on the well-worn, oft-told theme. And why the same decorations have to go up in the same place that they went last year.

What I found challenging this year was the speed with which Christmas arrived.

We had a carol service at work on December 10, even though we are working until Christmas Eve.

The school gate consensus agreed: this year is so busy, with concerts, parties, pantos, and school activities, that most of us had brought our tinsel forward.

Usually I hang on until the weekend before Christmas.

But this year the tree and all the other festive ephemera went up a week early so we’d have enough time to appreciate it.

And jolly festive it looks too!

(Scrooge indeed!)