November 30, 2003
Advent calendars
Ahh the kids of today, eh? They don't know they're born. When I was a lad we didn't have advent calendars, oh no, we a piece of soggy cardboard and a crayon and we used to write the days til Christmas Day on it as a special treat. My two are looking forward to tomorrow as it's December the first and they can get at the first chocolate hidden cunningly by the number 1 on their advent calendar.
As you can see, the true spirit of Christmas is there with snowmen on snowboards. All the stuff around it is the general weekend accumulation of unnecessary things that fill our lives. The fact that it is there and not tidied away is an indication that Karen is away and I quite like clutter, but more about that another time.
Of course there is a lot to say about Christmas. Here's what Tom Lehrer thought
Christmas time is here, by golly,
Disapproval would be folly.
Deck the halls with hunks of holly,
Fill the cup and don't say when.
Kill the turkeys, ducks and chickens,
Mix the punch, drag out the Dickens.
Even though the prospect sickens,
Brother, here we go again.
On Christmas Day you can't get sore,
Your fellow man you must adore.
There's time to rob him all the more
The other three hundred and sixty-four.
Relations, sparing no expense, 'll
Send some useless old utensil,
Or a matching pen and pencil.
("Just the thing I need, how nice!")
It doesn't matter how sincere it is,
Nor how heart felt the spirit,
Sentiment will not endear it,
What's important is the price.
Hark, the Herald Tribune sings,
Advertising wondrous things.
God rest ye merry merchants,
May ye make the Yuletide pay.
Angels we have heard on high,
Tell us to go out and buy!
So, let the raucous sleighbells jingle,
Hail our dear old friend Kris Kringle,
Driving his reindeer across the sky.
Don't stand underneath when they fly by.