Have you noticed that this year no one is getting all ‘grumpy old woman’ about it being too early for Christmas?
We need something to look forward to and hope for more than ever. Christmas is the main festival of light celebrated in this country. It’s the one the government are committed to protecting because it makes the most money. Don’t be fooled into thinking that it’s because we are a Christian country and we value the birth of Christ above the seventh incarnation of Vishnu (Rama-Chandra), some pagan notion of driving spirits out before All Souls’ Day, a celebration of a terrorist, or the second temple in Jerusalem. It’s just the one that we spend the most money for.
I know I’m a cynic but I do think all religion is trying to achieve the same goal. It’s an attempt to explain and celebrate the difficulties in life in a way that is meaningful for the people it represents. In the UK, where it gets dark cold and miserable that celebration is about bringing light and greenery into the house, eating enough so that we survive until we can get back on our vegetable plots and reminding ourselves that happier and sunnier days will come again.
This year, we have more difficulties than ever to push through. The main purpose of human existence is to connect and at this time we are asking people to not do that. Hands, face, space.
Christmas trees are up, carols are playing in supermarkets and there are queues in garden centres, which remain open as essential businesses so that you can get your decorations. You can’t get a slot to pick up your Marks and Spencer Turkey for love nor money and people are already full of mince pies and Quality Street. However, no one seems to mind.
“So what if it’s too soon. Its all we’ve got.”
The Christmas adverts have started. Lidl is busy killing Aldi’s carrot. John Lewis is all about the pigeons plotting to make sure we connect and are kind to each other with heart shaped plasters and Sainsbury’s have made the most beautiful adverts with old home movies of Christmases past, so that we can hope to have those this year.
Christmas is wonderful. Twinkly lights, loads of food, Christmas songs and films, and, according to the children who are writing Christmas songs with me, fluffy socks!
Bring it on.
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