Christmas is upon us once again, and what better way to celebrate than to put your feet up, munch a mince pie and switch on your PC.

The cyber world now has all the seasonal trappings you could possibly need. Type "Christmas" into your favourite search engine and you'll find hundreds of links to interactive forums, virtual Christmas cards, shopping sites and recipe books. The virtual Christmas has undoubtedly arrived.

Online calls are expected to double

Most of the major Internet providers expect a dramatic increase in hits over the Christmas period. Yahoo say they are preparing for a rush of customers and British Telecom expect online calls to double. A spokesperson for BT Internet, Terry Anderson, says the Internet is fast becoming a key part of Christmas celebrations:

"We [at BT Internet] focus on every major event and Christmas is obviously a large part of that. One of the key aspects of the Net is the ability for users to interact with it and that's something that is also part of celebrating Christmas. So the Internet is perfect."

Much of the 'traffic' roaming the Net during the festive season may, of course, have only one thing in mind; shopping. And if you're tired of roaming the streets in search of that inspirational Christmas present then fear not, the chances are that cyberspace already has it covered.

There are literally hundreds of virtual shopping centres willing to sell you anything from hand-rolled cigars to jewellery for your pets. A personalised gift-finder has also been launched in anticipation of the rush to snap up online pressies.

A Christmas extravaganza

But beneath the veneer of commercialism, the Net, as ever, is full of surprises. You can send your Christmas list to Santa via e-mail, listen to carols, open virtual advent-calendars or read some of the more Web-styled Christmas literature ("And all through the house/Not a program was working/Not even a browse" Anon).

Chimneys aren't the only way for Santa to visit - he's online now!

On other pages, sites have gone to extraordinary lengths to convey their seasonal greetings. Virtual cartoons will tell you stories ranging from the more traditional tales to how Santa Claus saved the Earth from invading aliens and if it becomes all too much you can take part in Bah Humbug! forums or escape into sites which take a more light-hearted view ("The first thing at Christmas that's such a pain to me, is finding a Christmas tree").

In fact, Net usage over Christmas has increased to such an extent that some believe it is revolutionising how we celebrate Christianity's oldest tradition. Susan Wright, from the British Internet magazine ".Net", says the Internet's function as a tool for communication is forever altering how we interact with each other:

"The Net can bring people together in a way that hasn't been possible before," she says. "For those lucky enough to be part of the Internet experience, there is now a lot less potential for loneliness and it's important because at this time of year that feeling is often exaggerated."

Christmas on the Net is undoubtedly a rather special electronic occasion. So when the turkey's burnt and the shops finally close, sit back, relax and enjoy the best online experience of the year.
 

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