Okay, this is definitely the last post before 2012.
I'm sure you're well aware it's no accident that Santa is an anagram of Satan, and if you play the original recording of 'Jingle Bells' backwards you hear the message "buy lots of unnecessary gifts for your friends and family this Christmas", but how can you break away from the over commercialised travesty that Christmas has become without becoming a po-faced prig or party bore? It's simple, just follow these two steps in the phantomchoralsnake guide to having an enjoyable and meaningful Christmas.
(1) Take part in this extremely short music quiz to get your brain active again after all of that boozing / eating / snoozing / TV watching (please delete as appropriate). There's only one question with a single word as the answer, no prizes and no answer until my next New Year post. Ready?
(Q) Sir Edward _______ was an English composer who wrote a Welsh Rhapsody in 1904, which has been recorded by the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra amongst others. What is the missing surname? If you really need another clue think about the theme plus a well established post lunch Christmas Day tradition which might help you out a bit.
(2) Talking of Christmas lunch, why not help some of the less well off members of the local community to eat well over Christmas, and all year round? Visit the Oxford Food Bank website and give them a donation towards distributing excess food from supermarkets and other food suppliers to over 30 charities who help feed the needy. Believe it or not, for every £1 you donate they deliver £25 worth of produce around the Oxford area! Amazing to think that a donation of just £14.60 now would result in £1 of food being distributed every single day in 2012!!! It's all run by volunteers (feel free to offer your help) and that food would otherwise just be dumped as waste. The criminal thing is that despite all of their efforts there is 10 times that amount or more still being dumped unnecessarily. All it needs is more donations and volunteers to change Oxford to a zero food waste area - now wouldn't that be a Christmas present well worth giving? So what are you waiting for?????
Enough of the preachy, touchy - feely, emotional stuff. I'm off for Christmas, and I know I'm going to enjoy my presents, grub and even the odd bit of booze. Just remember that useful biblical phrase though if it all starts getting a bit out of hand - "get thee behind me Santa!"
