I’m not sure to reconcile the way I feel about Christmas with the way I feel about Christmas.

I think maybe Tim Minchin sums it up best in ‘White Wine in the Sun’ (full lyrics here)

‘I really like Christmas
It’s sentimental, I know, but I just really like it
I am hardly religious
I’d rather break bread with Dawkins than Desmond Tutu, to be honest’

He goes on to say he quite likes the carols, though the lyrics are dodgy. I woke up with Cliff Richard’s ‘Mistletoe and Wine’ in my head after watching a Christmas movie last night. So I fixed his lyrics for him. As I said, I’m a bit confused about how I feel about Christmas…

Mistletoe and Wine…

The child is a king, the carolers sing
BUT FOR BILLIONS OF PEOPLE, NO
Dreams of Santa, dreams of snow
WE’LL RUB THEIR FACES IN THE SEASONAL SHOW

Oh, it’s Christmas time, mistletoe and wine
COMMERCE ATTACKS WITH ITS ANNUAL CRIME
With logs on the fire and gifts on the tree.
ITS A GOOD TIME TO FOCUS ON WHAT WE WANT TO SEE

A time for living, a time for believing
TO IGNORE FOR A WHILE WHAT SCIENCE IN REVEALING
Love and laughter and joy ever after
AS THE PLANET HEATS UP FASTER AND FASTER

Christmas time, mistletoe and wine
CONSUMERISM OR THE DEVINE?
With logs on the fire and gifts on the tree
LET’S ALL JUST FOCUS ON WHAT WE WANT TO SEE

It’s a time for giving, a time for getting
WE’RE ALL JUST AIDING AND ABETTING
Christmas is love, Christmas is peace
OR JUST AN EXCUSE FOR THE PLANET TO FLEECE

Christmas time, mistletoe and wine
I’M ALRIGHT JACK, WHAT’S MINE IS MINE
With logs on the fire and gifts on the tree
AND WE’LL ALL JUST SEE WHAT WE WANT TO SEE

Christmas time, mistletoe and wine
WE’D LIKE TO CARE BUT JUST DON’T HAVE THE TIME
With logs on the fire and gifts on the tree
ITS TOO EASY TO FORGET THIS TRAJECTORY

Christmas time, mistletoe and wine
COMMERCE ATTACKS WITH ITS ANNUAL CRIME
With logs on the fire and gifts on the tree
A time to REINFORCE INEQUALITY

Christmas time (Silent night) Mistletoe and wine (Holy night)
CAPITALISM GONE MAD BY DESIGN
With logs on the fire and gifts on the tree
A time to ENGAGE IN GUILT-BLIND GLUTTONY

Photo by Taisiia Shestopal on Unsplash