Pooch Nativity

I have come across a card representing the Nativity scene with dogs: a small, shaggy white dog is baby Jesus and around it are dogs dressed as Mary and Joseph, shepherds, kings and a cow!

Much as I like dogs, I wonder if this is a trivialisation too far. If this were a Muslim festival and Allah and Muhammad appeared like this...

With 'Happy Holidays' effacing Christmas we are losing sense of the mystery and sacredness of the festival.

But is this card simply lighthearted and not to be taken seriously?

Please post your comments below...

Pooch Christmas!

Hollywood celebs with their toy-sized pooches are newspaper images only in the UK. But here in San Fran...

They may not be celebs, but San Franciscans love their dogs!

From fashionable handbag sized ones to large suitcase sizes, they are here. (more in a later blog)

But for now it's Christmas, and HAPPY CHRISTMAS POOCH is serious! Stores devote whole rows of cards to ones with doggie pics for devotees. I overheard - and I'm not making this up - a lady shopping with her child and dog proclaim... 'there are so many cards with pictures of dogs...my dog loves shopping!'

There are Christmas tree ornaments and the pet boutique around the corner is selling toys and colourful coats including a Santa outfit. Yes, we saw one being worn last night.

I have to confess to succumbing... a card to Henry, King of Cannines, is in the post...

Click for pics