Mark Hillis took the parade, and administered the discipline that was appropriate for the season.
Christmas Party grinches were obvious targets, and failure to show up on Sunday created a debit.
A similar failure to get involved in the Rotaract Trivia night created a requirement to pay up - so the coins rattled around in the fine box.
Neil Pinto went pale at the thought - becoming a vegan.
Shane Carroll, we learned, had achieved a masters degree in Languages, but his fluent Portuguese may not cut it in Lisbon.
Mark and Shane packed up the Christmas party gear on Monday morning. Adrian warned about his puppies - Mark found "two demented hounds, one could be saddled, the other a wolfhound / shetland cross"
There is no doubt that Christmas has become burdened with myths, legends, music, folklore and all sorts of variations on the theme. Mark analysed these as they differed around the world.
December 25 does not get a mention in the Bible.
Santa Claus in red and white, only since 1930 in Coca Cola corporate colours.
In Austria, Krampus reigns, he is horned and hooved and punishes naughty children by dragging them to hell.
Mark quoted an authoritative book "The Physics of Christmas, Aerodynamics of Reindeer and thermodynamics of Turkeys." Apparently Rudolph's red nose is probably the result of a parasitic infection of the respiratory system.
Gerry Gerlach knew all about the Dutch Christmas tradition - Sinta Claws comes from Spain, with black faced helpers who take naughty children back to Spain - and that's punishment in the Dutch winter???
In Germany, Burmo was advised, finding a spider at Christmas was good fortune, perhaps not a funnel web.
An analysis of facebook data has proven that the most likely time to break up relationships was two weeks before Christmas. That makes sense, and we can add that on Christmas day the rate of marriage failures goes way down.
Clucie and Puck were forewarned - in Japan, Shinto and Buddist strongholds, Christmas poultry is in short supply, but the best substitute will be KFC.