Photo-a-Day  (Wednesday, 21st November, 2012)

Great picture, those are real Reindeer so that must be the real Santa,eh. But where is Rudolph??.

Satan on his sleigh (Santa)
This image portrays all that is bad at Christmas. Greed and gluttony.

Wow! Your Santa has Real Reindeer!
In our small Ontario town, he usually rides his sleigh on top of a hay cart!
The Wigan version looks good.

Aww!!, such a fitting pic for this time of year. Real reindeer,how lovely and doesn't Father Christmas look so jolly!!! Thankyou Frank, cheers!!!

These Santa's Reindeers never look happy when there being forced to Father Christmas sleigh.

Usually they have people pulling them and some other people at the back pushing the sleigh.

Lovely photo that reindeer is looking straight at me xx

Nice shot Frank. I took a few photos myself, mostly from Santa's starting point in the park. My grandson was over the moon to be stood with him and his reindeer and has mentioned it to just about everyone since! The first thing my grandson said to Santa when we were stood in the park was 'I've been good this year' with a big smile on his face!

Tracy Farrimond - this image portrays all that is magical for small children who really believe that they have met the real Santa who will come into their home on Christmas Day. It's about greed and gluttony if you allow it to be.

Well i for one love Christmas Tracy...what a comment!!!!!!!!!!

Santa arrives earlier now than years ago. I remember Santa arriving at Lowe`s and climbing a ladder to get on the roof to go down the chimney.
The chap with the Christmas hat on is saying "There`s no rain,dear, it`s a sunny day."

A really happy picture Frank. Well done ,right time ,right place .

Good piccy, that time of year already - wow !!!

Nice moment captured om camera Frank. I have to agree with Shirl about Tracey's comment though. The Wise men brought gifts to the Baby Jesus and the giving of gifts at christmas is symbolic of this. There probably are people who go 'over the top' spending but most of us give thoughtful token gifts to celebrate the season in an appropriate way.

Sorry Frank forgot to say thank you for the photo xx

What a lovely photo.Wonder how many kids have ever seen a real reindeer.Well done Frank.

A tassel came off my grand-daughter's bike early this year and I said perhaps the shop it came from would have a replacement for it, and she said, "It didn't come from a shop, Grandma...Father Christmas brought it", and I realised she had no doubt in her mind that he had. It was a lovely moment. Always let a little part of you believe in Father Christmas; It's a lovely thought.

Ken asks "Where's Rudolph". Ken, I was there. He is at the back on the right hand side.

COZ I WONT BE COMEING YOURS TRACY OHHH OHOHH OHHHHH

I believe in Father Christmas. Who else could have eaten the mince pie and tot of Scotch we used to leave out?

Nice shot Frank!

What a lovely story Irene. I have two young grandchildren and they are getting so excited that Santa will be here soon. Just a magical time of year for the kids and the big kids, cheers!!!

Tracy; This portrays whatever we perceive, or wish to perceive. I choose to look at the faces of the children, then I perceive and reflect their delight!

Tracy...what an awful comment to make...its only once a year for heavens sake.Its only gluttony and greed if you want it to be that way and i`m sure the majority of people dont look at it in this way .
beautiful picture Frank but I let Tracy`s comment spoil it (which will probably please her.

A true comment, Jean F. It appears that so many people are totally brainwashed by Christmas. Its just another racket to get money out of your pockets.Same with Halloween, Bonfire night, etc, etc. the rich will be sunning it in warm climes whilst Mr and Mrs Average are stuck by their TV sets watching pre-recorded programmes.
Wake up folk!

Shirl..what real santa? Sadder still that we 'lie' to children about the guy in red.
I'm with Tracy on this one.

Well I'm glad to hear that Gary, because she has no-one else. I believed in Father Chrismas, so did my children; we all learned the truth before too long with no horrendous consequenses, just happy memories of Christmas Mornings.I wasn't "spoiled" with new possessions and neither were my children.....it is parents who "overdo" it that spoil children. They would rather have fewer toys and parents who will spend time with them.

Tracy, Gary, lighten up a bit. Just look at the happy faces of all the folk who gathered to see Santa.
And to liken Santa to Satan, well I think you might have a few issues to deal with yourself Tracy. Cheer up. Nothing to stop you going to sunnier climes.

Tracy; I don't know about anyone else, but I've been "woken up" for many years now, through my own childhood and that of my two following generations,and am looking forward to the great-grands! My years of Santa belief were a little constrained because of WW2,but my parents always managed to provide a happy and contented time at Christmas. (even if the tree lights were "home made",courtesy of an inventive Dad.)It is the spirit of the Christian tradition which is at the heart of it all...or should be. Nay-sayers have ever been among us, but there is no room for them at Christmas.

Skeets...no issue's at all. I can no longer live the lie that is Christmas. Also, tell me how many other five letter words you can make out of santa? Brainwashing comes in many forms. By the way, I'm not religious. I just hate to see folk blindly following the herd.
Pavlov and his dog experiment springs to mind...

Thank you for all the comments.
Tracy is entitled to her opinion but Shirl, Janice and Jean F are right in that it's up to the individual if they want to be exploited.
My two grandchildren were at the parade and loved it and I probably will be spoiling them at Christmas-but it's worth it.

well, let me be Pavlov's dog. I like Christmas - not religious either, but if I appear to be following the herd into Christmas - so be it.

tracy your a bad bad girl..you must be sad and lonley..to the rest of you MERRY CHRISTMAS OOHHH OHHHH OHHH.

Tracey,it has nothing whatsoever to do with Satan. Santa means "Saint" and "Claus" is short for Nicholas. St. Nicholas DID actually distribute toys to little children in one of the colder lands many years ago, and was canonised as the Patron Saint of Children, so there really WAS a Santa Claus, or Father Christmas as we usually call him here. He was as real as you and I. I do agree with you about the commercialism but people don't have to follow that route. Christmas is what you choose to make it.

Keep following the herd! Get poorer whilst the rich get richer!
I knew that a lot of the UK populace was brainwashed, but I thought Wiganers had better sense...

Irene...the 'santa' you know of today is a creation of the Coca Cola company, nothing to do with St Nick.
People follow the commercialsm route because they're 'programmed'

You have to have a brain to wash ,some people on here seem to be lacking in that department , care to tell us who you will be making richer this Christmas ,I bet I can say Annie Laurie and still guess it in three

Richer this Christmas? Taxman, manufacturers, retailers, entertainers, to name but a few.

Have you all done.Great photo,one of the best this year.

No matter how good the photo is, its one month too early!
The crazy season starts earlier and earlier each year.
There's a recession but it won't stop folk getting into terrible Christmas debt just to further line the pockets of the rich.

The developed worlds gone MAD!
http://www.theprogressiveprofessor.com/?p=16907
They'll try any ruse to get us to part with our money.

I think from this discussion that people will think I am a Christmas Fan.....I AM NOT! I have worked in two Wigan Stores over many years and I hate it, although I am not working now. I hated the late-night-shopping and the commercialism, it's AWFUL! I AGREE with Tracey and Gary on that. All I meant in this whole discussion is that little children should be allowed to believe in Father Christmas.

I don't think its ever a good idea to live a lie, Irene.
Many children do get very traumatised when they discover their parents have been lying to them for most of their childhood regarding Father christmas.
We have to consider the bigger picture. Do such lies program us to accept even more lies from authority?
Who knows what damage has actually been done to the childs mind once the truth is out?
If children can't trust their own parents to be honest, who can they trust?

Gary I wouldn't like to be stuck on a desert island with you I bet you're a real barrel of fun. In fact I wouldn't like to be sat in a pub with you for half an hour. You miserable bugger

Gary, What a complete load of cr**. Where do people get all this talk about being traumatised. I was brought up in the 50's belieiving in Christmas, being caned at school, being short of money and have NEVER been traumatised.

I have never yet heard of a child being traumatised when they discover there isn't a Father Christmas. For one thing it isn't a "sudden revelation".....it just dawns on then slowly. I have consulted my two children, one is 36 today and the other was 31 in June and they say they loved believing in Father Christmas and wouldn't have had it any other way. It just gradually dawned on them that he didn't really exist and they suffered no trauma whatsoever. Out of the mouths of babes......

Gary
Words fail me!!! lol
Irene hi from Aspull!!!

I'm totally opposite, scaramouche. not miserable at all. Life and soul of ANY party. I'm just not brainwashed as you obviously are!

Who knows how kids are affected, Irene? Its impossible to say. However, we are still lying to our children abd that can't be a good thing. Fortunately, (On BBC the news today) kids are begining to see the light and are rejecting the lie.
Thee's still hope for humanity!

I know how our kids are affected, Gary......I and my kids have just told you!! Do you have children, Gary, who aren't allowed a childhood and a bit of make-believe? Because if you have I feel sorry for them.

Gary do you read the WATCHTOWER by any chance? By being named Gary I would think you are no more than 50 at the most. Therefore you never lived in postwar England when Christmas was a MAGIC time for kids Not commercialised like today.
Depending on what your beliefs you have??? Santa is as real as Jesus.

Scaramouche..I'm 78 years old! Never read the watchtower and I don't believe in God.(Proud athiest) I just believe that children should not live a lie just in order to make the toy industry bosses richer and richer. As,in reality, that is what so-called Christmas is all about, money!
Its nothing to do with make believe Irene, its brainwashing. You may find it hard to beieve but its obviously worked with you - and millions of others...

Gary, May I ask a question of you, as a child
did you enjoy Christmas ? ,if your answer is yes, then you ought to realise that's why parents today try to create the magic of their memories of Christmases of yore. If your answer is no ,then that is very unusual,and explains your antagonism towards the season, I concur with you on the commercialisation of the feast, but I think if we can make it a special day for children ,they will remember it with fondness. After all they have to face The World , and all its problems , and disappointments soon enough. I hope you don't mind me asking the question , Regards Tom.

No, it hasn't worked with me, Gary. My children weren't spoiled with gifts of great monetary value, and nor are my Grandchildren. But they were blessed with parents who allowed them to believe that those modest gifts came from Father Christmas, allowing them to go to bed on Christmas Eve full of the joy and excitement that children deserve. And those parents had the time and patience to play with the children with their modest toys all through the Christmas Holidays, providing happy memories that they would remember all their lives; these are my children's words, not mine. I agree with you about the commercialism, but you don't have to give in to it, as I and my family have proved year after year. You only seem to see the "i-pod, must-have-this" generation. At 78, perhaps it's time you acted your age instead of your shoe-size. I think enough is enough on this subject and I won't be replying to any further criticism on my normal, happy
family.....I quite frankly pity yours, and all they have missed out on. 'Bye, Gerry. Merry Christmas.

Interesting...
http://tinyurl.com/bwnzfn3
I think this link goes to show how close Gary is to the truth, whether we like it or not.
Its made me think and I'm glad of the debate.