Writing in today's Daily Telegraph, John Sentamu, Archbishop of York writes ...

Later this week, I will be hosting a lunch for those upon whose work I depend in my role as Archbishop. After a hearty sing, we shall sit down to a hearty dinner, which I would have spent the morning preparing and cooking.

Christmas celebrations are among the best, because they remind us that Christmas is in many ways an RSVP from God, inviting us to the party of our lives. At Christmas, each of us is reminded anew of that most marvellous and astounding of invitations from God and that our Maker is not only looking for us, but actually desires the pleasure of our company.

A poll this week, carried out for the think tank Theos, suggested that 86 per cent of people said spending time with family and friends was the best thing about Christmas, compared with seven per cent who said time off work, three per cent who said food and drink and only two per cent who said presents. Despite the rejection of materialism that this poll suggests, the commercialised pressure to spend, spend, spend, means that, for almost half of those questioned, it is the financial strains that are cited as the worst thing about Christmas.

The figures for our national spend in the run-up to Christmas are staggering. According to a report by Credit Action, total spending in the United Kingdom is predicted to reach £51.6 billion during this month. Festive spending on plastic is set to reach £31.8 billion (which is an 11.6 per cent increase on last December). In the 10 weeks to Christmas, some 25 million people are expected to spend £7 billion online — £4 million every hour day and night. The average adult will spend £863 on Christmas. This includes £378 on presents, £163 on food and drink. The rest is spent on wrapping paper, cards and postage (£53); Christmas tree and decorations (£64); socialising (£121) and travel (£84).

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