Our retro photo gallery captures some of the magic of the season, from dazzling illuminations to youngsters enjoying festive treats and meeting Father Christmas.
They depict some of the madness too, from the last-minute dash for presents in the run-up to Christmas to the frantic bargain-hunting of the Boxing Day sales.
The nostalgic images also show how shops and the gifts they sell have changed between the 1960s and today.
Some of the lost shops featured included the legendary Redgates toy store, which helped fulfil many youngsters' Christmas wishes over the years, and the fondly remembered Cole Brothers department store at Barker's Pool.
Crowds are also pictured at several big Christmas lights switch-on events, from The Moor to Meadowhall and Crystal Peaks, with the celebrities chosen to flick the switch reflecting the times we were living in back then.
Some of the Christmas market traders who have brought festive merriment to the city centre down the decades are also pictured in this look back at Christmases past.
1. Lights switch-on
Crowds gather outside Cole Brothers department store at Barker's Pool in Sheffield city centre to see the Christmas lights being switched on in the 1960s Photo: National World
2. 1960s Christmas
Christmas in Sheffield city centre during the 1960s Photo: National World
3. Goodwin Fountain
A Christmas tree beside Sheffield's long lost Goodwin Fountain at the top of Fargate in the 1960s Photo: National World
4. Redgates
Mandy Nunn with some of the electronic games for sale at Sheffield's famous Redgates toy store in November 1979 Photo: Sheffield Newspapers