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:
9. 2009
Show cat related Christmas cards go on sale at the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy's Supreme Cat Show held in the NEC on November 20, 2009 in Birmingham, | Getty Images
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