Evan Solomon, host of CBC Radio's The House, reflects on the tempers that flared inside the House of Commons over the second omnibus budget bill and just ahead of the holiday break in his weekly radio essay, as heard on Dec. 8, 2012.

'Tis the season.

The season for finger wagging. For swearing. For threats.

Yes, fellow citizens, the holiday spirit announced itself like a Christmas cracker in the House of Commons.

Government House Leader Peter Van Loan, playing angry Santa, flew across the floor of the House wagging his finger at the naughty NDP House leader Nathan Cullen.

He clearly wasn't delivering his holiday card.

Van Loan was infuriated by an NDP attempt to further delay the vote on what the Conservative perceives as gifts in the budget.

And it became positively festive after that.

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair rose to defend Cullen, to put him back on the "nice" list.

Then, Conservatives Gary Goodyear and Peter Mackay, both of whom hate to miss out on a good party, crossed the floor to join New Democrat Paul Dewar to help break it all up.

Unparliamentary language was used, which is a nice way of describing words that once caused my mother to wash my mouth with a bar of soap — a taste some MPs may soon acquire.

Like any good party that goes south, everyone had a different version of what happened.

While Van Loan did offer an apology, he wanted the NDP to offer an apology back. Something the NDP did not do.

You might think all this tension means it's time for the MPs to have a break, a holiday time out. Maybe.

But I should point out that since Parliament rose on June 22 for their summer recess, MPs have since been together for a grand total of 50 days.

Yes. In the last 169 days, your members of Parliament have been together only 50 times.

That's like seeing your workmates only on Mondays and Fridays.

That might make it hard to explain to your boss why you are verging on a brawl.

What's the solution here? How can eveyone just get along?

Well, it's obvious, isn't it?

This is Canada.

When we need two sides to be an example of the holiday spirt of cooperation, forgiveness and togetherness, there's only one place for MPs to turn to for an example:

The NHL, of course.

Let's just hope this year the holidays aren't cancelled.