''To me, it's the one time you are really a child at heart, however old you may be. It's a time of lovely, darling surprises, of, for once, reaping the benefit of having saved up - of being happy just simply...One walks lots at Christmas, have you noticed? And one plays games, and is not only a child at heart, but pure of heart; just for a little while.''

The Turkey Season (Alice Munro): A satirical -yet poignant- look at the interactions between the workers of the Turkey Barn during the days leading up to Christmas.

This Year It Will Be Different (Maeve Binchey): This story demonstrates that a) the greatest expectation-busters are our own families, and b) it will take millennia for all to understand that a woman's natural habitat is NOT the bloody kitchen! Christmas or no Christmas!

General Impression of a Christmas Shopping Centre (E.M. Delafield): A hilarious insight into the frenzy of a shopping centre during Christmas.

The Christmas Pageant (Barbara Robinson): One of the jewels in the collection. Meet the ''nightmarish'' children who taught everyone what Christmas is all about. And read the novel that followed the story. You'll roll with laughter and, simultaneously, find yourself moved to tears.

Ticket for a Carol Concert (Audrey Burton): The village gossipers are touched by the Christmas spirit and a carol concert becomes unexpectedly successful in a story that exposes all the burdens that can't be concealed by the bright Christmas lights.

Snow (Olive Wadsley): A tender story about the ordeals of love, misunderstandings and secrets. And footsteps in the snow...

'Twas the Night Before Christmas (Kate Nivison): A mouse does its best to avoid a mother who tries to prepare the stockings as she contemplates the ways her teenage daughters are about to change.

Christmas Fugue (Muriel Spark): Love is in the air when Christmas comes to town. Just be careful who you fall for...

The Little Christmas Tree (Stella Gibbons): The unexpected arrival of three charming children causes our heroine to take a different course in life. Personally speaking, I'd prefer my solitude, thank you very much.

The Christmas Present (Richmal Crompton): I've always said that when I become an elderly lady, I will pass everyone off by pretending to be deaf. This story reinforced my future plan.

Christmas Bread (Kathleen Norris): I'm afraid this one left me cold despite the beautiful Christmassy scenes. A rather melodramatic family reunion isn't really my cup of tea. However, the vast majority of readers will adore it.

Christmas in a Bavarian Village (Elizabeth von Arnim): Christmas in a Bavarian village two years before the Nazi terror of the Final Solution.

Freedom (Nancy Morrison): Sylvia is in love and eager to earn her freedom from a tyrant. A charming story set in Switzerland.

On Skating (Cornelia Otis Skinner): Unfortunately, this story was overloaded with questionable (to put it mildly...) remarks about races and religions. In my humble opinion, it shouldn't have been included in this collection.

Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie (Beryl Bainbridge): Again, I found myself appalled and wondering who thought it would be a good idea to choose this abominable story with an even more abominable ending to be included in this volume. Not to mention the fact that it is actually traumatic for a person whose father has experienced a heart attack. The editor dropped the ball with a serious thud here.

The Pantomime (Stella Margetson): This story gives a lively snippet of the fever behind the scenes of a pantomime and the difficulty of leaving something (and someone) behind...

On Leavin' Notes (Alice Childress): New Year's resolutions cannot alter the position of the ones who have been deemed as the ''weakest'' by society.

''Then there was scurrying and laughter in the streets, bundles dampened, boys shouting and running, merry faces, rouged by the pure, soft cold. The shabby, leather-sheathed doors of St. Martin's, opposite Merle's window, creaked and swung under the touch of wet, gloved hands. Merle could see the Christmas - trees and the boxed oranges outside the State Street groceries coated with eider-down; naked gardens and fences and bare trees everywhere grew muffle and feathered and lovely. In the early twilight the whole happy town echoed with bells and horns and the clanking of snow- shovels.''

Marvellously introduced by Simon Thomas, this is a memorable anthology of festive stories with a healthy dose of hope and nostalgia, despite my serious (subjective) objection over 3 -4 of the works included.

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com/ ( )