The true meaning of Christmas

I actually started some Christmas shopping today. Over the past few years I have got so fed up of the Christmas season being rammed down our throats far too soon. It usually begins with the advertising on tv. Why do people have to act like the world will end if they don't have or achieve such and such by Christmas? If it's not the new sofa from DFS then it's the lose a stone by Christmas diet or the buy before Christmas but carrying on paying for it for many months to come thing.

Why don't we just go back to living one season at a time? When I was young I remember Christmas beginning at the end of November/beginning of December, not back early October. Let's go back to getting Halloween and Bon Fire night out the way first. I was gobsmacked to hear Christmas carols playing in one of the shops early in October.

Let's face it, in reality, Christmas these days is about spending as much as possible and buying presents that half the time people take back to exchange, pass on to others, stuff in an old drawer or dredge to the charity shop. Less in more. A thoughtful gift is the best gift of all.

One of the best Christmas presents I ever received was from an Austrian lady named, Eva. She didn't have much money so she made her own Christmas cards and visited the neighbours with her home made cakes and biscuits [cut into Christmas shapes and filled with melted boiled sweets to look like stained glass windows]. To me, that was the true meaning of Christmas. Eva gave of her time and her talents, meaningful and thoughtful gifts.