Christmas All Year Long!

[cortezattic]

My point was that the crass commercialism developed as a result of the way we commemorate the gift giving tradition today. But, I don't disagree with your opinions.

 

[briarbuck]

In October I start smoking my Santa Claus meerschaum,

carved by Medet Kara, a Turk (and likely not a Christian).

Is that hypocrisy? Irony? Irrelevant? Irreverent?
...and btw, I'm listening to Christmas carols on the radio right now.

As long as you smoke facing West...you're good.

 

[sablebrush52]

The charity and gift giving thing probably has its roots in the gifts of the Magi, which is Biblical.

Actually, the custom of exchanging gaily wrapped gifts at that time of the year was Roman, so pagan, but what the heck! Go for it!

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Gift giving may go all of the way back to, "Hey Adam, you gotta try this..."

 

[timt]

Actually, the custom of exchanging gaily wrapped gifts at that time of the year was Roman, so pagan, but what the heck! Go for it!

Uh oh, 2 tins of Holly's Non Plus Ultra are ordered up and ready to ship out if necessary.

 

[Chasing Embers]

My question is where do you shop for kids since Toys R'Us has closed down?

They got bailed out and rebranded as

"Geoffrey's Toy Box". Gamestop usually solves my kids' wish list.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Our Toys R Us is still open. I have no idea why. Was all of them supposed to close?

 

[Chasing Embers]

Actually, the custom of exchanging gaily wrapped gifts at that time of the year was Roman

Saturnalia was the Roman holiday borrowed from the Greek holiday Kronia.

 

[pappymac]

Cosmic - Where's your Toys R'Us. We may have to make a day trip to the Birmingham area.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Hoover on 31, Old Montgomery Hwy. There used to be a few more in the Bham metro area, but I am certain those closed. I haven't been in the one in Hoover, but their sign is on and the parking lot is always full. Before you make a special trip, I should probably actually go inside. Ha ha, I'd hate for you to get down here to find that it is actually now being used as a dog fighting arena or something, ha ha.

 

[mikethompson]

Our Toys R Us is still open. I have no idea why. Was all of them supposed to close?

we still have them in Canada.

Gamestop usually solves my kids' wish list.

It is Amazon and home delivery for us.

 

[pappymac]

All the U.S. stores were supposed to close because of their bankruptcy filings. Pop up stores under the name of Geoffrey's Toy Box are supposed to start opening in stores like Krogers, but not in Lousiana.

 

[cortezattic]

@jesse, we owe so much to the pagans! :lol:

 

[lawdawg]

My porch is still decorated for Fall with a couple of pumpkins, decorative "scarecrows" from Home Depot, and some orange-yellow-white candy corn lights. My neighbors have a few Christmas decorations up already. I love Christmas, but I wait until after Thanksgiving to put up my decorations. If the Christmas décor goes up two months in advance, it gets stale and boring by the time the actual holiday rolls around.

 

[ken56]

I'm Still hoping my wife will let me set up my trains on the Dining room table this year... :D

 

[irishearl]

Buncha bah humbugs in this thread. :D No, don't want to think about Christmas nor put up decorations till right after Thanksgiving and take them down first of next year. Christmas does indeed have its roots in paganism and the choice of 12/25 as Christ's birthday is both arbitrary and again tied to pagan roots, but the holiday is wondrous for kids and kids at heart. After decades of hearing Christmas tunes, though, I've had no interest in hearing them for a number of years now. The holiday season also gets my wife in a baking mood, another plus. :wink:

 

[lawdawg]

Buncha bah humbugs in this thread. No, don't want to think about Christmas nor put up decorations till right after Thanksgiving and take them down first of next year. Christmas does indeed have its roots in paganism and the choice of 12/25 as Christ's birthday is both arbitrary and again tied to pagan roots, but the holiday is wondrous for kids and kids at heart. After decades of hearing Christmas tunes, though, I've had no interest in hearing them for a number of years now. The holiday season also gets my wife in a baking mood, another plus.

Got a bluegrass Christmas album for ya:
Smoky Mountain Christmas
Been listening to this short little bluegrass album of Christmas classics every Christmas season for the past few years.

 

[pappymac]

My Christmas decorations go up the weekend after Thanksgiving and stay up until January 6 or thereabouts. Then they are switched out for the Mardi Gras decorations.
Here in SE Louisiana we have had a brief bout of "winter" weather with the daytime highs in the mid-40s and the lows in the mid-30s. That makes it sweater weather for me and I love a good bulky sweater. It also the time of year when I start baking cookies.
Took 3 dozen to the pipe club meeting last night and they didn't last long.

 

[saltedplug]

The holidays can be celebrated low-key. What doesn't go up doesn't have to come down.

 

[tbradsim1]

I love it all.