On the fifth day of the Decameron’s stories, Fiammetta chose the theme of the adventures of lovers who survived calamities or misfortunes and reached a state of happiness. The first of those concerns Cimon (or Cymon) and Iphigenia, and was told by Panfilo. This has been painted more than any other story in the whole of the Decameron, by masters from Rubens to Frederic, Lord Leighton, none of whom attempts to tell any more than its opening. Also note that Iphigenia here isn’t the daughter of Agamemnon who had to be sacrificed to bring favourable winds for the Greek fleet to sail against Troy.
Cimon’s father was a wealthy Cypriot, but Cimon, a nickname given in honour of his apparent simplicity and uncouthness, was his problem child. He was exceedingly handsome and had a fine physique, but behaved like a complete imbecile. He appeared unable to learn anything, even basic manners, so was sent to live with the farm-workers on his father’s large estates.
One afternoon in May, Cimon was out walking when he reached a fountain in a clearing surrounded by tall trees. Lying asleep on the grass by that fountain was a beautiful young woman, Iphigenia, wearing a flimsy dress that left nothing to the imagination. Sleeping by her were attendants, two women and a man. Cimon was immediately enraptured, leaned on his stick, and stared at her. As he did so, his simple mind started to change.
Master of the Campana Panels (dates not known), Cymon and Iphigenia (c 1525), tempera on panel, 58 x 170 cm, location not known. Wikimedia Commons.
As with many of Boccaccio’s stories, this is shown on a wedding cassone, here from about 1525. It’s relatively simple: there’s no sign of the attendants, but there is a second image of Cimon walking along a path at the far right.
Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640), Frans Snyders (1579–1657) and Jan Wildens (1584/86–1653), Cymon and Iphigenia (c 1617), oil on canvas, 208 × 282 cm, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria. Wikimedia Commons.
In about 1617, Peter Paul Rubens joined with Frans Snyders (who painted the still life with monkeys at the lower right) and Jan Wildens (who painted the landscape background) in their marvellous Cymon and Iphigenia. This is accurate in its details too, with the correct quota of attendants, and a splendid fountain at the left. Cimon really looks like Boccaccio’s uncouth simpleton.
Willem Van Mieris (1662-1747), Cymon and Iphigenia (1698), oil on canvas, 27 x 34.8 cm, Museo Poldi Pezzoli, Milan, Italy. Wikimedia Commons.
Willem Van Mieris’ Cymon and Iphigenia from 1698 treats the scene more in the vein of Poussin or Claude, and again remains faithful to Boccaccio’s details.
Benjamin West (1738–1820), Cymon and Iphigenia (c 1766), oil on panel, 61.3 × 82.6 cm, Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, CT. Wikimedia Commons.
Benjamin West was more coy in both of his depictions of this scene. His earlier Cymon and Iphigenia from about 1766 (above) was well-received at the time. Six years later, in 1773, he reversed the composition, and was even more restrained in the display of flesh, as shown below.
Benjamin West (1738–1820), Cymon and Iphigenia (1773), oil on canvas, 127 x 160.3 cm, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Los Angeles, CA. Wikimedia Commons.Angelica Kauffman (1741–1807), Cymon and Iphigenia (c 1780), oil on canvas, diam 62.2 cm, Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston, SC. Wikimedia Commons.
A few years later, in about 1780, Angelica Kauffman painted this delightful tondo of Cymon and Iphigenia, another variation on the same theme. The cultural contrast between the young man and woman is not so stark.
John Everett Millais (1829–1896), Cymon and Iphigenia (1848), oil on canvas, dimensions not known, Lady Lever Art Gallery, Liverpool, England. Wikimedia Commons.
When he was only eighteen, John Everett Millais painted what was to be his last work before he embraced Pre-Raphaelite style: Cymon and Iphigenia (1848). At first sight this bears little resemblance to Boccaccio’s story, which is to be expected, as Millais didn’t use the Decameron as his literary reference, but a later re-telling by the English poet John Dryden, to which this is more faithful.
Frederic, Lord Leighton (1830-1896), Cymon and Iphigenia (study) (1884), oil on canvas, 43.1 x 66.2 cm, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. Wikimedia Commons.
In 1884, Frederic, Lord Leighton painted what must be the most luxuriant and sensuous version of this scene. This study shows Leighton confirming his composition and use of colour.
Frederic, Lord Leighton (1830-1896), Cymon and Iphigenia (1884), oil on canvas, 218.4 x 390 cm, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. Wikimedia Commons.
The finished painting, Cymon and Iphigenia from 1884, shows Iphigenia stretched out languidly in her sleep, in the warmth of the last light of the day; behind her the full moon is just starting to rise. Leighton has changed the season to autumn, with the leaves already brown but the days still hot. Cymon stands in shadow on the right, idly scratching his left knee, gazing intently at Iphigenia.
The story that follows those painted idylls is very different.
When Iphigenia finally awoke, she was surprised to see Cimon there, and recognised him immediately. He insisted on accompanying her to her house, then went to his family home, where he turned a new leaf, and over the following four years transformed himself into the best-dressed, most cultured and refined young man on Cyprus. Despite this transformation, Cimon was unable to persuade Iphigenia’s father to allow him to marry the young woman, but was told she was betrothed to a noble on the island of Rhodes.
When the time came for her marriage, Cimon took an armed vessel and gave chase to the ship carrying Iphigenia to Rhodes. He boarded her ship and abducted her.
With Iphigenia on board, Cimon headed for the island of Crete, where he and his crew had relatives and friends. But shortly after they had altered course, a storm blew up, so violent that it threatened to sink the ship. Unable to tell where they were heading, they ended up taking shelter off the coast of Rhodes, where they were caught up by the ship from which they had just abducted Iphigenia.
When their vessel ran aground, Cimon and his crew were forced ashore, where they were quickly rounded up and thrown into prison, and Iphigenia was returned to her family ready for her wedding. Iphigenia’s fiancé implored the chief magistrate of Rhodes, Lysimachus, to put Cimon to death, but he was held in custody with the rest of his crew.
It happened that Lysimachus was deeply in love with a young woman of Rhodes, who was betrothed to Iphigenia’s future brother-in-law. To Lysimachus’ relief, that marriage had been postponed several times, but it was then decided to hold both weddings in the same ceremony. Lysimachus was aggrieved by this, and decided the only way he could marry the Rhodian woman that he loved was to abduct her. In order to do so, he needed the help of Cimon and his crew, who would undoubtedly be delighted to be able to abduct Iphigenia again.
Lysimachus offered Cimon a deal whereby they would together make off with their partners from the scene of the joint wedding, and they agreed to proceed with that.
Two days later, at dusk, as the weddings were just getting under way, Lysimachus, Cimon and his crew entered the house of the two bridegrooms and seized their brides. Unfortunately, it turned out that both grooms were armed and mounted a determined resistance. Cimon killed Iphigenia’s fiancé with a single blow to the head, and the other woman’s intended husband fell dead following a blow by Lysimachus.
Lysimachus, Cimon, their crew and the two abducted brides then fled to a ship which they sailed to exile in Crete, where the two couples were married, amid great and joyous celebrations. In time, the people of Cyprus and Rhodes forgave them for the violent way they had stolen their brides; Lysimachus and his wife were able to return to Rhodes, and Cimon and Iphigenia returned to live happily ever after on Cyprus.
Sadly, none of the masters who had painted Cimon and Iphigenia seems to have been tempted to depict any of the rest of Panfilo’s story.
At least 15 civilians have been confirmed dead in Sunday's shooting attack at Bondi beach.
Many were attending an event to mark the first day of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah.
Authorities have confirmed that two rabbis, a Holocaust survivor and a 10-year-old girl were among the victims.
This is what we know about those identified so far:
Matilda, 10
Authorities confirmed that a 10-year-old girl, named by her family to local media as Matilda, was among the dead.
Irina Goodhew, who organised a fundraiser for the girl's mother and said she was the child's former teacher, wrote: " I knew her as a bright, joyful, and spirited child who brought light to everyone around her.'
The Harmony Russian School of Sydney also confirmed that she was one of its students.
"We are deeply saddened to share the news that a former student of our school has passed away in the hospital due to injuries sustained from a gunshot," the school wrote on Facebook.
"Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences go out to her family, friends, and everyone affected by this tragic event … Her memory will remain in our hearts, and we honor her life and the time she spent as part of our school family."
Meanwhile her aunt spoke to ABC news and said that Matilda's sister, who was with her when she was shot, was struggling to come to terms with the loss.
"They were like twins — they've never been separated," she told the ABC.
Rabbi Eli Schlanger
Supplied
Eli Schlanger was known as the Bondi rabbi
Known as the "Bondi Rabbi", Eli Schlanger, 41, was one of the key organisers of Sunday's event. He was head of the local Chabad mission, an international Hasidic Jewish organisation based in Brooklyn.
The death of the British-born father of five was confirmed by his cousin, Rabbi Zalman Lewis.
"My dear cousin, Rabbi Eli Schlanger @bondirabbi was murdered in today's terrorist attack in Sydney," Zalman wrote on Instagram. "He leaves behind his wife & young children, as well as my uncle & aunt & siblings … He was truly an incredible guy".
In a post on its website, Chabad said Schlanger's youngest child was just two months old.
"He was the most godly, humane, kind, gracious human being I think I've ever met," Alex Ryvchin of the Executive Council of Australia Jewry, told reporters at Bondi on Monday morning.
Dan Elkayam
The death of French national Dan Elkayam was confirmed by Frances's Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot.
"It's with immense sadness that we have learnt that our compatriot Dan Elkayam was among the victims of the terrorist attack that hit Jewish families gathered on the beach at Bondi in Sydney," he wrote on social media. "We mourn with his family and loved ones, with the Jewish community and the Australian people."
According to his LinkedIn profile, Elkayam worked as an IT analyst for NBCUniversal and had moved to Australia last year.
He was also a keen footballer, and "an integral member" of our premier league squad, the Rockdale Ilindin Football Club in west Sydney wrote on its Facebook page.
He was "an extremely talented and popular figure amongst team mates. Our deepest and sincerest condolances to Dan's family, friends and all that knew him. He will be missed," the club wrote.
Alexander Kleytman
Alexander Kleytman was a holocaust survivor who came to Australia from Ukraine.
"I have no husband. I don't know where is his body. Nobody can give me any answer," his wife Larisa Kleytman told reporters outside a Sydney hospital late on Sunday.
"We were standing and suddenly came the 'boom boom', and everybody fell down. At this moment he was behind me and at one moment he decided to go close to me. He pushed his body up because he wanted to stay near me," she told the Australian.
Chabad wrote on X that Alexander "died shielding her from the gunman's bullets. In addition to his wife, he leaves behind two children and 11 grandchildren."
The couple shared some of their life story with Jewish Care in 2023.
"As children, both Larisa and Alexander faced the unspeakable terror of the Holocaust," the health organisation wrote in its annual report.
"Alex's memories are particularly harrowing; recalling the dreadful conditions in Siberia where he, along with his mother and younger brother, struggled for survival."
How Bondi Beach shooting unfolded minute by minute
Peter Meagher
Former police officer Peter Meagher was working as a freelance photographer at the Hanukkah event when he was killed, his rugby club confirmed.
"For him it was simply a catastrophic case of being in the wrong place and at the wrong time," Mark Harrison, the general manager of Randwick Rugby Club, wrote on its website.
"'Marzo, as he was universally known, was a much loved figure and absolute legend in our club, with decades of voluntary involvement, he was one of the heart and soul figures of Randwick Rugby."
The club said he had spent almost four decades in the NSW Police Force where he was "hugely respected by colleagues".
"The tragic irony is that he spent so long in the dangerous front line as a Police Officer and was struck down in retirement while taking photos in his passion role is really hard to comprehend," the club said.
Reuven Morrison
Reuven Morrison migrated to Australia from the former Soviet Union in the 1970s as a teenager, according to an interview he gave to the ABC exactly a year ago.
"We came here with the view that Australia is the safest country in the world and the Jews would not be faced with such anti-Semitism in the future, where we can bring up our kids in a safe environment," he told the national broadcaster.
Confirming his death, Chabad said that he was a longtime resident of Melbourne, but that he "discovered his Jewish identity in Sydney".
"A successful businessman whose main goal was to give away his earnings to charities dear to his heart, notably Chabad of Bondi," the organisation wrote on X.
Lai has been found guilty of national security offences for his role in the 2019 protests that rocked Hong Kong
Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigner and media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been found guilty of colluding with foreign forces under the the city's controversial national security law (NSL).
The 78-year-old, who has been in jail since December 2020, pleaded not guilty. He faces life in prison and is expected to be sentenced early next year.
Lai used his now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper as part of a wider effortto lobby foreign governments to impose sanctions on Hong Kong and China, the court found.
Hong Kong's chief executive John Lee welcomed the verdict, noting that Lai's actions "damaged the country's interests and the welfare of Hong Kongers", but rights groups called it "a cruel judicial farce".
They say the NSL, which Beijing defends as essential for the city's stability, has been used to crush dissent.
There is "no doubt" that Jimmy Lai "harboured hatred" for the People's Republic of China (PRC), Judge Esther Toh said on Monday, citing his "constant invitation to the US to help bring down the government of the PRC with the excuse of helping the people of Hong Kong".
When Lai testified in November, he denied all the charges against him, saying he had "never" used his foreign contacts to influence foreign policy on Hong Kong.
Asked about his meeting with then US Vice President Mike Pence, Lai said he did not ask anything of him: "I would just relay to him what happened in Hong Kong when he asked me."
He was also asked about his meeting with then secretary of state Mike Pompeo, to which he said he had asked Pompeo, "not to do something but to say something, to voice support for Hong Kong".
Lai, a UK citizen and one of the fiercest critics of the Chinese state, was a key figure in the pro-democracy protests that engulfed Hong Kong in 2019. Beijing responded to the months-long demonstrations, which sometimes erupted into violent clashes with police, by introducing the NSL.
The law was enacted without consulting the Hong Kong legislature and gave authorities broad powers to charge and jail people they deemed a threat to the city's law and order, or the government's stability.
Lai was accused of violating the NSL for his role in the protests and also through his tabloid Apple Daily, which became a standard bearer for the pro-democracy movement.
Monday's ruling also found Lai guilty of publishing seditious material on Apple Daily under a separate colonial-era law.
Lai appeared calm as the verdict was read out and waved goodbye to his family as he was escorted out of the courtroom. Lai's wife Teresa and one of his sons were in court, along with Cardinal Joseph Zen, a long-time friend who baptised Lai in 1997.
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Jimmy Lai's wife, Teresa, their son Shun Yan and Cardinal Joseph Zen arrive at court
"Mr Lai's spirit is okay," his lawyer Robert Pang said after the verdict. "The judgement is so long that we'll need some time to study it first. I don't have anything to add at the moment." He did not say whether they would appeal.
"The Chinese government abused Jimmy Lai with the aim of silencing all those who dare to criticise the CCP [Chinese Communist Party]," said Elaine Pearson, Asia Director at Human Rights Watch, following the verdict.
"In the face of the farce of Jimmy Lai's case, governments should pressure the authorities to withdraw the case and release him immediately."
Western governments, including the UK and US, have for years called for Lai's release, which Beijing and Hong Kong have rejected.
US President Donald Trump had earlier vowed to "do everything to save" Lai while UK PM Keir Starmer had said securing his release was a "priority".
A test of judicial independence
Lai's trial came to be widely seen as yet another test of judicial independence for Hong Kong's courts, which have been accused of toeing Beijing's line since 2019, when it tightened its control over the city.
Hong Kong authorities insist the rule of law is intact but critics point to the hundreds of protesters and activists who have been jailed under the NSL - and its nearly 100% conviction rate as of May this year.
Bail is also often denied in NSL cases and that was the case with Lai too, despite rights groups and Lai's children raising concerns about his deteriorating health. He has reportedly been held in solitary confinement.
Lai's son Sebastien told the BBC earlier this year that his father's "body is breaking down" - "Given his age, given his health... he will die in prison."
The Hong Kong government has also been criticised for barring foreign lawyers from working on NSL cases without prior permission. They said it was a national security risk, although foreign lawyers had operated in the city's courts for decades. Subsequently Lai was denied his choice of lawyer, who was based in the UK.
Lai now joins dozens of figures of the city's pro-democracy movement who have been sentenced to prison under the NSL.
The chief of Hong Kong's national security police addressed the media after the verdict, saying Lai had "fabricated news" in pursuit of "political goals".
On the mainland, state-run Global Times quoted a Hong Kong election committee member as saying that the case sends a "clear message": "Any attempt to split the country or undermine Hong Kong's prosperity and stability will be met with severe punishment under the law."
Watch: Jimmy Lai's son speaks to the BBC about China-UK relations
From tycoon to activist
Lai, who was born in mainland China, fled to Hong Kong when he was 12 years old and got his footing as a businessman after founding the international clothing brand Giordano.
His journey as a democracy activist began after China brutally crushed pro-democracy protests in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1989.
Lai started writing columns criticising the massacre and went on to launch a string of popular pro-democracy publications, including Apple Daily and Next.
Even now, many Hong Kongers see him as a leading voice for democracy - about 80 people had queued to enter the court ahead of the verdict on Monday.
One of them was Ms Lam who didn't want to share her full name. An apple in hand, she said she started queuing around 11:00 local time on Sunday – nearly a full day before the session – because dozens of people had come before her. It was a cold night, she said, but she did it because she had wanted to wish Lai good luck.
"We all feel frustrated and powerless. Yet, there must be an ending to the whole issue and time comes when it comes," a former Apple daily journalist, who was also in court, told the BBC.
"Jimmy always said that he was indebted to Hong Kong... but I think Hong Kong and most Hong Kongers are so grateful to have him upholding the core values, good faith and integrity for the community at the expense of his well being and personal freedom."
In his testimony, Lai had said that he had "never allowed" his newspaper's staff to advocate for Hong Kong independence, which he described as a "conspiracy" and "too crazy to think about".
"The core values of Apple Daily are actually the core values of the people of Hong Kong," he had said. These values, he added, include the "rule of law, freedom, pursuit of democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly".
Watch: Eyewitness captures moment man tackles and disarms Bondi shooter
Twelve people have died - including one gunman - following a shooting at Australia's Bondi Beach which targeted the Jewish community on the first day of Hanukkah.
According to police, at least 12 others have been injured and two officers were shot during the event, which has since been declared a terror attack by officials. The surviving gunman is in a critical condition.
More than 1,000 people were attending an event on the beach celebrating Hanukkah.
Chris Minns, the premier of New South Wales, said: "Our heart bleeds for Australia's Jewish community tonight.
"I can only imagine the pain that they're feeling right now to see their loved ones killed as they celebrate this ancient holiday".
Mass shootings in Australia are very rare, and the attack at Bondi is the deadliest incident in Australia since the Port Arthur massacre in 1996.
Bondi Beach is located in eastern Sydney in the state of New South Wales, on Australia's east coast.
It is one of Australia's most popular beaches, attracting millions of visitors each year. The area is a significant attraction for tourists.
What happened?
New South Wales (NSW) police responded to reports of gunfire at around 18:47 local time (07:47 GMT), with video showing hundreds of people fleeing from the coastline.
In their initial statement posted on X, NSW Police urged people at the scene to take shelter and other members of the public to avoid the area.
Around the same time, local media began reporting people "on the ground" in the vicinity of Campbell Parade.
A video verified by the BBC appears to shows two gunmen firing from a small bridge which crosses from the car park on Campbell Parade towards the beach itself.
An event to mark the first day of the Jewish celebration Hanukkah was taking place on Bondi Beach, very close to the bridge where the men were firing from. More than 1,000 were in attendance.
Premier Minns also paid tribute to a man filmed wrestling a gun from one of the attackers.
"That man is a genuine hero, and I've got no doubt there are many, many people alive tonight as a result of his bravery," Minns said at a press conference.
In the video, the man is seen sneaking up on the attacker, before grabbing him in a bear hug.
The now-disarmed man then retreats back towards the bridge, where the other attacker is still firing from.
As the video continues, another man appears to be injured and flees the scene, as a policeman arrives behind the attackers and opens fire at them.
A separate video, also verified, shows several policemen on the same bridge. One appears to be administering CPR to a motionless man as someone shouts "he's dead, he's dead".
How many people were killed and injured?
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The attack targeted a Hanukkah celebration on the beach, police say
Apart from police confirming one gunman as dead, details on who has been killed and injured are sparse.
Twelve people including one of the armed men have been confirmed dead by police. Another gunman is said to be in a critical condition.
Officials say 29 other people were taken to hospital, and two officers were also shot during the incident.
One eyewitness, Barry, was attending the Hanukkah event on Bondi when with his children when he heard gunshots.
He told the BBC he saw two men on a bridge shooting towards the crowd.
He said there were bodies on the ground. He and his children were able to escape with a friend in a car, he added.
What is the latest?
Getty Images
Police have urged for calm as they carry out their investigation
Police have declared Saturday's shooting a terror attack.
An exclusion zone has been set up around the scene as police use specialist equipment to check improvised explosive devices (IEDs) found in a car linked to the dead gunman, and police are still urging the public to avoid the area."
"No stone will be left unturned" in the investigation, New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said.
He said police would not release any information about the gunmen at this time, and urged for calm while police carry out their duties, adding that this was "not a time for retribution".
Police said they cannot confirm if there was a third gunman involved or if there was anyone else involved in the attack, but enquires are ongoing.
During a televised address, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the Bondi Beach shooting "an act of evil antisemitism, terrorism that has struck the heart of our nation".
"We have seen Australians today run towards dangers in order to help others. These Australians are heroes and their bravery has saved lives", he added.
The UK Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis has said his cousin and cousin's wife "spent fifteen terrifying minutes hiding under a doughnut stand" as gunmen opened fire during the attack at Bondi Beach.
Fifteen people have been killed – including a 10-year-old girl – in an attack by the two gunmen targeting a Jewish Hanukkah celebration on the beach in Sydney.
Speaking on the BBC Radio Four Today programme, Rabbi Mirvis said one of the key messages of Hanukkah is that Jews around the world declare "we belong, and we will not hide who we are", but "that declaration was met with murderous hatred" at Sunday's mass shooting.
The causes of "toxic antisemitism" must be addressed, he said.
Rabbi Mirvis called for people to stand together "against the normalised rhetoric that demonises Jews and the only Jewish State".
At the Hanukkah event on Bondi Beach, Jewish people were "targeted for the simple act of gathering together, visibly and peacefully, as Jews", he said.
The right of Jewish communities to gather safely and publicly is a "test of the moral health of any society".
"Jews have lived with security concerns for as long as I can remember, but the fact that today every public Jewish gathering must be weighed for risk is a sign of something deeply wrong."
A society in which a minority group have to "calculate whether it is safe to be seen together in public" is a society that is "failing all of its citizens".
The shooting began at around 18:47 local time (07:47 GMT) on Sunday as around a thousand people were said to be attending a public event organised by Jewish centre Chabad of Bondi.
Verified videos showed hundreds of people fleeing the beach, screaming and running as a volley of gunshots rang out.
The ages of the victims range from 10 to 87 years old, and include two rabbis and a Holocaust survivor.
The two gunmen have been named in local media as 50-year-old Sajid Akram, who died at the scene, and his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram, who is in hospital in a critical condition.
The chief rabbi told the Today programme that the festival of Hanukkah commemorates the defiance of a small band of Jews some 2,150 years ago who were targeted by Emperor Antiochus Epiphanes. He denied them the right to openly practise their faith, demanding conversion on pain of death.
The message of the festival is about "their refusal to be intimidated or erased".
"Judaism must never be driven into the shadows," Rabbi Mirvis said.
PA Media
British Jews attending a vigil outside the Australian High Commission in central London on Sunday evening
We've had songs written about it, it features on Christmas cards and films - with almost every advert throughout December showing it.
Most of us will dream or romanticise about a white Christmas, but how common or not is it to have one in the United Kingdom?
According to the Met Office, an "official white Christmas" has happened more often than not since 1960, but new analysis of its data by the BBC shows that locally, snow falling on Christmas Day is rare for most of us.
And there have been fewer stations reporting a white Christmas in the past two decades across the UK, according to the data.
The Met Office officially defines a white Christmas as one where snow is reported to fall at any of its weather stations in the 24 hours of Christmas Day.
If there was no snow falling but snow already on the ground, this is not defined as a white Christmas.
On this definition, three out of four Christmases since 1960 have seen at least a flake of snow fall somewhere in the UK.
Analysis of Met Office data by the BBC shows at a very local level it's unlikely you will have experienced many white Christmases where you live.
For example, during the most recent white Christmas in 2023, snowfall was only seen at three stations in the Highlands and one in Aberdeenshire.
Use the tool below to see how many white Christmases have been reported at weather stations near you.
While the official definition of a white Christmas has changed in the past, along with the number of stations and how it is observed, the data will still include all recorded instances of snow falling on Christmas Day.
'It probably frightened Father Christmas'
Ian Currie from London was 12 years old when he was given a weather station for Christmas in 1962. It included a rain gauge, a funnel and a brass container. On Boxing Day, he said it snowed so much, his instruments were buried.
"I remember the milk bottles freezing with a column of ice," said Mr Currie, who went on to become a weather forecaster, author and editor of Weather Eye magazine.
"Couldn't be better timed to encourage a young weatherman in the making."
"The classic white Christmas that I remember was 1970," he added.
"It snowed heavily the day before and over Christmas Day and Boxing Day - metres of snow fell."
He recalled "a terrific flash of lightning and almost instantaneous crash of thunder, which woke quite a few people up - and probably frightened Father Christmas".
Image source, Getty
Image caption,
There is lots of nostalgia about waking up on Christmas Day with a blanket of snow with more falling
Dreaming of a white Christmas?
The classic "white Christmas" idea is thought to originally come from the Victorian era when snowy winter days were much more frequent than today.
Coincidentally this is a period when sending Christmas cards first became widespread, depicting the snow scenes of the time, a tradition that continues to the day.
Christmas movies originating from the United States also show snowfall on Christmas Day, something more common in parts of North America.
While it is likely somewhere in the UK will see snow falling at Christmas, for the majority, this will not be the case.
Most white Christmases are found, perhaps unsurprisingly, in Scotland where over the past 65 years, 43 were "white". Northern Ireland had the least with less than a third of those years recording a white Christmas.
In fact, Northern Ireland has not recorded a white Christmas for 14 years.
Across England you will have most likely experienced a white Christmas in the North West where nearly 40% of years recorded snow on Christmas Day since 1960.
Quite a contrast to the South East where since 1960, London has only seen five Christmas Days where snow fell, the last one more than two decades ago in 2001.
Image source, NASA Worldview
Image caption,
On Christmas Day in 2010 there was widespread lying snow across the UK
You might remember Christmas of 2010 when most of us would have opened the curtains on Christmas Day to a Christmas card scene with snow on the ground.
About 80% of weather stations recorded lying snow that year but only 30 stations had snowfall meeting the definition of a white Christmas. Compare this to 2004 when snow was observed at 146 weather stations.
Francesca Di Giuseppi, principal scientist at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, was in Reading over the Christmas period in 2010 and remembers having snowball fights with the friends she lived with.
Image source, Francesca Di Giuseppi
Image caption,
Scientist Francesca Di Giuseppi said she had found the snow "actually quite magical"
"We made a snowman - I remember not having a carrot to put on the nose, so we ended up with an apple," she said.
"We were a household of southern Europeans, not very used to snow in our home countries. It was actually quite magical."
She said she believed the excitement over white Christmases stemmed from snow slowing things down, meaning it is an excuse be at home with family and "see the beauty of nature".
White Christmas and climate change
The Met Office data analysed by the BBC suggests there have been fewer widespread white Christmases in past two decades.
While we cannot use what happens on one day of the year to assess whether the decline is due explicitly to climate change, scientists suggest a white Christmas will become less likely in the future.
According to the Met Office, the UK has already warmed by 1C since about the 1950s and we have seen less frost and snow as a result.
In the 1990s and early-2000s there were five years with a widespread white Christmas where more than 100 weather stations reporting falling snow.
But in the past 20 years the most stations reporting a white Christmas was 30 in 2010.
So far in the 2020s there have already been four white Christmases declared with snowfall reported somewhere in the UK but falling snow was only confirmed by at most six stations in a year.
While better technology means recording snowfall at just one location in the UK has increased the likelihood of having a confirmed white Christmas, the number of stations actually seeing snow on Christmas Day appears to have declined.
Our winters are expected to get warmer and wetter and a Met Office spokesperson confirmed snowy spells were "becoming less frequent as our climate warms".
They added "natural variability means cold, snowy periods will still happen", but we can expect "fewer frost and snow days".
The workers have been protesting outside the firm's headquarters in Edinburgh and London
Former staff at the firm behind Grand Theft Auto have told the BBC that a "devastating" mass sacking took place allegedly because they tried to unionise.
Some 31 employees were dismissed in October for what Rockstar North called "gross misconduct".
The majority were based at the gaming giant's Edinburgh headquarters, with former workers claiming they were penalised for discussing working conditions in a private online forum.
Rockstar North said it was incorrect to suggest the dismissals were linked to union membership or activities. It said it took action after staff discussed confidential information, including specific game features from upcoming titles, in a public forum.
The Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB) called it a "ruthless act of union-busting".
Rockstar North is one of the UK's largest game developers.
Its upcoming GTA 6 game is expected to be one of the best-selling games of all time when it is released in May 2026.
Information about game development is tightly controlled across the gaming industry, with employees often signing legally binding agreements not to share confidential information.
A group of workers have been routinely protesting outside Rockstar North's Edinburgh and London offices.
BBC Scotland News has now spoken to three of the dismissed Edinburgh workers accused of disclosing company information.
Jordan Garland said staff wanted to unionise to improve the workplace
Jordan Garland, a former senior production co-ordinator, said many staff members wanted to unionise because "we were so passionate about the industry and that workplace in particular".
"We just saw it as something we could do to make it better for everyone," he added.
"So it's a little bit devastating because it's an industry that I love, and I think we all love. We couldn't really see ourselves anywhere else."
'Sleepless nights'
He said members of staff were discussing working conditions at the firm in a private digital forum.
Jordan added: "We were talking about working conditions, policy - not talking about projects or anything like that, just talking about conditions.
"That to me that feels like an essential, necessary part of organising. How can you organise a workplace if you can't talk about the conditions there?"
Jordan has worked at the company for the last three years and believes he was the first employee to be dismissed on the morning of 30 October.
"The first week was definitely difficult," he said. "It was a lot of sleepless nights, a lot of tossing and turning about this.
"But in a kind of macabre way, it's good they fired so many people because there is this really strong community element now."
Jamie Trimmer worked at Rockstar North for about 18 years before he was sacked
Designer Jamie Trimmer worked in the gaming industry for most of his adult life before being sacked from Rockstar North.
"I've worked there, like, 18 years now," he said. "I think I'm the longest serving person that was fired.
"It's all I know really, and then it's just sort of ripped away. I'm left not knowing what to do next really.
"I never would have expected they would hit the nuclear option of firing so many of us in one go. It does highlight the need for unions."
'Deeply concerning'
The group, along with fellow dismissed colleagues, are now hoping to take Rockstar North to an employment tribunal.
However, they may have to wait up to a year for their case to be heard.
In the meantime, they are waiting to learn if they qualify for an intermediate relief hearing, which could see them reinstated in their roles or kept on Rockstar North's payroll.
The issue was also raised at Prime Minister's Questions in Westminster last week by MP Chris Murray.
Sir Keir Starmer said it was "deeply concerning" and promised to look into the issue.
He added: "Every worker has the right to join a trade union, and we're determined to strengthen workers' rights and ensure they don't face unfair consequences for being part of a union."
Sarah Blackburn said she appreciated the support after she lost her job at Rockstar North
Sacked production co-ordinator Sarah Blackburn said the public and political support has helped her deal with the situation.
"It's massively heartening to hear actually and in a way, I'd say validating," she said.
"We've had a lot of support coming from places that I genuinely didn't expect.
"We've had people who were in unions who previously fought fights in different industries basically just expressing solidarity and support. It's a flex of power and it's been painful to be on this side of it, but I think the support has been great."
In a statement, Rockstar North told BBC Scotland News: "Rockstar Games took action against a small group of individuals, across the UK and internationally, who distributed and discussed confidential information (including specific game features from upcoming and unannounced titles) in a public forum, in breach of company policy and their legal obligations.
"Claims that these dismissals were linked to union membership or activities are entirely false and misleading."
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