Tuesday 24 December 2013

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas and what have you. Here's a very short piece I penned for City AM last week.

Ah, Christmas. The season of good will. Who could complain about getting a load of presents and having a few days off work? Me, that’s who. Yes, the December shopping splurge is good for retailers, but only by selling products that people would never buy for themselves (we flock to the shops on Boxing Day to compensate).

Every year, economic activity effectively comes to a halt between 20 December and 3 January. That terrible no man’s land between Christmas and New Year is filled with domestic tedium for those who stay at home, or a graveyard shift for those who make it in to the office. And while it’s nice to have a break, no reasonable person would choose to have a holiday in the middle of winter when everybody else is off work, clogging up the motorways and jamming the pubs.

A pox on Christmas and all who celebrate it.


And if you think that's a gloomy yuletide message, check out the Guardian's festive articles about rationing, homeless drug addicts and alcoholism. Actually, don't.



1 comment:

Junican said...

Sod 'em.

Merry Christmas, Chris.