Exactly. 100% paganism. That’s why we got out of it, and seeing it from the outside it’s hard to believe how many people are part of it!
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Anyone here not a holiday person
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Exactly. 100% paganism. That’s why we got out of it, and seeing it from the outside it’s hard to believe how many people are part of it!
Havent seen the ball drop in nyc in probably 20 years.
Well I don't like eggnog
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You'd have loved Geneva in the time of Calvin.
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Very few New Yorkers I know go to Times Square for NYE.
.....
You'd have loved Geneva in the time of Calvin.
Bravo.
Well said.
And yes, I rarely think
- or something along the lines of "chuckle", or even that clichéd "laugh out loud" but this is very funny.
^^ I completely agree.
Anyway like a lot of other people who do observe Christmas in some fashion aside from "just Santa"... I've realized it's possible to chew gum, wrap presents and give more than a nod to Advent and season of the Nativity in passing.
Wouldn't trade most of it away either, except for a few occasions when my workplace peers and I were looking at impossible work deadlines falling right before end of the New Year. At those points I do remember finding it extremely convenient to curse the commercial aspects of the holiday season combined with "command performances" at large family gatherings. There are only so many hours in a day even when those left for sleep are severely reduced. As a kid, holidays can be endless fun (or, not...) but as an adult one can definitely begin to understand why tempers flare over the holidays.
Anyway I do love the sacred music of this season, whether ancient or more modern, so for me even if the white heat of getting the commercial and congenial aspects of it all lined up properly used to seem fit to fry my brain, I've always made time to fish out a few recordings, or later on some playlists, and so to make use of the seasonal music I had collected over the years.
Anyway like a lot of other people who do observe Christmas in some fashion aside from "just Santa"... I've realized it's possible to chew gum, wrap presents and give more than a nod to Advent and season of the Nativity in passing.
Wouldn't trade most of it away either, except for a few occasions when my workplace peers and I were looking at impossible work deadlines falling right before end of the New Year. At those points I do remember finding it extremely convenient to curse the commercial aspects of the holiday season combined with "command performances" at large family gatherings. There are only so many hours in a day even when those left for sleep are severely reduced. As a kid, holidays can be endless fun (or, not...) but as an adult one can definitely begin to understand why tempers flare over the holidays.
Anyway I do love the sacred music of this season, whether ancient or more modern, so for me even if the white heat of getting the commercial and congenial aspects of it all lined up properly used to seem fit to fry my brain, I've always made time to fish out a few recordings, or later on some playlists, and so to make use of the seasonal music I had collected over the years.
For myself, Christmas makes me both happy and sad. I’m happy because I have a lot of fond memories of the Season, which is supposed to bring out the best in people, an atmosphere of giving and camaraderie with loved ones and family, happy children, and favorite seasonal movies.I tolerate the Christmas season because my wife and kids love it. I string up the lights, put up the tree, watch gawd awful Christmas show and pretend to enjoy myself because it makes them happy. Of course I'm dying inside, like Stock Photo Harold.
Of course, the real killer is the credit card bill in the aftermath of the Missus' Black Friday spree. Hide the pain, man. Hide the pain.
The only thing good about Christmas is spending time with my family. Hail, I do that every day, so Christmas is just another Wednesday to me.
It can be argued whether Christmas is a net positive or a negative. I’m sad because the basis of Christmas is illusional, becoming a highly over commercialized party accompanied by an orgy of spending. My wife insisted we move away from the majority of our family to be near her parents, which was fair, as she spent her married life to me accommodating my career. So it has become a lot of trouble to see the good family members, having to jump on a plane (which I am less inclined to do as I age), versus driving across town, while recognizing that some other family members are more trouble than they are worth to spend time with.
And that the grandchildren (ours and other in the family) are spoiled rotten with so many material things, and the expectations of receiving new things, that they really can’t appreciate what they already have. I see this mostly in the young ones who expect a giant pile of presents, but it’s not their faults. It’s the adult’s faults.
Speaking of family members, I‘m leaving the juicy stuff out such as estrangement and divorce, one family member who decided that dumping the husband and rekindling romance with her new love took priority over her 4 kids which happens regardless of Christmas. 😔
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I love eggnog as long as it’s not spiked.Well I don't like eggnog
You'd have loved Geneva in the time of Calvin.
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Very few New Yorkers I know go to Times Square for NYE.
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I believe the Catholic Church as part of the manipulation game, moved Christmas to Dec 25 specifically to displace the Pagan holidays of "Saturnalia" and "Brumalia” which occurred in relationship to the Winter solstice. https://www.bibletools.org/index.cf...TD/cgg/ID/1143/Christmas-Pagan-Origins-of.htm
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Christmas means different things to different people.
One of the most enjoyable parts for me is the Christmas eve church service.
The church also holds a Christmas service during the week before Christmas that is specifically for people who are unhappy and don't enjoy the time around Christmas.
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Aye. Church services during Christmas the soothing balm.
The incessant commercialization is what I really, really hate about Christmas. I haven't even brought Halloween candy yet, but the stores are already selling Christmas decorations.
I'm pretty sure the Lawd Jeezus ain't too keen on how Christmas has turned out lately either. How's this for a crappy birthday? Everyone gets a gift except the birthday boy.I remember when Easter was big deal with my family. But now, 10 years later, we don’t even gather for a dinner. Christmas is starting to become the same way. We had more people gather for thanksgiving. And within 4 hours, everyone was out the door. The whole day just felt hollow. Like those of us that showed up, were just zombies. It was probably the most bored I’ve been in 5 years.
it could be several reasons, online shopping has detached us from the hustle and bustle. The entertainment industry hasn’t put out a classic Christmas themed movie in over a decade. The Christmas nazis have pushed us moderate, sane people away from the holiday. I’m sorry, but when you come to my house with a blue print on how you want my house decorated, or you freak out over happy holidays, **** off. Now my job wants us gathering for a Christmas party? I’m hardly getting together with family and now you want a ‘it isn’t mandatory, but it is mandatory’ Christmas party, where you’ll hand out some cheap gift with your company logo on it. Jesus Christ, if you truly want to hand out a gift, let me take a couple weeks off, without feeling ****** about leaving during a ‘busy time.’
anyways **** the holidays, except Independence Day and thanksgiving, and hopefully soon, our corporate overlords will end it, like they did Easter, which is now strictly a church holiday.
it could be several reasons, online shopping has detached us from the hustle and bustle. The entertainment industry hasn’t put out a classic Christmas themed movie in over a decade. The Christmas nazis have pushed us moderate, sane people away from the holiday. I’m sorry, but when you come to my house with a blue print on how you want my house decorated, or you freak out over happy holidays, **** off. Now my job wants us gathering for a Christmas party? I’m hardly getting together with family and now you want a ‘it isn’t mandatory, but it is mandatory’ Christmas party, where you’ll hand out some cheap gift with your company logo on it. Jesus Christ, if you truly want to hand out a gift, let me take a couple weeks off, without feeling ****** about leaving during a ‘busy time.’
anyways **** the holidays, except Independence Day and thanksgiving, and hopefully soon, our corporate overlords will end it, like they did Easter, which is now strictly a church holiday.
That's why we got __into__ it ...
Well, you have to get the 'nog to bourbon ratio/percentage correct.
Like ours is 0% eggnog and 100% bourbon ...
I’ve never been to the city to see it live. I’m always in bed by 10. Lol. Getting old.Well I don't like eggnog
You'd have loved Geneva in the time of Calvin.
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Very few New Yorkers I know go to Times Square for NYE.
Yep, eggnog can seem so inviting...
...and yet be so treacherous. 🥴🎉💥🎭⛄🙃
Sometimes seems to me that it may simply have been invented for accommodating (or requiring) an excess of any of its assorted ingredients and ornaments. So it can end up being a perfect symbol of the too muchness of our winter "holidaze".
It happens more and more in this world...
It's not humane, it's animalistic...
The world slowly turns upside down...
The holidays are great. I get to see my old friends from high school and i get to experience my moms cooking . in fact the best thing about it is sitting with my parents and watching an older film on TCM. pretty relaxation actually, and its something i can't do any other time of the year since everyone is so busy
i do think the over-commercialization of the holiday is pretty pathetic, but i just ignore it and don't indulge in it. i dont really care much for material possessions anyone except computers (lol)
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. in fact the best thing about it is sitting with my parents and watching an older film on TCM. pretty relaxation actually, and its something i can't do any other time of the year since everyone is so busyi do think the over-commercialization of the holiday is pretty pathetic, but i just ignore it and don't indulge in it. i dont really care much for material possessions anyone except computers (lol)
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Wow I had forgotten how much bigger a deal the run-up to Easter used to be in the USA. A lot of places closed on Good Friday and gave Easter Monday off as well back in the 50s and early 60s... all that slowly crunched in until it was more common that places closed at noon or 1 on Good Friday, and if you wanted the Monday, it was a vacation day...
Christmas in the USA still gets treated more like the 4th of July, it's true, in that it's celebrated on its day rather than on a nearby Monday. As a result a lot of firms tend to give a day off adjacent to it as well, either Christmas Eve or the day after Christmas, but often not when it falls on a Wednesday. When I was still working, I therefore loathed it when Christmas fell on a Wednesday. We usually got the day itself, and maybe closed early on Christmas Eve, but that was it. Always a hassle trying to be first to the post with a request for a vacation day afterwards, too. Was always envious of the countries that celebrate the 26th as either St. Stephen's Day or the secular holiday Boxing Day.
In aviation someone works on Christmas Day. It’s the senior people who get that and maybe a block of days off. Christmas was my number one bid, Thanksgiving number 2.
We get the 25th and the 26th off here. Finished a bit early on the 24th.
Usually that would be it. But as the 27th is a Friday we all got that as an extra day as well at my firm.
Usually that would be it. But as the 27th is a Friday we all got that as an extra day as well at my firm.
That makes complete sense.
Heading back to work this Friday - for work that won't really happen anyway, or won't need to eb addressed until the New Year - strikes me as a little ludicrous.
Be grateful Christmas celebration is only one day. Imagine if it was 7 days like Chinese New Year or 3 days like Muslim Eid or (feast) .
Well i wish if Christmas was 4 -8 weeks 😆😄🤪
There would be plenty of .....
👨👩👧👦💏👪🏃♂️🏃♀️🍓🍇🍉🍌🍋🥩🍗🍖🍗🥩🥓🍣🍬🍭🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🤸♀️🤸♂️🤸♀️🤼♂️🤼♀️
I got off today too, but I've got a thing going with my boss so she cuts me some extra slack ...
Yeah, it seems a bit silly, but so much "work" is distilled down to asses-in-seats vs. effective results (the latter shouldn't be tied to X days @ Y hours).
Agree with you, completely.
With a good internet connection, it is not always necessary to be physically present - and candidly, with open plan offices, it can be pretty challenging - not to mention difficult - to be able to concentrate on something that needs to be done.
Personally, I prefer to be assigned a task - producing a report, for example - and given a deadline, and how I complete the task to the required standard by the deadline is my challenge; I don't need to be micromanaged, and a lot of my best thinking, analysis and writing is done late in the evening.
LOL should I say that that makes sense but may not seem all that reassuring to the multitudes who are just passengers... although most who travel are hoping to travel before the day, not on it.
Whenever I have worked abroad, one usually had a choice of being able to take leave for either Christmas or New Year's Day - rarely both.
Very often, I took neither, but always insisted on taking leave at Easter.
However, if an election occurred around Christmas - or just after the New Year, (and these were often, for obvious reasons, the sort of elections that repaid exceptionally close scrutiny), one could not take leave, as one had volunteered to be present for the duration.