It’s the time of year where you can flop out with the Queen on the box and a turkey, after weeks of racing around, shopping til you drop and living a social whirl.

We’ve dipped into the KM archives for a snapshot of how Christmas life used to look in days gone by.

Parties were a much larger affair than the office dos we enjoy today. The Kent Messenger organised one for poor children from 1891 until 1939, while offices turned into party venues in Ashford.

Instead of taking the children to a Christmas Lights switch-on, it was more likely you’d be carol singing around a tree in Canterbury, or being addressed by the Mayor and Mayoress of Deal at the end of the town’s pier.

Maidstone and Rochester high streets came to a standstill for dray horses and carts, while Ashford enjoyed a Children’s Day for youngsters to meet Father Christmas.

But one thing that’s different is good old elf and safety.

Butchers across Kent, including Clarkes in Canterbury, used to create a display of meat and game hanging from outside the shop - a sight that would probably cause alarm today.