[Discussion] Holiday Traditions/Celebrations

[Far Dareis Mai]

So the holiday season is pretty much upon us, and no matter what religion you choose to embrace (or lack thereof), people typically find this time of year to celebrate something. There are large public events, and small family ideals that are practiced. It isn't even always religious--people celebrate the coming of the New Year, or certain cultural or national events.

 

So the first question I'll pose is: Do you participate in any holidays during this season? If so, are they religious? National? Cultural? If you choose to not celebrate anything at all--how does the holiday season impact you?

[Haxorsist]

I celebrate Christmas. If eating ridiculous amounts of food counts as celebration. The reason for my celebrating Christmas is more because of tradition than religion. I consider myself agnostic, but I have nothing against Christmas or going to church on Christmas Eve (though I rarely do that). As I said, it's all about tradition for me, so I like all of these Christian stories and symbols during the season, even if I'm not sure I believe in 'em. Also there's presents, but I'm really in it for the food... delicious, glorious food.

[eclipse0]

I agree, there's nothing wrong with celebrating a holiday tradition for pure enjoyment purposes only.  I rarely go to Church anymore myself, but I do enjoy Christmas music, spending time with family (some of them anyways), the festive decorations, of course the food, and the spirit of the season of peace, love, happiness, giving and sharing as well at the spirits of hard cider, hot buttered rum and egg nog!

[cosmicpanda]

Christmas is the time for BBQs and going to the beach  :D

[Alaksuleiel]

Sure you're not Aussie, Pandy?

 

We celebrate Christmas, in the non religious way. Presents and food, and when not spawning, red wine.

[Talya]

I usually end up going to church at least Twice. Once for the Christingle Service, which is a service for kids and raises money for children all over the world (my little girl enjoys this). The other time is My daughter's School Christmas play, which they do in the village church. I love Christmas, The whole time of year, the decorations, the food, giving and recieving pressies, the music, everything. I'm like a big kid!

[cosmicpanda]

Sure you're not Aussie, Pandy?

 

I forgot to mention that I usually end up in a church at least once for carols, although not the proper Christmas service.

 

 

[bad company]

I'm aussie, I go to church chrissie eve as on christmas we normally have people over to eat too much or we go to relatives.

[Dunbar]

Christmas time is celebration time, what with the indoors trees and gifts and awesome food and family and stuff? I say, go christmas! Not much of a religious man myself, so I don't really see it from the Jesus-side, more of at raditionalist. If I get to eat pinnekjøtt (stick meat? o_o) and open gifts I'm all happy.

[Haxorsist]

For those of you not in the know, pinnekjøtt is dried and salted lamb's ribs that get rehydrated and steamed. It's good, but for Christmas I prefer pork ribs.

[Moghedian]

On Christmas Eve I go to church for Midnight Mass with my family (they're all Christians and I'm Atheist so I just go because it's what we've always done) and then on Christmas day we go to the park (2nd largest park in a city in the world :P) for a picnic.

[Far Dareis Mai]

Well for us the gateway to the holiday season is Thanksgiving, and that of course involves a turkey (34 pounds this year!), tons of other food, lots of pies and desserts, and then the inevitable food coma afterward.

 

In my family every little thing was a big deal for Christmas. We'd go out to find the perfect Christmas tree, spend hours decorating it just right, we'd listen to Nat King Cole and Bing Crosby's Christmas Carols. On Christmas Eve we'd go to bed early and after several hours of trying in vain to stay up, we'd pass out and wake up around 4am. We'd then sneak downstairs and do an initial tag check, and then do our best to sneak back upstairs with our stockings in tow. We weren't allowed to wake up our parents until 7am, and only after we'd started a pot of coffee for them. Then we'd all have to take turns opening gifts, and then when that was over, we'd usually have a ham or something of that sort for dinner. That isn't even including the large extended family Christmases that we'd attend throughout the month. I used to go to the Church services, but I haven't the last couple years because my kids are just too little to sit still that long. We do go to the Santa House and the girls see Santa. I'll probably have to pry my daughter's fingers off the vice like grip she gets on Santa's fingers, like I did last year. :D

 

Now it's a bit different being the parent. But I still find that I have just as much fun, if not more--seeing the excitement on everyone's faces, and being the one hosting events and such.

 

New Year we all go over to my sister in law's house and play games and drink. And eat, of course.

[Lythnia Roylin]

Christmas is wonderful...We always do the tree and the decorations, but we don't go over the top (mostly laziness lol) Christmas Eve we all go to the midnight service at church, get back and have some sort of food and then sleep. Wake up Christmas morning, do the whole presents bit, which is always fun :D Then we'll start cooking Christmas dinner and eat around 7 o'clock, maybe a bit later. It's an overall good day...and then of course New Year's, which is tons of fun! This year we're going down to my friend's place in MD for Christmas like we did last year; she has a huge family and they al live closeby, whereas we don't really have much family in the area, so we're gonna go down and have a big loud food-filled Greek Christmas, the way it should be :D