Joe Lake's View.
Christmas has rushed towards us and the emotions it raises are those of sacrifice and hope. Here in Tasmania we only feel the reverberation of the festive season’s intention. We are on the opposite side of this huge star’s cooled surface from where we first migrated. Isn’t it about time that we created our own festival for this time of year? But that’s too hard and in the meantime I’m happy to put an artificial tree into my loungeroom with artificial candles and artificial stars and artificial presents from an artificial bishop whom we call Santa Claus and by American tradition comes down chimneys just as in the soft drink ad or in the facetious poem, ’Twas the night before Christmas, where Santa and the reindeer are six inches tall, where he smokes a pipe and is overweight.
I would have preferred the European Christkindel, which is the Christ Child that flies in through the window on Christmas Eve and deposits presents by ringing a bell and where the Krampus, a kind of punishing devil, beats naughty children with a broom made of hazel twigs. But please bring peace to the Earth and love, and hope by the light that shines towards a forgiving and better future.
Merry Christmas to all!