Happy Holidays!

[ChristineM]

We do and still, no issues. Our cats are pretty well behaved.

Thats wonderful. So are ours most of the time.
Just think we have one named Loki, for a reason ;-)

 

[JustGeorge]

The last year we had a tree, there were only 6 cats.

The main troubles were the youngsters knocking ornaments off in play, and one of the ex-ferals not understanding that this tree tips, while the outside ones don't. She was a fatty, too, so a lot of weight to try to crawl in the branches and rest... didn't work well for any of us.

Also, a tree would have been a huge issue when the warlord(middle son) was young. I think by the time he was mobile, we didn't even consider it.

 

[It Aint Necessarily So]

How are you preparing? Any fun plans?

Happy Holidays to you as well.

There is no preparation necessary for us, as we don't buy gifts, decorate, or prepare a group meal, and don't celebrate any holiday because of what it is a holiday celebrating, but rather, just to get together with friends for a meal. We enjoy the pageantry and traditions, but the holidays themselves have no intrinsic meaning beyond a chance to fellowship with local friends, since we have no family here, no interest in traveling to them in the States, and they have no interest in visiting Mexico. Not surprisingly, holidays are always a good time, with no stress in preparation nor drama in the celebration itself.

Regarding plans, Mexican Christmas is still a desert holiday with creches, camels, and magi - not an ice holiday (yet; Wal-Mart sells lights, trees, Santa, Frosty, and Rudolph, which are starting to appear in Mexican homes as do all things from up north, which, being foreign and American, confer a kind of status). We generally visit the local posada, which is usually right across the street from our front door:

"Posadas in Mexico began as a way for the Spaniards to teach native people about Christmas. During the nine days leading up to Christmas Day, masses would include representations of Mary and Joseph. Following mass was a party where people were blindfolded before hitting a piñata with a stick, a representation of faith defeating temptation with the help of virtue. The fruits and sweets that poured out of the piñata represented the joys of union with God. In time, posadas started to be held in neighborhoods and people’s homes, becoming a more familiar and tightly-knit occasion, as well as preparation for Christmas. At the beginning of a posada, people are divided in two groups, the ones “outside” representing Mary and Joseph, and the ones “inside” representing innkeepers. Then everyone sings the posada litany together, re-enacting Mary and Joseph’s search, going back and forth until they are finally “admitted” to an inn. After this tradition, the party proper starts."

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Unpacking Happy Holiday for the winter solstice, we have this collection for anybody interested in exploring them on Google:

• Happy Amaterasu, Merry Beaivi Day, Happy Brumalia, Merry Choimus, Merry Christmas, Happy Dongzhi, Happy Devorius Riuri, Merry Deygan, Happy Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, Happy Dong Zhi, Happy Festivus, Merry Goru, Merry Grianstad an Gheimhridh, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Hogmanay, Happy HumanLight, Merry Inti Raymi, Happy Jonkonnu, God Jul, Merry Kaleda, Merry Korochun, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Lussi Night, Merry Modresnach, Happy Pancha Ganapati, Merry Rozhanitsa Feast, Happy Sanghamitta Day, Io Saturnalia, Merry Seva Zistane, Merry Shabe Celle, Happy Solar New Year, Happy Soyal, Happy Winter Solstice, Merry Wayeb, Happy Yalda, Happy Yule, Happy Zagmuk, and Merry Ziemassvetki.

 

[Augustus]

I've ordered a 9ft Christmas tree, for delivery on 20th, which will stay up throughout the 12 days of Christmas, i.e. until Epiphany

I love Christmas trees, so I'm old school and keep the tree until Candlemas (2 Feb).

None of this new fangled 12 days nonsense

 

[exchemist]

Many religious celebrations around this time of year. The Christians (at least some) start it of with Sinterklaas tomorrow. (Though I have heard that it lost importance in favour of Christmas in the Netherlands. Is that so?)
The pagans will celebrate the solstice sometime around the 21th and then the Christians are at it again on the 24th (here, 25th in the rest of the world).
I'll be with my family for a week to indulge in the traditional gluttony and sloth (even though I'm not Christian).
After that I'm with friends for a long weekend to celebrate the secular turn of the year.

Sinterklaas was still going strong when we were in Den Haag, but then he does arrive by boat at Scheveningen harbour, which was in fact where we lived at the time. My son used to enjoy being given kruidnoten by the Swarte Piets.

This was 10 years ago though. I think the Swarte Piets are disapproved of nowadays (because blackface etc), so the whole thing may be losing its critical mass.

 

[exchemist]

I love Christmas trees, so I'm old school and keep the tree until Candlemas (2 Feb).

None of this new fangled 12 days nonsense

I can't do that because long before then the needles would all be off. That's because I insist on an old-fashioned, traditional Christmas tree, rather than one of these new-fangled Nordmann, non-drop trees that don't smell nearly as nice.

 

[Augustus]

I can't do that because long before then the needles would all be off. That's because I insist on an old-fashioned, traditional Christmas tree, rather than one of these new-fangled Nordmann, non-drop trees that don't smell nearly as nice.

They do smell nice, although you're still standing on pine needles at Easter

 

[exchemist]

They do smell nice, although you're still standing on pine needles at Easter

Indeed. Generally about 2/3 of them come off when my son and I manhandle the thing out into the street at Epiphany. So I then have to sweep the carpets and get out the vacuum cleaner. But what does help is we have an excellent tree stand, bought when we lived in Houston, which one fills with water, so the tree has a chance of sucking some up - which it certainly does - to keep going a bit longer.

 

[Heyo]

But what does help is we have an excellent tree stand, bought when we lived in Houston, which one fills with water, so the tree has a chance of sucking some up - which it certainly does - to keep going a bit longer.

And add a bit of glycerine to the water.

 

[exchemist]

And add a bit of glycerine to the water.

Oh yes? I wonder where I can get that. Perhaps at the pharmacy.

 

[metis]

If you celebrate any version of a holiday this time of year, I hope it is festive, joyous, and full of great food with people you love.

How are you preparing? Any fun plans? Are you in charge of making any food? Are you staying home or going somewhere else to visit family?

This Saturday, we are celebrating what we call "ChrisHannukah" at our oldest daughter's home as our families are a mixture of Christian [Catholic], Judaism, and atheist. We celebrate it all and never argue religion, plus we attend each other's special ceremonies.

This December it is especially appropriate since our oldest granddaughter is going through a graduating ceremony as she completes her graduate degree in quantum chemistry at the University of Michigan. Ironically, she's just been offered a teaching position at a Jesuit university where she did her undergraduate studies.

 

[ChristineM]

@JustGeorge

A better picture, no lights though.

 

[JustGeorge]

@JustGeorge

A better picture, no lights though.
View attachment 69209

Beautiful!