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Author Topic: Christmas - love it or hate it?  (Read 2629 times)
Antheil
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« Reply #105 on: 18:00:05, 28-11-2007 »

However, I do dislike the gorge fest that it has become. I really do find that aspect repulsive and rather obscene. People eating themselves almost into a coma "because it`s Christmas". Yuck. That`s not to say that I will have a small bowl of cold gruel accompanied by stale bread on Christmas Day, no, I will make something special and lay in some treats, I`m not a Scrooge!  It`s just that the sight of people pushing ridiculously overladen trolleys around the supermarket as though rationing was about to be introduced makes me feel Scrooge-like.

I'm with you on that Mort.  As I said previously, I had a relationship which bit the dust in early December one year so I 'distanced' myself from the festivities and the laden trolleys.  However I worked with someone whose nephew was Management in a Waitrose (not a London branch) and one woman had three trolleys and her bill amounted to £1500!!  Personally, to me, that was obscene.  As I said to the Lions Club man collecting outside a few days before Christmas, having walked out of the supermarket, being unable to face the scrummage going on inside "What's all this got to do with Baby Jesus?"
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Reality, sa molesworth 2, is so sordid it makes me shudder
MabelJane
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When in doubt, wash.


« Reply #106 on: 20:11:54, 28-11-2007 »

However I worked with someone whose nephew was Management in a Waitrose (not a London branch) and one woman had three trolleys and her bill amounted to £1500!!  Personally, to me, that was obscene. 

But maybe it wasn't all just for her... Cheesy


This is not me by the way - I would use a spoon. 
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Merely corroborative detail, intended to give artistic verisimilitude to an otherwise bald and unconvincing narrative.
martle
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« Reply #107 on: 20:31:04, 28-11-2007 »

MJ - a fork, surely, darlink?  Grin

I suppose I don't mind it that much. Not believing in any of the religious stuff, I'd much rather have a Thanksgiving-style festival somewhere around the same time of year. But even that involves what Xmas does for me: driving or otherwise traveling hundreds of miles to fit in all the various outposts of family, with presents in tow, and usually a 'bar' in the boot of my car because the cheapskates mostly have nothing in the house stronger than Ribena.  Roll Eyes Grin
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Green. Always green.
Morticia
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« Reply #108 on: 20:57:40, 28-11-2007 »

Martle, are you absolutely sure that you`ve been going to the right address? Cheesy Cheesy
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MabelJane
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« Reply #109 on: 21:06:20, 28-11-2007 »

MJ - a fork, surely, darlink?  Grin
I did put fork at first Grin but changed it to spoon to enable speedier shovelling!
and usually a 'bar' in the boot of my car because the cheapskates mostly have nothing in the house stronger than Ribena.  Roll Eyes Grin
Plenty of this of course:
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Merely corroborative detail, intended to give artistic verisimilitude to an otherwise bald and unconvincing narrative.
Andy D
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« Reply #110 on: 23:07:24, 03-12-2007 »

This house in my road was covered in illuminated Father Christmases etc last year and they appeared again the weekend before last ie a month before Christmas. So here's a picture I took tonight.

I went to see a friend last night and the house on one side of his plus the 2 houses on the other side are decked out even more garishly than this one, while his house is not decorated at all - and I didn't take my camera with me so I couldn't get a shot. Angry One of his neighbours didn't restrict themselves to the walls, the front lawn is covered as well, including an illuminated reindeer with a rotating head. Cheesy



(cotitsalv)
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Antheil
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« Reply #111 on: 08:09:38, 04-12-2007 »

They go in for house decorating big time in South Wales, particularly in the Valleys.  This one is a house in Neath

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Reality, sa molesworth 2, is so sordid it makes me shudder
Ruth Elleson
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« Reply #112 on: 09:24:12, 04-12-2007 »

Where I used to live there was a house that used to have a crib scene in the front garden with giant figures including snowmen worshipping at the manger!
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Oft hat ein Seufzer, deiner Harf' entflossen,
Ein süßer, heiliger Akkord von dir
Den Himmel beßrer Zeiten mir erschlossen,
Du holde Kunst, ich danke dir dafür!
Jonathan
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Still Lisztening...


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« Reply #113 on: 13:08:18, 04-12-2007 »

Near where we used to live in Kent, there were 3 houses in a row which seemed to compete with each other every year.  I'd hate to see their electricity bills!  Shocked
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Jonathan
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operacat
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WWW
« Reply #114 on: 17:08:51, 04-12-2007 »

However, I do dislike the gorge fest that it has become. I really do find that aspect repulsive and rather obscene. People eating themselves almost into a coma "because it`s Christmas". Yuck. That`s not to say that I will have a small bowl of cold gruel accompanied by stale bread on Christmas Day, no, I will make something special and lay in some treats, I`m not a Scrooge!  It`s just that the sight of people pushing ridiculously overladen trolleys around the supermarket as though rationing was about to be introduced makes me feel Scrooge-like.

I'm with you on that Mort.  As I said previously, I had a relationship which bit the dust in early December one year so I 'distanced' myself from the festivities and the laden trolleys.  However I worked with someone whose nephew was Management in a Waitrose (not a London branch) and one woman had three trolleys and her bill amounted to £1500!!  Personally, to me, that was obscene.  As I said to the Lions Club man collecting outside a few days before Christmas, having walked out of the supermarket, being unable to face the scrummage going on inside "What's all this got to do with Baby Jesus?"

Well, I suppose it's none of our business...she may have been intending to feed an entire extended family for a week, after all.
For me, the entire period has NOTHING to do with Baby Jesus, as I'm not a Christian - I don't object to ANYONE ELSE celebrating Christmas, if that's what they believe and that's what they want to call it, but for my partner and me it's just the Winter Solstice. I think I may have mentioned this before - every culture that has ever existed has done something to commemorate the Winter Solstice.
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operacat
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WWW
« Reply #115 on: 17:10:31, 04-12-2007 »

The Night Before Chanukah

'Twas the night before Chanukah, boichiks and maidels
Not a sound could be heard, not even the dreidels
The menorah was set by the chimney alight
In the kitchen, the Bubbie was hopping a bite
Salami, Pastrami, a glaisele tay
And zoyere pickles mit bagels-- Oy vay!



Gezint and geschmock the kinderlach felt
While dreaming of taiglach and Chanukah gelt
The alarm clock was sitting, a kloppin' and tickin'
And Bubbie was carving a shtickele chicken
A tummel arose, like the wildest k'duchas
Santa had fallen right on his tuchas!


I put on my slippers, ains, tzvay, drei
While Bubbie was eating herring on rye
I grabbed for my bathrobe and buttoned my gottkes
And Bubbie was just devouring the latkes
To the window I ran, and to my surprise
A little red yarmulka greeted my eyes.



When he got to the door and saw the menorah
"Yiddishe kinder," he cried, "Kenahorah!"
I thought I was in a Goyishe hoise!
As long as I'm here, I'll leave a few toys."
"Come into the kitchen, I'll get you a dish
Mit a gupel, a leffel, and a shtickele fish."



With smacks of delight he started his fressen
Chopped liver, knaidlach, and kreplach gegessen
Along with his meal he had a few schnapps
When it came to eating, this boy sure was tops
He asked for some knishes with pepper and salt
But they were so hot he yelled out "Gevalt!"



He loosened his hoysen and ran from the tish
"Your koshereh meals are simply delish!"
As he went through the door he said "See y'all later
I'll be back next Pesach in time for the seder!"
So, hutzmir and zeitzmir and "Bleibtz mir gezint"
he called out cheerily into the wind.



More rapid than eagles, his prancers they came
As he whistled and shouted and called them by name
"Come, Izzie, now Moishe, now Yossel and Sammy!
On Oyving, and Maxie, and Hymie and Manny!"
He gave a geshrai, as he drove out of sight
"A gut yontiff to all, and to all a good night!"



Anon
 
 
 

  Melissa D. Binde [  ]
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MabelJane
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« Reply #116 on: 23:20:27, 04-12-2007 »

I taught in a Jewish primary school for a while and recall some the children telling me that they have a "Chanukah Bush" with decorations on in their house!  Cheesy
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Andy D
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« Reply #117 on: 00:02:07, 24-12-2007 »

My Sunbird calendar program has just alarmed me that Christmas Day starts in 24 hours time - as if I needed reminding! Sad
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Il Grande Inquisitor
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Posts: 4665



« Reply #118 on: 00:19:41, 24-12-2007 »

Here's another parody on Moore!  Smiley

The Politically Correct Night Before Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas and Santa's a wreck...
How to live in a world that's politically correct?
His workers no longer would answer to "Elves",
"Vertically Challenged" they were calling themselves.

And labour conditions at the North Pole
Were alleged by the union to stifle the soul.
Four reindeer had vanished, without much propriety,
Released to the wilds by the Humane Society.

And equal employment had made it quite clear
That Santa had better not use just reindeer.
So Dancer and Donner, Comet and Cupid,
Were replaced with four pigs, and you know that looked stupid!

The runners had been removed from his sleigh;
The ruts were termed dangerous by the E.P.A.
And people had started to call for the cops
When they heard sled noises on their roof-tops.

Second-hand smoke from his pipe had his workers quite frightened.
His fur trimmed red suit was called "Unenlightened."
And to show you the strangeness of life's ebbs and flows,
Rudolph was suing over unauthorized use of his nose

And had gone on Geraldo, in front of the nation,
Demanding millions in over-due compensation.
So, half of the reindeer were gone; and his wife,
Who suddenly said she'd enough of this life,

Joined a self-help group, packed, and left in a whiz,
Demanding from now on her title was Ms.
And as for the gifts, why, he'd ne'er had a notion
That making a choice could cause so much commotion.

Nothing of leather, nothing of fur,
Which meant nothing for him. And nothing for her.
Nothing that might be construed to pollute.
Nothing to aim. Nothing to shoot.

Nothing that clamoured or made lots of noise.
Nothing for just girls. Or just for the boys.
Nothing that claimed to be gender specific.
Nothing that's warlike or non-pacific.

No candy or sweets...they were bad for the tooth.
Nothing that seemed to embellish a truth.
And fairy tales, while not yet forbidden,
Were like Ken and Barbie, better off hidden.

For they raised the hackles of those psychological
Who claimed the only good gift was one ecological.
No baseball, no football... someone could get hurt;
Besides, playing sports exposed kids to dirt.

Dolls were said to be sexist, and should be passe;
And Nintendo would rot your entire brain away.
So Santa just stood there, dishevelled, perplexed;
He just could not figure out what to do next.

He tried to be merry, tried to be gay,
But you've got to be careful with that word today.
His sack was quite empty, limp to the ground;
Nothing fully acceptable was to be found.

Something special was needed, a gift that he might
Give to all without angering the left or the right.
A gift that would satisfy, with no indecision,
Each group of people, every religion;

Every ethnicity, every hue,
Everyone, everywhere...even you.
So here is that gift, it's price beyond worth...
"May you and your loved ones enjoy peace on earth."
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Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency
Don Basilio
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Era solo un mio sospetto


« Reply #119 on: 15:25:52, 24-12-2007 »

And here's another literary piece for today, of all days in the calendar.



Christmas Carol
is often blamed for the cosy, secular Christmas that is so common.  Although it has little grasp of theology, it has a very tough streak in it.  If you haven't read it recently I can't think of a better work for today.

God bless us all, as Tiny Tim would say.
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To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh: a time to mourn, and a time to dance
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