It's that time of year, again. The retail trade rub their hands together at the prospect of millions of customers buying anything and everything at inflated prices just to satisfy their Christmas urges.
Santas, sleighs, bells, turkey, puddings, cakes, holly, berries ... the list continues but rarely does it include Christ, His birth, or anything else that means Christmas. A shame if you profess to be a Christian. Most just indulge in the excess without a thought of the reason; not very Christian.

For me, I'll survive the season by staying with its origins, the pagan festival of Yule. I can celebrate the shortest day of the year and look forward to the lengthening days and the return of new life in the new season, without the falsehood and hipocrasy of a pseudo-Christian celebration. The tree went up today.