If only my elf could stay on his shelf

Unnerved by a modern festive tradition, Will Gore tries to be nice, not naughty

Pawn in the game: Happy the elf and his toy monster companion (Will Gore)

Christmas traditions come and go. Some seem such an integral part of the festive period that it is impossible to imagine the season without them. Christmas without a tree, for example, would feel quite wrong – and yet people celebrated the big day for centuries without a massive spruce in their front room.

The royal family have a lot to answer for, as ever. Prince Albert tends to get the credit for making Christmas trees popular in Britain, although Queen Charlotte, wife of George III, had one installed at Windsor as early as 1800. Turkey for lunch was apparently an innovation of Henry VIII, but the Victorians again were responsible for popularising the bird as a staple of the Christmas table. Thankfully, that tradition seems to be on the way out: chicken is nicer and cheaper; a goose is best and not wildly more expensive. A curry is becoming a popular choice too.

In the digital age, Christmas cards may also have had their day. Even excitement over the Christmas No 1 has diminished since its peak in the 1970s and 80s.