The weather (allegedly) turns warmer and families are gearing up for Christmas.

A surprising amount of houses are already adorned with Christmas lights, flickering away during the first few nights of December so far.

Honestly, have they been up all year or did someone work overtime at these houses to get them up so quickly at the weekend?

And social media has also lit up, but with photographs of families, children, couples and individuals decorating the house or tree for Christmas.

December 1 is the ‘safe zone’, the so-called acceptable time to start decorating the house and putting up the tree.

And for most, it’s a joyous time.

Parents watch as their children decorate the tree, all the while wishing they could rearrange the ornaments into a more colour-coded or structured order.

Other families have to spend most of this month fighting to keep small children and animals away from the tree.

It’s true, the holiday season brings a lot of emotions for individuals and families.

And while they are mainly feelings of joy, it can also be a time of sadness and stress.

The same present wrapping, gift buying and preparing and cooking of food that brings joy to some can bring misery to others.

Some people don’t have families to spend this time with, others don’t have the money to give their families what they want.

We don’t have to send ourselves toward financial trauma just to say Christmas was a success.

It’s important to remember that Christmas is a time of giving, but not just to those we know and love.

A little bit of time or money spared to help a charitable organisation or friend or family member that you know might be struggling is all the more important at this time of year.

Take the time to enjoy with loved ones, spoil them how you see fit, but try and spare a thought, or whatever else you can, for others this holiday season too.