st of us of this generation. And thenceforward
the change in us is extraordinarily rapid. The next thing we know is
that the institution of waits is a rather annoying survival which at
once deprives us of sleep and takes money out of our pockets. And then
Christmas is gluttony and indigestion and expensiveness and quarter-day,
and Christmas cards are a tax and a nuisance, and present-giving is a
heavier tax and a nuisance. And we feel self-conscious and foolish as we
sing "Auld Lang Syne." And what a blessing it will be when the
"festivities" (as they are misleadingly called) are over, and we can
settle down into commonsense again!

* * * * *

I do not mean that our hearts are black with despair on Christmas Day.
I do not mean that we do not enjoy ourselves on Christmas Day. There is
no doubt that, with the inspiriting help of the mysterious race, and by
the force of tradition, and by our own gift of pretending, we do still
very much enjoy ourselves on Christmas Day. What I mean to insinuate,
and to assert, is that beneath this enjoyment is the disconcerting and
distressing conviction of unreality, of non-significance, of exaggerated
and even false sentiment. What I mean is that we have to brace and force
ourselves up to the enjoyment of Christmas. We have to induce
deliberately the "Christmas feeling." We have to remind ourselves that
"it will never do" to let the heartiness of Christmas be impaired. The
peculiarity of our attitude towards Christmas, which at worst is a
vacation, may be clearly seen by contrasting it with our attitude
towards another vacation--the summer holiday. We do not have to brace
and force ourselves up to the enjoyment of the summer holiday. We
experience no difficulty in inducing the holiday feeling. There is no
fear of the institution of the summer holiday losing its heartiness. Nor
do we need the example of children to aid us in savouring the August
"festivities."

* * * * *

If any person here breaks in with the statement that I am deceived and
the truth is not in me, and that Christmas stands just where it did in
the esteem of all right-minded people, and that he who casts a doubt on
the heartiness of Christmas is not right-minded, let that person read no
more. This book is not written for him. And if any other person,
kindlier, condescendingly protests that there is nothing wrong with
Christmas except my advancing age, let t