A lot of us will be re-thinking our Christmas-present habits this year — more Christmas minimalism and less Christmas spending-for-spending’s sake. For some reason — and I don’t think it’s just the wintry weather that we’re experiencing here in the UK — I’ve been feeling Christmassy for the first time in years. Maybe it’s because it’s been an exceptionally tough year for lots of us, in lots of ways, and we really need that mid-winter celebration.
Or maybe it’s because giving presents to the people we care about gives us pleasure in itself. Not the mad dash to the shops to grab whatever’s left on the shelves on the afternoon of 24 December (although that can be enjoyable in a frenetic kind of way). But choosing gifts thoughtfully and spending less but more carefully — with a large element of fun (for the giver as much as — more than? — the receiver).
So, time and work permitting, I’ll be writing a couple of posts this week suggesting presents for people interested in language and translation. Stay tuned.
Photo taken from my front door this morning.
By Marian Dougan