christmas

i know i have banged on about how much i hate christmas - and it's true i do.
it's an almost passionate hate - give it a few more years and it will burn with the fire of the sun.
but even in this less than jolly period there are times when i find things that make me smile or make my heart sing like it did when i was 5 years old and i couldn't wait to catch santa leaving my presents. (never did always fell asleep boo hoo).

so pat, what has made you smile this year? - i can hear you cry.
well i shall tell you (and thanks for asking).

firstly there has been the hue and cry over the madame tussards celebrity filled nativity scene. the scene in question featured david and victoria beckham (or more commonly posh and becks) as joseph and mary. also included are kylie and sam l jackson. not quite sure why this is offensive and why it has caused so much fuss. you only have to go around the national gallery to see loads of paintings of various religious scenes that feature either the patron of the artist in them or someone the artist wants to curry favour with being portrayed in the scene. i don't see anyone standing outside the national complaining...
and those of us who have been parents have had to suffer through at least one nativity play where we mumble that our little treasure would have been better off in the lead roles. (and if memory serves me right my one time on stage was as joseph in my sunday school's production of the nativity).
so perhaps it was because it was victoria and david? who knows.
to me it seems like harmless fun that, if anything brings the nativity to the attention of many who may only think that christmas is for booze, food and crap tv (no i don't mean you jay even if you like crap tv!)
well to make matters worse - someone has run in and punched the wax model and damaged them. (and no it was not fergie!)

oddly this comes at a time when the *cough ahem* pious david blunkett is bringing in a law to stop religious persecution. so while he is trying to argue that this is not a blasphemy law various religious groups show that they have no sense of humour (yes i mean you Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor - get a grip somethings can be lighthearted without being sacrilegious). but in this "outrage" that the church can show at something like this they go part of the way to showing that such laws will get miss used by those in positions of responsibility.

(perhaps the cardinal is just responding to the fact that everywhere you turn there is someone trying to "deny" christmas because they don't want to offend someone of a different faith ? your thoughts on a postcard please).

the second thing that has me smiling is the light show currently on display on oxford street in london. normally the christmas lights leave me cold. but this year a simple idea has me going oooh aaaah and standing and watching. basically they have mounted searchlights on scaffolding along the length of the road, and these searchlights cast their beams into the sky above - so in different parts of the city you can see amazing light shows against the clouds and in the sky.
from the millennium bridge (near the tate modern) you can watch the lights paint the sky and observe the wonderful patterns they make.
it is one of those things i want them to keep there through out the year.
it truly looks amazing.
and such a simple idea.
if you get a chance to wander along to oxford street - you have to go, they are wonderful.

and lastly the thing that has made me laugh like a drain is this: santas is a street brawl.
first of all i am impressed that there is such a thing as a santa charity run, the idea of getting dressed up as santa and then running reminds me that runners are an odd breed. i am even more impressed that 4,000 of them finished.
but several hours after the run some santas went rogue and a fight started - not just any fight but one that needed the use of cs gas and batons by the police. who would have thought that santa was that hard....
it's like have it's a knockout back - all that is needed for the story to be perfect is stuart hall to be doing a commentary.......

as if that were not enough. someone told me that santa mobs are organised and lots of people just turn up as santa. apparently that got kicked out of hamleys a few years back. i am tempted to contact them. i have the waist for it.
also while i was out checking out some art i saw a santa in a phone box - he was obviously phoning the RR (reindeer recovery..... oh i sleigh myself i do ..... ok i'll stop now).
and then to top it off in bethnal green just round corner from the famous york hall there is a house that has gone ott on the christmas decorations so much so that they have a life sized santa in the doorway, that not only moves but sings as well. so tacky.

it's what christmas was made for - well that seems to be the case these days.