December 2008 Archives

I have been continually surprised at how well received this blog has become. as I sit here on a cold Boxing Day in Manchester, I have new awards and placings on 'best of...' lists to report.

Over at Plotdog, one of my posts has again been recognised in the Woof Top 5 writing posts.

"On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…"

I'm sure I don’t need to spell out that today, being Christmas Day, is the first of the Twelve Days of Christmas.

Of course, these days, most people only consider the twelve days of Christmas when singing the song, but Christmas as a holiday actually extends from December 25th to the feast of the Epiphany on January 5th.

Although a staple Christmas story for nearly two centuries, the full significance of Clement Moore's poem is often forgotten.

Published in 1822, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas' crystalised for many what would become the widely understood depiction of Santa Claus. This particular incarnation would later become intertwined with the European Father Christmas, creating the international figure we know today.

If I were to ask anyone why we celebrate Christmas on December 25^th, there is no doubt that everyone would say that it marks the birthday of Jesus.

But does it?

(Yup, another post that originally appeared on Christmaswatch on December 3rd, 2007. Not really about writing, but it's December and it's interesting!)

The Christmas tree is, when one thinks about it, one of the most bizarre Christmas traditions. Yet no house would feel complete at this time of year without the inclusion of a brightly decorated evergreen taking up a corner of the room.

What a wonderful way to finish off a great year. One of my posts - Linkbait at any cost - has been nominated in the Moggies. Rewarding the best Australian marketing post for 2008,The Moggies are being run over at Media Hunter and are supported by Marketing Magazine. Kudos indeed to be included in the final ten nominees.

So here's the thing; an American corporation ruined a Christmas classic.

Strong words, I know, but hear me out.

If you live in the UK, you may already be familiar with Raymond Briggs' 'Father Christmas' books from the 1970s and the wonderful cartoon adaptation produced in 1991 by TVS, the award winning producers of 'The Snowman'. Briggs is the undoubted forgotten hero of comics. His comic books - for that's what they are - are among the greatest comics ever written, but never having entered the superhero mainstream, he remained relegated to the children's picture book category.

Almost everyone knows, these days, that Santa Claus came to us over the centuries from Saint Nicholas. But why do some people still insist on calling him Father Christmas?

The truth is that there is a huge case of mistaken identity happening here as both names have distinctly different origins.

I have now had three days of wedded bliss since all those weeks of frustration and stress finally came to an end on Sunday and we finally got to say our "I dos". I was encouraged by some fantastic people and businesses that helped Shelley and me enormously in preparing for the day. Yet, there were other frustrations that demonstrate common mistakes by wedding suppliers marketing themselves online.

Celebrating Christmas has always been about lots of food, lots of family and a general all round celebration of emotional warmth, but celebrating Christmas in forty degree heat has always been a bit of a challenge.

Although I'm English - and therefore all of my associations with Christmas are of the traditional English variety - I've lived in Australia for half my life. Each year, I am struck by the irony of celebrating a winter festival when the sun is blazing and my Santa hat is drenched in sweat.

Every December, Hollywood unleashes the Christmas family films. Last year, it was Fred Claus, a desperately unfunny romp. Before that came Elf and the Santa Clause trilogy and Deck the Halls and a host of other completely forgettable films. All these  films drench the,selves in the same shallow paraphenalia of Christmas hokum, the Christmas village at the North Pole, the elves in the toy factory, every house festooned Griswald-fashion with fairy lights, schmaltzy family warmth and so on.

Five sleeps until W-Day, when I trade in the bachelor life for bliss. This afternoon, I was finalising the reading my Mum will present at the ceremony, selecting the most relevant passages from the Winnie the Pooh books. I knew I wanted a Winnie the Pooh reading ever since I knew I wanted to get married. He has been a constant companion throughout my life and I continue to follow his ‘teachings’.