Barely had I had time to relax on Christmas Eve before the telly screamed at me a message from some hi fi crowd that even better shopping bargains awaited me on Boxing Day.
And the man who sells pots and pans said I should hurry to his place for his biggest sale ever.
I was also encouraged by a smiling news reader to have a fit of excitement as she announced that electronic sales transactions were speeding through the banking systems at an unprecedented rate and value.
No one mentioned what the real cause of all this excitement is really about: the birth and the teachings of a man all those years ago.
We have forgotten that he drove the money makers from the temple, now we use the anniversary of his life as an excuse for excess and celebrate our new priests who run our new temples, the big box retail sites.
