h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

it isn't, Y. it's about spending a lot of money and buying each other material goods, i'm afraid

and that is why i loathe xmas

There is a thread I subscribe to entiltled "Christmas chat for those who DO NOT like Christmas"

It's undoubtably why I'm going up to Sutton(Nr London) to work over Christmas. Did a deal, so as I can have the second May bank Holiday off to take part in the Wessex 100 (Challenge- to complete on foot a defined route of 100 miles in 48 hours or less)

of course if you look away from all the materialism and most of the religious mumbo-jumbo and concentrate on the main themes - love thy neighbour and celebrate that it is getting warmer and lighter again - then i'm all for it

and besides, there's nothing terribly wrong with enjoying food and drinks, is there?

Absolutely not, and there's nothing wrong in receiving
either.
Course this means there's a chance the thread will veer away from
food and drink
to what kind of gifts wwe wwant.

Oops,
I'm h-hoping for a book, How to Stop Stuttering.

There are so many more meanings of Christmas, even if you count out all the religious stuff:

Candles in early darkness
Playing cards with family
Singing carols in three-part harmony
Watching a happy chew on a VERY LARGE bone
Watching fumble with decorations
Retrieving Baby Jesus from under the shelf AGAIN (courtesy of )
Baking special things, made specially
Walking around the village at night, leaving traces in the snow
Doing jigsaw puzzles together, accompanied by terrible puns
Watching a happy baby play with wrapping paper
Inventing and sampling new and interesting hot beverages
Collective rolling of eyes behind Grandma's back at the fourth rendition of "well, during the war, when I was young..."
Trying to rouse some of those lazy folk to help with the dishes
Wrapping those lights around the Christmas tree just right
Tying those pesky little strings on the chocolates that go in the tree
Defending those chocolates from common household pests
Having strangers over and watching them enjoy themselves
Daring each other to drink the horrible, spoiled wine that was salvaged from a late relative's cellar
Cracking nuts, feeding half of them to
Remembering previous and their fondness for nuts
Late-night walks with siblings, reviving banter from 30 years ago
Laughing at each other's presents
Well, yes, and eating and drinking good stuff is somewhere in there, too...

I suspect that a midwinter festival consisting of friends/family gathering and sharing food is probably more ancient than all the present giving, woo woo, mumbo jumbo and possibly domesticated and too.

Sharing food is quite efficient and could perhaps add variety to a pretty dull winter diet, and cheering people up when they've been stuck together in their cave/lodge/longhouse etc for a few months is always a good idea, it's cold, dark and depressing, of course you need an excuse for a knees up!

the essence of all this is init?

Nope. I think the essence of it is cheering each other up and not killing each other through severe cases of cabin fever.

Mind, i'm going back a few years. Nowadays it's all about whatever you want it to be about. Or whatever you feel compelled to *think* it's about.

Having lots of and tonsil tennis with a woman I don't know *sigh* In my dreams

None of the women you know are good enough, eh?

They all know me too well and

Ah, of course. I should've known.

Yarreau doesn't know me

I've warned her...

That's it, it's the monestery for me then

Hmm. Monks aren't quite my thing, but if you like 'em, hey, whatever floats your boat...

I'm more likely to be a Rasputin type of Monk Without the dodgy beard and getting the Royal family bumped off

Arre you sure Yarreau knows me There may be hope for me yet

Oh, you want to _be_ a monk. I thought you were going there for the monks.

Good gawd, NOOOOOOOOOO! Far to priapic for that, I love women too much