Luke's First Christmas
You, Maria, Clyde, and your mum, Sarah Jane, are putting long chains of shiny paper all around your front room. In the background, the telly is on one of the music channels Clyde convinced you to convince Sarah Jane to get. There's a countdown of Christmas pop songs, but you're not really paying attention.
'Oh, Luke,' Maria sighs, 'we already told you, it's because it's nearly Christmas!'
'But why?' you ask.
Clyde and Maria turn to one another and roll their eyes, and Clyde grins at you to show that they're only teasing. They're very patient with you, but sometimes you sort of get the feeling that Maria and Clyde find it a bit trying, answering your questions all the time.
Sarah Jane never seems to, though. She always explains everything so that you understand it.
'It's traditional,' she says now, balancing on the edge of the sofa to pin the end of one of the chains on the wall. 'Before Christmas was Christmas, it was an old winter festival, celebrating the solstice. Do you know what that is?'
'It's the shortest day of the year,' you say.
'Exactly,' says Sarah Jane. 'So once it's passed, it means that spring is on the way again. People decorated their houses in bright colours because they were happy, and because they wanted to encourage the spring to come back.'
'But that couldn't possibly work…' you say, wonderingly.
'Well, we know that now,' Sarah says. 'But traditions are fun, and when it's all cold and horrible outside, it's nice to have warm, pretty things inside to cheer you up.'
'And you get presents,' Clyde adds. 'That's the true meaning of Christmas.' He turns and looks at the telly. 'Look, there's what I want!'
'Ooh, me too!' Maria agrees. 'Dad said he's getting me one, I can hardly wait!'
You watch – it's an advert for some sort of electronic toy – the MegaGlobe. To you it just looks like a shiny silver ball with some flashing lights on it, but Maria and Clyde are entranced.
'Is that cool?' you ask Clyde.
'Are you kidding?' Clyde asks. 'It's only the coolest Christmas present you could possibly get! Everyone's getting one – I'm telling you, they'll be the talk of the school when term starts again.'
You frown at the telly, and so does Sarah Jane.
'Do you want one, Luke?' she asks. 'I'm sure it's not too late to pick one up, if you like.'
You look at the telly again, thinking.
It looks silly to you – the advert doesn't even say what the MegaGlobe does! And if you want shiny things with flashing lights, you only have to go up to the attic and talk to Mr Smith.
You don't really understand why you should want it, but if Clyde and Maria both say it's cool, then perhaps you ought to have one. You do want to fit in.
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