And so, this is Christmas, apparently. The season to be jolly is upon us once more dear friends, once more. This is not going to be a, as many of you would naturally expect a curmudgeonly post by any means; there are enough Scrooge’s around to supply that. On the contrary I am going to praise Yuletide.
Something about this year has got me all aglow. Maybe because it doesn’t feel like we are saturated with festive fare popping up in all forms of media televisual and social. Yes, there are the predictable eau de parfum and après rasage commercials proliferating; all of which seem to be identical to whatever was conjured up by the creative marketing minds over the last few years, but they are easily fast forwarded through.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday have reared their heads once more but rather than seeing it as a cynical excuse to get customers to PayPal their way into debt, these present opportunities to get a discount on those jeans you wanted whilst picking up a bargain for your “precocious” niece’s Christmas box.
“What about Christmas songs?” you say? It’s not all Mariah Carey and Slade you know. I’ve managed to rekindle some enthusiasm for those Christmas records of bygone days. I’m enjoying the Ze Records A Christmas Record long player which features an eclectic mix on artists with interpretations of X-Mas melodies, alongside the A Very Special Christmas albums that were produced to raise money for the special Olympics and feature Christmas songs by Madonna, Run DMC, Eurythmics, Boyz II Men, Aretha Franklin, Luther Vandros, Macy Grey, Patti Smith, Stevie Nicks U2 among others.
Christmas shopping an issue? No. Frankly I spend so little time in shops that I have little contact with shoppers and at this time of year the delivery man (or woman) is King (or Queen) so that when I do venture forth it is not so much of an issue. In small doses crowds of consumers is not an issue especially as a shopping trip at this time of the year is the perfect excuse to get ensconced in the pub. I like a pub at Christmas, correction, I love a pub at Christmas. The tempo of an afternoon down a good British boozer at this time of year is an ideal way to fritter away half the day. People are happier for a start, and the smell of mulled wine, although I am not a fan of the taste, is evocative and welcoming. If there is an open fire, then Bingo! I’ll have a pint and keep them coming.
I'm not sure that this thawing of my cynicism is a conscious decision but, I'm feeling pretty, pretty, pretty, good about Christmas 2025.
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having said that;