To any mudcatters who really want to avoid any pagan celebrations here's a few of the things you should stay well away from:

all superstitions (walking under ladders, breaking mirrors, spilling salt etc);

all Christmas/midwinter festivities not involving praying or praising or giving thanks (such as eating and drinking a lot, giving presents, 'Christmas' trees, holly, ivy, yule logs, candles);

New Year first footing and drinking;

Easter eggs and bunnies;

harvest/thanksgiving meals;

autumn bonfires, whatever their 'reason';

anything at all to do with hallowe'en (unless it just involves praying).

And make sure that you go to work on 1st May.

I'm not trying to undermine anyone's religious beliefs. But you should realise that much of what we take for granted is a hangover from pagan times. Doing any of the above doesn't make you a pagan, and many of these things are treasured by us folkies not because they are pagan, but because they are 'traditional'.

I still remember somebody trying to ban 'Dungeons and Dragons' because it mentioned more than one god, and people leafleting against the aromatherpy shop where my girlfriend works because they thought it witchcraft.