Quite a lot, for some people. Róisín Ingle hears from seven men and women whose lives changed significantly in 2003.

My first Christmas . . .

. . . without rugby

Except for one year when he was badly injured, Keith Wood, who retired from the Ireland captaincy and rugby last month, after Rugby World Cup 2003, was always preparing for a match at Christmas. Each year he would limit himself to just one big night out, spending the rest of the time training and resisting Christmas treats. "But even though this is my first year being retired from the sport, I am actually eating less," says Wood, who played for Ireland for 11 years. "I have a few problems with my back and I don't want to get heavy because of that, so I am still training every couple of days and losing weight."

Will he be down in the dumps during the festivities? "Of course this Christmas is tinged with sadness," he says. "When the guys are out playing a match on December 28th I will be playing golf." But he treasures the extra time with his wife, Nicola, and 15-month-old son, Alexander, and is relatively sanguine about life without rugby. "I have been building myself up to retirement for a while, but I will still miss it," he says, adding that he was relieved to have emerged relatively unscathed from the world cup. "I know the worst time is going to be the first Six Nations game in February. That really will be hard."

. . . as an elf

Although he isn't due at Santa's Kingdom, in Punchestown, Co Kildare, until 11.30 a.m. each morning, Walter Devereaux is usually on site by 9.30 a.m. and in his costume by 10 a.m. He is the first to admit that he is a very enthusiastic elf. The name of his character is Elvis. He brings children and their parents on tours of Santa's Kingdom; his catchphrase is thankyouverymuch, spoken in an Elvis style, if Elvis came from Kildare, like Devereaux.

"I am having more fun than I have ever had in my life," he says. "Some of my friends think I am crazy. I go to bed early each night so I am bright and ready for the day ahead." He went out with a couple of elf colleagues the other evening to a nightclub, staying in character for the laugh. What does an elf do in a nightclub? "Just goes mad and dances. I don't drink or smoke, I just have a good time."

In the real world, Devereaux is a security guard, a massage therapist and a children's gymnastics coach. He is also studying performance arts. Although he enjoys his other work, he says none of it comes close to being an elf. He has mixed feelings about Christmas Day, because that's when he stops being an elf and turns back into plain old Walter. "It's going to be very disappointing," he says.

. . . with my parents

knowing I am gay

Fiona, a 19-year-old student from Dublin, always looks forward to Christmas, and she doesn't think it will be very different this year just because her family now knows she is a lesbian. She told her mum first, then her dad. "They took it fine. Dad was a bit embarrassed, but it wasn't half as bad for me as the experience was for certain friends of mine," she says. "My parents are quite liberal and cool, and I didn't predict a bad reaction."

One difference is that she feels much closer to her mother, as she is no longer hiding such a big part of her life. She hasn't yet told any of her extended family. Last Christmas she came close to telling some cousins but sobered up quickly and kept them guessing. "They might find out this year if I'm feeling really brave or if they catch me off guard, mesmerised by Alex Parks [the lesbian singer who won the BBC show Fame Academy\] on the Top Of The Pops Christmas special."

Her grandmother has a hard enough time trying to understand her vegetarianism, so Fiona doesn't fancy trying to explain her sexuality over the turkey and cranberry sauce. She can just imagine it, she says. "Grandma, I'm gay. Please pass the Brussels sprouts."

. . . without glasses

Madonna Toye, who is 26, grew up in Clones, Co Monaghan, where she endured taunts of "specky four eyes" and "goggle eyes" for most of her life. Her sight was so bad that the glasses she had to wear "were like binoculars". As an adolescent her self-esteem took a battering and she rarely looked people in the eye, preferring to stare at her feet, hoping nobody would notice her. When she started going to school discos she left her glasses at home, relying on a friend to guide her around the hall. "Boys liked me better without the glasses, but it was difficult the next day if you saw them," she says. "They would only tell me I was pretty when my glasses were off. It was hard".

At 15 she heard about laser surgery but was told her sight was too bad for the procedure to work. After moving to Dublin she discovered that it might be possible after all. In June she took out a loan and had the surgery at Mater Misericordiae University Hospital. "I can't even describe how happy I am. I was supposed to get only 50 per cent vision back, but it is perfect. Sometimes I can't believe it myself. I keep thinking someone is going to tell me not to be silly and put my glasses back on."

She is looking forward to Christmas in Clones and seeing some of her past tormentors. "I still won't be bothered with them. They treated me so cruelly when I was younger, and I am still the same person now, glasses or no glasses."

. . . as a priest

He has been dreaming about saying a Christmas Mass for years, and tomorrow it is finally going to happen. Gerry Moore, a 40-year-old from Lusk, in Co Dublin, was one of only five priests ordained in the Dublin diocese this year. "That sounds like a small number, but it's actually one of the larger groups of the last few years," he says. "It was a wonderful occasion."

He used to be a chef, working for a while at the Park Hotel Kenmare, in Co Kerry. Back then he lived life as any other single young man, having relationships and enjoying himself. But he always had a solid faith, and a priest friend would occasionally ask him when he was going to give the Church a whirl. He decided to leave his job in 1996 and began preparing for the priesthood.

He knew it was the right decision, and after seven years of study and prayer at Holy Cross College, in Dublin, and Maynooth College, in Co Kildare, he was ready. Tomorrow at 6 p.m. he will celebrate the annual children's Christmas Eve Mass at his church in Raheny, in north Dublin. He's been thinking a lot about the homily. "I just hope to be able to bring across to the children how much God loves them," he says. After Masses on Christmas Day he will travel home to Lusk to enjoy the day with his family. "It's a very special Christmas for me."

. . . as a vegetarian

Aminah Carty had dabbled with vegetarianism, but it never lasted through Christmas. A few weeks ago the 25-year-old decided to give up meat and dairy products and is facing, for the first time, a Christmas without turkey, ham and all the trimmings. "I am going to be in my brother's house, and it does put people out, but it's something I feel very strongly about." All she is doing is looking after her health, she says. It's easy for people to call her a nutter or a hippy or a freak because of her choice, but she doesn't like the amount of chemicals that goes into meat and doesn't think there is a need for it. Eating too much dairy makes her nauseous, anyway.

It's difficult, though, because she works in a restaurant, and the smells of cream and pasta and steak are tempting. "I come from a big meat-eating family, so it is an adjustment," she admits. "My parents live in Dubai, and when they find out what I am doing they won't be too happy." She's taking lots of vitamins and protein drinks and says there is no need for anyone to worry. She will just be eating tofu instead of turkey on Thursday - and hopes nobody will have a problem with it.

. . . as Rose of Tralee

She's not just the Rose of Tralee. Orla Tobin, who is 22, was also named this year as an ambassador for Unicef Ireland, which, she says, "gives me a chance to give something back". Although she has kept her job with Bank of Ireland, her diary has been packed since she was crowned in August. Recent appointments include turning on Christmas lights in Tralee and presenting the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham. "And work are keeping me very, very busy too, so I haven't had much time off. I wouldn't change it, though. I am really enjoying the whole thing."

Tobin is extremely proud of her Unicef role. "I have been asked to raise awareness of girls' education in disadvantaged places," she says, adding that 120 million children in the developing world have no schooling. "I have been going into schools and talking about it. It's very rewarding."

Christmas has been one big round of Rose-related parties and balls, along with the usual family get-togethers. "We normally go to my nana's in Kerry for Christmas, but this year we are going to my uncle's in Ballina," she says. "I'm still Orla this Christmas to my family, even if I am also the Rose of Tralee."