At this time of year the staff at An Phoblacht used to get some alternative Christmas cheer when I would go into a rant.
I was the anti-Christmas.
My Christmas bashing piece in the paper over the years became, well, seasonal.
Every year without fail the editor would save a couple of pages for my Chrimbo is crap manifesto.
Although convinced of the ideological purity of my case I couldn’t carry it through to its logical conclusion.
At home I had three wee ones and I played up the entire Santa is coming experience for them.
“Daidí na Nollag ag teacht!” had my wee ones whooping in delight more than a decade ago.
All I can see is a cargo cult to western consumerism and a religious and ethnic mishmash whose primary image is the work of a commercial artist for Coca cola called Haddon Sundblom.
However if you have wee people in your life it is big medicine.
For the Christians among you the birthday of Jesus thing is risible and doesn’t stand up to any scrutiny.
Biblical scholars reckon that early January is the most likely birthdate for the person at the centre of the Christian origin myth.
For Jesus see Mithras.
Christmas isn’t about giving it’s about buying, which means it is actually about selling.
Then there are the crimes against music.
Christmas songs steadily sap my will to continue breathing.
Most of them are simply awful. Easily the worst was the Band Aid self-promo for artists in trouble.
“Let them know it’s Christmas time again.”
Yes, very important information to a starving Moslem in Africa.
Even the footage of dying children in Eritrea didn’t interrupt the gluttony, but people bought the single and the Dergue military junta were grateful for the assistance.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/jun/24/g8.debtrelief
It is a day for the family which is probably why it is the time of year you are most likely to be murdered by a close relative…
I hope tomorrow is good for all of ye.
That you are well and you are where you want to be as opposed to where you are meant to be.
Anyway I have some presents to wrap!
