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What happened to the Season of Christmas?

Happy New Year, all! Make one of your resolutions not to sweat the stuff you can't do anything about and focus on making your desk, your room, your home, your office a better places.

 I was in Massachusetts with family for Christmas and it resonated with all my childhood Christmases. Returning to the UK, the decorations and lights in the neighbourhood are already gone and it's not even Epiphany yet. My lights are still on and will be until twelfth night.

 This is another, sad illustration that people no longer understand Christmas, even as secular event. Can the message of Christmas not be sustained even until 6 January? I expect there are Valentine's Day promotions in the supermarket.

 Anthropologically, it must be unique to celebrate the anticipation of an event that one doesn't actually believe in with the expenditure of billions of dollars. 

 I'm one of those who firmly believes that no one who does not believe that God became Man at Christmas has any business celebrating it.

 Oddly, they are often also the first to shout, "Hypocrite!" at others. Actually, they don't; three syllables is too much of a challenge, but I am now straying from the season of good will.

 In New England, Christmas wreaths will remain on doors until it's nearly Easter. They are symbols of winter, not specifically Christmas, but they help extend the season until the weather warms up and we become naturally more cheerful.

 Christmas brought me new books from and by friends: Mythography by Kerry Scott, Our Roots Remain One, by Dave Muller and his family, and Humphrey and Jack, Ian Thomson's new novel.

 Additionally, I treated myself to Carlos Ruiz Zafon's new volume in the Library of Forgotten Books series, The Labyrinth of the Spirits.

 These should keep me out of trouble until March.

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