Yeah, it's annoying, (I'm a brat remember :) )

86 days until Christmas!!!

Hey, I'm a kid, Halloween is just candy, and Thanksgiving is just turkey dinner. But Santa means Barbies and Legos

Hi Lesley!

86 days! I usually have my Xmas shopping done by the end of November, last year it dragged on a little and I was not done til mid December, but this year I'll lick it by then! I'm working the whole shebang this year, 24, 25, 26 and 27th., no Christmas for me! But the bonhomie at work is good at Christmastime, so there will be at least a little joy in that.

Halloween seems to be becoming bigger in the UK in recent years, mostly for Children of the working and lower middle classes. It is very much an American import, replacing the once low ranked All Hallow's Eve as a festive time, around 30 to 40 years ago,. It's new found prominence was mostly due to retailers pushing it to the hilt. Soon after we have Guy Fawkes night, which is more traditional and widely celebrated through age and class. We have never celebrated Thanksgiving in Europe of course, it being an entirely North American tradition.

I do love Christmas, it is the most special time of year and it truly is annoying to have to work it. I'm off New Year and have that to look forward to, but it's not even close to being the same for me. Anyway Lesly, just 86 days, well nearly 85 here now to go..... it sure soon comes around!

Celia xx

Bah Humbug!

To think how The Gift of the Magi, a novel, has turned into the greatest re-distribution of wealth is mind boggling.

Sorry, I do not believe in a christian god or an immaculate conception cum birth so I am tired of having to endure Christmas.

My sister, at the stroke of midnight Christmas night, will post "Only 364 more days til CHRISTMAS!!1!"

I shared a picture of Jason from Friday the Thirteenth with Elf on a Shelf pinned to the wall by a butcher knife with the caption "this is what happens to people who post Christmas shit before Halloween."

Sibling rivalry. <3

MichaelaSJ wrote:
Sorry, I do not believe in a christian god. . . .

December 25th is a traditional pagan celebration of the rebirth of the sun. Among other things.

I do not mean to appear to be mean spirited but I find the celebration of a god like figure to be totally inconsistent with Black Friday, the mad rush to get just the right gift before Christmas and the chaos  of the day after sales.

Are you aware that history has identified at least 5 previous immaculate births. What was so special about the one that is celebrated by a world's major religion?

Kaibeth wrote:December 25th is a traditional pagan celebration of the rebirth of the sun. Among other things.

The holiday celebrated on December 25 is a religious construct for those who primarily believe in an immaculate birth by a non-descript Jewish woman who undoubtedly hid an affair from he husband.

Although the month and date of Jesus' birth are unknown, by the early-to-mid fourth century the Western Christian Church had placed Christmas on December 25, a date that was later adopted in the East. Today, most Christians celebrate on December 25 in the Gregorian calendar, which has been adopted almost universally in the civil calendars used in countries throughout the world. However, some Eastern Christian Churches celebrate Christmas on December 25 of the older Julian calendar, which currently corresponds to January 7 in the Gregorian calendar, the day after the Western Christian Church celebrates the Epiphany. This is not a disagreement over the date of Christmas as such, but rather a preference of which calendar should be used to determine the day that is December 25. Moreover, for Christians, the belief that God came into the world in the form of man to atone for the sins of humanity, rather than the exact birth date, is considered to be the primary purpose in celebrating Christmas.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas

The Winter Solistice is the holiday you are referencing and yes, its observance dates to prehistorical times.

Just thought I'd mention, the event is called Christmas. It's just a name.

It's sad a nice man's birthday is celebrated on the same day as Santa Day and is remembered the way it is.

I mean, it wasn't really his birthday.
And it's sad he was lynched over 2000 years ago by a hysterical mob of religious people.

I hope when I die, I'm not the inspiration for a whacky cult.

But to me, December 25th is just another family turkey dinner opportunity (I love turkey dinners), and a chance to enjoy some gifts. It's like Valentines Day isn't the only time to show a person you love them, but, it's a fun opportunity to do so. Every day in my life is as good as any other day to celebrate being born, but, I celebrate being born once a year on the day I arrived. I now have a promise day (August 12th), when D'arcy and I decided to become a couple. And soon I will have an engagement day (a proper one after her divorce), and a wedding anniversary.

My son's birthday (July 27th) is actually worth more to me than December 25th or my own on March 26th.
I'm looking forward to celebrating D'arcy's on October 15th too.

I'm not Christian, so I wouldn't want anyone to think any of their religion is vital to me.
I stopped caring about Black Friday and Boxing Day thanks to the internet making those days no longer relevant. I can get awesome savings on any day of the year. Joom is now my favourite place online. It's even better than Amazon eh.

Pooh!

Pooh! Pooh!

Pooh! Pooh! Pooh!

Christmas is great! Long live Christmas!

Well that's just plain mean, Mikineezer Scrooge! Don't you realise that the three wise men gave up their Christmas so there would be peace and goodwill to all men for the sake of Auld Lang Syne? I think it was Frank, Tim and Myrtle that followed a star driving their Donkeys and Ox all the way to Bethlehem to pay homage to the new born King, no mean feat. And Santa would not have been there Lesley!!!!! He was busy for heavens sake, it was Christmas, duh! Imagine if it had not happened! No Boxing Day sales, no lovely prezzies for me and no cute Santa outfits to wear? Heathen!!!!!!

Don't you know that a leopard got healed? Quite why he was in Palestine I don't really know but he did coz they say that someone saw Farrah see it. Then they walked through the red sea and the baby walked upon it with an ointment on his feet. Then the Foreign Legion got sent away and they celebrated with draughts (checkers), fishys, bread, water.... then wine. I think Angel and Jesus were there, so some Spaniards must have joined the Legion and nothing stirred but a mouse apparently.

Christmas is Great!!!!!!!!

And if the winter Solstice isn't the "rebirth of the sun," then what is?

Y'all crazy. Thanks for keeping it civil. *retracts claws and blows a puff of smoke from my nostrils*

"Special Smoke," by the way.

Celia Eriksson wrote:
Halloween seems to be becoming bigger in the UK in recent years, mostly for Children of the working and lower middle classes. It is very much an American import, replacing the once low ranked All Hallow's Eve as a festive time, around 30 to 40 years ago,. It's new found prominence was mostly due to retailers pushing it to the hilt. Soon after we have Guy Fawkes night, which is more traditional and widely celebrated through age and class. We have never celebrated Thanksgiving in Europe of course, it being an entirely North American tradition.

I do love Christmas, it is the most special time of year and it truly is annoying to have to work it. I'm off New Year and have that to look forward to, but it's not even close to being the same for me. Anyway Lesly, just 86 days, well nearly 85 here now to go..... it sure soon comes around!

Celia xx

My brother in law who's a Londoner called Halloween 'A Damm American import' Plus he was puzzled why we didn't celebrate Guy Fawkes day. Actually it's a damm Irish and parts of Britain festival which was brought to America. Americans sexed it up and exported it all over the place. But it is essentially native to these shores. Traditionally in Ireland bonfires were lit and fireworks were set off to scare off the spirits that despite both being totally illegal. Halloween night in Dublin had the appearance and sound of a war zone, blazing fires everywhere and the constant crackle of fireworks. Great fun. But the authorities have clamped down in recent years.
That was our 'firework night' but we don't celebrate Nov 5th because as I said to my brother in law. Why would Irish people celebrate the failure of an attempt to blow up the King and parliament? A day of mourning more like. ha ha.

I remember the movie 'V is for Vendetta'. I hope we never see a modern day Guy Fawkes.

I know there comes a time when the pressure of a government is so great it either breaks the back of it citizens, or the citizeny fights back. I think the time for a realistic revolt has long passed with the armed police forces and other governmental organization ready to trample any uprising.