The Spectator

Actually, Bob, they do know it’s Christmas (we checked)

Plus: The figures on live animal exports, flood spending and Romanian voters in Portsmouth

issue 22 November 2014

Yeah, Bob, they know

The answer to the rhetorical question posed by the Band Aid single, ‘Do they know it’s Christmas?’, is broadly yes. Christmas Day is a public holiday everywhere in Africa except Mauritania, Western Sahara, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Somalia, although countries have widely differing customs associated with the event.
— In Liberia, one of the Ebola-affected countries, it more resembles Halloween, where children go from door to door dressed as demons and begging for presents.
— The two countries where Bob Geldof’s line might be appropriate are Ethiopia, the target of the first record in 1984, and Egypt. Both celebrate Christmas, according to the Julian calendar, on 7 January and might be confused if asked to hold it two weeks early.

Live issue

The Princess Royal called for an end to live horse exports to foreign slaughterhouses. How many live animals were exported in 2012 and where did they go?

Total exported
Sheep 388,000
Pigs 7,640
Cattle 38,900
Horses 6,970

Source: House of Commons Library

Main destination
Sheep Ireland (339,000)
Pigs Ireland (5,800)
Cattle Spain (20,400)
Horses Germany (1,370)

Source: House of Commons Library

Romania decides

Comments

Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months

Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.

Already a subscriber? Log in