Last year, many homes started to put up their Christmas tree and shiny decorations up as the COVID pandemic battered the nation's much-needed cheer – and this year is no different!
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Lorraine Kelly and her family and among the many who have welcomed Christmas with open arms just a little bit earlier. Read her exclusive HELLO! column for her latest antics...
WATCH: Lorraine Kelly shows off her Christmas tree this year
Usually I wait until the weekend after my birthday on St Andrew's Day November 30th to put up the Christmas decorations, but not this year! I wanted a bit of much needed festive cheer as soon as possible, so I decided to put up my tree this week.
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I put on some Christmas carols, poured myself a glass of Prosecco, lit a gorgeous hot chocolate scented "Beauty Pie" candle and got to work.
What I really love about the whole process is unwrapping all those decorations I've had for years and years. Whenever I go away on holiday I like to buy a fridge magnet and if possible a Christmas bauble.
The TV star is ready for Christmas
So I have decorations from South America, Africa and a really cute one from the Kennedy Space Centre gift shop which shows Santa on a NASA space ship. I also have a little nativity set I bought in Spain about twenty years ago. Each tiny ceramic figure cost less than pound but they are all so precious to me.
I've an advent calendar that I got when Rosie was born 27 years ago that comes out every single year and I still get excited at counting down the days until Christmas.
The most irreplaceable of all my Christmas decorations is the fairy snowman on top of the tree. Rosie made it when she was at nursery school, so it's a quarter of a century old, and although it's a bit wonky and worse for wear, it's more precious to me that a diamond studded solid gold ornament.
The family pooch looks adorable in this Christmas getup
I know I'm not alone in "going early" and I'm in very good company. Dame Joan Collins has had her sumptuous decorations up for a couple of weeks, and now that Britney Spiers is finally free from her conservatorship, there was no one to tell her she couldn't put up her Xmas tree in November, and so she did. As she is now officially the queen of Christmas, I reckon Maria Carey merrily keeps her house full of glitter and tinsel up all year round.
I'm so looking forward to a proper family Christmas this year with a traditional dinner, far too much TV and chocolate, but above all just being with the people who mean the most to me, which is really what it should be all about.
I will also be presenting a very special edition of my show on Christmas Day at 9am and hope you can join me for an early morning party to kick off a wonderful day.
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