omg a CHRISTMAS forum already.

c'mon, what's on your christmas list this year? or have you even bothered to think about it yet? :D

When I was with Lori last week we found something I had to get Carey. I already knew what I was getting her for her birthday so I got it as her Festivus present.

What is this Christmas you talk about? All the cool kids celebrate Festivus :-)

I celibrate Capitalistmas. Why not? Most of the significant value of the holiday either means little to me or has been struck down by marketing and media.

Eh.
Xmas to me is mostly just a time for my family to get together and cook a big meal... which is really cool.

All the other stuff is BS.

For me, the holiday season is about express to�my friends and family how important they are to me and how I am so fortunate to have them in my life.��So, I give them little presents and write out lengthy cards as an expression of caring and love (and other mushy crap).

Oh,�Christmas Day also means the day before December 26th, which is when all the end-of-year clearance sales start and I go shopping for myself.� For the past 3 years, I have headed down to my sister's in New Jersey on the 25th and got up at around 5:30-6AM to hit the malls when they open at 7AM and we're done by 10AM.� It's becoming sort of a tradition.� Alas, my sister is expecting her 2nd child in November so I'm not sure if it is going to happen this year, but my sister said that unless she's too tired, she will be up for�doing�it.� She had Bailey in October 2001 and left him with the father, so who knows?� We shall see.� Yes, we're the crazy ones in the family. :)

ahem. I'm Jewish.

Yes you are, and you're a damn sexy one.

point being, no Christmas.

Right, we caught that.
:P

Not sure anni did...

Gella, I did understand. I just don't get the chance to tell you your a sexy Jew very often.

Peace on earth, goodwill to and from all, an end to hunger, poverty, prejudice, and hate, a reversal of global warming ... just the usual trinkets.

Heh.
:)

November 18...so I can't focus on the Christmas list yet...I want an ipod...

along with the usual list staples of diamond earrings and a trip to Europe

but I never get those

hee! same here! mine's november 13th. so for me, christmas and birthday are�only 5 weeks apart. bah. *grumble* :D

Nov. 10th here

Scorpios represent!~

Word.

* puts fist high in the air *

forget christmas. all i want this december is return of the king.

haaaaaa! you and me both. (please ignore that i just posted my list down there, hehe.) :D

a Djembe!!

maybe a dumbek too

Bowling for Columbine on DVD

Ugh... bowling for columbine.

what a bizarre mockumentary.

um... mock??? 'twas no mockumentary, my friend. I think ye not be familiar with Michael Moore's style. (of course, it's not a traditional documentary either... it's more of a rant-on-film)

Well, I can't tell if it was or not.
Either it was a mockumentary, or the guy is just seriously deranged.

Unfortunately, I'm beginning to think it's the latter.
So much of that was just total BS.

I want to friggin GRADUATE and be done with school!

Come on Santa! MAKE IT SO!

*sob*

I do not acknowledge the main Christian holiday of December until after Thanksgiving. AFTER THANKSGIVING. (Note: This includes commericals and whatnot)

Therefore, I am making a new topic about a closer, fun holiday. :o)

Murrican Thanksgiving or Canuckian Thanksgiving? Hmmmmmm? :)

I was much aggrieved to find Xmas stuff all over BJ's when I went shopping yesterday afternoon. I mean, it's not even FALL yet!

(Well, it is, but the leaves aren't falling. That's what I meant. Yeah.)

not even fall? i work at a hallmark and we had our ornaments out in JUNE. we have those frelling things up for six bloody months! is it any wonder i'm sick of christmas by the time december rolls around?

not that i'm bitter or anything. ;)

I'm asking for Gord's Gold, Frankenfood, and Murray.

*bumps forum topic back up* ;)

ahem. here's mine. (very short this year - compared to last year's, hehehe.) in order of preference:

- LotR TTT extended DVD thingy (or there will be HELL to pay)
- rucksack (for big usa trip)
- Photoshop (or PSP, whichever), with all the gadget-y plug-in-y things if there are any (you can see i'm a real expert on this here)
- The Faculty on DVD
- Sim City 4

woo. 5 things. you count 'em. 5.

(oh. and the pirates DVD if it's out at christmas, buahaha.)

backpack

pirates� (I mean actual pirates)

and whatever else i told you on the phone please remind me I have to post it offf in October if I am to get it!

*sends you chocolate-covered johnneh* :D

Commercialism be damned: I like the fact I get a paid day off AND I get to spend it with my husband.� (He works retail.� We ENJOY the day.)

I am working on a wish list, as household and family tradition holds.�

We will put together a "joint" list for his parents: these are actually "house" gifts, since they are not things for us individually, but things that should arrive with "house" written on the tag: rice cooker, Belgian waffle maker, new cooking tins, kitty toys, etc.

For ourselves, we tend to go for the media stuff, preferably second-hand because I refuse to pay full price for music that is cheaper through auctions, etc.� We splurge on music, books and computer games for each other.

Household traditions:

Celebrate the Festival of Lights because it gives us some quality quiet time together to reflect on important things, like us, even though we are not Jewish.

Stockings.� Stockings are filled with small gifts and useful items.� Oh, and an orange.� I don't remember why, but it wasn't Christmas without an orange shoved into the toe of the stocking.� (We used to make/create a stocking for each other for a few years.� Now, we simply buy one.)� The tradition we adopted from my childhood is that the stockings may be opened as soon as you awake on Christmas morning.� It's most fun when stockings are opened in bed.� :)� Stockings are hung whenever the tree goes up, but are not filled until Christmas Eve.

The Tree is decorated after Thanksgiving, while listening to the first of many rounds of holiday CD's.� We finally purchased a prelit tree because we (okay, I) became hateful while stringing lights.� There are an assortment of "special" ornaments that are hung in a specific order OR by a specific person.� For example, we both hang the "us" ornaments and he hangs any ornaments left over from his childhood.� We have our favorites, too.

The only other "tradition" we have is that we always go ornament shopping.� Since it is just the two of us at home, it would be silly to go gift shopping together.� Instead, we make a point of choosing a day in December to shop for ornaments and ornaments only.� It keeps the tree decorations "fresh" and gives us a shopping day that is somewhat relaxing.

Okay, so maybe there IS another tradition: Christmas day is ours.� We do not visit family or friends.� We don't invite anyone over.� If someone were to knock on the door, we'd refuse to answer it.� Retail is very stressful and the hours are long from about mid-October through mid-January, so�we make the most of "our" day.� His mother doesn't like it, but, well.� *shrug*� Too bad.� It's a family day.� OUR family day.

Celebrate the Festival of Lights because it gives us some quality quiet time together to reflect on important things, like us, even though we are not Jewish.

*blink* in what sense is Chanukka a quiet/reflective holiday? They tried to kill us, we won, we redecorated our Temple. Therefore, let us eat oily food and spin a top for pennies. :)

You are forgetting the most important things, presents and pyromania :-)

Well yeah, but those are the obvious and widely commercialized aspects of the holiday. Didn't think they required specific mention. Still, doesn't strike me as particularly conducive to quiet reflection. I mean, it could be... but Chanukka just isn't really a quiet holiday. Hmmm... do we even *have* any quiet holidays?

Yom Kippur and Tish B'ov (sp?) I think would count as quiet. Would Purim be the noisiest?

No, Yom Kippur and Tisha b'Av involve wailing. ;)

Hanukkah involves wailing - mine after I eat my weight in latkes.

hee. yeah, if you want quiet, reflective time with candles at that time of year, try advent.

Festivus can be quiet and reflective too. Everyone doesn't have to be loud and insane like we are.

i thought being loud and insane was the *point* of Festivus. :0

Well it is for the orthodox but we are trying to be inclusive, didn't you get the memo?

Inclusiveness schminclusiveness. Next thing you know we'll have fake Festivus poles in every store, and the Festivus moose will have a red nose and the voice of Nancy Cartwright. Oh, wait ... that might be fun. So much for orthodoxy. :)

Actually in the oldest festivus traditions dating back more than five millennia everyone had the voice of Nancy Cartwright.

Well.� I guess you could consider it sacriligious.� We say the prayers, light the candles and have some quiet together time.� We don't do any of the food/presents/singing/wailing/dreidel spinning for pennies...

Remember: my husband works retail.� The hours are both longer and later.� Holiday�Muzak has been playing since the first of November.� Highly irritated parents drag their obnoxious children into stores where holiday displays have been up since before Halloween.� No one has enough money and they all feel pressured to buy stupid things because ... I don't know why.� They just do.� Oh, the wondrous holiday retail season.

(This is also the season when he's likely to come into the apartment, slam down a shot of tequila and THEN say hello.� I don't get to see much of him since I work days...)

*shrug* whatever floats yer boat. I'm not trying to criticise. I am curious, however, as to what prompted you to use Chanukka specifically for this purpose? What is Chanukka about, in your mind, and how did you come to that conclusion?

Candles = cool.

That was the first attraction.� Second, both members of the household were brought up with various types of religion, but no longer practicing/believing.� (He was AoG, I was brought up Baptist....only my parents didn't go to Church, the kids did.)� Third, I remembered the story behind Channukah from a 3rd grade story from my teacher.� (Remember when teachers wouldn't get fired for that kind of story?)

For me, Channukah is about the celebration of the miracle of the Temple lights burning for eight nights when there was only enough oil for one night.

The bonus factor of the time involved in the actual burning down of the candles led to us using the time as quiet time at home.� Relaxing.� Watch the Candles burn.� That kind of thing.� It allows us time to reflect on the important things during that time of year: family.� friends.� homelife.

Sometimes, the quiet hours include playing video games and swearing. :-)

*nod* that seems appropriate. I approve. :)

to work a drive-thru shift on the evening of�christmas eve. dude, think about it. no annoying happy meals that take eons to assemble (coz�so many�kids are in bed waiting for santa)...the opportunity to say "should i promo rudolph's double mac?"...the only time of year where saying "ho ho ho" anywhere near scantily dressed, sexually promiscuous�female customers wouldn't result in me getting fired...not to mention double pay due to it being a statutory holiday...yup, this is the gift for me!