| Living here in San Diego, California, for the last | | | | Christmas and breathing in the atmosphere that |
| twenty-five years and visiting Ireland quite often, | | | | prevails. |
| gives me, I suppose, a unique perspective on the | | | | There is a buzz and aura of happiness and joy |
| merits and otherwise of each country. | | | | about everything that you wish you could bottle |
| I come home to my mother and father (93 and | | | | and keep for the rest of the year to stimulate |
| 95 years old respectively and both, remarkably, in | | | | you in the down times. |
| wonderful health) at least twice a year. I try to | | | | I am from a village called Collon in County Louth |
| make the All-Ireland football final in September | | | | about 45 minutes north of Dublin. In Collon, they |
| and if at all possible Christmas. | | | | know how to celebrate Christmas. The festivities |
| There is nothing like an Irish Christmas. | | | | kick off on the 22nd and go on through to about |
| In many of those years, I have not been able to | | | | the 6th January. Try telling that to some |
| make it home for the Christmas and it breaks | | | | American grey-suited corporate executive and he |
| my heart when I cannot get away from San | | | | would have a seizure! Two weeks to celebrate |
| Diego for the warmth of an Irish Christmas. | | | | Christmas is something that cannot be |
| San Diego is a beautiful city with a wonderful | | | | comprehended over here. They barely take two |
| climate and a great lifestyle. I love living and | | | | weeks holidays for the entire year. It is a case of |
| working here, but man, when it comes to | | | | all work and no-play in the good old United States. |
| Christmas they don't have a clue how to | | | | In Ireland we get our priorities right. Christmas is a |
| celebrate it. | | | | glorious cocktail of family and friends, laughter and |
| Christmas is one day- Christmas Day- and that is | | | | love, drinking sessions and music, horseracing, |
| it. You quit work on Christmas Eve and you | | | | shopping and any excuse for a party. |
| resume on St. Stephens Day. If you blink in | | | | It is a time when goodwill really does exist in a |
| America, Christmas is gone. Life goes on as | | | | tangible way. It is two weeks of craic. It is two |
| though it was just another Sunday. Americans put | | | | weeks where we suspend reality and put the |
| up a lot of gaudy lighting on their homes for | | | | daily grind of work and all the associated problems |
| Christmas and then pay no attention to the | | | | of the year on hold. We may be in the middle of |
| season at all. | | | | an economic crisis, but by God, it is not going to |
| In fairness to Americans, their real holiday is | | | | interfere with our Christmas or New Year |
| Thanksgiving, which occurs on the last Thursday | | | | enjoyment. |
| of November each year. Usually the country | | | | This year, I cannot make it home for Christmas. I |
| shuts up shop on the Friday as well, thus providing | | | | have my lovely family here of course and I will |
| the opportunity of a decent break. Thanksgiving is | | | | enjoy the season with them. But, on a wider |
| a lovely time as it is very family oriented. People | | | | scale, Christmas here is a bit like trying to have a |
| travel from all over to be with their families during | | | | party in an operating theatre; there is no warmth |
| Thanksgiving and it is the closest thing to what I | | | | or depth to it. It is cold and clinical - just another |
| perceive as Christmas in Ireland. | | | | day. |
| Nothing however, beats the feeling of stepping | | | | I will truly miss the Christmas in Collon. No amount |
| off a plane at Dublin Airport a week or so before | | | | of spurious replication over here will substitute. |