Christmas presents

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Eline
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Christmas presents

Post by Eline » Wed Dec 20, 2006 8:25 am

We don't do Christmas presents since we celebrate Sinterklaas on 5 December (a dutch tradition with presents etc and the guy that Santa Claus is based on), so I was wondering:

How does it all work at Christmas? I have only seen the movies.

1. Do you write a whishlist? Do you get most of it?
2. How does the list get to Santa Claus?
3. How do all the presents fit into a sock? :???:
4. Do you leave a small gift for Santa?
5. Do you sing songs in hope for more gifts?
6. What is Christmas eve for?
7. When do you actually get your presents?
8. Do people really spend hundreds of dollars/pounds/etc on gifts?
9. Do you always eat traditional foods like the turkey?
10. Are all the streets and houses really insanely decorated with lights and props and and fake snow and stuff?

All I do this Christmas is spend time with my family, and have nice dinners. I did get an ipod nano as a Christmas gift from work though, so I already feel very spoilt. :)

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Re: Christmas presents

Post by Metal Vendetta » Wed Dec 20, 2006 9:08 am

Eline wrote:1. Do you write a whishlist? Do you get most of it?
Children are encouraged to write a list to Father Christmas, telling him what they would like. As a kid, I usually got a couple of items off my lidt, and a couple of surprises. Father Christmas can be a little slow, though, as I didn't get Optimus Prime until 1998, and I put him on my list in 1984.
Eline wrote:2. How does the list get to Santa Claus?
It can be posted - the Royal Mail here has a special address for Father Christmas at Lapland, or you can post it up the chimney and it will get to him.
Eline wrote:3. How do all the presents fit into a sock? :???:
This is a hangover from older times, when presents were less and smaller. When I was a kid I would get a few presents in a stocking and the rest in a big pile under the tree.
Eline wrote:4. Do you leave a small gift for Santa?
Yup. A glass of sherry and a mince pie is traditional, as well as a carrot for Rudolph.
Eline wrote:5. Do you sing songs in hope for more gifts?
Um, no, I've never done that. You have to be good in order to get gifts. Father Christmas is like a kind of microcosm of God, in that if you are good you are supposedly rewarded, if you are bad you are punished, and neither really exist :)
Eline wrote:6. What is Christmas eve for?
It's the day before Christmas day. Father Christmas comes down the chimney on Christmas eve, when all the children are in bed, and delivers their presents.
Eline wrote:7. When do you actually get your presents?
The morning of Christmas day, December 25th. I always used to wake up about 5:00am on this day.
Eline wrote:8. Do people really spend hundreds of dollars/pounds/etc on gifts?
If they can afford it, then yeah, I guess so. I think the most I spent this year was £65 on a table for my mom, though cumulatively, I probably spent about £150-£200 on my girl.
Eline wrote:9. Do you always eat traditional foods like the turkey?
Oh yes.
Eline wrote:10. Are all the streets and houses really insanely decorated with lights and props and and fake snow and stuff?
There's usually one or two houses in every street that does that...it's kind of looked down upon as being a bit common, though I think it's great.

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Post by Eline » Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:28 am

Thanks EmVee! :)

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Re: Christmas presents

Post by Osku » Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:54 am

Finnish way of spending Christmas varies a lot, but here's one way.
Eline wrote:How does it all work at Christmas? I have only seen the movies.

1. Do you write a whishlist? Do you get most of it?
2. How does the list get to Santa Claus?
As a kid I wrote something on the list, which my parents said to put forward.

According to Finnish Post, Santa Claus does get every year a rather high amount of post.
3. How do all the presents fit into a sock? :???:
4. Do you leave a small gift for Santa?
5. Do you sing songs in hope for more gifts?
6. What is Christmas eve for?
7. When do you actually get your presents?
No socks here, nor coming down the chimney.

Usually Santa Claus visits on Christmas Eve and brings presents. Much depends on the person appearing as Santa Claus. My father wasn't very enthusiastic about the role, so he happily made me do it after my voice changed, I think I was 13 years then. On the whole I had fun being a Santa Claus for my younger siblings and cousins. Made them also sing or play some instrument before giving the presents. :p

After my sister became too old to believe in Santa Claus, there hasn't been Santa Claus' visits anymore.
8. Do people really spend hundreds of dollars/pounds/etc on gifts?
Not in our family. Presents yes, but something small. Sometimes as a kid there were more expensive presents, but those should have been bought anyway, for example new skies. As children it was always clear that the people we knew were involved getting the presents, Santa just was the one who delivered those.
9. Do you always eat traditional foods like the turkey?
10. Are all the streets and houses really insanely decorated with lights and props and and fake snow and stuff?
No, but in our family we eat some other traditional food. When visiting my grand parents on the 26th day, there's usually much more to eat. Me and my two brothers have had a competition "who gains most weight during one meal". Current record is 3.2 kg and our mother threatens to "kill" us for being pigs, but grand mother is just satisfied. :D

10. No.
All I do this Christmas is spend time with my family, and have nice dinners.
That's about it here as well.

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Post by Aaron Hong » Wed Dec 20, 2006 12:22 pm

I'm born-again Jewish and Annie's New Age Catholic. You can tell the holidays are a real riot around here. :D
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Re: Christmas presents

Post by Obfleur » Wed Dec 20, 2006 12:48 pm

Swedish christmas!
1. Do you write a whishlist? Do you get most of it?
2. How does the list get to Santa Claus?
Yes, you write a wishlist and hand it over to your mother or father. They make sure that Santa gets the list.
You never get everything that you write on the list. ;)

3. How do all the presents fit into a sock? :???:
The sock-thing doesn't exist in Sweden (or didn't. Because of all the american movies and stuff people have started doing it).
We have our presents under a christmas tree.
4. Do you leave a small gift for Santa?
If you live in a house you are supposed to leave some porridge at your front door.
5. Do you sing songs in hope for more gifts?
Nope!
6. What is Christmas eve for?
7. When do you actually get your presents?
We get our presents on christmas eve (the 24th).
8. Do people really spend hundreds of dollars/pounds/etc on gifts?
Yes.
9. Do you always eat traditional foods like the turkey?
No turkey in sweden! We have meatballs, sausages, eggs, red and brown cabbage, ham, different kinds of herring and porridge.
10. Are all the streets and houses really insanely decorated with lights and props and and fake snow and stuff?
Nope! No fake snow and stuff - but people like to decorate their trees with lights and stuff. And some decorate their front doors.

:)
Can't believe I'm still here.

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Post by Eline » Wed Dec 20, 2006 2:52 pm

Thanks guys! It's nice to know how these things are done around the world.

We did buy our first(!) Christmas tree last weekend, it's tiny (60cm high, about 2 ft) and I still need to buy some decoration as I've eaten most of the candy decoration already. :) But with the candles it's getting a bit Christmassy now.

No snow though. :(

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Post by Optimus Prime Rib » Wed Dec 20, 2006 4:06 pm

Merry Christmas!

(didnt realize snarl was that small thought)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=1dmVU08zVpA
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Re: Christmas presents

Post by sprunkner » Wed Dec 20, 2006 7:11 pm

This is fun. Cool info about the tree tradition and its journey from Odin to Jesus at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_trees

1. Do you write a wishlist? Do you get most of it?

I always did a wishlist as a kid. I remember trying to gauge my parents' financial situation while a teenager before I wrote it. Since they had six kids and a bankrupty I didn't ask for much.

2. How does the list get to Santa Claus?

When I was little I'd give the letter to my parents, who said they would put it in the "special mail." Right. I wanted to believe so much so that my little sister was the one who disillusioned me.

3. How do all the presents fit into a sock?

In my family we make each person a unique stocking with little designs on it. My sisters were mad seamstresses at one point. It was fun. One year we made my dad one with the three wise men from the Bible story. I made these two little fat guys and one tall skinny guy out of felt.

4. Do you leave a small gift for Santa?

The mince pie thing is interesting-- in America it's milk and cookies. Though given the health craze, people are probably setting out carrots and orange juice now.

5. Do you sing songs in hope for more gifts?

Are you kidding? We're American. We're entitled to stuff just by existing.

6. What is Christmas eve for?

We always open one present and (this is more in religious families) read the baby Jesus story from the Bible and act it out. This is a good excuse for my dad to run around hee-hawing because he always wants to play the jackass-- er, donkey.

7. When do you actually get your presents?

One on the eve, then Santa leaves a full stocking and usually something big next to the stocking. Most parents like to mess with their kids' heads by hiding a few presents and then, around three in the afternoon after everything's opened, they say, "Hey, Santa forgot something!"

8. Do people really spend hundreds of dollars/pounds/etc on gifts?

One year I spent over 600$. And I don't even want to look at my credit card now. :cry:

9. Do you always eat traditional foods like the turkey?

It's usually turkey, ham or lamb. A rerun of the American Thanksgiving meal from November, with a roast bird, some sweet potato/yam dish, some more vegetables and pumpkin pie.

10. Are all the streets and houses really insanely decorated with lights and props and and fake snow and stuff?

Oh yea. There are contests. There's a botanical garden in Seattle that has a giant display of lights in the shapes of flowers. Unfortunately, with all the power outages here lately, only about half of them are working.

Cool Yule, everybody.
Last edited by sprunkner on Thu Dec 21, 2006 3:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Christmas presents

Post by Eline » Thu Dec 21, 2006 7:52 am

sprunkner wrote:This is fun. Cool info about the tree tradition and its journey from Odin to Jesus at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_trees
Great info, thanks! :)

sprunkner wrote: 8. Do people really spend hundreds of dollars/pounds/etc on gifts?

One year I spent over 600$. And I don't even want to look at my credit card now. :cry:
:eek:

Though that must mean just will receive some pretty cool stuff in return.

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Post by snarl » Thu Dec 21, 2006 1:36 pm

Optimus Prime Rib wrote:Merry Christmas!

(didnt realize snarl was that small thought)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=1dmVU08zVpA
That's ****** inspired!
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Post by Legion » Thu Dec 21, 2006 3:31 pm

Christmas is just the Christian rip off of several other earlier religious activities at this time of year... most notably the old sun god Mithras, who apparently was born on December 25th and whose mother was coincidently a virgin... hmmm....

nothing to see here, move along now...

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Post by sprunkner » Thu Dec 21, 2006 3:33 pm

There was a saying among Catholic missionaries in the Middle Ages something like this: "If you go into a village and see the people praying to a tree, don't chop the tree down. Consecrate the tree to Christ and let them keep praying."

Explains a sh*tload.
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Post by Optimus Prime Rib » Thu Dec 21, 2006 3:46 pm

snarl wrote:
Optimus Prime Rib wrote:Merry Christmas!

(didnt realize snarl was that small thought)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=1dmVU08zVpA
That's ****** inspired!
thank you thank you. Ill be here all week folks!
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Post by Shanti418 » Thu Dec 21, 2006 6:39 pm

1. Do you write a whishlist? Do you get most of it?

I would have a wishlist, and most of the things I suppose tended to show up, on account of the fact that A, I was an only child, and B, I probably asked for less than most kids, although I will admit, I could ask for something like "Transformers", and be happy with whatever I got. I can fondly remember greeting blokes such as Devestator, Omega Supreme, Optimus, and Jetfire for Christmas, sitting under the tree not even wrapped. No Megatron, though. My parents hate guns.

2. How does the list get to Santa Claus?

If you postmark it to the North Pole, the Post Office will take it and do who knows what with it. I guess kids just assume that Santa has FedEx

3. How do all the presents fit into a sock? :???:

We had stockings in addition to our presents. It was usually filled with small items, like gift cards, candy/chocolate, cassette tapes, pencils, etc. There was one year where my Dad totally forogt to get my Mom anything for her stocking, and she was really really crushed, and so from then on until my parents divorced, I had a fanatical devotion to making sure both of their stockings were equally filled.

4. Do you leave a small gift for Santa?

Like sprunk said, mlik and cookies. Milk and cookies.

5. Do you sing songs in hope for more gifts?

We have no Christmas songs that relate to trying to get more gifts. When kids want more gifts, in America they just scream and cry until they get their way because trying to buy the love of your children is a national tradition.

6. What is Christmas eve for?

Again, as sprunk said, people go to church. But for the others, families usually set their own traditions. A friend of mine always opens all the presents on Eve with his family. Another opens one. Another always has a big diner with family. For us, we'd drive around and look at Christmas lights.

7. When do you actually get your presents?

As I said last question, it varies, but the majority are opened on the morning of Christmas.

8. Do people really spend hundreds of dollars/pounds/etc on gifts?

No doubt. I'd say $500 is a good average for me.

9. Do you always eat traditional foods like the turkey?

Our Christmas dinners are almost exactly like our Thanksgiving dinners, ie turkey, ham, stuffing, cassroles, pies, and TAMALES!

10. Are all the streets and houses really insanely decorated with lights and props and and fake snow and stuff?

I don't know if I'd call it INSANELY decorated. As far as public locations/buisnesses, it's pretty subdued except for places in town where they have displays, ie sprunk's garden, NY's Christmas Tree, or the Trail of Lights we have here in Austin, nothing's garish or anything.
People decorating their houses, though, that's VERY popular, hence the aforementioned looking around at Chritmas lights on Eve that I mentioned. Still though, it's hit and miss.....some neighborhoods will only have the occasional strand of lights or lit up house, while others spend hundreds of dollars on their displays, with mutli lights, timing mechanisms, sculptures, anything you can think of. Some subdivisions even require that you participate.
Best First wrote:I thought we could just meander between making well thought out points, being needlessly immature, provocative and generalist, then veer into caring about constructive debate and make a few valid points, act civil for a bit, then lower the tone again, then act offended when we get called on it, then dictate what it is and isn't worth debating, reinterpret a few of my own posts through a less offensive lens, then jaunt down whatever other path our seemingly volatile mood took us in.

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Post by Guest » Thu Dec 21, 2006 9:02 pm

Legion wrote:Christmas is just the Christian rip off of several other earlier religious activities at this time of year... most notably the old sun god Mithras, who apparently was born on December 25th and whose mother was coincidently a virgin... hmmm....
Somebody's been watching QI...

In other news, eat turkey not goose. It's not as greasy, tastes better, and some traditions don't need breaking. ;)

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Post by sprunkner » Thu Dec 21, 2006 9:15 pm

Shanti418 wrote:

9. Do you always eat traditional foods like the turkey?

Our Christmas dinners are almost exactly like our Thanksgiving dinners, ie turkey, ham, stuffing, cassroles, pies, and TAMALES!
There are times I miss the Southwest. This is one of them. I love tamales and they're impossible to find here.
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Post by Legion » Fri Dec 22, 2006 10:37 am

Rebis wrote:
Legion wrote:Christmas is just the Christian rip off of several other earlier religious activities at this time of year... most notably the old sun god Mithras, who apparently was born on December 25th and whose mother was coincidently a virgin... hmmm....
Somebody's been watching QI...
:angel:

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Post by Shanti418 » Fri Dec 22, 2006 4:50 pm

sprunkner wrote:There are times I miss the Southwest. This is one of them. I love tamales and they're impossible to find here.
I'm sure you could get some to you, though? What with the 24/7 e-economy and all that? If I can get salmon shipped from Pike's Market, then I'm sure some tamales could make the flight.
Best First wrote:I thought we could just meander between making well thought out points, being needlessly immature, provocative and generalist, then veer into caring about constructive debate and make a few valid points, act civil for a bit, then lower the tone again, then act offended when we get called on it, then dictate what it is and isn't worth debating, reinterpret a few of my own posts through a less offensive lens, then jaunt down whatever other path our seemingly volatile mood took us in.

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Post by sprunkner » Fri Dec 22, 2006 6:52 pm

I can just make 'em, but it takes three hours and messes the kitchen up fierce. I'm going to try a carneceria in downtown Bellevue today to see what they got.
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Post by Shanti418 » Fri Dec 22, 2006 10:04 pm

Good luck. If I recall Seattle correctly, they have chinese teriyaki places like we have taquerias. lol

That's one of the great things about illegal immigration: Give it 50 years, and I'll finally be able to go anywhere in the country and get a good taco.
Best First wrote:I thought we could just meander between making well thought out points, being needlessly immature, provocative and generalist, then veer into caring about constructive debate and make a few valid points, act civil for a bit, then lower the tone again, then act offended when we get called on it, then dictate what it is and isn't worth debating, reinterpret a few of my own posts through a less offensive lens, then jaunt down whatever other path our seemingly volatile mood took us in.

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Post by sprunkner » Sat Dec 23, 2006 5:01 am

You can't get these shirts anymore, but they are still wicked-cool.

http://blog.kevindonahue.com/archives/2 ... andwiches/
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