Christmas is Coming!

With St Andrew’s day having just passed, and so much more still to come, Scotland’s winter festival is well and truly underway.

It is at this time of year, with Christmas, Hogmanay, Up Helly Aa and, in January, Burns night that we are reminded of the importance and popularity of Scottish culture and traditions across the world. St Andrew’s day is a great opportunity to celebrate our national heritage, with many events and activities having taken place across Scotland – from ceilidhs, community singing, torchlight parades, fireworks and storytelling, as well as free or discounted entry to many historical and visitor attractions. Moreover, St Andrew’s day is increasingly being observed around the world, with Scottish diaspora celebrating their heritage in various ways, enjoying Scottish produce and developing new traditions and cultural links. Scottish exports are always in high demand at this time of year with our food, drink, arts, crafts, music and culture an essential part of Christmas and Hogmanay tradition around the world.

One of our most notable Scottish traditions, both during the festive season and throughout the year, is our generosity and neighbourliness. This is especially true in the North-east where our close-knit communities support one another, especially during hardship.

This is particularly important at this time of year, and I am heartened by the great work which is going on, publicly and privately, to ensure we can all have a happy and healthy winter festival.

With winter conditions forecast to worsen, it is likely that council and emergency services will be at full stretch trying to keep major routes open and attend to the most pressing emergencies. It is, therefore, especially important that we all ease this burden by, where possible, checking in on elderly or vulnerable neighbours, and making sure they can have heat and food.

It is also very important to recognise the hard work being put in by our public service workers, who will be doing their best to keep the country moving during the winter.

The Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Health and Well-being has announced that NHS Grampian is to be given a share of £3m across Scotland to help manage winter pressures on the health service, and to reduce the amount of time people have to spend in hospital. By funding extra out-of-hours medical cover and at-home support staff, more beds should be freed up for the most serious cases and the burden on our hospitals eased considerably.

Our community volunteers are also deserving of praise, and only this week I lodged a motion in Scottish Parliament in recognition of the organisers and participants of The Gift Tree scheme operating in Peterhead and Buchan. Their generosity and hard work in collecting and distributing donations of toys, books, games, toiletries and food hampers makes all the difference to many families and older people facing hardship over the festive season.

Last year, the program, run by a partnership of families, social work departments and local business helped over 600 families and individuals in Peterhead and rural areas of Buchan.

I am always heartened to see this, and other similar, programs working so successfully in the North-east. The winter months, while full of joy, can also be difficult for many and I would like to express my thanks to all those who will take some time out over the busy Christmas period, to think of someone less fortunate. It’s a fine reminder of what the season is all about.

Best wishes for the festive season!