There’s no doubt about it; the festive season is upon us. Again. For some of us anyway, I appreciate my “potential audience” is worldwide, whereas Christmas as such is not.

The decorations have been up in some shops since October. So, look around now. The footpaths are overflowing with shoppers, roads are in traffic gridlock, shopping malls are packed to breaking point, department stores are in crowd control mode, and even if you can locate whatever it is you wish to buy, there is a queue at least 20 minutes long to cashier’s counter.

But that’s all right, isn’t it? After all; tis the season to be jolly, right?

And how about the needless anxiety generated by this, the season of goodwill? Everywhere people are short tempered, tense and irritable, and highly-strung in the rush to complete all their pre Christmas tasks.

Seems more like the season to be testy.

Yes, we know all that though, but what, you ask is the solution? Maybe it’s time to adopt a minimal approach. Let’s do away with the bloated expectations, the pretence, the mock believe bonhomie, and the pile of useless (albeit, well intentioned) gifts, that we didn’t want in the first place.

Who here can really make use of a device that separates the egg yoke from the egg white? I do declare: it’s possible! But anything is possible, of course.

And finally to cap it off, the ultimate indulgence, the Christmas meal. We over eat, over drink, and over do it however else we can, to the point that it drives us to that hideous extreme, the new year’s resolution. We can buy it all back, so to speak, redeem ourselves, with a few apparently meaningful promises. But that’s another story.

So, what’s the prefect Christmas? Try gathering with a few friends or family, having a few drinks of whatever you fancy, and just enjoying the occasion for what it is. As you could any day of course, if you so desired.

How about that for the spirit of Christmas?

No way, that’s far too easy! Tis the silly season after all!