So here we are, Christmas 2007, what a day.
Nothing interesting on TV, I noticed that the Grinch is running at the moment and I flicked through to Dave (yes there is a channel called Dave) to find re-runs of Top Gear - the cornerstone of every great Xmas. Actually it ain't that depressing but it seems to be the only source of entertainment on this joyous day, therefore the demands made on TV entertainment are higher than usual.
Yes I know! Christmas day is supposed to be a time to spend with family and build snowmen and be happy... but things have changed.
There has not been a proper white Christmas (when snow actually settles on the ground) in London since the 1970s, so I never ever had an opportunity to build a snowman when growing up or do things that I read about what children are supposed to do during the Xmas period. At the moment the temperature is around 7°C, hardly festive.
As for spending time with family, you only need to take a look around and you will see that dwellings are getting smaller and smaller because more and more people are living alone. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) the population of the UK is still on the increase but family sizes are shrinking. In spring 2006 there were 24.2 million households in Great Britain, an increase of 30% since 1971! In that same period, the population increased by just 8 per cent. We are leading more solitary lives, and some of us feel it most during Xmas.
So you see, not only has there been a climate change, removing all the fun stuff about winter, but society has changed too. The result is a more boring, hollow and superficial Christmas. So what can we do? Not much really - saving Xmas is a lost cause but perhaps we can ease the pain.
My suggestions:
- There are a large number of greedy people who don't mind working on Christmas for the extra dosh. So in the same way that hospitals don't close, venues of entertainment should not close either and I'm sure some Miss Patel from Harrow would be more than happy to work the extra hours in Cineworld.
- These broadcasters have got to improve TV on this day. It would make me less grumpy on the 25th of December.
Merry Xmas!
