Santa Claus is coming to town......

[ChooseTheRight]

........Everyone pretend to be sleeping, so he leaves us presents.

When does the Christmas season start for you?

For me it usually started on the 4th of December, when I was a kid. Thats when my mum used to put up the tree and decorations. It's my sisters birthday and that was always part of the day.

Now I usually do the 12 days before and 12 days after, But one thing I do is play christmas carols or classical christmas music while I'm wrapping presents, no matter the time of year. I also read "A Christmas Carol" on pretty much a monthly basis. It's my favourite book ever and feel it's message isn't just for christmas, so I read it whenever I need a bit of that christmas spirit.

Thanks

John

 

[b.hopeful]

I despise Christmas. I participate because I have kids....but only nominally. Every year I try to make it more enjoyable by refusing to be told how to celebrate and just trying to enjoy the spirit of Christmas.

 

[ChooseTheRight]

I despise Christmas. I participate because I have kids....but only nominally. Every year I try to make it more enjoyable by refusing to be told how to celebrate and just trying to enjoy the spirit of Christmas.

It's the spirit of christmas I enjoy. One of my favourite things to do as a kid was come down stairs, open the back window and take in the air. It sounds silly, But christmas day always smelt slightly differant to me. It was just frost, But I always think of Jesus and his love at that point. Even now the smell gives me that feeling. Its only after this that I get into the whole ripping prezzies open. But Jesus always came first, even as a kid.

 

[AngelusSax]

For me, Christmas is year-round (not that I leave a lot of lights and a tree up all year, mind you, though I do leave the Nativity Scene out). Of course, Easter is the same way. The pretty trappings are usually just right around the holiday (for Christmas, this starts right after Thanksgiving and ends on Epiphany Sunday for me).

As far as music, you'r likely to catch me listening to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's Christmas albums any time of year.

 

[camethodactor]

Christmas for me doesn't start until at least after Thanksgiving. I keep noticing that radio stations continue to play holiday music earlier and earlier each year and the same goes for stores and advertising. But beneath the layers of commercialism I enjoy spending time with those I love and sharing in the spirit of Christmas. I try to embody the spirit of Christmas all year.

 

[ChooseTheRight]

One of the things I started a few years ago at christmas after I get home from the kids house. I get all washed up, put on my PJ's, Housecoat and slippers. I make myself a nice mug of hot chocolate, turn the lights down, sit all cosy on the sofa and watch a movie. Then unfortunately I have to get ready to go to work, But for that couple of hours of solitude I really try to find that inner piece that only Christ can bring.

 

[crishmael]

For me it's after Thanksgiving, but I pretty much will sing and listen to carols around the year. It's my absolute favorite season!

 

[alfrodull]

Growing up my family always put up the decorations the weekend after Thanksgiving, and I suppose I still keep this mentality. At least in Pennsylvania, where the first really substantial, lasting snows usually happen around this time, it felt like a natural bridge between autumn and winter, between holidays. Not to mention the fact I like to go Christmas shopping on black friday. I'm not really obsessed with shopping or finding bargains; I just like the frantic energy that permeates malls on that day.

 

[broken_one]

I try to keep Christmas AFTER Thanksgiving, but it's so hard even now to not find holiday stuff even now...and it's not even Halloween yet.

 

[D.W.Washburn]

For me the Christmas season begins on December 24 and ends at Epiphany.

The season of pre-Christmas preparation is Advent.

I'm a liturgical Grinch.

 

[b.hopeful]

I'm hoping that concentrating my energy on Advent will hold my grinchiness at bay this year.

 

[Avatar]

With 7 kids at home, there's a mountain of presents to wrap. So last year I convinced my wife to just put everything out unwrapped and let the kids sort it out. Toys, books, electronics, clothes all in a big pile under the tree. They fought and fought, and cried and cried, and I laughed until my sides hurt.

Best. Christmas. Ever!










I'm kidding.

 

[SmileAndAHandshake]

Blind post.

When does the Christmas season start for you?

November 1, no exceptions

It's been this way for me since I was a kid. In Canada we don't have Thanksgiving in November (it's back in October a couple weeks ago) so there's nothing between me and Christmas after Hallowe'en. On Nov. 1 we'd always put up at least ONE decoration on Nov 1 to symbolize that it was FINALLY that time of year and that the stupidity of Hallowe'en (I loathe Hallowe'en) was finally over, hee hee.

Love Christmas. Including the commercialism.

 

[Avatar]

You have Thanksgiving in August? What province?

 

[b.hopeful]

When we had our first born we decided that Santa brings 3 gifts...that's it. And mom and dad give you christmas pj's on Christmas Eve and something simple or homemade(usually a book). We've stuck with it now for 12 years.....the kids get 3 things Christmas morning. We told them 3 was good enough for baby Jesus,lol. The kicker is that you feel compelled to get them what they ask for...so one year my daughter wanted a rat(yuck)...and another year my daughter asked for a "teeny tiny castle"....um,ok. At least now we know that if they ask for something....they really want it because they wouldn't waste a gift.

 

[spinningtutu]

Santa Claus is really Satan claws.

 

[SmileAndAHandshake]

so one year my daughter wanted a rat(yuck)...

I used to breed rats They make lovely pets.

 

[Rebekka]

For me the Christmas season begins on December 24 and ends at Epiphany.

The season of pre-Christmas preparation is Advent.

I'm a liturgical Grinch.

LOL, same for me!

(Technically it ends on Candlemass, February 2.)

We buy the tree usually well after Saint Nicholas Eve (Dec. 5th, that's when the Dutch give presents, not at Christmas) and decorate it around 18 December, sometimes 20. The nativity scene is Jesus-less until Christmas - at midnight Dec. 24-25. Then he comes down from heaven (the attic in our stable). Last year our cat threw him out.

 

[b.hopeful]

I used to breed rats They make lovely pets.

I have to admit...he was a pretty neat pet. He didn't live very long...but he was a 5$ feeder rat. I wish we would've found a breeder. He only lived about 18 months. My daughter read stuff on the internet about keeping rats happy and she would fill a dishtub with clean potting soil and add trinkets and bits of food and he would root around for a long time. She made rat pinatas out of toilet paper rolls. We have 3 cats and he would crawl all over them...they didn't care. He'd groom their ears. He was neat. His tail took some getting used to though......shudder....rat tails.

 

[Rebekka]

What, you had a rat and cats? And it went well? You had the cats before the rat, right? Did you get the rat as a baby? Didn't the cats try to attack him?

I love rats and would love to have one, but I always assumed that wasn't a good idea since we have cats. (They both love to hunt.)