For many Brummies, the holidays began the moment the city centre lit up.
The festive displays in department stores and the Christmas market mark the start of the festive period.
Here are some nostalgic pictures of the city and wider region during the 2000s:
5. Birmingham Christmas 2008
Bargain hunters pack into the Bull Ring Centre as stores start their traditional boxing day sales on December 26, 2008 in Birmingham | Getty Images
6. Visitors and Christmas shoppers enjoy Birmingham's Frankfurt Christmas market on November 23, 2011 in Birmingham, England. Birmingham's Frankfurt Christmas market is Britain's biggest festive market with over 200 stalls, many of them from the heart of Germany. German beer, Frankfurter sausages, mulled wine, chocolate and traditional craft products entice thousands of visitors.
Visitors and Christmas shoppers enjoy Birmingham's Frankfurt Christmas market on November 23, 2011 in Birmingham, England. Birmingham's Frankfurt Christmas market is Britain's biggest festive market with over 200 stalls, many of them from the heart of Germany. German beer, Frankfurter sausages, mulled wine, chocolate and traditional craft products entice thousands of visitors. | Getty Images
7. Members of the Albrighton Woodland Hunt near Hagley Hall
Getty Images
8. 2008
Bargain hunters go shopping as stores start their traditional boxing day sales on December 26, 2008 in Birmingham | Getty Images