Editorial

Get those chestnuts roasting, because Jack Frost is well and truly nipping at your nose. That can only mean one thing - Kitschmas has arrived!

However, this festive season, spare a though for poor old Mr Claus when he delivers your presents. Apart from the obvious physical hardships he and his assistants have to endure - delivering presents to over 2 billion children worldwide is no easy feat, not to mention the obvious physical limitations - there is also the issue of how he and his assistants spend the other 364 days a year.

With firefighters and other public sector workers striking recently, little thought has been spared for Father Christmas and his elves (they belong to the same Union as the Oompa Loompa's at Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory and have virtually no "human" rights) who work tirelessly around the clock to bring a merry Christmas to billions of children worldwide. Taking account of his unacceptable working hours over the festive period (a 36 hour working DAY is not uncommon - accounting for differences in time zones), Santa Claus relentlessly works all year round making toys for those children who have been good. He also employs a team of miners in Wales who excavate coal to put in the stockings of bad children.



All of Santa's helpers, that he trains himself may become degenerates after Christmas and as the shocking photo above shows, can be unemployed and left down-and-out only hours after Christmas morning. As they have no benevolent fund and are not officially recognised by any Union (unlike the elves), times can be tough. So next time you visit a shopping centre, department store or outlet village, spare a thought for the unsung heroes of Christmas who work for peanuts (well, £4.50 an hour actually) and provide cheer to billions.