A visit to the local church to see the crib on Christmas Day, Christmas Eve boxes to open early and the annual reading of the Night before Christmas poem before bedtime on 24 December.
Those are just some of the traditions followed by the children of Peterswell National School in Co Galway who are busily preparing for the arrival of Christmas this year.
Located between the towns of Loughrea and Gort, the three-teacher school is situated in a rural area in the heartland of south Galway and forms a vital part of the small, local community there.
For many of the junior pupils in Peterswell NS, thoughts of what Santa will bring this year and memories of their favourite presents are to the fore.
But just down the hall from the junior classroom, fifth class pupil Anna Burke and her classmates are thinking of those who may not be spending Christmas in their own home this year.
Anna and her fellow senior students have been busily writing Christmas greetings to the residents of the local nursing homes in the area.
With reports of their Christmas concert and school life, the students hope to deliver some Christmas cheer to those who may be alone or unwell at this time of year.
The project was sparked by the donation of a selection of Christmas cards to the school by a former pupil, Mamie McMahon, who works in Gort Post Office.
For principal Michael Mulkerrins and his staff the donation has provided an opportunity for the school to connect with the wider community:
"We decided that we would get our younger students to decorate and design them, our older students to write some reports on them on the school year so far and all of the things that have been happening and that we were going to send those to all the residents of the local nursing homes.
So I think it's nice for the people who are resident in our local nursing homes to see what school life is like today now and what a positive experience it is for the children that are here."
Ensuring those of an older generation are not alone at this time of year is also key for another community in east Galway.
At Ballinasloe Social Services Centre, staff and volunteers are putting the Christmas spirit top of the menu as they serve up Christmas dinner to those who attend the centre's day care services throughout the year.
For Teresa Coughlan, Director of Services at Ballinasloe Social Services, the provision of Christmas dinner for the elderly attendees is about far more that what is served up on the day.
"They get to meet their friends and their peers, and they have a good time and it's all around reducing social isolation and reducing loneliness, which is a big, big issue among older people, especially in rural areas like Ballinasloe."
For the regular service users who gather together to celebrate the festivities at the centre, memories of Christmas past and family traditions down through the years are a common topic of conversation.
"On Christmas Eve, the candles, in those days now there was no electricity where we were. And there'd be a candle in every room and in the kitchen. Then my mother would be getting the goose ready for the next day, and that was a big event as well," recalls Teresa O' Rourke.
For Tom Ward, the memory of one family tradition still burns brightly:
"Well, I always remember my mother. She was a great, great woman for baking the traditional Christmas cake. She used to make them herself with currents and raisins and treacle."
While children across the country look forward to what Santa may bring this year, Tom Cregg still remembers when as a very young child many years ago he woke up to his favourite Christmas gift:
"I wasn’t even going to school but Christmas morning low and behold I had a present under the pillow. A cowboy set - they were all the go," he laughs.
The arrival of a toy which surely still makes it on to many a child’s Santa list is the standout memory for another attendee at the centre.
"One time I got a lovely doll for Christmas, long ago when Santa used to come to me. He doesn’t come to me anymore," jokes Teresa Cleary.
Front row L-R Teresa O' Rourke and Louisa Campbell.
After the Christmas dinner at Ballinasloe Social Services centre, it's time for an afternoon of live music. As music fills the air and with many a Christmas now gone by, what do they think is the best Christmas song from down through the decades?
For many the classic Silent Night is a firm favourite, but for 92-year-old Louisa Campbell there can only be one winner:
"White Christmas is my favourite. Yes and Bing Crosby. Oh his voice and the way he sings. Love it."
And on that note, with a nod to the past, the countdown to Christmas 2024 continues.
