Not everyone has the luxury of spending Christmas with family, least of all prisoners for whom this time of year can be especially challenging.
According to Zoukis Consulting Group, who work with prisoners during the time they are incarcerated, the United States penitentiaries has "some of the most violent and inhumane prisons".
Despite this, guards and inmates still try and bring some festive cheer, but in prisons, this is easier said than done.
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Zoukis says: "These facilities are infused with constant tension and conflict. Racial animus and geographically-oriented turf disputes are common as well."
Writer and director of the Netflix documentary White Boy, Seth Ferranti shared his experience of Christmas behind bars with the Mirror and said life behind bars on Christmas was not always bad.
Seth said: "Some prisoners look forward to it some it reminds them of where they are. Some dudes shut down in prison with no outside communication and around the holidays is when it’s hardest for them.
"I usually got visits on holidays so it was all good."
Celebrations still go on with Christmas meals and extra visits for prisoners.
Trading between prisoners for things like chocolate also increase around this time.
How likely inmates are to celebrate Christmas "starts with the administration" as well as "if they are open to a festive atmosphere," Ferranti said.
"In the [federal prisons] in the 90s they used to give out these big Christmas bags with candy and stuff like that.
"I remember looking forward to the trade a tons every year. I would trade candy I didn’t like for candy I did.
"It would be exclusive stuff that you couldn’t get on the compound or even in the visiting room."
Ferranti was jailed for his role in heading up an LSD empire.
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"It can be festive to a point. The units if not the cells are decorated. Some guys are f****d up others are light hearted or as light hearted as you can be behind the wall.
"I’ve been places where it’s really decorative and others where there’s nothing. Not always about what the inmates want most times its about what the staff will do or allow."
According to Ferranti, one of the biggest potential areas for violence is deciding who chooses what TV to watch around Christmas.
Recalling family feuds outside of prison, he says the stakes are raised when there are so many violent offenders squashed together.
"Dudes will fight over the TV for anything but they go especially hard on Christmas. It’s about making a point. And taking a stand," he said.
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