Our trip to one of the family’s favorite Italian restaurants the other day didn’t just shove pizza and pasta down our throats.

The amount of sparkly decorations, tinsel and festive music made me reconsider in case I had somehow time-traveled to Christmas Eve. It makes me think it won’t be long before we see promos of Greg Taylor donning an elf costume and Cameron Carter-Vickers doing his best Santa impersonation for the annual club video stocking stuffer.

It also makes me wonder whether the Celtic support has become more optimistic about the upcoming festive season over the last few years.

Here’s the wishlist manager Brendan Rodgers is about to share. Beats Aberdeen in early December and Rangers in early January, including a League Cup medal in between. The next matches, including against Club Brugge at the end of November, could guarantee the club a place in the final stages of the Champions League.

We bet it’s been a while since Parkhead punters have been licking their lips at the holiday football schedule this time of year.

Last year, after the home draw with Motherwell, there was quite a shake-up due to defeats against Kilmarnock and Hearts.

Last year, although Ange Postecoglou would go on to win the treble, a 5-1 win against Real Madrid confirmed Celtic would take just two of the 18 Champions League points available.

The season before that the big Australian was still trying to build a squad, giving Rangers an eight-point start before overhauling Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men in the Reo Hatate ‘demolition derby’ at the start of February 2022.

As for the festive season in 2020? It’s best not to mention this out loud around some Celtic fans for fear of triggering unpleasant memories. Celtic 1-4 Sparta Prague. Celtic 0-2 Ross County. You get Drift.

As autumn turns sharply into winter, there’s not a cloud on Celtic’s horizon. Just two points from the Premier League campaign has been buoyed for both them and us by Aberdeen’s excellence so far, matched by the impressive strides made by Brendan Rodgers’ men.

Is there anyone in Pittodrie on the evening of December 4th? A must hear on Sportsound for live action. Appointment viewing on Sportscene for highlights afterwards.

Next week is a trip to Dinamo Zagreb, which could confirm Celtic’s progress in the Champions League (if that hasn’t already been resolved). Dining at the best table in European football does not leave a sour taste in the club’s mouth this time.

In fact, while fans will be happily chowing down on their Christmas turkey, they will also be salivating at the prospect of the Champions League getting a second helping for the first time in over a decade.