Christmas, Christmas, Christmas. The Mas .... of Christ. Why good, why bad? Why care? I don’t really, but I like Christmas. I like it because normality stops for a while. I like it cos I get to put stupid (don’t get me wrong - they’re VERY stupid) decorations around all the little bits of the world whose appearance I have a say in (which is actually something I’d like to do all year around) and I also like it because things get a little more colourful.

I remember reading at some point about how in the past colours were much more a sign of wealth and privilege than they are now. Only the very rich could afford the exotic dyes needed to colour their clothes and dwellings in vibrant hues, only the rich and powerful church could afford the materials and skills to use the dazzling effects of stained glass and only kings and queens to afford to supply great artists with the pigments they needed for their masterworks.

Nowadays we are bombarded with vivid, shimmering, tones everywhere we go. It makes the idea of putting tinsel and baubles around the house for a few weeks in December seem a little bit pointless, especially for those of us for whom the birth of Jesus, or even the winter solstice hold little or no meaning. So I say forget the meaning, forget the sentiment, Christmas is a great big excuse for silliness. Instead of bringing colours into the home, instead of bringing the tree, think of it as bringing in a little silliness. A little pointless glittering absurdity to brighten up the brain. A little hanging bunch of needless frippery to lift the psychic gloom.

If people were plants they’d be birdplants!!