Christmas seems to come earlier every year – or at least the marketing and advertising frenzy that precedes it. Festive madness is becoming even more all-conquering since the arrival of Black Friday in the UK, but how has the way Brits shop and think about Christmas changed?

In 2014, Utah saw 70,000 people come together to revel in the two-day Hindu festival of colours known as Holi. With a crowd that was more Mormon than Hindu, the occasion highlighted how the religious event has been embraced by people of all backgrounds. How has Holi gone hipster?

From toothbrushes to paper clips, Harvey Nichols’ special Christmas collection encourages people to buy “a little something” for their loved ones – so they can buy “a bigger something” for themselves. It taps into a growing trend: self-gifting.

Religious people can find that everything from ethical codes to long-term decisions are affected by their choice to believe. Yet despite the fact these belief systems hold such weight over those that adopt them, marketers and media outlets alike shy away from religion. Why?