Have yourself a TJ Christmas 2008

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ThyneAlone
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Have yourself a TJ Christmas 2008

Post by ThyneAlone »

This is going to be our Christmas/New Year thread, starting in 2008 and hopefully reopened for further contributions annually. It would be lovely to have entries each day of December, like a sort of calendar. We are spread all over the world - here is where you can talk about your Christmas celebration customs (family or national!). Or post a poem, or a link to your favourite Christmas story. Or just say hi and offer good wishes. Or talk about Bones Christmas episodes. Or, post-holidays, to say what you have been doing.

I wish to underline at this point that this is NOT an exclusive thread. I am happy if you wish me to change the name of it to accommodate the beautiful celebrations of other cultures and faiths - please tell us what you do at this time of year. I just feel that we have all gelled so well together that it is perhaps time to put up a few decorations in the sofa room and share.

Looking forward to hearing from you all, and I will be putting up contributions soon!
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begolden
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Re: Have yourself a TJ Christmas 2008

Post by begolden »

Nice idea for a thread, Steph!

Well, as a beer drinker I can say that we are now in the season for some excellent dark brew, such as Russian Imperial Stout, Oatmeal Stout, and Chocolate Stout (better be careful, or you-know-who will become quite stout herself!)
:obscene-drinkingcheers:

I suppose this doesn't really qualify as a Christmas anecdote, does it?
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ThyneAlone
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Re: Have yourself a TJ Christmas 2008

Post by ThyneAlone »

On the contrary. Your own Christmas experience. That's what I want to hear.

I had my first Christmas taste when I went to a local switching on of Christmas lights over the weekend (doing this at least 3 times this year as son no.2 is playing carols with his school brass ensemble at several). I expected it to be tacky but it was really atmospheric. Freezing cold, dark; a massive tree; little stalls everywhere selling home-made Christmas produce and decorations, plus giving away very welcome free soup; crowds of primary school kids singing carols on stage in between a too-loud PA system blasting out all the Christmas hits of the last 4 decades. It was magic. For the first time in the hectic Christmas schedule - presents yet to buy, hundreds of cards to be written and sent - I felt excited, as I did as a child. On one of the stalls there was an ex-pupil of mine, an original, a rebel, much disliked by my colleagues and a non-runner academically, not because he was unintelligent but because he was uninterested in the system. He used to read Rimbaud poetry under the desk when I was trying to teach him French grammar! Well, he now works in the social services for the homeless and drug-addicted of Liverpool. Fantastic. Sort of expressing the true spirit of the season.

Just thought I'd let you all know about that!
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Re: Have yourself a TJ Christmas 2008

Post by Garb24 »

Neat thread. Christmas is always a cool time of the year, and I don't just
mean weather wise. I'm from Canada so yes it will be about 10 below from
now until April but we manage. In my family, I am the oldest boy, I have an
older sister and a younger brother. My brother always does Thanskgiving so
my sister & I rotate X-Mas. It the usual, mom & dad, sister and her family
and brother all show up, we do gifts, turkey, funny stories about our youth
( we let mom & dad in on a little bit more each year), rum & egg nogg is the
drink of choice but there's alway beer around too. We fight to see who
does dishes and then everyone leaves and I fall asleep. I doubt it will be
any diferent this year except maybe I'll throw in some 'Bones' trivia for fun.


Hope veryone has a Merry Xmas.

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begolden
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Re: Have yourself a TJ Christmas 2008

Post by begolden »

Steph, your description of the start of the holiday season made me long for England. It seems much more Christmassy in your part of the world than mine. All I get are blue skies and palm trees... bah humbug!
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TJ4ever
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Re: Have yourself a TJ Christmas 2008

Post by TJ4ever »

I'll go Christmas shopping in London! :D :dance: I do that almost every year. :banana-linedance:
Simone :happy-bouncyshadowgreen:
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Re: Have yourself a TJ Christmas 2008

Post by TJ4ever »

Do you guys have an Advent calendar, too? I got one from my mother with chocolates in it. And one I bought for myself with lottery scratch tickets in it!
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Angela: Well, what about love? What do you have to say about love?
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Dexter: They make it look so easy-connecting with another human being. It's like no one told them it's the hardest thing in the world.

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Re: Have yourself a TJ Christmas 2008

Post by TJ4ever »

Tomorrow is Saint Nicholas Day. Children get small presents that day and where I live they go "Nikolauslaufen". It's a bit like Halloween but instead of asking "trick or treat" children go to shops (in some areas to houses, too), say a little poem (which is much better I think) and get some sweets or nuts and oranges and sometimes small toys. It is an old tradition here where I live in the North of Germany. Back in the old days mostly children of poor sailors (as St. Nicholas was also the Saint of the children and the sailors) went through the streets on St. Nicholas Day, said a little poem or sang a little song in order to get something to eat. Today it's just fun for the children.

Don't know if this was interesting for you but thought I post it as it is an old tradition. Hope you understand what I wrote, because it is a bit difficult for me to explain. Do you have St. Nicholas Day, too?
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ThyneAlone
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Re: Have yourself a TJ Christmas 2008

Post by ThyneAlone »

'Fraid not! The French and some other Europeans do it, I know, and I tell the story to my German students every year and bring in treats for them - but the UK has nothing similar really.
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Re: Have yourself a TJ Christmas 2008

Post by skftex »

No, we don't have St. Nicholas day here either, but Simone, I'm so glad you posted it. I had never heard of it before and I LOVED reading about it. I love to hear about the old traditions of other countries like that. I like that you told a little of the history of it as well. Thanks!

Sharon
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Re: Have yourself a TJ Christmas 2008

Post by Sinkwriter72 »

Hi, Simone! What a wonderful tradition. I like the poem idea; it sounds very sweet. Did you ever memorize a poem for Nikolauslaufen? If so, do you still remember any of them? Thank you for describing its origins for us. I find that fascinating.

I grew up in Wisconsin, and when I was a kid, there were some families that celebrated what they called "St. Nick's Day." They didn't go around to shops (that I know of); I think instead it was more like "St. Nick" left little toys or fruit or candy for the kids on a certain day or days during the month of December (well before Christmas on December 25, so it was definitely separate from that holiday). I remember because one of my childhood friends always got something from St. Nick, and I was curious why my sister and brother and I didn't. :D

At any rate, I don't know how it is in other parts of the United States, but I believe Wisconsin (especially Green Bay) has a high rate of people whose ancestors came from either Germany, Belgium or somewhere in the Netherlands -- in fact, though I haven't researched it extensively, it's my understanding that my family's origins are predominantly Belgian and Dutch, with a little bit of German and French -- so a lot of those European traditions can probably be found here and there in certain parts of the U.S. Maybe not followed exactly the way your country does it, but in their own special way, I suppose. :mrgreen: Either way, I think it's really neat.
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Re: Have yourself a TJ Christmas 2008

Post by Ellen »

Well, I did all my christmas shopping in half an hour on Saturday (Stressful!) but i haven't exactly got into the christmasy mood yet. My exams finished today (Much joy about that!), so I'm gonna get christmasy soon.

I'm going to my mum's for christmas this year, that'll be good cause i haven't seen her in about a month!!! I got her a David Boreanaz calendar, we were both massive Angel fans, and she loves Bones too. :D

Hope you all have a good christmas etc etc!!
Merry christmas to everyone! (TJ included of course! :) )

xxx
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Re: Have yourself a TJ Christmas 2008

Post by Jude40 »

Hi all

Getting into the Christmas spirit now the Christmas CD is in the car for my daily drive to the station and I went to the rock and roll Christmas show/pantomime last night. Very eclectic music from Abba to Deep Purple with lots in between!
Looking forward to next week, going to see Elton John's Red Piano show, bit of a Christmas treat.
If the weather stays this icy I could do with a pair of skates for Christmas but I'm hoping for a gift wrapped TJ and David B (or one or the other I'm not greedy) I have asked Santa as I've been very good but I suspect It'll be the usual CD's, clothes and chocolates, oh and enough bath and shower stuff to last 'til next Christmas!
Anyway, I'll probably be on here again before Christmas but just in case, wishing everyone a happy and peaceful holiday season HAVE FUN!!!

Jude x
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Re: Have yourself a TJ Christmas 2008

Post by skftex »

I finally managed to get our Christmas tree up and decorated yesterday. One of the things my family does is we all get together on Christmas Eve and have a nice meal and then exchange gifts. Then of course we have the Christmas meal the next day. Usually everyone comes to my mother's house for both, but as my mother is getting older, she is letting my sister do the Christmas day meal this year, and we'll do the Christmas Eve meal and gift exchange here.

Sharon
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Re: Have yourself a TJ Christmas 2008

Post by sofilps »

Wow, we are all from different places and we have so many different ways of celebrating Christmas, this is so interesting!

I can tell you that around here we don't do nothing special. We just gather together the night of the 24th and celebrate christmas and exchange gifts... then the 25 too...maybe we have lunch together (in family). Personally, I'll be spending christmas eve here at home with my mom, my grandmother, and my great aunts friend, and my cat!...then I suppose that at some point I'll cross the street to my best friends house and hang a little bit at her place, or she'll come to mine, either way, we'll see each other.
I have to go shopping tomorrow for my grandma's present...and wrap a bunch, set them under my poor little tree (I'll post a pic next time) and be ready to host the dinner.

So if by any chance I can't get in here tomorrow, I want to wish you all a
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:mrgreen:
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Re: Have yourself a TJ Christmas 2008

Post by Sinkwriter72 »

Sofi, that picture is hilarious! Thanks for sharing it, and thank you for your holiday wishes. I hope your time with your family is a ton of fun. :D

As for me, it depends on the year, because sometimes my siblings go off to spend the holidays with their spouses' families, and we meet up and visit with various parts of the family on both sides at odd times. This year, however, it worked out that we'll all be meeting at my grandmother's house -- my grandma, my parents, two of my aunts, my sister, her husband and their kids, my brother, his wife and their daughter, and me.

Usually we eat way too much, tease each other a lot, stay up way too late playing card games (like Hearts or Dirty Eights or a Scrabble-like word-making game called Quiddler), and of course exchange gifts. It's even more fun now with my young nieces and nephew because everything's new and exciting to them, which injects a delightful energy to the festivities. I'm looking forward to it. :dance:

Last year we even managed to take the kids sledding, and this year there's definitely plenty of snow, so we may be able to do that again. Could be fun. :occasion-partyblower: :occasion-snowman:

Anyway, barring any challenging weather, my parents and my sister's family will arrive on Christmas Day sometime in the afternoon. My brother and his family will arrive the day after Christmas. And everyone will be here through the weekend. It's nice because I'm currently staying with my grandmother and my aunts in the home they share, so I won't have to travel this year (thank goodness). Now if I could just rid myself of this terrible cold I've got, preferrably before they all arrive! Then I'd be all set!

I hope you all are well and having fun and loving plans for the rest of this week, whatever you may celebrate. :romance-heartsmiley:
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Jude40
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Re: Have yourself a TJ Christmas 2008

Post by Jude40 »

Hi all

Sofi, love the photo, Santa and pressie all in one go (I wish!!!!).

Just had a phone call from my boyfriend who is out food shopping and has got me some veggie cannelloni I can have for my Christmas dinner (first veggie Christmas so I'd kinda just left it and was gonna settle for the quorn steaks I usually have but this is more interesting).

I'm off to visit him and his family later and tomorrow will consist of him coming here in the morning to open presents, then to his sisters for snacks and snowballs (the drink), then I'll have dinner with my Dad here, then Alex will be back here in the evening for TV, drink and food then its back to his family 'til midnight, its always a back and forth kinda day.

I've finally got the tree up now, went to put it up Sunday but couldn't find the stand so a bucket and three house bricks later we now have a standing and fully decorated tree.

Next year I'm definitely going away for a few days in December again, we usually go somewhere Christmassy and I missed it this year. Have done Prague and Belgium for the Christmas markets, but my fave was New York, aside from the usual I have an abiding memory of Alex nearly hitting a Japanese lady with a snowball in the midst of a mad snowball fight, she wasn't very amused!

Anyway I know I've said this before but HAPPY HOLIDAYS everyone, I hope Santa brings you and yours love and luck and all the best to everyone for 2009.

Jude x
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Re: Have yourself a TJ Christmas 2008

Post by Sinkwriter72 »

Sounds like a busy but fun holiday, Jude! Travel safely and have a terrific time. :D

By the way, I just remembered another tradition in my family (on my dad's side). Many years ago on a whim, my aunts (my dad's twin sisters) bought a gigantic, Christmas-themed coloring book. We're talking a couple hundred pages worth of pictures to color. Ever since then, every year at Christmastime, whenever we're at my grandma's house, some time throughout the day or evening, we each take turns coloring a page from the book. My parents, my aunts, me and my siblings, we've even coaxed my grandmother into joining in on the fun! And you can tell when my sister and brother got married, because their spouses started coloring pictures in the book shortly after those wedding years. (And perhaps this year we can get my 5-year-old nephew and 2-year-old niece to play, too.)

When we're done coloring, we sign or initial the page so everyone knows who colored it and in what year. It's like this marvelously creative way to mark the passage of time in our family. Very fun. :mrgreen:

And yes, I just completed mine for the season. In fact, I did two pages. (Hey, it's a big book -- unless we start doubling up, or my siblings have more kids, it's going to take us a long, long time to fill it completely. Heeee.)

Happy Christmas Eve, everyone! :occasion-santa:
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Re: Have yourself a TJ Christmas 2008

Post by TJ4ever »

I'm back from church and dinner at my sister's. Tomorrow we'll eat lunch in a restaurant with my parents and my cousin and her husband and the day after tomorrow we'll have lunch at my parent's. So basically I'll eat a lot this Christmas, have some fun with my family and some presents and not much work. :)

Merry Christmas to you!

Simone. :occasion-santa:
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Re: Have yourself a TJ Christmas 2008

Post by Sinkwriter72 »

Have fun, Simone! And Merry Christmas to you, too. *hugs*

:occasion-partyblower:
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