Julia Donaldson: Why not all modern Christmas traditions are terrible - and how the author strikes a Yuletide blow back against the commercialism
I’m not a Grinch, but there are several (modern) Christmas traditions that I really do not like.
I would say loathe, but that seems to go against the spirit of the festive season, so will tone it down a bit. But I will bow to nobody in my dislike for things such as the veneration of the Coca-Cola Christmas truck, which seems to be seen as harbinger of festivities when really it is just a refrigerated advert on wheels.
I’m sure that the bosses of Coca-Cola will point to the argument that it was their 1930s ad campaign depicting Father Christmas in red which helped to popularise the colour over green, but that’s an urban myth, as a red-dressed Santa Claus long predates it. In any case, we can live without this Americanised nonsense.
Along with that I’d put any advent calendar which is not flat and does not depict a nativity scene. Call me someone who grew up in the 1980s, but adding chocolate was bad enough, and now an advent calendar may include everything from Lego to make-up or gin to sweets. Where is it going to end?
And, while we get Festive Room 101 going... Christmas jumpers. Not funny, not nice-looking, wasteful, tasteless, and just... no. Speaking of tasteless, Christmas limited edition sandwiches and coffees... there’s a reason they are not on sale all year round, and that’s because they are rarely nicer than a regular sandwich.
This may be an old chestnut by now, but the cult of the Christmas TV ad can also do one. Nobody should care before Bonfire Night, and really nobody should care before December. Tiresome and annoying.
But on the flipside, there are some traditions that should be embraced. Despite my general curmudgeonliness, the Elf on the Shelf craze is great. Funny, free (unless you go all out on props) and a child-pleaser. And I have a phobia of ice skating that will never see me set blade on a rink, but in general if you like that sort of thing, it’s a bonus for town centres to suddenly be able to cater for winter sports.
And a Julia Donaldson adaptation is absolutely another worthy new tradition. Yes, I’m biased as the father of still-quite-young children, but the previous years’ offerings of The Gruffalo, The Highway Rat, The Smeds and the Smoos, Tiddler and so on have proved a highlight of the time of year. It’s the junior version of the King’s Speech, and there is nothing wrong with that, and this year’s The Scarecrows’ Wedding promises to be excellent.
Today’s “controversy” of the cigar smoking part of the plot having to be switched for marshmallow toasting - spoiler alert, it causes a fire - is not something I have a strong opinion on as yes smoking is bad, but yes adults are better off explaining to kids that smoking is bad rather than pretending it doesn’t exist.
But whatever alterations are made, nothing will dim my kids’ excitement at settling down to The Scarecrows’ Wedding for the first time. Thank goodness, a modern Christmas tradition not driven by pure commercialism.