There is a Nativity tableau outside St Edmund’s Church in Abingdon. Lit up at night and visible during the day, it shows a traditional scene in a wooden stable: Mary and Joseph with the baby Jesus in a manger, watched over by an angel, with shepherds, the three wise men, and animals, with a painted night sky and an enormous star.

The scene marks the birth Christians celebrate on 25 December, a date close to midwinter, in the Northern Hemisphere, when days are shortest and darkness strongest. Before Christianity, this time of year was already associated with looking for a turning point, the slow return of the light.

Around it sit other Christmas traditions: Father Christmas and presents, family gatherings, shared meals. Christian belief, older seasonal customs, commercial Christmas, and family life all come together at much the same time.

Merry Christmas, however you celebrate it.

Throughout Advent, a number of  roads / estates in Abingdon have been revealing Advent windows, one day at a time. This evening I looked in on some of the estates just to the west of Oxford Road, where there is a strong sense of community and creativity on display. On the Workhouse Estate (Abbott Road and Thesiger Road and a bit of Oxford Road) there are a wide variety of Advent windows. These examples were for Day 18

and Day 19. Residents are inviting donations in support of Helen & Douglas House.

Further north, South Avenue and Holland Road have gone even further, often revealing three windows for each day. Shown here are the windows for Day 3

and Day 4, with donations being collected for the Abingdon Bridge charity.

Nearby on Picklers Hill, many trees have been decorated with lights, creating a festive trail along the road. Among them is what could be the biggest decorated tree in Abingdon.

Picklers Hill also features decorated shop windows as part of an Advent calendar. They are collecting for Oxford Wood Recycling.

The fourth Advent candle was lit on the Advent Crown at Trinity and other churches in Abingdon. Several churches across Abingdon held carol services.

On the Market Place, the Salvation Army band played carols.

A lot of shops were open (for a Sunday) with just four shopping days until Christmas Day. I hear, the Tesco carpark was almost full at 10 am.

Outside Waitrose, Abbey Brass played.

Father Christmas was also there. He has been touring the roads of Abingdon thanks to the Lion Club. This is his final scheduled stop for the Lions this year. It will soon be down to the real thing.