The LONGEST x-mas thread on the board....

[x-amount]

People who whinge about Christmas really get my on my nerves especially when there are people out there who have no family/friends/loved ones to spend it with, can't afford to buy presents etc, are ill or in hospital at this time of year, people who don't even have a roof over their heads etc etc etc.

Yes I do love Christmas and everything that goes with it but most of all it makes me realise how lucky I am to be spending this special time with people I love. That's why from a young age we've always gone out with my Grandad (he's a vicar) on Christmas Day morning and popped into see people who haven't got anyone to spend Christmas with and gone down to the Salvation Army with him with food for people who aren't as fortunate as us.

And I think people who do moan about Christmas (when they have no reason to) should think about things like this over Christmas instead of their own self-whingings.

(assuming this post was directed at me)

Yes, there are people out there who can't afford presents, don't have roofs over their heads, etc. But those people continue to deal with those problems on the other 364 days of the year as well, so it's kind of disingenous to link them with one holiday. If people want to help people, better to find ways to help year round. Showing up one day and disappearing until next Xmas is only a bandaid.

My comment about you in my post above was meant in a totally friendly way as sometimes your enthusiasm is endearing. Wasn't expecting the full-on attack in reply.

I agree. It does smack of tokenism, and making yourself fell better about helping others. And I despise the commercialism, and the whole "gifts from Next" culture (that'll be a tenth of the price come Dec 27th)

Though also agree with the enthusiasm bit.

I love Christmas. If for nothing else than a chance to get sh1t-faced with friends (of current and of former days, family, colleagues and clients.

And New Years Eve (or more realisticly, Day)

 

[grego]

We have a german market in Birmingham too i love it. Nothing nicer than a cup of mulled wine listning to the xmas bands they have playing.

mambs.......is it the same people every year......it is in leeds, we have a guy called nobi who sells garlic bread. i've noticed this year though that nearly all the stalls selling crappy wooden toys and candles and stuff have been replaced by food stalls and more beer tents - clearly our german friends have worked out where the money is.

 

[Barbie]

Yes, there are people out there who can't afford presents, don't have roofs over their heads, etc. But those people continue to deal with those problems on the other 364 days of the year as well, so it's kind of disingenous to link them with one holiday. If people want to help people, better to find ways to help year round. Showing up one day and disappearing until next Xmas is only a bandaid.

My comment about you in my post above was meant in a totally friendly way as sometimes your enthusiasm is endearing. Wasn't expecting the full-on attack in reply.

Paranoia It's not directed at you or anyone in particular, it's a a general rant directed at people who take a negative whinging viewpoint about Christmas. Ok if you're not a fan of it, nobody is asking you to go our dressed up as Father Christmas singing Christmas songs but I wish people would keep their negative whingings to themselves and think about the people out there who would do anything to celebrate a bit of Christmas (which so many of us take for granted) but for whatever reason can't.

And with regards to helping people, yes we do help people all year around but everyone knows that for people who are lonely/sick/whatever Christmas is the hardest time for them to deal with and there are the highest suicide rates etc at this time of year so if we can do a little extra to help them at this time of year then surely that's only a good thing.

And if you're so worried about your leftovers take them to the Salvation Army (or whatever your equivalent is), I'm sure they'll be willling to take them off your hands so it's one less thing for you to worry about

 

[mambobirdette]

We also have a German market in Leicester complete with a giant ferris wheel (which i'm too scared to go on!!)

Apparently our xmas lights don't work on our tree this year

We've had our little wheel at bottom of brd st now for couple of years but ive never been on it. Its all lit up pink at the moment to match the colour of the new ice skating rink

 

[Barbie]

I just have this immediate thought of you in minxy mode trailing along behind a vicar giving out "barbie treats" and "lucozade" - sorry if this detracts from the obvious seriousness of your post....

There's a lot of happy old people in Scunny on Christmas Day when Babs has finished giving them their Christmas 'treats'

 

[silvia]

Feliç Nadal grego!!

IMO you only can love or hate X-mas, there's no middle point. I hated X-mas for a couple of years, just after my dad die, but when there's little kids around (I have 5 nieces-nephew) the thing totally change and I can't decide if it's more exciting for the them opening the presents and all that or it'smore exciting for us to set up everything for them

I'm quite lucky cos my family doesn't do the false thing to join the family you don't like and you never see for a big meal, we only join my mom's family the ones we usually see every month. When my dad was alive we used to meet all his family and was pathetic and I usually ended the day in a very bad mood. As Sar said, it's all about being with the ones you love.

We usually add to the X-mas meals and meetings list two more: two big meals with all the traditional dishes and lots of drinks and pressies with my friends and another one with Pep's friends.

 

[jessyg123]

ahh Mambs that's just showing off - we didn't get an ice rink this year!!!

Went to Birm last week - train was so packed I had to squeeze in to a luggage compartment!!! Really fancy going this week but can't face that again!!

 

[Morbyd]

I love Christmas. If for nothing else than a chance to get sh1t-faced with friends (of current and of former days, family, colleagues and clients.

And New Years Eve (or more realisticly, Day)

My favorite holiday has always been Thanksgiving, which I recognize is a uniquely American/Canadian thing (though we disagree on the dates )

You spend the whole day gorging yourself on a fancy home-cooked dinner with family and/or friends, which I can totally get behind. In the process, you take time out to think about how lucky you are and thank (insert: God, higher power, parents, fate, whatever) for everything you've got.

Christmas in university years was cool because by early evening you're already making covert plans to escape and meet up with all the old friends from high school in your hometown. For me, the problem with that nowadays is that even the parents have scattered about the country.

 

[grego]

ahh Mambs that's just showing off - we didn't get an ice rink this year!!!

Went to Birm last week - train was so packed I had to squeeze in to a luggage compartment!!! Really fancy going this week but can't face that again!!

our ice rink goes where the market is at the moment.....starts some time in feb.


Sil - agree about xmas and kids...............i can't imagine xmas (nor life) without my two little cheeky monkeys!!

 

[mambobirdette]

ahh Mambs that's just showing off - we didn't get an ice rink this year!!!

Went to Birm last week - train was so packed I had to squeeze in to a luggage compartment!!! Really fancy going this week but can't face that again!!

No i wouldnt bother if i were you, apparently theres going to be security scares and stuff this weekend.

 

[Morbyd]

Paranoia It's not directed at you or anyone in particular, it's a a general rant directed at people who take a negative whinging viewpoint about Christmas.

Since I was the only one who'd expressed a negative viewpoint up to that point, I think everyone safely assumed that your post was not a general rant.

And if you're so worried about your leftovers take them to the Salvation Army (or whatever your equivalent is), I'm sure they'll be willling to take them off your hands so it's one less thing for you to worry about

There's not quite the same network of aid NGOs around here as in the West. Though perhaps if I ship my leftovers to you, then you could distribute them for me? I'll pay postage.

 

[x-amount]

I love Christmas. If for nothing else than a chance to get sh1t-faced with friends (of current and of former days, family, colleagues and clients.

And New Years Eve (or more realisticly, Day)

My favorite holiday has always been Thanksgiving, which I recognize is a uniquely American/Canadian thing (though we disagree on the dates )

You spend the whole day gorging yourself on a fancy home-cooked dinner with family and/or friends, which I can totally get behind. In the process, you take time out to think about how lucky you are and thank (insert: God, higher power, parents, fate, whatever) for everything you've got.

Christmas in university years was cool because by early evening you're already making covert plans to escape and meet up with all the old friends from high school in your hometown. For me, the problem with that nowadays is that even the parents have scattered about the country.

That, plus the Survivor Series is on!

 

[jessyg123]

oh god!! I won't then! Thanks for letting me know!

 

[mambobirdette]

We have a german market in Birmingham too i love it. Nothing nicer than a cup of mulled wine listning to the xmas bands they have playing.

mambs.......is it the same people every year......it is in leeds, we have a guy called nobi who sells garlic bread. i've noticed this year though that nearly all the stalls selling crappy wooden toys and candles and stuff have been replaced by food stalls and more beer tents - clearly our german friends have worked out where the money is.

They have the cheek to sell a small tray of chips for £2.50

It makes me laugh at how enthusiastic they are at the beginning by playing with the puppets and things and there this one stall that has wooden things like frogs and if you stroke its back with the wooden stick it makes a frog sound . I told Joey that i want one so he can stroke it to make the noises to help me sleep

 

[grego]

wooden things like frogs and if you stroke its back with the wooden stick it makes a frog sound :

yeah we've got them........a stall with these orange rock salt crystal candles, a stall with loads of tin man type (wizard of oz) toys, a stall with loads of little intricately weaved dolls that just look like a nightmare to either play with or store and then some random stalls selling scarves/jewellry/etc.

all tatt really but hey that christmas for you......

 

[Barbie]

Since I was the only one who'd expressed a negative viewpoint up to that point, I think everyone safely assumed that your post was not a general rant.

Stop being so paranoid, lots of people moan about Christmas, I wouldn't have wasted my time typing a grown-up post like that if it was just you or one person who held that view (especially on a Friday when I don't do grown-up posts )

There's not quite the same network of aid NGOs around here as in the West. Though perhaps if I ship my leftovers to you, then you could distribute them for me? I'll pay postage.

Well I'm sure you have homeless people in Russia too so maybe that's something for you to do on Christmas Day, go out and distribute your leftover turkey to the homeless on the streets

 

[Buckley]

Paranoia It's not directed at you or anyone in particular, it's a a general rant directed at people who take a negative whinging viewpoint about Christmas.

Since I was the only one who'd expressed a negative viewpoint up to that point, I think everyone safely assumed that your post was not a general rant.

John - I was about to post that, as an impartial observer, it didn't look like it was directed at you. Got distracted by a chance to shout at someone though

 

[x-amount]

Since I was the only one who'd expressed a negative viewpoint up to that point, I think everyone safely assumed that your post was not a general rant.

Stop being so paranoid, lots of people moan about Christmas, I wouldn't have wasted my time typing a grown-up post like that if it was just you or one person who held that view (especially on a Friday when I don't do grown-up posts )

There's not quite the same network of aid NGOs around here as in the West. Though perhaps if I ship my leftovers to you, then you could distribute them for me? I'll pay postage.

Well I'm sure you have homeless people in Russia too so maybe that's something for you to do on Christmas Day, go out and distribute your leftover turkey to the homeless on the streets

There are no homeless people in Russia.

None.

Communism at it's finest.

 

[Morbyd]

There's not quite the same network of aid NGOs around here as in the West. Though perhaps if I ship my leftovers to you, then you could distribute them for me? I'll pay postage.

Well I'm sure you have homeless people in Russia too so maybe that's something for you to do on Christmas Day, go out and distribute your leftover turkey to the homeless on the streets

To be honest, you don't see many homeless people on the streets here like in the West... maybe a pleasant legacy of the old system. Those you do see are usually alcoholics for whom a bottle of vodka would be preferred to a turkey dinner

 

[grego]

There are no homeless people in Russia.

None.

Communism at it's finest.

yeah like when officially no one committed suicide or murder or somethin......there's an excellent parody of this charade in gorky park