It is Christmas Eve here in New Zealand. If I didn't hear Christmas music in shops, I'd forget it is Christmas. Television Christmas commercials didn't start until a week ago - and even then, not very often. I've had the television on for an hour this evening and have yet to see a Christmas commercial. The bank had a pine branch leaning against the wall with a few ornaments on it and I don't remember seeing more than one or two Christmas tree lots in the past two weeks. I love the fact the crass commercialism that has become Christmas is not being shoved down our throats in NZ.