Christmas spirit...wheres it gone?
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this christmas my wife and i are expecting our first baby (29th dec) so we're calling that our main prezzie to each other 
other than that i am carving all of my presents. so far i've done a letter opener for my dad, flower for my mum and i'm just starting a caterpillar for my wife for the garden. got about 3 or 4 more bits to do for other people. being an athiest, christmas has never been about religion or spirituality for me. it is purely about spending time with friends and family, not having to spend hundreds of pounds to satisfy them. and eating too much.
other than that i am carving all of my presents. so far i've done a letter opener for my dad, flower for my mum and i'm just starting a caterpillar for my wife for the garden. got about 3 or 4 more bits to do for other people. being an athiest, christmas has never been about religion or spirituality for me. it is purely about spending time with friends and family, not having to spend hundreds of pounds to satisfy them. and eating too much.
All the best for christmas Ron, and the job search - it's a brave move you've made and you should be applauded. Your christmas plans sound perfect.
Magentus
Thanks Red, quoted for truth!
As a child I was one of those that enjoyed a tree laden with brightly colored packages I admit. But in the end the memories I have the most of some 25-30 years later, are those spent with family members that are now gone. I have grown to absolutely loathe the holiday's due to "commercialization" and the type of rubbish that the OP speaks about. As a Father, I have done all I can to keep the focus on the real reason our family celebrates Christmas.
Over here the Post Office hires additional temporary staff to assist with the increase in postal traffic during the Christmas season. I don't know if that's the case there also but it might be worth looking into.
Same here. My daughter also places a limit on her son; he can only ask for 3 gifts from Santa. The hard part is keeping her Mom from overspending.
Merry Christmas when it comes Ron
What ages are the children ? If they're still innocent enough of the consumer must have greed, Christmas can still be an awful lot of fun
Thanks!
It will be, Toddy, because we can celebrate it here, in the place we love and call home, together, in good health and with food and warmth. That is more than many others have.
My children have been affected by consumersociety unfortunately, but our son (10) understands and sees things the same way. Our oldest daughter (9) finds it harder, but she will too... and our youngest daughter..... well, she's generally happy and carefree here.
You call it brave, but I've been labeled otherwise, too. Foolish and irresponsible parent were some of those descriptions.
It is our dream and somehow we'll make it.
The best thing, however, is that we had to leave half of what we owned behind; all the larger pieces, our furniture, our cars, bicycles... you name it. Some of it was sold, but a lot of it was given to a friend of mine and his new love with kids, so they could start a new life together.
The rest was donated to a instituition helping out those who really need it in former Eastern European countries, like the Ukrain, Romania, Poland etc. The section in our hometown is lead by people we know and I know for sure that our stuff ended up in the right places. So nothing went to waste and it did some good.
That was our christmasgiving for this year.
Christmas day is just for us, make our friends and family calls early then all phones are off. Boxing day is varied, some years open house, some not. We all love Christmas and sharing our love and giving presents; its a time to chill and relax.
Can't wait to try out the new LED tree lights...no more blown bulbs
Can't wait to try out the new LED tree lights...no more blown bulbs
No lights, and the tree is 21 year old, plastic and proud of it. Decorated with baubles and bangles made by family members My mother gave us a set of glass (yes real glass decorations) the year we moved in together, we still have about half of them, The star was made by my daughter when she was 2 ½ out of card and silver foil, sprinkled with glitter. Ten years on, and it take pride of place, despite looking like a 2 ½ year old made it out of card and tin foil ten Christmases ago )
Each year we add something new. Last year it was blue wooden stars with snowflakes painted on them.
The same tree will/would cost you £40 now, (we paid £9.99 in the January sale). So over the past 21 years weve saved around £400 on trees and the same in decorations. A real tree the same size is £67 not including delivery.
and the tree is 21 year old, plastic and proud of it. Decorated with baubles and bangles made by family members My mother gave us a set of glass (yes real glass decorations) the year we moved in together, we still have about half of them, The star was made by my daughter when she was 2 ½ out of card and silver foil, sprinkled with glitter. Ten years on, and it take pride of place, despite looking like a 2 ½ year old made it out of card and tin foil ten Christmases ago ) Each year we add something new. Last year it was blue wooden stars with snowflakes painted on them.
The same tree will/would cost you £40 now, (we paid £9.99 in the January sale). So over the past 21 years weve saved around £400 on trees and the same in decorations. A real tree the same size is £67 not including delivery.
I'll be working, Xmas day is just another working day for me out in the sand pit.
I am going to go round to a friends for dinner a few days before with Katy though.
On the day, I'll make Xmas lunch, then it'll be off to work (I'm on back shift)
I am going to go round to a friends for dinner a few days before with Katy though.
On the day, I'll make Xmas lunch, then it'll be off to work (I'm on back shift)
Not sure if I'll put up a tree this year as my daughter and her sons will be in Wisconsin with her mother's family. If I do, I'll probably get a permit form the AFB reservation and cut my own, $5 for the permit and I get a nice tree, help rid the area of an invasive species (sand pine), and have a nice half day on the reservation.
Hah I sussed that one a while back.........fibre optics make life easy
M
My wife is one of the most intelligent people I know but in the past, when our two were nippers our lounge was like Blackpool illuminations...on speed.
Thankfully she's cut back a lot and now its one good tree and these new fangled LED lights this year. Lots of presents, lots of happiness etc. One problem for some is that we eat well all round, the range of food available 365 days of the year almost takes away from the experience. When I was small Tangerines came wrapped in foil, boxes of six or twelve and were really only there at Christmas time and many of my friends never saw them even then. Same with the dreaded Turkey (not my favourite meat), thankfully for me only once a year, many families would enjoy a Goose but now you just walk into Tesco and put your matured Beef next to your Lobster etc any day of the week.
Roll on Boxing day, Chine of Beef slow roasted
I never could stand electric lights on the tree - these days we have the tree (artificial to save cutting or uprooting a real one) in the porch, decorated with baubles (some older than me and still prettier and some gifted to me from friends and some plastic (it is not a big porch and I do not want anything getting broken) - all of which look great when lit by candles (at a safe distance )
As a non-Christian I do not expect to be bothered by the lack of religious feeling at this time of year... but excessive consumption at any time of year is a bit of a downer ... I enjoy a bit of a party to celebrate/let off steam at the darkest dullest point of the year but consumerism - no ..I do not like it at all!
All the Yule prezzies from me are £ shop/charity shop/hand made or practical (her indors is getting a kettle for the top of our new woodburner and tree loppers that she picked out) or artistic...
I will be happy with a good book and a good malt
Have a good time everyone
It looks like my Xmas luch will be a sarnie at work!
)As a non-Christian I do not expect to be bothered by the lack of religious feeling at this time of year... but excessive consumption at any time of year is a bit of a downer ... I enjoy a bit of a party to celebrate/let off steam at the darkest dullest point of the year but consumerism - no ..I do not like it at all!
All the Yule prezzies from me are £ shop/charity shop/hand made or practical (her indors is getting a kettle for the top of our new woodburner and tree loppers that she picked out) or artistic...
I will be happy with a good book and a good malt
Have a good time everyone
It looks like my Xmas luch will be a sarnie at work!
hiya gang now christmas in our house is a happy time and is all about family and the giving of pressies and what not but i fully agree that it has become a bit of a consumerisam and all about the latest toy or gift yet i personally just want to spend it with me mum dad and the rest of the gang that is my family. Why well personally i think that yes there should be pressies but only if they can be aforded and that its not just about the latest fad or toy. Now i personally love christmas and its ausome but i have to agree it is abit to consumer driven
I know what Rik means about the tangerines .........it's smells that I miss nowadays at Christmas and the New Year.
Crisp cold air, food smells changing as the seasons turn.
Christmas always smelled of tangerines and chocolate and pine trees.
The New Year always smelled of spices from the baking, steak pie, soup and home made bread, beeswax furniture polish and freshly starched table linens, then of whisky and cigars and newly re-lit coal fires as the Bells rang in.
Christmas was very low key, a children's celebration, but Hogmanay, the New Year and Ne'erday were always the most exciting Folks in, lots of visiting, music and singing and laughter and joy.
My Grandmother gave us a minding at Christmas, usually something she'd made for us herself, gloves, socks, that kind of thing, but she always had a present for us at the New Year, and a shilling from my Grandpa
Now my family is all adult Christmas is quiet again and the New Year has changed over the years. We still wish everyone the best, and we visit the eldests, but the simple fun has gone for most in favour of the telly, pop music and incredible amounts of booze cheaply available.
Toddy
.........it's smells that I miss nowadays at Christmas and the New Year.Crisp cold air, food smells changing as the seasons turn.
Christmas always smelled of tangerines and chocolate and pine trees.
The New Year always smelled of spices from the baking, steak pie, soup and home made bread, beeswax furniture polish and freshly starched table linens, then of whisky and cigars and newly re-lit coal fires as the Bells rang in.
Christmas was very low key, a children's celebration, but Hogmanay, the New Year and Ne'erday were always the most exciting
Folks in, lots of visiting, music and singing and laughter and joy.My Grandmother gave us a minding at Christmas, usually something she'd made for us herself, gloves, socks, that kind of thing, but she always had a present for us at the New Year, and a shilling from my Grandpa
Now my family is all adult Christmas is quiet again and the New Year has changed over the years. We still wish everyone the best, and we visit the eldests, but the simple fun has gone for most in favour of the telly, pop music and incredible amounts of booze cheaply available.
Toddy
wher can i get some, brilliant idea for our granddaughter 1st chismassVery practical gifts for a newborn baby; myrrh, frankincense and gold
Basically it's a first aid and keep healthy kit
cheers,
M
