One Sketch 240) Reindeer Christmas Card

Prancer, Dancer
Dasher, Vixen
Comet, Cupid
Donner, Blitzen
Call them what you like
They're knackered by Boxing Day.

You gotta have a reindeer card amongst them.

One Sketch 239) (Monday 19th November) - Old fashioned Victorian Father Christmas

While Rudolph is having a snooze
Pa Christmas will quite often choose
To throw off the shackles
And prepare to tackle
A steaming great bowlful of booze

This is based on another Victorian Christmas engraving, but a very English one, probably from the Illustrated London News or some such. Go back a hundred and fifty years and more, and we Brits didn't really have a concept of Santa Claus. While American cartoonists like the great Thomas Nast were creating what became the classic conception of Santa, his English contemporaries invariably gave us Father Christmas. Not always without the presents for the kiddies but almost always with the steaming wassail bowl full of very alcoholic punch to spread cheer and alcoholism to the adults. You can usually recognise the traditional English Father Christmas through the bowl and also a wreath or crown of holly on the top of his head.