So it’s that time of year again, and I don’t know about you, but it took me to last week to remember why we do what we do at the duration the Americans know as the “Holidays”. There I was covered head to toe in scraps of wrapping paper and selotape fragments when it dawned on me. This is what religion has been reduced to nowadays. It seems that, when years ago we would pray and worship the coming of our saviour, Jesus Christ, we now spend our time buying gifts that we will wrap for our friends and family, and adding a zero to the price tag when the cost of such a gift is enquired to.

It seems that church and thanksgiving is becoming more and more akin to ridiculous amounts of television specials. Upon doing my research, I have discovered that would be church goers who find an night in front of “the box” more appealing than partaking in one of the most sacred traditions of our time will be treated to tales of; an obese family, who have an uncanny name to one other such famous family, being amused and bemused (and cemused?) by the Satellite Navigation in their car.

I’m not saying that I disagree with the commercialisation of this period, but rather that we should be aware of the true meaning behind it. Were it not for the modernisation of religious holidays, increasingly sceptical and pessimistic societies, who have lost their commitment to their belief, would have lost interest in the church and fallen increasingly in love with our Xbox. And that is the modern meaning of Christmas.