AND FINALLY It’s joyous to say Merry Christmas

WELL, I began this week snivelling in bed like a child with all her toys taken away.

It was to be an event-packed treat: trip to London, involving lunches with old friends, wonderful parties (think high heels and sequins), an art gallery or two — and me getting away from the house and having fun.

But laid low by an infection, I stayed at home, feeling sorry for myself. ‘It’s not fair,’ I moaned to my longsuffering husband — realising, a second later, that I’d parroted the title of one of my children’s books, sounding pretty immature with it!

Now, as I write, the antibiotics are kicking in at last and I’m slowly surfacing: writing Christmas cards, making lists, starting to wrap presents, setting out the two Nativity scenes in our house, with candles lit all around — and finally beginning to feel festive.

How I hate the phrase ‘Happy holidays’ instead of ‘Merry Christmas.’ I’m a fairly tolerant soul most times, but that drives me crazy — like Advent calendars, which have nothing to do with the meaning of Advent but encourage kids to be greedy for chocolate and little gifts.

Is it so very difficult, so very unacceptable to use the term ‘ Christmas’ — which has signified so much that is good and special for centuries?

My close friends who are Jewish and/or secular have no problem with it — and why should they?

Dropping the word ‘Christmas’ (and this seems common in America, I’m sad to say) is to banish the name of Jesus Christ — and that in a world when so much that is tawdry and vulgar is readily allowed. How stupid we have become — and how sadly lacking in imagination.

You don’t have to be religious to say: ‘Merry Christmas,’ but when you do utter that glorious phrase, your heart is uttering a blessing. That is why I send it out to you, dear readers — wishing you all the gifts wisdom may desire, and peace and goodwill in all our hearts.

Oh, and good health, too.