'THERE'S SOMETHING VERY POWERFUL ABOUT CHRISTMAS'

It’s the busiest time of year for dancing vicar and former pop star Rev Richard Coles, and he loves it!

My Christmas begins after midnight mass on Christmas Eve, We usually get home at 1am and my partner David – who is also a priest – hangs up stockings for our four dogs.

After Christmas morning services, we put on our ‘scamper pants’, which is what we call jogging bottoms. Sometimes we have Mum over, in which case we have Christmas lunch. Otherwise, we have nibbly sideboard things, like smoked salmon, dates, nuts. And whisky.

I’m notoriously bad with presents. One year, I gave David a collapsible leaf bag, which cost £7. I left the price sticker on. He was furious. I’m at that sort of age now where I get slippers and whisky. I like them so much.

One of the things I like about my day job is that it’s very familiar. There’s a steadiness to it. When life is pressurised or demanding, I find it reassuring.

There’s something very powerful about Christmas. Partly because it’s the one time of year when families that may be divided through geography or sometimes conflict, have a moment of reconciliation and a kind of armistice. People come together. We have a lovely tradition in my parish of people visiting family graves on Christmas Day, too.

The image of a tiny baby in a manger is powerful – it’s a cold, dark night but there’s warmth and light in a totally unexpected place. I’ve begun to cry at children singing

Away In A Manger. I never used to.