Celtic achieved an emphatic victory over Hearts which also cut the lead of Rangers at the top of the league to just one point.
A John Hartson hat-trick and a goal from top scorer Henrik Larsson was sufficient to overcome a plucky Hearts side and provide the ideal belated Christmas present for the Celtic faithful.
Yet it was an inauspicious start by the home side when they fell behind after only four minutes. Jean Louis Valois found Steven Boyack and from his cross Mark De Vries headed past Magnus Hedman, who had replaced Rab Douglas after the Scotland keeper had injured himself in the warm-up.
Hearts keeper Roddy McKenzie made a great stop from Larsson before the Swedish striker thought he had equalised, but his header was rule out for offside.
McKenzie again did well to parry a Bobo Balde header, but from the resulting corner from Alan Thompson, Celtic equalised when Hartson bulleted his header home at the back post.
Didier Agathe tested the Hearts keeper before Hartson mis-hit his shot from only six yards out from Chris Sutton's cut-back. Kevin McKenna headed over from Valois before Celtic took the lead just before half time.
Again it came from a set-piece. McKenna headed out Thompson's corner but though Stilian Petrov miscued his shot, it fell to Hartson who rounded the keeper before knocking the ball into the empty net.
After half time, Larsson and Sutton both were denied by McKenzie before Hearts nearly equalised in an incredible scramble in the Celtic goalmouth.
Neil MacFarlane and Valois had volleys blocked before Graham Weir's header from Alan Maybury's cross was cleared off the line.
Hearts did draw level when De Vries prodded the ball past Hedman, but their advantage was short lived when two minutes later Hartson gloriously volleyed his shot home from Thompson's cross to put Celtic ahead once more.
It was a great hat-trick by the Celtic striker and the result was never in doubt after a fourth goal from Larsson, who beat the offside trap from Sutton's pass before neatly rounding the keeper.