THE P RTAL
December 2014
Page 3
Portal Editorial
Will Burton reflects
Bring back Christmas, please!
Winterval
G
W
uy Fawkes Day seems to have been replaced
here has Christmas gone? The columnist
by Hallowe’en in the Supermarkets, I suppose
Tim Stanley was so exasperated at all this that
because you can sell the punters
recently he advocated the
more stuff for Hallowe’en
return of “Winterval”. You
than mere fireworks. The old
remember the anti-Christian
tradition of making one’s own
local authority replacement for
“Guy” did little for the retail
Christmas? He argued that we
trade. Christmas now starts
need to separate the mid-winter
MAKE SURE THAT YOUR
about the same time with shops
booze-up, gorge of presents,
CHRISTMAS CARDS CARRY THE
and TV full of handy tips of
food, indulgence of children,
CHRISTMAS MESSAGE THIS YEAR
(The 2014 Christmas stamps have a secular theme)
what to buy your loved ones to
and general laziness, from the
THE BEAUTIFUL
make them wonderfully happy
real Christmas - Christ-Mass.
“MADONNA AND CHILD” STAMPS
at the festive season.
The birth of Jesus the Christ
ISSUED FOR 2013 ARE
needs to be put back at the
Once Christmas was about
heart of Christmas. He argued
Bethlehem and the birth of
that this was one way to do it.
Our Blessed Lord, now it seems
to be about a fairy on top of
YOU MAY NEED TO ASK YOUR POST OFFICE
time to wake up
TO ORDER THEM – INSIST THAT THEY DO SO!
the Christmas Tree, Father
IF ALL ELSE FAILS, ORDER BY PHONE
ertainly the Church
Christmas, Elves and hedonism
FROM ROYAL MAIL ON 03457 641 641
needs to make some
gone mad.
stand for its own festival, and wrest it back from the
heathens who have stolen it. By Christmas Day the
you will not mention
average non-church-going-family is so fed up with
anything ‘religious’ will y