Merry Xmas

Wellsboro Pennsylvania is all decked out for Xmas it seems. Canadians from Quebec are part of the festive scene in New York City each December when as many as 300 Xmas tree sellers mostly from Trois Rivieres region descend on the Big Apple. They stand on street corners for up to 12 hours a day selling the trees for $45 a pop. New Yorkers themselves can't stand the rigours of this chilly trade so cede this niche market to outsiders. Meanwhile the Canadian contribution to Xmas in Britain might well be the official song of yuletide in 2008, Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah. It is in the running but who gets to vote? Merry Xmas in 2008 everyone.