There seems no bounds to the capacity of the religious to co-opt the secular - and no limits for the capacity of the secular to seek to legitimise behaviour by adopting the garb of the religious. Let's not forget that totalitarian religion has its roots in control of the calendar and compass. Prescribing seasonal behaviour and points of geographical and astronomical attention are the first steps of institutional thought reform, they are the means by which every despot and messiah has asserted legitimacy and maintained social control. [Heavy hint - anyone reading here had their lives defined by spending large amounts of time attending date significant festivals !]

As the Christians have abandoned the mid winter festival to the worship of unalloyed consumerism ( a festival that the Christians usurped), perhaps we should think not about rationalist constructed religion but the emotive beliefs of the Neolithic and Iron age of northern Europe that first made this time of year special. Forget the nonsense about Stonehenge and mid summer - it's the mid winter solstice that was the focus of northern European belief for at least 3,000 years. Lying between the "slaughter" month of November and the "death" month of February - the winter solstice is when the sun enters the place of souls - the land of the ancestors - the place where in the uncertainties of 5,000 years ago you, your children, and your friends may actually end up before Spring arrives.

As attractive as going back to the 'old beliefs' is, even at the level of emotive experience it pales in comparison to where human beings actually now are - we've seen the globe from space - the sun never sets - there isn't anywhere at the end of the horizon - it's just a trick of perspective. Time can be divided anyway we choose and while it's convenient to share the same clock as everyone else - Tuesday is no more important than Sunday - counting in 365s is no more significant than counting in 1000s.

Here's to achroneous thinking.

Nik