Modern Holiday Traditions

[Jedimom/Cor-Al Gelkar]

What are some traditions you have created for your family that are a little more "modern" than the ususal tree trimming and stuff? One thing we do every Christmas Eve is track Santa from the NORAD satellites. You can watch his progress today as he delivers his toys at

www.noradsanta.com

[Leda EmBorr]

Heheh... I just had to reply to this... I didn't see it before... norad santa... now that's cool! I'm going to look for that next year.... remind me Cor-Al!

Every year we put up the train... but that's not really uncommon.

[Mon-Jas Charan]

Living here in the shadow of Cheyenne Mountain, NORAD Santa Track is a big deal. The site is maintained by an Air Force Major who volunteered and spent about 1000 hours redesigning the site in 2004. On Christmas Eve there are about 250 volunteer all military personal who man the phones for calls of the update of where Santa is. The general rule is Santa arrives at 11:00 p.m. in a Time Zone.

Just a little tidbit from Colorado.

[Leda EmBorr]

And I didn't forget... I'm looking!! ;D ;D

But you mean Santa's not illegal yet? I guess he's safe... he rakes in alot of dough for the economy this time of year... He's too important to ban....


Unlike Christmas trees...


Maybe we can just rename him too... like we can call him the "Holiday Fat Guy"....

[Mon-Jas Charan]

Back by popular demand

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral, celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all . . . and a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2006, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great, (not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country or is the only "AMERICA" in the western hemisphere), and without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith, choice of computer platform, or sexual preference of the wishee.

By accepting this greeting, you are accepting these terms. This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for himself or others, and is void where taxed or prohibited by law, and is evocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year, or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher.

A Merry Christmas to you all and the best of the season's greetings!

[Leda EmBorr]

Thanks, I needed that!

[Leda EmBorr]

Vent of the season--- I am one Angry Jedi!

It takes alot to get me angry because I usually tend to look at things from both sides so I can understand them before I get all riled up over them.... but I got really angry tonight.... I mean really angry!

I've been watching the news about the decision of some authorities to eliminate the word Christmas from stores and township celebrations and stuff, and so far I've brushed it off as being silly squabble... but it hit home tonight when my 11 year old, Anthony, sung with his school chorus at the holiday tree lighting and not the mayor, nor the fire chief, nor even the Presbyterian minister who gave the "invocation" wishing our troops a safe return home said "Merry Christmas". Last year he did a little ecumenical 3 minute speech, which was wonderfully multifaith and spiritual... but this year, religion was markedly absent.

But Santa Claus lives....

The Mayor welcomed the people to join in and sing carols with the kids... but nobody knew any of the songs, except maybe for Frosty the Snowman...

And what got me the most was that everyone seemed not to notice.... they were all just either very placid (it was windy and freezing) or they were too busy taking pictures of their kids to be bothered to realize that their freedoms were slipping away....

I felt very much like protesting ( not something I'm normally inclined to do )... so I yelled out a very loud "Merry Christmas!" I'm not sure if anyone heard me over the sixth grade brass ensemble playing an oddly timed version of "I saw mommy kissing santa claus".

Later, inside the municipal bulding, by the refershments and the "holiday cookies", the Minister smiled, shook my hand and wished me a Merry Christmas.

What the heck is happening to this country?? Can't say Merry Christmas? Happy Hanukkah? Just worship the almighty fat man in red who has come on his gas guzzling fire truck to give presents and candy to ensure the success of retailers and dentists and the overall stability of the stock market----

Just when I was beginning to get into the holiday spirit, they had to go and remind me why I've become cynical. If they're going to eliminate Christmas, they should do it properly.... Santa evolved from Saint Nicholas... that's religious... he should go too. Or maybe we can dress him up as Donald Trump and pass him off as an exemplary businessman....

But it's not about Christmas really... what makes me angry is that we're slowly losing the liberties that our country was founded on, and it's being complacently accepted.

Yes, I will miss the faded light up plastic nativity set that was in front of the library, and the giant Menorah with blue lights that used to be set up under the town hall clock... Guess it's time to pick a new winterfest hero... I vote for the St. Pauli Girl.... oh, wait... "saint" is religious.... do we have to rename beer, too? What's next?

I feel like stringing pink flamingo lights on my house, but I probably shouldn't because I might offend someone.


Thank you, and good night!

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Addendum:

Funny, how all it takes is one little thing to set you off... stress piles up and bam! You let go on some thing that normally would roll off your back.

Well I have decided to enjoy the holidays, and to make it a special time for myself and the family. Time for mom to set a good example for the kids, instead of just complaining about things and projecting negativity...

[Starkindler (The Naked Jedi)]

I always find it refreshing to educate others into the tradition of Santa Claus' real name... St. Nicholas. They are always silenced by learning there was a person behind the now commercialized, monolithic, advertizing frenzy that is Santa.

I too get really steamed by the removal of Faith from Christmas........REALLY steamed.
However, since I KNOW the Holiday's true meaning as well as the fact that I believe I enjoy it far more than they can....I am somewhat mollified.

[Leda EmBorr]

Yes, usually I ignore the politics that go into defining holidays, and I do my own thing and celebrate the season with family, and with friends of various faiths, and non-faiths.

But something just got to me tonight... it was totally unexpected. It was like suddenly this Minister had lost his freedom of religion and his freedom of speech. It was very worrisome. I felt like my ideals were being threatened. Maybe I'm overreacting. Meditate on this, I should....

[Primrodo]

Sadly this is everywhere...its not like Christmas has been a Christian Holiday for the past 1500 years or anything, despite the pagan symbols that were added in Roman Ruler at the time...apparently the pine tree was a way to make pagans accept Christianity by making it a symbol for both.

Bot its been a Christian, Religious holiday for the generations after, and whats happened? Well some genious started implementing gift exchanging...cool...so other smart guys started creating retail marketing strategy bringing everything from Nativities, Snowmen and St. Nick as symbols other than the tree and you started to have a plethora of things to look at.

So Secular families, who grew up in a very Christian society started seperating from their heritage but stil wanted to celebrate this holiday...so they did, removing all Christian implications from their kids..even though they still sang "Christ our Saviour is boooorn."

However over recent years society has been trying to lock down, and quiet Christians, mass slander all over North America saying that this religion was wrong, hypocritical etc etc, you;ve heard it all...so as teh discredit continued and the mass media covered almagamation of mass market also increasing that Christmas = shopping, Christians started watching thie 1500 year old tradion be slowly turned away from them, Santa being so magical that he made a leeway for Parents to lie to their Children, and teh tears that sprang forth when they released this, and what not.

And now we are a culture or society of tolerence thats ok so long as you aren't Christian. For some reason where Muslim and Buddism and other religions are socially acceptable to talk about in public schools and everywhere else where Chritsianity was cut off from. In a culture that thinks Christmas is THEIR holiday because they want it, so they cut out Christianity, in a move to unify the other holidays around it like Hannakah and Quwanza (sp?).

Offending someone with Merry Christmas or a CHRISTMAS tree is so studpid considering Christmas became so unattched to its beginnings and core values that its just a name now, it doesn;t mean what it does so who cares?

Well the PC police care and angry parents...and yet I see no move to name a Menora a "Holiday Candle Thing" or anything similiar. Many people will agree that changing Christmas to Holiday is a good move and won't offend anyone, and yet in a poll in Ontario only 1% of a online survey thought the name should be changed, even though in Toroonto its the first year for the "Holiday Tree"

My wife was just telling me to how they are editting "God" out of Xmas songs now and that alone says right there what they are trying to do...And that is taking away freedoms, never mind years upon YEARS of tradition.

I mean maybe I shoudl celebrate Hanakah for 100 years and then claim it as my own and fight to have it called something unrelated and dissassciate teh Jewish customs.

And Mon Jas..Best Post Ever! I think I will be copy and pasting into other forums Though living that close to the Stargate...

[Jauhzmynn Enz]

Amen leda, Monjas and Primrodo. I'm a bit fed up to the gills with all this Polically correct garbage. PC my butt, Tolerance. Phooey. They'er "tolerant" of everything BUT anything Christan. Faah. Vipers, hyporcrites, Den of theives. But as with anything, what freedoms we have if they are removed it's becasue we allow them. Maybe we need to stand up and demand."No, you will NOT remove these traditions!". <sighs>

Leda, Primrodo and Mon-jas, you guys aren't the only one who is a bit angry, irritaited and fed up. <growl>

[Leda EmBorr]

primrodo said:

I mean maybe I shoudl celebrate Hanakah for 100 years and then claim it as my own and fight to have it called something unrelated and dissassciate teh Jewish customs.

That's a good example of how rediculous it is.

I was raised Catholic, so Christmas, as I have always known it, involved both the religious and the secular traditions of the holiday. Since then I have adopted my own philosophy and have come to enjoy seeing people of all faiths celebrate their holidays, adding a wealth of tradition to an already culturally rich time of year. I'm saddened to see them disappear.

The commercialism of the season has always bugged me, but I did enjoy the shopping and the store decorations and stuff because it was really fun... it added cheer to what would otherwise be the darkest time of year--- and there was a balance. Now it looks as though the scales have tipped, and the fear of offending someone and losing their business has driven many retailers to avoid the slightest mention of religion. Yeah... so much for tolerance!

What it comes down to is this: Much of our society has become spoiled and selfish... it's all about me me me.... you stepped on my toes, so I'm going to sue you and get money.... What happened to understanding and compassion?

[Ani-Chay Pinn]

Well, my rant goes the other way. I'm HAPPY HOLIDAYS all the way. Some of the churches around here are just so overbearing, so obnoxious (and sometimes creepy) that I feel like telling them to go stand in their corners until they learn how to play nice. I'm a Pagan. If I wish any of them a Merry Yule or Winter Solstice they think I'm given them the sign of the devil. A person can NOT be a Christian and be just fine in the real and spiritual worlds. So, 'Happy Holidays' is my slogan this season.

I think this whole thing is a manufactured by some of the TV evangelists who want to cry, "We're being oppressed! We're being oppressed" and raise more money. When did "Happy Holidays" suddenly become an insult? It's not. NO ONE is being banned from saying "Merry Christmas". This whole 'issue' is a scam.

The problem has really squeezed the retailers. They don't want to offend ANYONE; they just want people to buy. Politicians just want people to vote for them. The fact that they don't just pick something, say it and get over it makes them look a bit cowardly, or greedy, or both. Aaaaah, remember that Tom Lehrer Christmas song? It was written about 50 years ago, but it's soooooo true. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Well, even with all this smoke-and-no-substance around, I'm enjoying the holidays.

[Primrodo]

Its really no smoke issue here, Kmart in the states has started this and Salvation Army wprkers being denied to set p shop, Walmart having complaints in as Christmas was removed from the website, replaced with neutral "holiday" stuffs. Yet you could search hannakah and get listings. After complainnig they had to add it back in.

I may seem silly, or personal experience may make the Christian response to the disassociation of Christmas and Christ, but its a very real concern. In fact "Merry Christmas" is being banned from being said.

Afterall, its a christian holiday. its central themed, its been that way for 1500 years.

SNL that is on right now is the best, non religious words within the songs Silent Night, etc and Away in a Barnbox...

[Ani-Chay Pinn]

Yeah, but when I hear the "Merry Christmas" is being 'banned' I never see that backed up. It just turns out to be some corporation going generic with 'Happy Holidays'. How did that turn into 'banned'? Is anyone getting fined, jailed, beat up or otherwise persecuted for "Merry Chirstmas"? No.

Now, Leda's example is more to the point. But why not just ask the minister why he didn't say "Merry Christmas" instead of assuming that there's a conspiracy against Christmas? Things are much clearer when you talk to people.

But there now seems to be a legion of complainers who want to enforce "Merry Chirstmas" on everyone else. Some people just don't celebrate the holiday but enjoy the season. It is all hot air. And the more people stomp around about how "Merry Christmas" is being attacked, the LESS people want to say it. Just use "Merry Christmas" freely. Don't worry about what the rest of the world is doing.

Darn, I forgot it was a new SNL, so I missed the opening.