December 19th, 2006

But as the weeks lead up to Christmas we invariably get hooked on the excitement - the festive lights, hustle and bustle of the crowds and the frustrations as well.

Since childhood I have enjoyed the build-up and preparation, the pent-up feeling that seems unique to Christmas, the giving and receiving. But that last-minute push pumps adrenaline into your veins. Walking around the shops on Christmas Eve might be more like frenzy, but that is tradition.

Often we over compensate - on what we spend on gifts and the volume of food and drink we consume. It is an insatiable urge, but we do it and while the retail trade counts the cost of projected profits, we extend our appetite for bargains in the post-Christmas sales.

Christmas shopping is as much a feature of the season as the celebration itself. Sceptics might say that it is out of proportion, but within the frenzied activity there is the act of giving and for that we can take comfort.

We can also take respite for a further 12 months before the frenzy starts again. - Bernie Walsh, Coxhoe, Durham.

I FIND it difficult to accept the argument of some recent HAS correspondents that there is a conspiracy against Christmas.

On Christmas Day, there will be no activity or transport. Families will stay at home and eat and drink too much. In this age of choice, people do not have much option in the way they spend the festive season.

It is only right there should be a midwinter holiday. Few would want to make Christmas another day with people working and shops opening.

But it would be good to have some reduced rail and bus services over Christmas and New Year. It is a sad fact that for others to have a good time, some must work.

If bus crews worked until normal finishing time on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, they would deserve to be paid extra and given time off to compensate.

I mostly enjoy Christmas. It is the fuss and hype I dislike. If limited transport and entertainment was available on Christmas Day, people would have the flexibility to decide how to celebrate. They would be less likely to indulge in gluttony. - Peter J Brown, Middlesbrough.

BAH, humbug. Perhaps there should be an annual award for the silliest story about political correctness gone mad, like last year's from the Daily Mail about how Santa was banned by a council. In reality, one grotto was removed from a shopping centre because it contravened fire safety regulations.

We are told Christmas has been banned to avoid offending religious minorities, but nobody seems to be able to find anyone of a minority faith who has been offended, or anyone who has banned anything for this reason.

BM Kelly (HAS, Dec 13) describes our politically-correct zealots and militant secularists as faceless and unknown. Has it occurred that they might be figments of the imaginations of tabloid journalists?

One of the joys of a secular democracy is we can celebrate Christmas, Divali, Hanukkah, Yule and Hogmanay, or say "bah, humbug" and ignore the whole festive season.

Incidentally, this particular infidel is also a traditionalist; my Christmas tree goes up on Christmas Eve and comes down on 12th Night.

Anyone know where I can get a tree that wasn't cut down weeks ago? - Pete Winstanley, Durham.

SANTA Claus is a variation of the name Saint Nicholas, a good Christian saint whose commemoration day is in early December, and who should be fully welcome on Christmas stamps.

On the recent St Nicholas Eve, the BBC's Wednesday radio programme, Choral Evensong, was broadcast from St Nicholas Cathedral, Newcastle, stated by the announcer to be the only Anglican cathedral in England with this dedication.

The broadcast and its music were fantastic. I am sure the Masters of the Music at Carlisle, Durham and York Anglican establishments would have been as proud of the youngest C of E cathedral within your wider readership, as of their own music.

St Nicholas is the patron saint of mariners as well as children. If this saint's day can also focus our thoughts, whether Christian or not, upon the North-Eastern seafolk who are braving frightful storms at sea (and upon their families at home ), how can this diminish the message of Jesus, who is claimed to have stilled the storms and brought peace? - E Turnbull, Newcastle.

IS David Nicholls' nickname Scrooge? To moan about all the beautiful Christmas decorations many people put up outside their homes (HAS, Dec 15) is just miserable.

We live in such a terrible world at present, surely a bit of fun and merriment at Christmas is to be applauded.

As for asking councils to do something to stop it, well, what happened to living in a democracy? And to say that all these lights cause global warming - all I can add to that is bah humbug. Go on, Mr Nicholls, try some flashing lights or even a large blow-up Santa. You never know, you may get to like it. - Mrs J Stasiak, Darlington.

SOAP WATCH

I MUST compliment Steve Pratt on his brilliant Soap Watch column, in The Northern Echo's weekly supplement, 7 Days.

Steve's portrait of the soap characters is brilliantly done and if there is any better fun in the Echo, I have yet to read it.

His piece about Diane Sugden, of ITV's Emmerdale (Dec 14), is typical, with Steve saying "Diane Sugden continues to behave like a mad cow", and "Diane has hypomania (which is like nymphomania, but not as interesting) brought on by her near-death experiences. Being married to flat cap Jack certainly counts as one".

I liken Steve's column to football where, if the match had been half as good as the report, it would have been worth watching. - John Phelan, Howden-le-Wear, Co Durham.

SMOKING BAN

THE non-smoking brigade is getting up my nose.

Do they really think they are going to be immune from respiratory infections when smoking is banned in pubs and clubs, etc, and extend their lives? I doubt it, unless they wear a face mask every time they go out.

I think us smokers and drinkers will be getting bronchitis and pneumonia going in and out of pubs/clubs in the freezing cold while trying to socialise.

I can hear the non-smokers saying smokers are a drain on the NHS.

With the NHS in mind, drinking too much alcohol causes health problems so I suggest the country imposes prohibition. Only joking, of course. - G Sowerby, Bishop Auckland, Co Durham.

KIND DEED

THANKS to the woman who handed in the wallet containing "my life" at the Tesco customer services counter, Catterick, North Yorkshire, on December 7.

It was dropped in the car park and I was almost home before I realised. I returned to Tesco to receive the good news that it had been found and handed in. Who says honesty is dead?

I would be grateful if the woman concerned would leave contact details at Tesco so that I may thank her personally. - Paddy Pywell, address supplied.