It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

What are you guys doing for Christmas? What are you getting the kids?

What are you guys doing for Christmas? What are you getting the kids?

And grandkids, and great grandkids.
And the couple of great grandkids are the easiest to buy for, being under 12 months they don't get any choice,
the grandkids, in their very late teens to 30+ are next easiest, with hobby style gifts and the older ones by mutual agreement get nothing.
The kids are "impossible" to buy for, just like their parents !
So they get their (or our) choice of that red or white stuff plus lots of little novelites.

Mind you, if you took any notice of the shops it's been "beginning to look a lot like Christmas" for months, at least since before Halloween.

I'm not sure what I'm doing. In theory I'm going to my bff's mother in laws place.

What are you guys doing for Christmas? What are you getting the kids?

I'm meeting parents and my brother's family (they are coming in from Odessa, Ukraine) in Cyprus for a (hopefully) sunny Christmas by the beach.  Should be great, unless some twat shuts the airport down 

There will just be my bro's 4 year old there - not sure what to get her, might just play it safe with a bottle of single malt.

There will just be my bro's 4 year old there - not sure what to get her, might just play it safe with a bottle of single malt.

Buy a generic store brand.
She won't know the difference.

I'm meeting parents and my brother's family (they are coming in from Odessa, Ukraine) in Cyprus for a (hopefully) sunny Christmas by the beach. 

That's pretty nice, but... I don't want to disappoint you, but it's not gonna be very sunny, probably. Sunnier than the UK, but not exactly beach weather.

Dave has sabotaged it. It's sunny.

We're going to travel North to my ancestral homeland, take the kids the visit their great grandparents, and then I have the rest of the week off from work, so we'll be playing with all the new toys.

My company shuts down from Christmas to New Years so my last day was yesterday.  I'll go back on the 2nd.  We're using the time off to visit family.  We live in CT but our families are in PA and NJ (we're from NJ).  Then back to CT after Christmas to relax a bit before going back to work.

We got our daughter a Macbook Pro, a loose leaf tea ball (with Mickey ears), a tea cup, and some wine related stuff...I know she's 30 but is still surprises me that she can drink alcohol.  Maybe I'll get used to it some day.

There is a christmas, so why is not there an islammas? 

Does Islam have a celebration for the birth of Muhammad?

Yes, but not like this. We're just worshiping. worship, worship and more worship. This is our way of celebrating.

I think Christmas is this way because the Catholics were converting the pagans and they adopted pagan celebrations. The Christmas tree,  some of the decorations, and the singing are stolen from Yule. Most cultures had a winter solstice celebration, so that's when Christmas is. The gift giving is supposed to symbolize the wise men bringing gifts to Jesus, but it has turned into a commercialized horror show.

Paganism is in everywhere. Some thoughts say paganism is the mother of all Abrahamic religions but I am standing on Budism as the source of religions.

Oh wow, even the Christmas ham is from Yule!

wise, do  you have a celebration like this where you live? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yald%C4%81_Night

wikipedia is forbiden by fetö in our country . I'm trying to open it by another way.

I saw it now. Yes we have some festivals like this remained from paganism. "Hidirellez" is one of them.

Is it to celebrate winter solstice? Or something else?

Quote from: JimmyTheCrab on December 22, 2018, 03:41:15 AM

I'm meeting parents and my brother's family (they are coming in from Odessa, Ukraine) in Cyprus for a (hopefully) sunny Christmas by the beach. 

That's pretty nice, but... I don't want to disappoint you, but it's not gonna be very sunny, probably. Sunnier than the UK, but not exactly beach weather.

Forecast to be 20c and sunny - which will do me nicely - I've been to beaches when it's snowing before.  I wasn't talking about sunbathing weather (hate sunbathing anyway) - but warm enough to sit on my balcony and enjoy the sea view.

Going to FIL's as usual, where Santa comes to bring the presents. Got the kids too much crap, slime and Littlest Pet Shop things for The Glorious Leader and baby stuff for The Glorious Baby. The Glorious Leader picked out a toddler wobbler trolley for the baby which will be perfect as he's cruising now.

I saw it now. Yes we have some festivals like this remained from paganism. "Hidirellez" is one of them.

That's cool! Is it a fun thing, do you have lots of good food and hang out with friends and family?

Going to FIL's as usual, where Santa comes to bring the presents. Got the kids too much crap, slime and Littlest Pet Shop things for The Glorious Leader and baby stuff for The Glorious Baby. The Glorious Leader picked out a toddler wobbler trolley for the baby which will be perfect as he's cruising now.

The Glorious Leader needs to grow up so she can take over the world already!

I will in fact be going to my bff's mother in laws place. Which will be nice since It will be something different and I'll get to spend time with two of my nephews.

Is it to celebrate winter solstice? Or something else?

It is in may celetrating the summer I think. There is something in winter solstice and summer winter solstice too but I forgot what they are.

Quote from: wise on December 22, 2018, 08:09:11 AM

I saw it now. Yes we have some festivals like this remained from paganism. "Hidirellez" is one of them.

That's cool! Is it a fun thing, do you have lots of good food and hang out with friends and family?

Yes, it is something like this.



Some writes notes through tree boughts with some requests. I don't know who they think to help them. But I think it is not God because he has someways else.

Some sub cultures are organizing celebrations like this, generally contains fire.



And people shares foods with others. I have joined a few hidirellez festivals and there was nothing but food in them. I gone them for good foods. 

Nice!

Quote from: boydster on December 22, 2018, 09:17:11 AM

Is it to celebrate winter solstice? Or something else?

It is in may celetrating the summer I think. There is something in winter solstice and summer winter solstice too but I forgot what they are.

Quote from: Space Cowgirl on December 22, 2018, 09:56:43 AM

Quote from: wise on December 22, 2018, 08:09:11 AM

I saw it now. Yes we have some festivals like this remained from paganism. "Hidirellez" is one of them.

That's cool! Is it a fun thing, do you have lots of good food and hang out with friends and family?

Yes, it is something like this.



Some writes notes through tree boughts with some requests. I don't know who they think to help them. But I think it is not God because he has someways else.

Some sub cultures are organizing celebrations like this, generally contains fire.



And people shares foods with others. I have joined a few hidirellez festivals and there was nothing but food in them. I gone them for good foods. 

I don't know much about it but it looks very colorful.

We are getting the oldest an ipad as he loves his youtube videos about geography and tectonics. The youngest has some small gifts, and the middle is getting a big car that's McQueen from that movie that he can fix as he's a  bit of a  fixer/inventor/maker.

I don't buy the wife gifts as she always hates them. I'll probably buy some unmentionables on her suggestion anyways.

Merry Christmas, John!

Thank you, and a merry Christmas and Holidays for all!