Ted Fox, of Harwood, has been doing some research which shows just how difficult it is to get the tree out of Christmas, and in fact the Christmas out of Christmas.
For practising Christians, Christmas of course is Christ's Mass. He also points out the importance of the AD at the end of the date.
''Anno Domini used to indicate that a date comes the specified number of years after the traditional date of Christ's birth. Perhaps the DCC have got it mixed up with A/D - analogue to digital [conversion]. So what's next? Get rid of AD?
''Having a tree without mentioning Christmas is somewhat farcical. Despite its pagan roots - no pun intended - the symbol has a long Christian history. Legend holds that St Boniface was the first to co-opt the tradition for Christianity in the eighth century. He was attempting to convert the Druids who worshipped oak trees as the symbol of their idol. He instead offered the balsam fir tree, using its triangular shape to describe the Trinity.''
Ted says some historians suggest Christmas may be downplayed in Scotland - ''and, it perhaps follows, Dunedin'' - because the Presbyterian Church may have viewed Christmas as a ''papist'' or Catholic event.
That's not something I had heard before.
Have any of you ever thought that might be an issue in Dunedin?
Maureen Millichip, of Mosgiel, is obviously highly sensitive to any potential offence a misplaced Christmas greeting may give. She offers this option:
''Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the summer solstice holiday practised with the most enjoyable traditions of religious persuasion of secular practices of your choice with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of all.
''I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted year 2018, but not without respect for the calendar choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make our country great (not to imply that New Zealand is necessarily greater than any other country) and without regard to race, creed, colour, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishes.
''By accepting this greeting, you are accepting the following terms:
''This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. The wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings of one year or until the issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher.
''Best Regards (without prejudice. Name withheld (Privacy Act.)''
Anyone else have any quibbles about the new 2017-18 Otago phone book?
The decision to run the Yellow Pages at the front has annoyed several readers.
''It is not very user friendly,'' says Elspeth McLean, of Broad Bay, ''if you are trying to do something such as look up medical practitioners, which are in the middle of the book rather than near the front.''
Elspeth wonders what the point of doing it this way is.
''I can only imagine it is to give those advertising in the Yellow Pages more exposure, as we Luddites fumble our way to the middle of the book, swearing all the way.''
Far too clever for me
Terry Thomas, of Glenleith, has a suggested word competition for readers.
''How few moves can achieve the word translations by changing one letter at a time - the order of the words can be changed.''
The words are TRUMP - THICK - SHORT - PLANK.
Let me know how you get on.