Go cold turkey on consumerism this Christmas and give the best present there is – love, urges the acclaimed children’s author M.C.D. Etheridge.

By M.C.D. Etheridge

What do you love most about Christmas? From the uplifting chorus of carols to the fragrant smell of pine needles and unmistakable taste of figgy pudding, a traditional Christmas really is an assault on the senses. Yet, maybe it’s the way that Christmas makes us feel that really brings us joy.

Because when it comes to this special holiday, it doesn’t really matter if you’re a church-going Christian or if you simply value the time you get to spend with your family, what you probably love most about Christmas is love itself.

It’s easy to lose sight of this when you’re lost in the frenzied aisles of the shopping mall where even the calmest individual can find themselves part of an angry, anxious mob. You don’t even have to venture further than the multi-storey carpark to witness the annual pilgrimage to these great cathedrals of consumerism spiralling out of control. Just observe the alarming scream of car horns crying mayhem over the distant loop of Christmas jingles. It’s enough to drown out any semblance of festive cheer before you’ve even set foot in the building. Meanwhile, as you fight your way towards the snaking check-out queues to purchase the overpriced items your children reassured you they wanted just hours ago, they’re at school, immersed in the unforgiving, materialistic mania that brainwashes them into wanting something else entirely. Don’t get sucked in.

The pressure we put on ourselves at this time of year can be overwhelming. It’s enough to drive you insane. So let’s, just for a moment, take a step back and try to remember what this holiday is all about, because it’s not just about buying things.

In the 21^st Century, we have to acknowledge that for many people in modern Britain, Christmas has evolved from the Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus, and yet most of us continue to celebrate the constant theme central to the Nativity. For at its heart, Christmas, both in the biblical narrative and in its modern form, is a celebration of the family. And rightly so. Let’s not forget that if you have a family, you are lucky. If you have friends, you are luckier still. For some of us at Christmas, our friends are our family and there’s nothing wrong with that either. Christmas is a time to celebrate, appreciate and love the people we have in our lives.

It’s also a time when we experience the joy of giving and the Christmas tradition of being kind. For if the Nativity introduces our children to the idea that the family is special, then it’s Santa Claus who arrives as the champion of human kindness. The way he introduces our kids to the idea that there are people out there who do things for others out of the kindness of their heart is wonderful. For this reason alone, he’s epic.

In many ways, with all his Christmas magic, Santa is the first superhero our kids experience, and yet ever since I was a boy, I’ve felt this incredible Christmas character has been missing a worthy backstory. It’s the reason why I put pen to paper to write Whitebeard.

Whitebeard, my new book, is Santa’s origin story and as the name might suggest, reimagines Santa as a good-natured, Falstaffian pirate captain. It’s been enormous fun writing this children’s adventure story and so much of the joy lies in the fact that everyone already knows how the story ends. We know Santa must have a flying sleigh and reindeer, the ability to deliver gifts to all the children of the world and have a heart as pure as the driven snow. It’s how he gets there, and who he meets along the way, that makes it fun.

My research uncovered the little-known fact that Saint Nicholas (the man on whom most Santa traditions are based) is not only the patron saint of children, but of repentant thieves and sailors too. It would emerge that seafaring adventures and repentance are themes historically linked to the famous and loving Christmas character. Well, if that doesn’t shout out reformed pirate I don’t know what does and I just loved the idea of an old, saltwater thief changing his ways to become the man we know and love as Father Christmas. The triumph of kindness over materialism is therefore at the heart of the story I wanted to write.

Admittedly, I haven’t received an official thumbs up from Lapland on the authenticity of my festive tale, so I like to think of it more as an unofficial biography. I don’t expect to receive too many complaints though, because between the pages of Whitebeard there’s a healthy respect for all our favourite Christmas traditions and a determination to celebrate family, kindness and love. And whichever way you look at it, that’s what Christmas is all about.

M.C.D. Etheridge is a journalist and TV producer for SKY News, ITN, ITV, Channel 5, and Australia’s Channel 9. His new children’s book, Whitebeard, is described as a “rollicking Christmas adventure story” and is ideal for children aged between 8 and 12. It is out now on Amazon UK priced £7.99 in paperback and £1.99 in eBook. Visit www.whitebeardbook.com