Cold Ex-Pagan Holidays

The relentless consumerism of Christmas (and Hanukkah for those Jews who don't want to feel left out) in the U.S. is overwhelming. Was it this bad in Australia? I can't remember.

Do any of you folks in Australia, California or Texas wish you could have a white Christmas? I'll swap you the weather up here. As I walked to work today it was -23C (-9F). When I went out to get lunch it had warmed up to -22C. I'm about to go home and it's back down to -23C.