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December is "I Believe in Santa Claus" month

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Post subject: December is "I Believe in Santa Claus" month
Posted: Mon 01 Dec , 2008 4:57 pm
of Vinyamar
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Thats it. Its a celebration of the nice stuff about Christmas. Forget the crass commercialism, the bickering families and all the negativity.

This is not about the religious side of Christmas. Thats a different kind of cool. I'm talking about the general feel-good part of Christmas. (not that they're exclusive)

So whether you're a Hanukkah person, a Christmas Junkie, a Festivus freak, this is the place to celebrate all the good stuff. The joyous stuff.

Get in touch with your inner child. The one that was able to believe in a Man who traveled all over the world delivering presents to children just cause they were good.

Please, keep it fun and light-hearted. We have enough of the other stuff round here lately.

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LalaithUrwen
Post subject: Re: December is "I Believe in Santa Claus" month
Posted: Mon 01 Dec , 2008 5:14 pm
The Grey Amaretto as Supermega-awesome Proud Heretic Girl
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I decided to modify our Advent traditions a bit. Since we are usually very busy on Sundays and not home on Sunday night anyway till late, I decided to move our Advent wreath stuff to the Saturdays before.

This Saturday was our first one. So we lit our candle, read the prayer from the Book of Common Prayer, read a little devotion (for kids) on what Advent means, and that was it. We'll read the Scripture passages throughout the week.

(I'm getting to the non-religious, feel-good stuff, though this is feel-good religious stuff to me. ;) )

The second part of my new tradition is to have some kind of fun, Christmas beverage and snack afterwards and to watch a Christmas movie. (These are kid-friendly beverages, though I plan to make some adult ones for after they go to bed!) This past Saturday we had eggnog (from the store) and cookies that the girls had made.

We had put up all of our decorations (except for the tree) earlier that day, so I lit all of our candles, turned on the light in the large Nativity set we have, and turned off all of the other lights. (We have a lot of candles.) I cranked up the fireplace; we poured eggnog into my pretty Christmas glasses, put the cookies on a cute snowman plate I have, and passed them around. We turned on the movie--The Santa Clause--and snuggled into our blankets.

That was a feel-good Christmas thing for me.

The night before (Friday) we played games--Uno, gin rummy, and then spoons, which was new to the girls. They really liked spoons, so I think we will be playing that again. I might add this to the new tradition (game time).

Next Saturday, I want to make steamed milk or something like that, and I'm not sure about the snack yet. (We will be out of town for Freddy's dad's surgery, and I'm not sure what time we'll be getting back into town. So it has to be something easy or from the store.) I want to get the movie, Home Alone, for that night. If we don't, though, I have several others already that will work.

(We love A Christmas Story, but the language is so bad! I like to watch it on TV, where it's edited.)

On Christmas Eve, after the girls have gone to bed, Freddy and I wrap presents, drink eggnog (though this year might be grogg or mulled wine or something), and watch It's a Wonderful Life (which Freddy hates, but I love). I think we may watch that with the girls on one of the Saturdays of Advent, however, and then he and I can watch something else instead.

So is that what you had in mind, Alatar? :)


Lali

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Rebecca
Post subject: Re: December is "I Believe in Santa Claus" month
Posted: Mon 01 Dec , 2008 5:23 pm
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My family on my dad's side gets together every year to exchange presents. But, all the adults stopped giving each other presents long ago, and only the grandchildren got them. I'm the oldest grandchild and the youngest is my little sister at 13, so I decided that it was time to put a stop to this "tradition" and to start giving everyone presents. And we're also going to play a trivia game about our family. Theduffster typed up a bunch of questions that I'm going to ask, like "Who would let Jessica flush her own head in a toilet (ruining all her fun)?" :D I also scanned a lot of old pictures (which is why I have a new sig pic ;) ) and am going to ask trivia questions about them, too.

Hopefully it goes over well or I'll forever be the one who ruined Christmas. :help: :P

If anyone has any fun traditions that they do with their extended family, I'd love to hear them. :)

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Alatar
Post subject: Re: December is "I Believe in Santa Claus" month
Posted: Mon 01 Dec , 2008 5:23 pm
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Sounds good to me!

Saturday nights have become Doctor Who Night in the Vinyamar household. after Dinner the kids go for a bath, we light a fire and they come down in their Pajamas for the latest episode. We're currently working through season 2 with Rose and David Tenants Doctor. The Advent Calendar is up (we use a cloth one where each day is a pocket with a cloth character from the Nativity scene that get velcro'd in place each day), but the Tree and decorations will wait till next Saturday or Sunday, since the 8th is a Monday.

Nearly all the shopping is done, so we get to spend the next few weeks enjoying the Christmas Buildup instead of panicking.

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Dawnnamira
Post subject: Re: December is "I Believe in Santa Claus" month
Posted: Mon 01 Dec , 2008 5:28 pm
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Well, I don't really do the feel-good stuff for Christmas, but I'm going to sit in the corner and be glad that there are people who still do/can. :)

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LalaithUrwen
Post subject: Re: December is "I Believe in Santa Claus" month
Posted: Mon 01 Dec , 2008 5:33 pm
The Grey Amaretto as Supermega-awesome Proud Heretic Girl
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Rebecca, that sounds like a lot of fun! I should do something like that, though we don't have any extended family really anymore. :( (Everyone is scattered and doesn't get together for anything.)

Dawnn, :hug: Part of the reason I started this new stuff this year was because I was feeling sorry for myself that our friends aren't here anymore. We'd be hanging out with them, doing fun stuff. Then I decided it was time to move on and try to make my family feel happy again.

Alatar, that sounds like a fun family tradition! I need to get Dr. Who on DVD. We don't have it over here.

And what is special about Dec. 8th?


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Jude
Post subject: Re: December is "I Believe in Santa Claus" month
Posted: Mon 01 Dec , 2008 5:46 pm
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LalaithUrwen wrote:
and watch It's a Wonderful Life (which Freddy hates, but I love)
So does Freddy give an MST3K-style running commentary?

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LalaithUrwen
Post subject: Re: December is "I Believe in Santa Claus" month
Posted: Mon 01 Dec , 2008 5:48 pm
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No! :Duck: This is a sacred movie.


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Dawnnamira
Post subject: Re: December is "I Believe in Santa Claus" month
Posted: Mon 01 Dec , 2008 5:48 pm
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I wish I could say that if I were around my friends there would be festivities, but they all have their huge families and Mom works anyways, so I just hang out with the cat. And that's cool, ya know. I like my cat, and Mom makes sure I have eggnog when I'm at her house, so that's festive enough for me. :)

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Alatar
Post subject: Re: December is "I Believe in Santa Claus" month
Posted: Mon 01 Dec , 2008 6:03 pm
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I dunno really. Dec 8th is a holy day here, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Because of that, the kids always get a day off school so it was traditionally the first day of Christmas. The day you put your decorations up, and went to the shops to look at all the toys and write your letter to Santa. That may be a purely Irish thing though.

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Dawnnamira
Post subject: Re: December is "I Believe in Santa Claus" month
Posted: Mon 01 Dec , 2008 6:54 pm
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That sounds like a wonderful idea to me Al, I think we could use it here in the US. :love:

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Nin
Post subject: Re: December is "I Believe in Santa Claus" month
Posted: Mon 01 Dec , 2008 7:08 pm
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I'm a an adventscalendar freak.

My kids have two - one with Pokemon cards and one with chocolate, but it's home-made which we reuse every year. In the home-made are also chocolates every day for my step-children.

I made a calendar for my guy every year since we live together. First year, just some sweets. Last year, I wrote him a story in 24 episodes. I wanted to do that this year too, a criminal story with a murder on december 1st and solution of the crime on december 24th, but I was too busy, did not make it.

So I bought him a tea-flower and two high quality chocolates for every day and put them in little santa-boots shaped bags - so every day he can share a good tea and the chocolate with the person of his choice.

This year I also got a calendar, with gingerbread (Lebkuchen). :)

I also thought of making one iwht spices for my step-son who loves to cook, but it's just to expensive. Last year for my step-daughter I put in candles every day, as she likes candles.

I made the calendar with the kids, it's a small drawers actually for screws and stuff like that, hand-painted with the handpainted numbers on it. You see it was made by children, but that's part of the charm too.

I'm a christmas fanatic.

I'll make biscuits too (for my students mostly, my kids don't eat bicuits and most of the cakes :( ), but I'm not yet ready for the presents. I want to get a tele for my guy's camera, a Canon EOS. skiing sticks for the kids. A book for my stepson, I don't know yet for my step-daughter, also maybe a Wii game or two or a Wii-fit... only I'm broke. (screw the lawyer and the dentist)

Also the good food on christmas hmm... only today I'm sick like hell. :((

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*E*V*E*N*S*T*A*R*
Post subject: Re: December is "I Believe in Santa Claus" month
Posted: Mon 01 Dec , 2008 7:29 pm
I've cried a thousand oceans, and I would cry a thousand more if that's what it takes to sail you home.
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Hm, well. 2007 was close to the worst year I ever had, but for some raisin Christmas worked out really nicely. I had gotten everyone's presents months earlier, downloaded dozens of great mix tapes to get in the spirit, and when the family opted to be twats instead of going to holiday events with me ;) I just went by myself and had a blast. Stop worrying about everyone else, Dawn. Whether they drive you nuts or are your dearest friends, the season is what you make of it. I know it can be balls, but it's your own sanity as stake so it's worth fighting against. :P

This Christmas season is already going swell for me: my evil brother got a job out west. I won't have to deal with him for three weeks!11 The weather outside today made me think of the first Gathering convention (specifically the snowball fight between Estel, Rodia, Gimli, Jodie, etc.). Xmas eve will be the sixth anniversary of our puppy coming to live with us. I bought a bitchin' hat I look forward to wearing all winter long. :P I will probably crash my parents' party this weekend. There is a pot luck at my church on Saturday, and I plan on attending whatever Christmas service they have. And some night in the next few weeks, I'm gonna put on my Arwen cloak, force the dog to wear her reindeer antlers, and walk around the neighborhood singing carols. Will be funs.




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Jude
Post subject: Re: December is "I Believe in Santa Claus" month
Posted: Mon 01 Dec , 2008 7:52 pm
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Zoo sells Christmas ornaments from reindeer droppings
Quote:
Take one reindeer dropping, dry it, coat in a clear finish, and then paint it or roll it in glitter. Voila — a Christmas ornament.

That's what's keeping staff at Illinois's Miller Park Zoo busy this holiday season as they keep the gift shop stocked in what zoo marketing director Susie Ohley calls "magical reindeer gem ornaments."

Each comes with a label of authenticity and costs $5 US.

Staffer Katie Buydos, who makes jewelry as a hobby, donated wire and beads, saying, "Susie asked me to bring some creativity to the table."

Some folks are surprised at the size of the "gems," which are only about as big as marbles. "Reindeer are so big," zoo maintenance worker Sheldon Williams said. But the droppings are "just a big pile of small."
:LMAO:

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Lidless
Post subject: Re: December is "I Believe in Santa Claus" month
Posted: Mon 01 Dec , 2008 7:52 pm
Als u het leven te ernstig neemt, mist u de betekenis.
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Alas when I was 8 I did the maths on how much time Santa had for each household.

And that was the end of that.

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*E*V*E*N*S*T*A*R*
Post subject: Re: December is "I Believe in Santa Claus" month
Posted: Mon 01 Dec , 2008 8:21 pm
I've cried a thousand oceans, and I would cry a thousand more if that's what it takes to sail you home.
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Jude, speaking of animal feces, :roll: I just happened to watch a DVD from an early-90's tv show called Seaquest DSV. No idea how popular it was, but it starred Roy Scheider and a talking dolphin and that equals win in my books! One of the episodes revolved around a character finding precious stones he thought were gonna make him a bundle on, but at the end, it's discovered that the glowing stones were just bioluminescent poop from a giant squid thing. :P Take that, reindeer: not everyone needs to add glitter before profiting from their stools!

EDIT: hear the bell, Lidless. Hear the bell.

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Ara-anna
Post subject: Re: December is "I Believe in Santa Claus" month
Posted: Mon 01 Dec , 2008 8:32 pm
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I have to believe in Santa Claus.


Back to serious, this year my kids are 18 and will be graduating from High School and next year they could be out of the house, so this could be our last year as a whole family, maybe not, but the times of them all being around for each Christmas is becoming something I can't take for granted anymore.

I don't do advent but we do have some traditions we will be doing. I did buy them each an Springer Spaniel Angel ornament to keep forever, so they have something to remember Belle. She was our Jingle Bell wearer so we had to find a new set of bells for Franny to wear and we did that this Saturday.

We will make up our Christmas cookies in two weeks, and hand them out to the neighbors. Plus we will be decorating pretty soon as well. This will be the first time in two years we will be decorating our own house, the last two years we haven't been home.

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Alatar
Post subject: Re: December is "I Believe in Santa Claus" month
Posted: Mon 01 Dec , 2008 9:41 pm
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Lidless wrote:
Alas when I was 8 I did the maths on how much time Santa had for each household.

And that was the end of that.

Ah, but you're ignoring the effects of the time bubble used to allow Santa the time to traverse the world, not to mention the fact that his Sleigh is MAGIC

Duh. For a smart guy you're awful dumb...

;)

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Jude
Post subject: Re: December is "I Believe in Santa Claus" month
Posted: Mon 01 Dec , 2008 9:54 pm
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Anyway, the answers to all your questions can be found in "Hogfather" by Terry Pratchett.

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Holbytla
Post subject: Re: December is "I Believe in Santa Claus" month
Posted: Mon 01 Dec , 2008 9:59 pm
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I believe in the magic of Christmas, so why not the magic of Santa?
Honestly if I tried to explain the string theory to a mind that lives in a 3d world, I would at best be able to get people to uderstand the gist of it. So how can I possibly explain the magic of Santa to someone who lives in a world of cynicism? It would be like dividing by zero.
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