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Thought I’d get this one in before these tunes expire – a nice little assortment of festive nonsense. Last minute shopping is on the cards for this morning before we degenerate into a frenzy of eating, drinking and general merriment that we don’t expect to resurface from until some time around the 1st.

The Christmas Song – The Temptations

It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year – In Memory

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town – Mason Jennings

O Come O Come Emmanuel – The Chairs

Little Drummer Boy – The Hoot Owl Boys

Xmas (Baby, Please Come Home) – Arab Strap

I Hate Christmas – Oscar The Grouch

And my favourite non-traditional Christmas tune comes from talented Aussie comedian Tim Minchin. Irreverant, biting and wryly observant, this piano ballad that he wrote for his young daughter is both funny and quite moving.

These are my favourite bits:

And yes I have all of the usual objections to consumerism
The commercialisation of an ancient religion
And the western-isation of a dead Palestinian
Press-ganged into selling PlayStations and beer
But I still really like it

And yes I have all of the usual objections to the mis-education of children forced into a cult institution
And taughted to externalise blame
And to feel ashamed
And to judge things as plain right and wrong
But I quite like the songs

And this is the nice bit:

And you my baby girl
My jetlagged infant daughter
You’ll be handed round the room
Like a puppy at a primary school
And you’re too young to know
But you will learn yourself one day
That wherever you are and whatever you face
These are the people who’ll make you feel safe in this world
My sweet blue-eyed girl

It really is a beautiful song.

And wherever you are, however you choose to celebrate the holiday season, make sure you squeeze in some time to listen to some good music, have a little tipple or two and spend some time practising how to thank dodgy relatives graciously for that Tina Arena album they gave you.