Christmas 2008

Christmas holly decorations

It is strange how prescribed is Christmas Day and how little choice most of us have in the form it will take. It is a day that is intensely traditional in most families and perhaps that is why there are so many arguments.

Of course, there is the ritual of opening the Christmas presents and, if there are young children, this is naturally one of the most important moments of the day. But for the rest of us adults, I suspect, it is a moment of great embarrassment when one receives Christmas gifts one doesn’t want and has to appear grateful.

As soon as the Christmas presents are opened and with a living room strewn with Christmas paper, the womenfolk disappear into the kitchen to cook the Christmas lunch, ably assisted by their menfolk who make the huge contribution of pouring a glass of wine or some other alcoholic Christmas drink for their womenfolk as chef’s perks.

By the time Christmas lunch is cooked, most of the adults have been drinking for several hours. The huge Christmas meal lasts well into the afternoon and consists of Christmas turkey and helpings of almost everything in quantities much greater than our stomachs are used to. After which, of course, there is an extensive array of dishes to be washed up which takes another couple of hours. Then there are the oh so incredibly boring Christmas films.

It is hard to identify what is good about Christmas Day. It achieves a monumental reduction in our bank balances. It damages our bodies through the excessive alcohol we drink and most of us have to go on a diet soon after Christmas to get rid of the huge quantity of calories we have eaten. So why do we do it?

However, I have to confess that I am out of ideas, brilliant or otherwise, as to an alternative format for Christmas. I just think there ought to be one.

I therefore await your suggestions with anticipation, a glass of wine in my hand and a sausage on a stick.

Cheers!

Rob

Rob Hopcott On-line author