[OFF TOPIC] Happy Holidays and Birthdays Thread

[Olympian1010 7,977]

Happy Hanukkah to all of our Jewish users!

[hckošice 14,835]

It´s december 24th. The Generous day and the main day of Christmas in Slovakia.

 

So I wish you Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it. May you have amazing and peaceful christmas in the circle of your families and beloved ones

 

 

 

also a special bonus for @Olympian1010 I know you love reading about foreign habits and traditions, I found for you this guy who is trying to make christmas in slovak way in the

 

 

 

[Olympian1010 7,977]

2 minutes ago, hckosice said:

It´s december 24th. The Generous day and the main day of Christmas in Slovakia.

 

So I wish you Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it. May you have amazing and peaceful christmas in the circle of your families and beloved ones

 

 

@Olympian1010 I know you love reading about foreign habits and traditions, I found for you this guy who is trying to make christmas in slovak way in the

Thank You for sharing I do love learning about other cultures. Anyone else can feel free to share their Christmas routines with me too. My family largely lacks culture as we’ve been in the US too long (the US doesn’t really have its own culture in my opinion, people more often celebrate the traditions of their family’s ancestral lands). @Vojthas already educated me on the Polish ways of Christmas too .
 

Out of curiosity, does anyone hide a pickle on Christmas Eve, with the first child to find it receiving a gift? (This may actually be a rare American only tradition) Also be curious to know when people open gifts? (My family does it at sunrise on Christmas morning). 
 

Anyways, happy Christmas Eve to everyone. 

[Olympian1010 7,977]

Just passing on an idea/message I saw online.

 

The Holidays can be a lonely time for people for a multitude of reasons. In the “Season of Giving” it’s important not to leave anyone behind. I’ve seen a few people posting hotlines and whatnot, and I decided I could chip in a bit. So, if anyone around here is a bit lonely this Christmas, or feeling down about life, I’ll be hanging around the forum tomorrow and Wednesday. People should know by now that I take other people’s mental and physical health very seriously. I’m always down to have conversation with someone,  or talk sports, cultures, geography, or anything else really. So if talking sports of whatever else will help you get trough a lonely or depressing holiday season, just ask for me. I respond to messages anywhere (on the forum, on Twitter, through email, etc.). A friend is around if you need one 

 

Just wanted to add that I’m not trying to be over-bearing, or insinuate that their are people in that position on the forum. I just though I better post my usual, I’m always here if you need someone message, since the holidays can be rough for some people. I hope that you all have a wonderful Christmas Eve, Christmas, Orthodox Christmas (y’all celebrate it on a different day of something right?) 

[OlympicIRL 5,532]

Our main celebration is on Christmas Day (25th December). Santa leaves presents under the tree and we open them on Christmas morning. We also have a huge feast on Christmas Day. We will have a starter (garlic mushrooms or soup with bread rolls), the main course (roast turkey, ham, roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, stuffing, Brussels sprouts, loads of boiled and roasted vegetables).

At this point we also pull crackers and tell those silly jokes inside (which I love btw ) and wear party hats.

 

Then because we are so full, no one can look at dessert so we have that maybe 90 mins later. This year we have so many to choose from (Black Forest gateau, Chocolate Fudge cake, sticky toffee pudding, Christmas pudding with custard, and my personal choice will be banoffee pie ).

 

We will also eat lots of chocolate and pies and various treats throughout the day.

 

Today is Christmas Eve and this is also a very nice occasion. I will go into the fields to look for holly and decorate the house with it. Some of the food for tomorrow will be prepared and I will spend the day watching Christmas movies with my nephews (The Snowman movie) is a tradition.

Then one of my absolute favourite things about Christmas is the Midnight Mass in the cathedral on Christmas Eve.

It’s a beautiful occasion, seeing families reunited (remember Irish families have a lot of family members living abroad so coming home for Christmas is an exciting time for all). And the Christmas carols being played and the church organ blasting out the music. 
I look forward to hearing O Holy Night every year. They always do it so magically at Midnight Mass and it sends shivers down my spine it’s so good. So very much looking forward to that  

[Vojthas 949]

SO HERE IT IS - MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!!!

 

[heywoodu 15,145]

Nobody really celebrates it exactly the same here  Some people have an extra big dinner on the 24th, others on First (25) or Second (26) Christmas Day. Or on all of them  Also generally one or two of the days involves sort of a bigger-than-usual breakfast with some special stuff. We'll have that tomorrow, in our case these plans depend mostly on my sister's work and her availability (sick children in hospitals don't take a Christmas break, so yeah). I believe tonight we have a big dinner with both her boyfriend and my girlfriend present, so that'll be nice  

 

Tomorrow apart from the breakfast we don't have too many plans, this time the whole 'Christmas with family' thing will be on the 26th at, I believe, my uncle and aunt's place. I heard there'll be picanha, so that's good.

[Belle 975]

Merry christmas everyone. 24th is the main day for Sweden. We are eating christmas food and give each other christmas presents. We have a tradition to watch Donald Duck and his friends on tv. 

Edited December 24, 2019 by Belle

[Vojthas 949]

My favorite tradition which is only at my home is "the plate". I'll post it here in the evening, when it will be ready, by then just get curious.

 

BTW - lately I felt my sentimentalism being killed in me when I realized, that I'm happy not for the Christmas itself, but for a few days of not going to work. Call me "Grumpy Old Man"

[heywoodu 15,145]

Ah yeah, about TV traditions: on the 24th there is the Christmas special of 'All You Need Is Love', where the host gets couples from all over the world (with one being Dutch of course) together for the holidays  Not only couples, also for example family members who didn't see each other for years and stuff like that.