"CHRISTMAS" Thread - 1500

[CandyKane]

Post #1000. What a great milestone! Now only 500 posts left to make our goal by Christmas!

[Noel+]

AND: just 55 days left to make those 500 posts before Christmas!!

[mistletoe misfit]

WOW! Only 55 more days until Christmas! Time has just been flying by these past few weeks.

[mistletoe misfit]

We have decided on the day for our annual Christmas tree hunt. We will be meeting at the tree farm on December 12th. It has always just been my sister, bil and us. This year we decided to invite some friends and cousins as well. The more the merrier I say!

[mistletoe misfit]

I need to be careful with the tree Chosen this year. Last year we had to move the china cabinet in the dining room, so the tree could fit at the tallest part of the cathedral ceiling. And still the top 3 inches or so brushed the ceiling. Some how all of us thought it would fit in the corner of the dining room. If we are not careful this year we will end up with a Griswald family Christmas tree . For some reason when we are at the tree farm the trees just don't look nearly so big or bushy.

[mistletoe misfit]

I just realized this will be the 11th year for DH and I to go on our annual Christmas tree hunt. I guess I should include our son as well since I was pregnant with him that first year.

[CandyKane]

MM-I remember those way=too-tall Christmas trees. We had one every year when I was growing up.

[CandyKane]

It's such a busy morning it kinda feels like Christmas. Hubby is busy at a workday at church. I'm heading out there after while to get things ready for tonight. Dd is super excited about the Halloween festivals and trick-or-treating tonight. And in between everything I have a ton of housework to catch up on.

[CandyKane]

I bought a box of my favorite Christmas candy yesterday. Chocolate covered cherries! Yum! I enjoyed a few pieces with my coffee this morning.

[Noel+]

Reading about your tree hunts, CandyKane and MM, brings back sweet Christmas memories from Indiana. The farm always had trees to chose from or we'd go to a neighbor/friends to pick one. I can still smell the frasier fir trees in my memory!

[Noel+]

Christmas shopping on QVC this morning for toys. Just love the decorations and music!

[Noel+]

Just completed stitching a "ho ho ho" sign for mailbox this Christmas!

[mistletoe misfit]

There is a chance according to the weather folks, that Wed, Thurs and Fri of this coming week we may see a flurry or two. The temp will be hovering around the freezing mark, so it could just be rain. Flurries are always a sign here that Christmas is just around the corner.

[Noel+]

Wishing you the first Christmas snow, MM!

[ksrjreed]

We have been told of snow possibly for Friday, I hope it is true, it will make my Christmas lights look that much better.

[mistletoe misfit]

Bought some Holiday edition "VIVA PUFFS" candy cane flavour. I only picked up one box because I wasn't sure if we would like them. How silly am I, we all enjoyed them!
I am not sure why they just dont call them Christmas Edition though. They are candy cane flavour after all. Maybe there is another holiday that I am not aware of that has candy canes involved.

[Jolly O'Leary]

jwlundgren---Ever heard of this?

In Sweden, a common Christmas decoration is the Julbukk, a small figurine of a goat. It is usually made of straw. Scandinavian Christmas festivities feature a variety of straw decorations in the form of stars, angels, hearts and other shapes, as well as the Julbukk.

Sorry, I'm a bit behind in reading the posts. Yes, the Christmas goat is the current manifestation of the pagan gift bringer before the Christian era. In the really olden times, he brought only nasty things to bad children, not presents to good children. I think the ancient peoples might have even sacrificed a goat at 'Jul' to appease the ancient gods. Then gradually, the goat became a 'good guy' and brought presents to good children, then somehow, the gift bringer became a 'tomte', sort of a christmas elf.

In Swedish households across the land on December 24, everyone sits down at 3 pm to watch Donald Duck (a Disney compilation of cartoons, some christmas, some not). Before television, this same film was shown in the movie theaters for free every hour or so. After Donald Duck, the 'father' of the household suddenly remembers he has to buy a newspaper, and departs. A little while later, Santa (imported from the US) appears in person to every child across the land to give them their presernt. Then the family sits down to open presents, followed by the Swedish smörgåsbord. Afterwards, those that go to church go to Midnight mass. The Swedes also have 'sunrise' (early morning as there is no sun) church service at 6 am or 7 am. I confess, we haven't made it to that one yet.

An interesting decorating phenomon, hearts and stars are also christmas motifs as Sweden doesn't really have 'Valentine's day'. I ordered Cupid curtains for the kitchen, heart and rose duvet covers for the bedroom, and Tomte (christmas elf) Curtains for the living room to be the back drop for our first Christmas tree. THIS YEAR, I'm determined to make the most of the space we have. I confess I've been avoiding it hoping we would move, but this year, I am embracing it. My husband annouced he wanted to follow the Swedish custom of changing of the curtains for every season, so we have had great fun shopping online. Of course, my having a job this year makes all the above possible.

[Jolly O'Leary]

Happy Halloween USA and the rest of the world! I've been feeling nostalgic today. Swedes are confused by halloween. The church moved All Saints Day to the Saturday between November 1 and 6, and All Souls Day on the Sunday after that. Since those days change, Swedes don't really know when halloween is.

I've been remembering the hobo parties we had at church when I was growing up and how they seemed such fun. I guess they have gone out of style now. Maybe one year we will throw one for our friends.

Our holiday schedule is as follows, Swedish Thanksgiving, American Halloween, Swedish Halloween, American Thanksgiving, then.....................thankfully Christmas!

Happy Halloween! Let's be careful out there!

[ksrjreed]

Don't know if anyone would be interested, but here is a site that has the TV schedule for this Christmas season

http://www.chiff.com/home_life/holiday/ ... -on-tv.htm

[ksrjreed]

Hope everyone has had a great Halloween night, spent mine watching Christmas with the Kranks, and now sitting here getting ready for bed thinking about how tomorrow is November 1st, where did the year go.