Blitzen

You are the spark. When the team is tired, cold or bored, you are the one who sets off a flash of energy and gets everyone moving again. You are a beat ahead, on purpose, and you like the speed.

You are bold, quick and slightly unpredictable. You make the journey exciting. You might not always follow the plan, but you make sure the team never falls asleep at the reins. People find you thrilling to be around. When things go flat, they look to you, and you never disappoint. Without you, the team would get there, but it would be much less fun.

You find the good speaker, turn it up and make the corner the most interesting place in the room. You arrive when the party has gone polite, and within twenty minutes it has stopped being polite.

You tell the joke that makes the grandparents gasp and then laugh. You start the dancing, the singing or the game that everyone talks about later. You turn the walk home into a procession, singing, with a bin bag as a cape. You leave as if the street were a stage. People think of you as the life of the party, and they also know you will be the first to help if anyone needs you.

You are the electricity. You send affectionate chaos to the group chat, suggest last-minute plans and bring the energy that makes a night out memorable.

You are fiercely loyal, and you will fight for your friends. You are not afraid of conflict, and you will say the thing everyone else is thinking. You can be a lot, and you know it, but your friends love you for it. You also have a softer side that you show to the people closest to you. When a friend is down, you are the one who turns up at their door with a plan, a snack and a reason to get out of the house.

A joke on the tag and something bold inside. You love gifts that are surprising, a bit cheeky and full of energy: a ridiculous jumper, tickets to a gig, a lightning-fast experience like a go-kart day.

Your presents make people laugh and then love them. You might give something nobody else would dare, and it turns out to be perfect. You are probably late with the wrapping, but the gifts are memorable. People open yours and say, only you would give me this, and they mean it as the highest compliment. Your gifts are a little bit of lightning in a box.

Pick the moment when the day dips, usually around four, and plan your spark for then: a game, a walk, a song. It is when you are needed most.

Then let the calm moments stay calm. Christmas morning, the meal, the late evening by the fire: these are good as they are. Follow through on the big idea with the washing up, the tidying, the thank-you message. Let a quieter person have the spotlight for a moment, and cheer them on. You bring the energy Christmas needs. This year, bring it at just the right time, and everyone will remember it.