It struck me the other day that the world is a very different place at Christmas now than it was 15/20 years ago. Back then places shut for Christmas, people spent time with their friends and families. This was partially because nothing else was open for them to do!!
We survived that hardship of having the shops shut for 3 days. That's why there was always a rush to get enough food to last you and your guests, because you had to wait until 27th December to re-stock your cupboard.
A large swathe of the country worked in offices or factories and had a week off, or close to it. So you could spend time with your family because most of them were off work.
Nowadays, shops barely have time to close their doors on Christmas Eve before they re-open with their sale on. And we, the consumers desparate for a bargain are banging on the door, phoning the hotline and buying on the web, just so we can buy the tat we didn't want 3 days earlier.
A recent article on the BBC website stated that what most kids want is a more time with their families at Christmas.
Now all the factories, mines and mills have closed, everybody works in the 'service' industry, where you work all the hours god sends.
Well now the only way you can spend time with your family at Christmas now is to see them behind the counter at your local department store being haranged by an irate middle aged women wanting to return a half-arsed gift without a receipt.
We managed without shopping on Boxing Day before. Are we now incapable of lasting two days without pissing our cash away? Bring back Christmas, put your wallets and purses away (at least until the 27th!)
