Roseanna Cunningham - SNP MSP for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire

The way this global pandemic has impacted on all of our lives, there is no doubt that this will be a Christmas like no other.

Family parties, office lunches, even the way we do our Christmas shopping have significantly changed from what we are used to and it is worth remembering, of course, that other faith communities have seen the marking of important aspects of their religious calendar disrupted without any easing of restrictions.

Christmas celebrates the coming of Christ into the world, light being brought into the darkness. Many other religions also have festivals around that same concept – Hanukkah and Diwali, for example, are both described as festivals of light and take place around this time of year.

Indeed, many modernday Christmas traditions are founded on preChristian festivities.

I doubt it is any coincidence that these festivities take place as we anticipate or celebrate the return of the sun and the lengthening of days.

Coincidence or not, it seems rather appropriate that it is at this time of the year that we are seeing a beacon of hope in the fight against this virus with the vaccine roll-out now underway.

However you are celebrating this year, I wish all the readers of the Perthshire Advertiser a very Happy Christmas.