To Hard-drinking Govan resident Rab C. Nesbitt, there is no magic to Christmas when you have no money and he cannot share his long-suffering wife Mary or teenage sons Burney and Gash's enthusiasm for the festive season, preferring instead to comment cynically to camera on its commercial trappings. The ultimate betrayal is seeing neighbour and best friend Jamesie Cotter working as a department store Santa, which leads to a fight and a spell in gaol for Rab.