Christmas mischief
Jack Vettriano's Let's twist again"
These can include duty - we always include Auntie Rose. And guilt - we haven't seen Auntie Rose since last December.
Plus, of course, the simple joy of corresponding with your friends and family during what is deemed to be the Festive Season.
To these various motives, we must now add mischief.
At least, in the case of the First Minister Alex Salmond.
The image on this blog is a canvas entitled "Let's Twist Again", by Jack Vettriano.
It is to form the first minister's official Yuletide card.
Signed prints
The principal motivation - apart from the understandable desire to alert Mr Salmond's mailing list to the impending festivities - is to raise cash for charity.
As well as the original work, limited edition signed prints will be sold.
Similar endeavours over the past three years have raised around £50,000 for good causes.
So why mischief? Because this year's canvas is to be unveiled this evening at the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh - which has resolutely declined to display Vettriano works, despite (because of?) the artist's popularity.
Mr Salmond is, of course, only too well aware of this.
I suspect that, together with his festive sentiments of goodwill, there is a tiny portion of him which relishes the slighly roguish gesture involved in unveiling a Vettriano on the Mound.
Certainly, the FM declares himself a "huge fan" of Jack Vettriano's work. In return, the artist says that it was a "tremendous honour" to assist.
The charities to benefit this year are Bethany Christian Trust, Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres, Quarriers and Teenage Cancer Trust.
I feel certain that the good folk at the National Gallery will appreciate entirely that they are being gently ribbed and will succumb contentedly in the interests of charity - and Christmas.
I'm 
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