I have mixed feelings.

I don’t believe in God, so why do I even do it?

• I don’t like the commercialisation, the pressure it puts on people to spend more than they really want to.
• I don’t like the other pressures – the ones it puts on relationships. More people break up over Christmas than at any other time of the year. My husband told me he was leaving on 8^th Jan. Not quite Christmas, but really not far off. And we’d had a pretty shitty Christmas.
• I used to be a teacher. Primary. Need I say more.
• I work in retail. The Christmas music Never Stops. After 8 hours of it, it stays in your head even when you get home.

But –

• I love the midnight church service on Christmas Eve, even though I don’t believe in any of it – the words and the music and the atmosphere are just beautiful.
• It’s fun – seeing the boss in a Christmas jumper, going out for a drink and staying out for another one, an excuse to meet up with people you haven’t seen for ages, being offered mince pies on the street.
• Cultures all over the world have some sort of festival that brightens up the darkest part of the year – and why not?
• I enjoy choosing presents.
• I enjoy getting presents.
• I enjoy all the food that we only get at Christmas – Christmas cake, Christmas pudding, mince pies, stollen, marzipan, dates.
• I enjoy the tree, the twinkly lights, Santa, the food, having everything just a little bit special.

So –

Spare a thought for the people who are having a shitty Christmas.

Spare a thought for the people who work in retail.

And spare a thought for the people who will be working on Christmas Day.

My wish to you all this Christmas is to enjoy the bits you enjoy, and don’t let the pressure get to you.

See you on the other side.

XX

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