Highlights

Just in case you didn’t catch all the excitement of The Punch this week, we’ve compiled a selection of some of the best writing over the jump.

And in the spirit of all things festive here is a thoughtful take on the coming holiday season from Punch regular ‘RT’:

We need a secular approach to the approaching holiday.  After all it originated as a pagan celebration of midwinter and was appropriated by Christians to displace Paganism. Jesus is not the reason for the season, not really.Christmas in Australia should really be called midsummer day and be a cause for the celebration of the commencement of the summer holidays and a chance for families, friends and workmates to gather and hopefully enjoy each other’s company. Religion hardly enters into it in most households even if most of them tick the ‘Christian’ box on the census forms. That’s as it should be.

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  • Jarmo says:

    09:02pm | 23/12/09

    Well I read with interest that people do not choose largely to celebrate Christmas as a religious event. Fine and as a non religious person I have no issue with this view or the fact that this fine free country allows these choices. Might be interesting to see what happens… Read more »

  • Lisa says:

    07:16pm | 20/12/09

    What is the secular approach to christmas then? A spendathon? a drinkathon? A celebration of summer weather? Haven’t we already got those aspects to Christmas? How are religious people stopping non-religious people from enjoying their own ‘Happy Holiday’? Or is it simply the fact that the Christian religion still exists,… Read more »

 

For those of you swept away in the political excitement , scroll down to see a selection of 10 of the best written pieces on The Punch this week.

If you’re looking for a Friday funny you’ll find a Muppet’s rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody above - a fitting tribute to the anniversary of Freddie Mercury’s death this week in 1991.

And over the jump a readers’ comment we thought worth sharing:

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  • Matt says:

    09:18pm | 29/11/09

    Actually Meh, if you had read what she wrote more thoroughly, you’d see she said they were “a selection of 10 of the best… pieces”. As in, not “the 10 *best*” as you wrote in your arguably poorly written response. How about suggesting your own alternatives then, rather than sledging… Read more »

  • Bretto says:

    11:35pm | 27/11/09

    Lucy, stop smoking the weed man.  If you think that drivel from Sophie Mirabella was well written you must be on some sort of illicit drug.  Next thing you will be telling me that Stephanie Mayer should win the Pulitzer Read more »

 

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