Today marks the first day in December, and the run up to Christmas and New Year has begun.

People have been, or soon will be, decorating their houses, marking their calendars for planned gatherings with families and friends, get-togethers with work colleagues for Christmas meals or parties, and shopping for gifts for those close to us.

But this period is not just about parties and shopping. It should be a time for genuine connection to one another.

Far too often throughout the year we all get caught up in our day to day lives, not taking the time we should to appreciate what we have and the people around us enough. The holiday period can be a bit of a reset button in this regard, for us to spend more time with families and loved ones.

This is also the time we meet relatives who perhaps we do not meet as often throughout the year, the time we most think about helping others and people in need, as is evidenced through the amount of fundraising for good causes.

But this should not just be limited to this time of year. We should all try and do more throughout the year to help others, and to keep in contact with family and friends who we don't meet as often as perhaps we once did.

This season is also not festive for some. While many will be spending time with families, there are people who do not have someone to spend the holiday season with. Some might have lost their partners, others might be living in a different country from their nearest relatives, others might just be going through a tough time.

Keeping this in mind, reaching out to people who we know might be going through such a tough time is important, especially at this time of year when loneliness could become amplified. We can all do our part by, for instance, meeting relatives who have no close family, keeping in contact with them throughout the year, stopping for a chat every once in a while with a neighbour who we know might not have family around. These are just a few ideas. In addition, the little bit more we do during the festive period to help others should continue to be done throughout the year, as it would bring us all closer together.

In the past the sense of community in a neighbourhood was greater than it is today. The advance of technology has, to a certain extent, distanced us from those around us. Working to build a sense of community in the areas we live could alleviate that feeling of loneliness some might feel, and is something we should work for. Building communities strengthens our ties to one another.

There are also community events which help, one example being the Caritas Christmas lunch for those who would otherwise be spending Christmas alone. It is a fantastic initiative and means that people don't have to spend Christmas day alone, and instead could spend it with others, make friends and eat a good meal.

We need more such initiatives.