Christmas spend - A season of restraint, anyone?

ACCORDING to accountants Deloitte we are going to spend €3.5 billion celebrating Christmas.

That’s not much more than €200 short of €1,000 for every man, woman and child in the country, one of the highest figures in Europe.

Pointing out what might amount to excess has an almost unlimited potential for sanctimony and holier-than-thou posing.

However, in our heart of hearts, we all know that Christmas has become a grossly commercial festival punctuated by gruelling office parties, three-day sick heads, indigestion, the stress of keeping up with the flashy neighbours — not to mention battles with children who want the latest computer game, the one that makes the Texas Chainsaw Massacre look like 101 Dalmatians.

For our sanity, and maybe our dignity too, we might consider a slightly steadier hand on the credit card. Even if Christmas does not represent a Christian celebration to you that’s no reason to turn it into a festival of nothing other than excess.