…Please put a penny in the Old Man’s hat.
One thing that’s taken some getting used to around these parts is the short Christmas/New Year break, even for students. I wound up on December 15 and will be back in harness by January 6 - and Oxford is notorious 
for its short, intense terms. Edinburgh students have only just finished (last Friday, I think), and more than a few places keep people head down, bum up until Christmas Eve. This effect is even more pronounced in Scotland, where the big celebratory deal is Hogmanay - a massive New Year’s Eve party, march and cracker night. Scots don’t even get a Boxing Day public holiday - that’s considered a purely English affectation.
Like lots of people, I’m hoping for Christmas snow (the only winter weather universally welcomed across the UK, in part due to its rarity). We had a couple of minus 6 and 7 nights, and one heavy frost that looked like snow, but none of the actual white stuff. Right now I’m procrastinating about fronting Princes Street for Chrissy presents. Oh, and I’m actually going to have to spend at least some of the time on the inside of a library, natch. That said, I’m seriously looking forward to Hogmanay, and am hoping that the series of bugs that caught up with me during first term (thanks to the Oxford International Germ Convention ™) don’t come back for a re-run next term.
I think it’s fair to say 2007 was a fairly bruising year politically, which was reflected leading up to the election in some fairly impressive blogospheric stoushes. I found it much more pleasant to confine my commenting to Catallaxy, with only the odd foray elsewhere. It’s probably a good time to ease off on the politics and bring out the holiday plans, suggestions and good tidings. And for anyone who says, ‘but you’re an atheist!’ I’m quite happy to claim Richard Dawkins’ ‘culturally Christian’ tag and enjoy a decent party :). While you’re at it, I’ll also ask you what you’d like to see us write about here at the Cat during the coming year. I know I’ve tended to just post randomly on stuff that interests me - and I’m also aware I haven’t kept up my usual docket of cricket posts.
Now, off to do the last bit of Christmas shopping - and the best of the season to our readers, commenters, lurkers and friends!
15 Comments
Hi SL, Merry Xmas! I don’t imagine there is a lot of cricket being played over there at present so you don’t need to be apologetic on that front. What about the rugby league? Maybe when the sun shines next year you can keep us up to date with the exploits of Aussie expats in the local cricket competitions - do they still go over and play in the Lancashire League? On the topic of expats, check out Clive James “Cultural Amnesis”, 100 short essays on really interesting people. Put one in your own Xmas stocking if nobody else has done it!
“Cultural Amnesia”.
Sceptic Lawyer:
Have a Merry Christmas, a Happy Boxing Day, a Rip-Roaring Silvester and Hogmanay …. and a Happy, Healthy, Successful and Fulfilling New Year.
Tell the bloody Scots that Boxing Day is Australia’s de facto National Day, Family Reconcilliation Day and Ethnic Festival …. they don’t know what they are missing out on.
[b.t.w.., misplaced your e-address hence tardy Season's Greetings to you .... no great changes here: still haven't been hanged as a horse-thief nor canonized as a saint; awaiting $2:10c. lotto ticket to come good; given up waiting for my knighthood so now waiting for my dayhood
].
Rafe:
Merry Christmas!!
So I’m not the only one who mis-strikes “s” and “a” or “t” and “y” or “c” and “x”
Cultural Christian tag is a good one. Never heard of it. I am not Chrisitian at all but for reasons going back in history we always celebrate New Year just like the Scots. Merry Christmas to you SL!
Of course the way you describe it, the holidays are not short at all. It is much shorter in the states. I just got an email from a Saudi former student, who has been amazed to having received a proof of an article from the US on Christmas Eve. Of course it is shorter than in Australia, for it is summer holidays here, if you still remember. I went to the beach for a traditional “Christmas Champaign party”, and it was bloody 40 degrees today in Perth.
Have a terrific time in freezing Scotland!
My partner tells me Rocky hasn’t really hit its straps heat-wise, Graham, which means all of you lot must be sitting waiting for the other shoe to drop. 40 degrees a-la Boris in Perth is kinda what we’ve come to expect…
Got my shopping done, looking forward to a Christmas lunch with all the trimmings
SL:
]. Yes, it is like waiting for the other shoe to drop.
We’ve had a few hot days …. but right now, 5:30am local time, in late December, it is only fourteen degrees C. above zero. No kidding. Normally would be in the low thirties [that's nineties for all you Yanks reading this
Please pass on our Season’s Greetings to R.
Boris:
] and a Happy New Year.
A belated Merry Christmas to you [the electrons went around the world the wrong way, through the international dateline and all those time zones, so that's the greeting to you is late - how's that for an excuse?
That. Is. Unbelievable.
Obviously, no-one’s told the weather in Rocky what time of year it is.
Well Australia did sign Kyoto and that ended the global warming problem - people voted for this.
Sinclair Davidson [9]:
My oath. Kev07 [a.k.a.: Yuzhno-Putin] never mentioned cold Decembers or today’s two near-cyclones in any of his policy statements on the environment during the election campaign, did he? Don;t tell the public anything until after the election. Typical politician. Don’t blame the voters.
Sceptic Lawyer:
Against my wishes and better judgement, I had no choice but to go into Rockhampton today. Cloudy and coolish [27*C]. Enough traffic jams in the shopping centres to convince GMB that global heating is indeed caused by human folly. I saved the planet by parking over 2 Km away and walking to the shopping centre; can’t easily do that in places with black-ice and knee-deep snow.
Mate, if the Ruddster brings the rain, all will be forgiven. Can’t get over the cool weather, though.
SL,
let me bring in a sinkers fact.
ALP Governments always bring an end to droughts. The rain has laready come and will continue to come all because we voted for Kevin07.
Remarkable isn’t it.
Wheen rates go up in February it willbe because of the same reason.
wow
Hey Graham, all the Christmas and New Year greetings to you!
No, Homer. That’s exactly wrong. We’re having a drought because God is punishing Australia for having communist governments. Tsk, tsk. Don’t you know anything?
Everyone:
Happy Hogmanay.