Dogmas
No, not more than one set of incontrovertible principles, but the celebration you have when you're not having Christmas.
In September 2012 I moved away from the city to a small town 200km away. Shortly afterwards I met H who has gone on to become my closest friend. We lived in the same street, both had two dogs, both liked a wine and cigarette and we were both new in town.
The first Dogmas was just the two of us, the four dogs a barbecue and plenty of grog. We'd decided that since we have no kids, are not religious and hate out-of-control consumerism, we would have an alternative celebration. Dogmas was born.
Rules of Dogmas are; no presents, no decorations, no red and green, no christmas type food and everyone brings their dog. Now we are up to 10 or 12 Dogmas attendees. Everybody kicks in with food and I do a dogmas card ( samples below). There's never been a dog fight because they all see a lot of each other. We eat in the backyard because it's summer here, surrounded by a dozen dog beds and mats.
My friend H met a guy and married him 18 months ago, he has become my brother and law which is handy because he's a builder. He breaks his elderly mum out of the nursing home and brings her and her oxygen bottle for a couple of hours. Neither of them would miss Dogmas for all the Christmas bling in the world.
