Wonderland

I happened to be passing a local garden centre that does big and elaborate Christmas displays, so I popped in 'just for a quick look'. An hour or two later and I was still mooching around, taking photos and marvelling at the lavishness. I suppose someone must buy this kind of stuff... but it's not me! I came away with some ribbon, some gift tags and a bird feeder. My inner child, however, revelled in the sparkly lights, the pretty colours and the tinsel feel of it all.

I don't really have space even for a Christmas tree in my tiny sitting room, so I usually just drape ivy and foliage along the mantelpiece and twine a few lights through it. It looks pretty enough. I also have a little wooden tree of German origin that has wooden baubles and charms. I certainly don't have space for a half-sized reindeer, magnificent though he is...

... nor a large, furry polar bear, though the smaller ones were cute as well.

There were some elves and ho-ho-ho Santas...

and a large inflatable sleigh with reindeer at the entrance. For a fee, I could have taken my grandchildren to visit the real Santa Claus inside (or maybe one of his helpers) but I guess they are probably getting a touch too old for that these days. The magic of the make-believe doesn't last forever.

It did all leave me a little bemused as to the mixed messages we peddle at this time of year. There was a small nativity scene in and amongst, but the 'reason for the season' seems scarcely to be remembered commercially. The derided 'Winterval' is perhaps truly a more apt term for the money-driven festival we celebrate. I wonder what penguins with santa hats have to do with Christmas? I was also left wondering whether all the winter/snow/artic symbolism is only used by those of us in the Northern hemisphere where Christmas and winter are concurrent. Do they have reindeer and polar bears in the Christmas shops in Australia? Perhaps someone can enlighten me?