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Hopefully we can get special dispensation to keep this thread open until the 24th December 2001.

OK, well it's just about 4 weeks until Christmas day. I know we might not all celebrate this festival, we are afterall a multinational and diverse board here, but that does not mean anyone has to be excluded.

For those that do: If you do celebrate the yuletide festival then this is the thread to discuss anything and everything about Christmas.

For those that don't: If you don't celebrate Christmas, for religious, personal or other reasons then how about sharing you thoughts about this festival, alternative festivals within your culture at this time of year or just how you deal with this time of year if all you're trying to do is get on with your life.

This is one of two times of year in which I am allowed to buy Edna a present. And it's trickier than I was hoping.

Ba Humbug

ahh, christmas, christmas. christmas eve is just the greatest of all days.

Really?

yes, really. why shouldn't it?

jeeeeeeeeeuj Christmas...
the only positive thing is that I get the ToMacco slapping machine

I'm not religious but got a religious education...

Yes, that sort of present is always a tricky thing. After 14 years it doesn't get any easier either.

Oh... piddle.

I love Christams time, not least because I finish work on Christmas Eve and don't go back until 2nd January 2002!!!

One year soon I want to spend Christmas and Disneyworld, it's supposed to be great fun. Fly out on say the 23rd, spend Christmas and New Year in FL and come back on 2nd or 3rd of Jan.

Guess that would combine my favorite time of the year with my favorite place on Earth. Now THAT sounds like a good deal. (For me at least....)

IT'S CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

Hmmm, need a Christmas theme for the website. Shoot, I have no idea what to do this year....

Edna, you should become "Edna Santa" for this month.

By the way, I've ordered the courts to hault production of the "Auto-ToMacco Smacking Machine". For my own safety

too bad for you, santa claus and his helpers are not affected by the courts. production goes on!

Tee-hee RC, I finish on the 21st and go back the 2nd.

Talking of Chrimbo wishes, Mrs.MM and I want to go to somewhere real cold next year and stop in a log cabin or something like that. Now thats Christmas-ie.

Couldn't possibly do that, Christmas Eve is always a good laugh in the office. Plus there the ritual Christmas eve piss up! Somehow I doubt there will be any work going on...

christmas day is the only day off, somehow a bookie never rest.
Many games on boxing day, also horse races so we are open.
What I want to do is tell the customers to f*** off that day and get a life. I for one would have loved to have the day off no such luck though. Christmas is nothing more than a commercial money pit. But this is what kids look forward too so ......

Steady on Finti, I can feel an undertone of "Bah Humbug" in that reply.

very good my man, only thing I aint greedy though. but I have very personal reasons for not liking xmas too much I hope the arrival of Live (my daughter for those who dont know) will boost my x-mast spirits.

The first Christmas for her eh? I remember Bens first one, he liked the wrapping more than the toys, not so easy now that he's 5 1/2!

We're having a pretty quite Christamas, just Mandy, myself and the kids. Mum is off to my brothers, Mandys mum is going to see friends.

Will be a pleasant change from a house full of noisey rels.....

family time is good.

I'm looking forward to it. This is the first time since we bought this place that we won't have guests for Christmas.

After the year we've had, we are cherishing every moment now. It's good.

May you all, everyone here, be blessed with the joys of the holiday season, and may you all remain healthy, happy, and safe always.

I'll be going Christmas shopping at Lakeside. I'll bring my RC detection device with me.

christmas doesn't mean anything religious to me, it's just a damn nice holiday.

Cause we dont get to open presents Christmas Eve, we have to wait till Christmas morning!
That's why Christmas Day beats Christmas Eve

You people are going to think I am crazy, but Icelandair has a special package for only $700 where I could see Bjork in Reykjavik! I am seriously contemplating this as a self Christmas present to me on my last good credit card! Then when I return, Bankruptcy I will declare
http://www.icelandculture.com/index.jsp

I think Mah likes the anticipation.

hate christmas

I'd expect that coming from the spawn of satan

Well Tex we open the presents on Christmas eve, that way we dont have to wait all the time till x-mas day. So we can sleep a little bit longer. It is more cozy when it is all dark and snowy outside had a great dinner then gather around the fire place family around you.
Instead of tired faces ,uncombed hair, and grumpy people. Nah no christmas day for us in Norway only church bells, ooooohhhhh those damn bells those bells, those blasted bells. (Where is quasimodo anyway)

I don't know, he can't hear me calling.

Yeah, I know some European people and they had their big shin dig on the Eve.
Well blast you then!
Getting to open your presents early!!!

queeq, finti is calling you. *waves to queeq hanging on top of the church bells in the tower*

*Decides to avoid Thurrock today.*

Where is Esmeralda ? ........stupid bells eh queeq or Queeqimodo

finti, you remind me of the Grinch with the little drumsticks beating on the sides of his head going "all the noise, noise, noise, noise"

Maybe you better just move on to the Who Roast Beast.

*Lurch voice in reply to Finti* You rang?

Yes I did , why dont you get Yers and Tex to sweep the floor

because I quite the job!

You cant quit Yers here for eternity

that's what YOU say

*Hulk thuds Yersott on the head, puts all his limbs in chains and takes out whip*

BACK TO WORK YOU, LAZY BUM!!!!!!!!

yeah right!

Went on yet another round of Christmas shopping at lunchtime, the shopping mall was PACKED!

I am sooooooo glad we managed to get a lot of stuff online, though I'm sure we end up buying more than we intend becasue we know we won't have to carry it home...

I havent even started to think of getting started yet.

Oh boy, couldn't even dream of leaving it THIS late...

late, it is not even December yet. More time for Ben to find his presents

Hehe, he can't get in the attic....

some stories you wanna share

Uh??? Only that we hide the Christmas presents in the attic.

Finti, you are one strange MF....

Aint attics and basements grounds for horror stories to keep children out?????

A rat or a possum or something crawls around in our attic, no Christmas presents up there

We have mice! They appear to have set up home under the big old bookcase in the living room.

So far we have caught the mommy and 2 babies, and that's just in the last two days.

We did think about buying a cat but as I hate cats more than mice, spiders and certain breeds of Texan we figured a trap was a better idea.

So now I keep having to drive these little critters out to the fields and releasing them...

Eughhh!!!!! that's like soooooo Disney!!!!!!!!!

NO, that's like Humane....

I remember helping my old man put down a patio when I was a kid and we lifted an old slab and found a family of mice. Before I could say how cute they looked my dad had put his spade through the lot of them. Disturbed me, I can tell you.

That is disturbing...I don't see any point of hurting them..they're just trying to live like we are.

Exactly, We released them near some farmland where they will be able to find winter shelter and plenty to eat.

To be honest, if it wasn't for the worry about diseases they carry we might not have even bothered worrying to much about them.

On the Christmas front, finished the majority of the present shopping, all except for Bens Scalectix which I'm going to pick up next week. Not bad for 1st December.

Mice carry diseases and they leave droppings! They can live just like me, but there not doing it in my house!!

I'm boycotting the whole commercial Christmas thingy this year, I'm going to spend more time with my friends and family, rather then scowering the malls for their presents.

I can't wait to christmas

I believe that was kind of my point.

Well I hope all your friends and family feel likewise. Whatever happened to it's better to give that to recieve? Sheesh, what a tightass!!!

IMHO, you not against the commercial thing, you just don't want to buy gifts...

cheaper that way

But you know how much he'll whine if there's nothing under the tree for him of Christmas day...

yup, Texas will whine like a horney cat

Yes..besides..buying is the American pasttime.

I actually don't have to buy any presents for my family..they're coming out to see LA for Christmas...I'll just buy them the touristy crap they want when they get here. They already told me they're not getting me anything.

Someone hasn't been taking there Centrum Silver!!!!!!
Getting a little grouchy there RC, constipated?

My friends and family are all spoiled pricks who dont deserve anything, so dont worry too much about them.

Me a tightass?
Well if you mean that my young ass is nice and firm and not old and loose and wrinkly like some old asses around here, I guess your right!!

I'm so kewl

Seems we hit a raw nerve on the mummy's boy there.

Tex, you starting to sound like such a rebel...

Yep, the Rebel without a Clue...

nah he `s just clueless

old people

hey, I'm not old

you see Mah, that's the problem when you don't put your birthyear in your profile...

ssshh.
I'll put it in 'when I get the time'

Tex just has a complex, he'll get over it one day.

His immaturity makes it hard for him to put together anything more complex...

Laughing hard like that, RC, really makes your breasts jiggle

I never cease to amaze myself

Breasts? Nah matey, Pecs maybe.... But still you seen overly interested in my body.

Anyway, this is a Christmas thread, please try and stay on topic.

Has anyone put their tree up yet? There are like 20 houses down my road whith trees and decorations up already.

Nah, not yet. New lights for this year, though. that we are trying out in stages.

My moms been yelling at me to get the stuff down from the attic, but with a killer possum up there, nothings coming down

What's Bjork doing in your attic?

Getting our tree this weekend methinks.

To

We've had some new neighbors move in across the street, and they are putting up Christmas lights, everyone else on our street is Jewish so there were never any lights up except ours! Now we have competition

Happy Hanukah

I'm not Jewish

Happy hanukah anyway

Ok. I guess

What do you celebrate Mr. Atheist?

it's okay to celebrate christmas even if one is atheist. I love all the christmas traditions, though I'm un-religeous.

I am no Atheist, just what you will call agnostic.
I dont deny the existence of any God, I just dont belive in any

So what do you do for Christmas?

all the normal things!

wainting for the To-smacking machine!

you who wished will receive your virtual gifts a couple of days before the 24.

woohoo!
can I get them now?

lets see.....no

I'll pay you for it...

naha! I tricked you! Did you thought I would pay for it? I'll wait so I can have something to look forward to!

no, I don't think you're that mad.

I'll open a thread about it 19.,20. desember or something, and then deliver the presents as a file.

oooh, the excitement

this promise to be a good christmas! finally!

Well Tex, Christmas has grown into more of a tradition rather than a religious holiday. We celebrate x-mas like the normal family
I just try to keep the religious symbols to a minimum. Monika has a saying in this as well so as for keeping the peace I let it go by.
But I still dont belive in the Bible stuff though.

It's the same the world around, traditional commercial Christmas crap gets center stage, the religious aspect is put on the back burner! Oh, well, I get presents regardless

Do you actually have a problem with the religious aspect being put on the back burner, Tex? I don't see why it is an issue.

Problem? Not really
It's just that Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus

hence the word Christ in Christmas

and what is the mas, oh "wise" one?

Christmas is a lot of things, Tex. People talk a lot about 'yuletide'. Care to tell me what that has to do with Christianity? Nothing at all. But it was there long before the Christians 'hijacked' it.

The celebration at the end of December was originally a pagan festival about rebirth. Then it evolved into a Christian fesitval about the birth of Christ. Now it is evolving into something different. What is wrong with that?

There are many people who celebrate at this time of year to whom which the whole Christian message means nothing at all. But the sentiments they express are still valid. It's called 'Christmas' out of tradition, but that's just a name. I don;t see why they should feel in any way obligated to bring religion into it if they don't want to.

Christmas is a time about togetherness, family, friends, and the happy exchange of gifts. Many of my fondest memories are at Christmas. It's an important time for me. And this is the same for many people.

Things move on. Things change. Christmas does not HAVE to be religious any more.

damn you know a lot Ush...
say ... when was Christ born?

Around the start of the modern calendar.

tsss, around isn't good enough... what's the latest theory?

It IS my opinion, Tex, but can you find any reasonable way to deny it? What is factual is that 'Christmas' wasn't always a Christian thing. It changed before, it can change again. If Christians are happy to turn a pagan festival into a Christian one, I don't see why they should get unhappy if later down the line secular people want to turn it from a religious festival into a non-religious one.

Yerss- theories on that sort of thing are all over the place. A few years into AD is normally where they try and pin it down to, I think.

No one is trying to burn down your Christmas tree Ush, calm down.

What? There were rumours that someone was trying to burn down my Christmas tree? Why was I not informed? The perpetrator must be huinted down at once!

*runs away, still holding the matches in his hand*
*yells*
The theory most accepted now is the one that 1 AD was actually
-5AD (because at that point the comet of Haile-Bopp was near the earth and could be the famous star)

Has anyone heard 'Christastime' from The Smashing Pumpkins?
I wonder if Marilyn Manson has any Christmas songs?

I don't beleive a word of what Maralyn Manson says. I bet he really dresses normally, goes to church, pays his taxes. That whole gothic thing is just an act.

That's not Gothic, it's satanic.

Rolling Stone took a tour of Manson's house in LA back in like 1998, and it was actually very tasteful. His house was this modern marble building, with glass walls, flooded with light, he had real nice sculptures and modern art paintings. It was really beautiful, not dark at all. The only freaky thing they showed was his dog eating off the dining room table, other then that, it was very nice.

I want to spend Christmas with Manson

Yers the mas in Christmas is an old way of saying going to church.
They held mases in the church, Easter mas with mas and Christmas.



well this is the big question. If you are a beliver then the three wise men are the clue.
If we are going to read something out of their sightings(the star) it all comes down to an astrological aspect. Well the star they saw are belived to be an omen of Jupiter being align with Saturn and Mars. This event happens at even intervals, so if it is this alignment they saw, this is the scholars opinions about it, then this Christ person was born in the middle of September 6 years before year 0

Oooh it's all gone serious in here. I'll soon remedy that.....

Did you hear the one about the atheist, insomniac, dyslexic bloke?

He stopped up all night wondering if there really was a dog.

and found out that the mutt had craped besides his bed

I'm going Christmas shopping this Friday morning, before all the ravenous vultures get out of work

everyone:
what are your traditions when celebrating christmas? where do you celebrate it? what do you eat?

obligated: being home, have family diner and stuff

not obligated: nothing, I'm afraid

Big dinner Christmas Eve, usually eat Mushroom soup, perogies, and other stuff, go to midnight mass. Christmas, open presents, have big breakfeast, big lunch, people usually come over to our house for Christmas dinner. We only say grace once a year, and that's for Christmas dinner, I think that's funny, and laugh like a jackass through the whole prayer. (Parents get really mad and embarassed infront of friends}

midnight mass at xmas, how often do you go to church Tex?

My sister insists on going to church on xmas , so we have to wait on her before we start the eatin extravaganza.

church? damn, all religious people here!

it it SO great to get to open the presents christmas eve, I couldn't stand waitng 'til next morning. opening your presents in the morning, that's what you should do on your birthday

ah birthday... another whole year in front of you

My only tradition is that I invite people to dinner who otherwise would be alone. My best mate Martin comes to ours every year because his girlfriend always goes to stay with her family over Christmas. Also this year we've got a woman coming who Mrs.MM works with because she's usually alone at Xmas. Mrs.MM didn't like it when we first got together but she's cool with it now and realises that it's better to have a busy and happy Xmas day and a chilled out Boxing day with just the two of us.

If anyone here is gonna be alone on Xmas day you can always come to mine.

great, you buy my planeticket and I will visit you

Due to an arcane set of family traditions inherited from BOTH sides of the family, Christmas and Boxing Day is a stressful nightmare of present opening, eating, sleeping and loud family arguments, plus our patented "throw the used wrapping paper into the box" game.

I'm in charge of distributing presents and the yearly quiz. Two years ago I got complained at by my Aunt for putting too much history in, last year I got moaned at by my Mother for putting too much Maths in. So this year I have put in both. With any luck, everyone should be equally annoyed.

That is a nice treat Mech. Being alone at christmas must be hard.

God bless us everyone.

I see that Ush knows how to paint the town reed

and what does the town look like then?????

blue! what did you think?

After the watershed they start playing strip poker and naked twister though.

well i dont know what color reed is

Oliver Reed?

like you don't make type-errors

To take your statement in the spirit in which it was meant, yerss...

Yeah, I'm a real fun machine, me.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Mother's, lock up your daughters, Ush is on the town!!!!

But temporarly broken down...

Thats the funniest thing you've ever said Yerss!

Just be careful though, I imagine Ush is right this second thinking up a stunning retort.

ok ...

I'm waiting...

still waiting...