Holidays

[Rhi]

I was curious as to what holidays everybody celebrates here. I know I probably left some holidays out, so if you choose other, please specify which holiday in your reply. I'm also curious how you celebrate your holiday and how where you live affects your holiday, so post before this cat dies of curiousity! (don't worry, my satisfaction will bring me back )

[Emi]

I chose Christmas (Christian) because we do like go to church for Christmas and stuff. But that's about it. I don't really go to church for anything else. But what we do in my family is open presents in the morning and then we have a the whole family (aunts and uncles etc.) together at someone's house. We have like dinner and open gifts there as well. It's not really something spectacular but it brings the family together.

[Mel]

I chose Christian Christmas...'cause I'm Christian and I celebrate Christmas. I think it's been fairly obvious in my posts, anyway.
Usually we go to mass on Christmas Eve, and then to my Grandma's house for like a mini Christmas there on my dad's side. Then, we go home, and we open presents on Christmas morning with just my immeadiate family. Later on, towards the end of December, we usually get together with my mom's side of the family, so I get to see like _all_ of my cousins and aunts and uncles. We have a really big dinner and we get to catch up on the past year or couple of months that we've missed together. It's really pretty nice, getting to see all your family in such good circumstances!



EDIT: And Rhi!! You used the end of the quote! A-Ha-HA! Everyone always forgets about the end of the quote.... *strokes quote* Poor Quoty, don't listen to those meanie-pies. They're just stupid.

XD

Just ignore me, please, XD

[vashmata]

I'll explain a bit about Hanukkah. Hannukah is the holiday celebrating two major miracles:
1. when the small army(Israel) defeated the large army(Greeks)
2. when we found one pure jug of olive oil to light our "menorah" . The real miracle, was that the jug of oil was supposed to last one day, but it actually lasted eight days.

So pretty much, the mitzvah, or commandment, is to light the hanukkiah, the menorah with nine branches, instead of seven, to symbolize the 8 days of Hanukkah(the middle one is the one used to light the others). Thee main minhaggim, or customs, are making levivot[in Hebrew, or latkes(in Yiddish)or potato pancakes(in English)], and sufganyot, jelly doughnuts in English, both made with olive oil, because of the miracle. We also get "chocolate coins", and presents, which is supposedly to make us want to learn the bible, because we get presents, instead of making us think we have to learn it, kind of like a bribe. Also we play with dreidels(tops), because in the time when we were conquered by the Greeks, we weren't allowed to study Torah(the bible) so whenever they showed up, we would start playing with them, instead of learning, and hide the books somewhere.

Wow, this is fun, even though it's possible that mostly everyone already knows this.

[wolf_wizard]

True, a lot of people might know this, but seeing as this is the place to discuss the holiday you celebrate, it's ok to, and, some people might learn something about other religions. This is an interesting topic. Anyway, I was wondering why you are posting, but haven't taken the poll, after looking at the poll results. Oh well... I haven't yet either. I think i'll do it now

[vashmata]

Wolfy, if you look at the results, it's kinda weird, but the bar is talking about the choice below it, not above. I have voted, and I'm the only one that celebrates Hanukkah.

[wolf_wizard]

Ok, I get it now. Thanks. I was a little confused. Now that makes more sense. The forums are moving a little fast right now. Ahhhhh- NO ONE LINERS! OK, I think all the different holidays people celebrate are interesting. (Although now we only have two, I needed something to keep this post from ending up a one- liner.)

[mysss]

It's cool to see the Hebrew and other words and the whole picture of what I might have picked up throughout school, Vashmata. As for me, I celebrate Christmas(Christian). It kind of saddens me, though, that "Christ-Mass" secular has to be a choice. But that's the way the world is. Happy Holidays!

Oh, and it's good to see we have recent topics again ^^.

[Poliester]

I celebrate Christmas in a secular way. My family is full of Christians and atheists (except my dad, who's a buddhist one week, then a Jew, then a Hindu, then a Catholic, then...). My family in Seattle (mom, mom's life partner, two sister, step-brother) goes to shurch on Christmas night to sing the songs, and not so much for the mass. My family in Milwaukie (dad, dad's wife, two sisters) does nothing. I'm sure my dad and his wife go to church because his wife is super-Christian, but I never hear about it.

I celebrate Yule. Eh. I'm going to celebrate it on the Solstice night, next Friday, because in some places it's celebrated then. In other places, it's celebrated on the 25th of December. My mom wants to take the family out to dinner for Solstice, but that's almost the same as making everyone go to church on Christmas when we don't believe that Christ was our saviour. AH I just remembered I still have to cut a Yule log for my friend... -.-' I might have time this weekend if I don't go to Oregon.

[Rhi]

Well, I finally voted in my own poll
I celebrate Christmas in the Christian way, going to church and participating in our Christmas musical (actually, this year I've been part of two )

This year's Christmas is going to be different because we won't be visiting my relatives in Alabama (which we almost always do) because we're going to use the time off from school to pack for our upcoming move...

Mel: Yeah, I like the whole little catechism thing, but the end of the quote is my favorite (and to put the whole thing would be both bandwith wasteful and annoying to type ) (For those of you who don't know what we're talking about, look at my sig: