[ringo]

Do you celebrate Christmas? If you do, are you doing anything different or out of the ordinary this year?

My wife and I usually celebrate every year, but we're playing it low-key this time around. We're going to have some family over and will be getting together with friends around the holidays, but have decided to send cards instead of presents because of the economy.

We will have a tree, but decided to just get each other a few small gifts to put under it.

I'm still looking forward to it because I get some time off of work to spend with friends and family.

What do you have planned?

[Zimphire]

Me and Cheryl are going to go down to the local pound and volunteer our time. We did it last year, was depressing, but I felt it helped.

[Vanquish]

Plans: nothing special maybe going over to familiy in the south of france. Don't know yet. I always make those decisions last minute .

[philzilla]

i go to my brother's, down south. we both completely hate religion, so we just get totally wasted and have an Anti-Xmas.

BAH, HUMBUG

[voodoo]

I celebrate christmas. This christmas will be the first christmas I spend away from my parents (I moved out from them, to another country in fact, a long time ago but I always came home for christmas). I feel kinda depressed about it, but it was my decision. I will be finishing exams unusually late (21st dec) and I just can't cope with the added stress of getting from Iceland to Norway on the 22nd or 23rd. I will be exhausted after the final exam so 22nd is really out of the question anyway. Leaving me with a window of one day to haul ass over to Norway. No thanks!

I'll stay with my grandparents here in Rekjav�k instead. It will be interesting, I haven't spent christmas with them since I was a kid. I love christmas!

[Mastrap]

We're staying with my parents until boxing day. My dad, in his old age, has become a bit of a wine buff and accumulated a sizeable cellar. My mum is a generous soul and doesn't mind us exploring whats available, much to his despair at times. They both love cooking so food will be good.

We tried to get them to celebrate in our home this year but they weren't having any of that. In Germany people traditionally exchange presents on the 24th, Christmas eve. As the family is mixed British/German we alternate between Christmas morning and the German tradition. This year it's on Christmas morning which I am hugely looking forward to as my mother, who claims that she never could get used to that tradition, turns into a 5 year old again, complete with getting up at five in the morning and everything. Excellent.

[Nimisys]

we're going to try christmas around here, if my dog doesn't eat it first.

though the best part is that christmas eve were haviong the big meal and its not going to be turkey or ham, and then christmas just gonna eat snack foods and leftovers that don't require much effort. best of all for the first time in like 10 years or so we are finalling going to be able to stay home, and not have to go visit any relatives or anything. they can come to us for once. that is gonna be nice

[PorscheBunny]

Celebrate is not the word I would choose, endure is closer to it.

At least the old people will be bugging Helen instead of me. They can change the poopy diapers, I'll be elsewhere hiding out from everyone.

[Mulattabianca]

probably not. trying to avoid it as far as i can ..

[rampant]

nope, and not just because I'm jewish.

[Kitschy]

Originally posted by Vanquish:
...the south of france...

This is off topic. But why is southern France always referred to as "the south of France"? Why not southern France? You're not the only person I've heard say that.

I am from the south of Oklahoma.

[denim]

Plans: I expect to be very bored on Christmas, as usual. OTOH, I'll be glad that the malls and traffic will be going back to normal as I'll be able to get a decent lunch again.

[denim]

Originally posted by Nimisys:
though the best part is that christmas eve were haviong the big meal and its not going to be turkey or ham,

Are you going to cook your goose?

[daimoni]

.

[philzilla]

Originally posted by denim:
Are you going to cook your goose?

ahh, that's another reason i stay at my brother's: we're both vegetarian, and Xmas is just a meat-fest for most people. i don't need to be a part of that, neither does he, so we have a beer-fest instead

[Nimisys]

Originally posted by denim:
Are you going to cook your goose?

no most likley roast beef or london broil... my father ( the cook) is tired of doing turkwy and ham, and i like neither served in the contemporary holiday form. i only eat them in thin sliced deli sandwich style

but steak on the other hand

[denim]

Originally posted by philzilla:
ahh, that's another reason i stay at my brother's: we're both vegetarian, and Xmas is just a meat-fest for most people. i don't need to be a part of that, neither does he, so we have a beer-fest instead

Good answer. I read a short story called "User Friendly" in a book by the same name by Spider Robinson a few months ago, and it's got me headed that way. There's no such thing as perfection, but one can do what one can.

[CheesePuff]

Drink 12 glasses of water to wake up early (mom took away the alarm clocks) and then get up at 6 AM to go play with the new toys before anyone else is up.

But I have a feeling something will go wrong... such as when I start playing with my fire truck it will start all the presents and tree on fire. But thats alright, the community will come together because they thought it was a robbery and we raise enough money to go and buy a car.

To be continued.

[Mac Zealot]

LOL

I heard that one in a book before!

[Face Ache]

Originally posted by philzilla:
ahh, that's another reason i stay at my brother's: we're both vegetarian, and Xmas is just a meat-fest for most people. i don't need to be a part of that, neither does he, so we have a beer-fest instead

But... but... beer is made from little puppy dogs.

[philzilla]

Originally posted by Face Ache:

But... but... beer is made from little puppy dogs.

you're getting your pets and countries mixed up. it's: american beer tastes of cat piss

[juanvaldes]

yeah. With the family. We eat Ribs. It is good

[mchladek]

Our family used to do a Christmas vacation (like skiing in Colorado, Scuba diving in Mexico, etc.) but now that my brother and I are out of the house starting our own lives; it's more of a hassle trying to plan out a trip with the old folks. Now we usually just have a family get together with a few aunts, uncles, and cousins. It's a pretty fun time (a lot better than a Christmas vacation, IMHO) and I really like hanging out with my relatives which is a big plus

[nonhuman]

I won't be celebrating but my family will force me to at least be there. They'll probably end up giving me stuff too even though I always tell them I don't want anything, or more specifically that I want them to not give me anything. Aparently they feel bad complying with my so blatently non-materialistic wishes...

[cjrivera]

Originally posted by CheesePuff:
Drink 12 glasses of water to wake up early (mom took away the alarm clocks) and then get up at 6 AM to go play with the new toys before anyone else is up.

But I have a feeling something will go wrong... such as when I start playing with my fire truck it will start all the presents and tree on fire. But thats alright, the community will come together because they thought it was a robbery and we raise enough money to go and buy a car.

To be continued.

DOH!

BART!

Why you little.....!!!

[rjenkinson]

i am going to go to work on christmas

just. like. last. year.

-r.

[PorscheBunny]

Originally posted by philzilla:
you're getting your pets and countries mixed up. it's: american beer tastes of cat piss

� and you know this from personal experience?

[Montanan]

As always, my siblings and I will go visit the folks for a few days. Not too exciting, though, in large part because they're aren't any little kids in our family right now. Kids opening presents is a big part of what makes Christmas fun.

Inevitably, my relations will try to compensate for this lack of human children by purchasing and carefully wrapping numerous Christmas presents for the family dogs. A frenzied madhouse of giftwrap-shredding by the canines will then take place on Christmas morning, naturally followed by a dramatic dogfight or two. Relatives can be so embarassing at times ...

[valeriam01]

I think this yr. we're not getting together with the WHOLE family, though I'm sure we'll see them at some pt. during the holidays. I'm just hoping we can get a tree up in the 5 days between flying home and x-mas. and then we can roast marshmellows over toxic flames again later in the holidays....hahahaa

[Vanquish]

By Kitschy:
This is off topic. But why is southern France always referred to as "the south of France"? Why not southern France? You're not the only person I've heard say that.

I am from the south of Oklahoma.

Well, I think it's because the french say "Le sud" = "the south" and they leave "de la france" away (=of france).
Also in dutch we say "het zuiden van frankrijk" = "the south of france".In dutch we can say "zuid-Frankrijk" = "southeren france" but in french it can't be translated that way.

And since I'm 1/2 Belgian (dutch-speaking and 1/2 French it makes sense that I call it "The south of France", I think.

I think it's just an error that occurs when translating litteraly.

I hope this is a good explenation

(Maybe there is some totally different reason but that's the reason I could come up with)