Have A Wicked Winterval, Y'all

So it's Winterval again (see the second entry down):

Winterval is a portmanteau word coined by Mike Chubb^[1] (former Head of Events at Birmingham City Council) to describe all festivities taking place around the end of the year (the winter in the Northern Hemisphere). It is a fusion of the words winter and festival and was intended to be an alternative description that encompasses the Neopagan (Winter solstice, Yule), Jewish (Hanukkah), Muslim (Ramadan and Eid), Hindu (Diwali) and secular holidays such as New Year's Day that take place during the last months of the year, rather than the Christian festivals of Christmas, Advent and Boxing Day exclusively.

I'm spending mine alone this year (no, no noises of sympathy, I chose this) - though last night, my nephew left a message on my cell's voice mail, telling me how Xmas isn't the same without me there, he loves me, all the usual notes a child can play on the lute of an adult's heart.

Problem is, he's about seventeen, and I suspect my (former) little sister put him up to it. I could be wrong, but that's unlikely.

Anyways, carpe diem, and all that.

Cheers.