Coming Soon - Christmas Explained (a.k.a. What is Myrrh Anyway? v2.0)

Coming to a Christmas stocking near you soon from Snowbooks* is Christmas Explained: Robins, Kings and Brussel Sprouts.

Some readers of this blog may already have What is Myrrh Anyway? in their collection of Christmas books (published in 2008 by Icon Books), Well Christmas Explained is the brand new hardback edition of the book (and actually has the word 'Christmas' in the title).

If you have already read What is Myrrh Anyway? then you'll know that the book's a great read - "As welcome as a warm glass of mulled wine on a wintry night," according to the Good Book Guide - but you will also be thinking, "Why do I need to buy it again?"**

And to you I would say, "Because the text has been completely revised and updated, and at least another 10,000 words of content added. That's why."

So if you want to know where tinsel comes from, or when a frost fair was held actually on the surface of the River Thames, or if you've ever wondered why we build snowmen at Christmas***, then add Christmas Explained to your wish list this festive season.


* Rather appropriately.

** Unless you're buying it as a suitably festive gift for someone else.

*** If it actually snows.

The 50 Best Christmas Cracker Jokes Ever (allegedly)

"What did Adam say on the day before Christmas? It's Christmas, Eve."

For more like this, click this link.

'Twas the Night Before Christmas... Or was it?

When the snow lay round about, deep and crisp and even

Look what this man did...

... wearing a funny pair of shoes.

To see more of Simon Beck's amazing arctic artwork, click this link.

Which would be your Top Ten Christmas movies?

It's Christmas, which means the television schedules are chock full of movies. But what about your classic Christmas movies, and by that I don't mean Miracle on 34th Street or It's a Wonderful Life, but those movies which take place at Christmas time? Like Die Hard (and Die Hard 2), or Gremlins, or Home Alone?

So, over to you. What would make your Top Ten of Christmas movies?

Merry Christmas!

And while you're tucking into your Christmas dinner today, just bear in mind the poor man from Ayrshire who was hospitalised back in Christmas 2011 after eating too many Brussels sprouts.

The traditional Christmas vegetable contains large amounts of vitamin K, which promotes blood clotting. This counteracted the effect of anticoagulants the man was taking because he had a mechanical heart. Doctors at the Golden Jubilee Hospital in Clydebank eventually realised too many sprouts were to blame.

Consultant cardiologist Dr Roy Gardner said, "Patients who are taking anticoagulants are generally advised not to eat too many green leafy vegetables, as they are full of vitamin K, which antagonise the action of this vital medication."

Jill Young, chief executive of the Golden Jubilee Hospital added, "Whilst we think this is possibly the first ever festive admission to hospital caused by the consumption of Brussels sprouts, we were delighted that we were able to stabilise his levels."

But then again, sprouts are evil.

Merry Christmas.

Track Santa!

Father Christmas has already set out on his mammoth postal delivery session and in less than six hours time he'll be here in the UK.

You can follow his progress either via NORAD or Google, although according to one here's currently in Georgia and according to the other he's in Armenia. Just so long as he makes it to ours before morning, I don't really mind.