Christmas has arrived in Buchanan Street, Glasgow in this image taken… we’re not sure when. It’s possibly in the early 1960s judging from the cars, but we’d be happy to hear from any readers who think they can pinpoint the date more accurately.

Light has been used for millennia to celebrate the days when winter nights are just about to start shortening, from simple firelight to these sparkling illuminations that brought a festive air to Glasgow’s dark streets. The tradition continues this year, with fewer people around to see them certainly, but the lights are there making sure the annual festival doesn’t falter.

It is comforting to think that the thread of mid-winter celebration still weaves its way through generations spanning thousands of years – except for a spell from the 1640s in Scotland, when Christmas was cancelled by act of Parliament.

By 1871, times had changed sufficiently for Christmas to be designated a Bank Holiday and it eventually became a public holiday in 1958 – possibly not long before this picture was taken. People had to wait until 1974 for Boxing Day to become a bank holiday, long after these shoppers had seen their gifts unwrapped by eager recipients on the big day.

It’s easy to think Christmas shopping was simpler for our parents and grandparents in the days before PlayStations, Xboxes and the like, when adults were more likely to understand what their offspring were asking for, but that’s not always true.

For those with the cash to spend on Christmas gifts, finding the right ones has always been tricky. Spare a thought for one harassed mother in the 1980s who asked her teenaged daughter which band was best that year and added to her shopping list the latest release by You Too.

Talking of gifts, maybe they can help to date this image. They might not help with the year, but I’d bet the picture was taken in the days before Christmas rather than after, as surely the drivers of the two cars heading our way would have asked Santa for new headlight bulbs?