Shiny

[verin_the_brown]

So it’s December and I think I can safely say that we’re all eagerly awaiting the solstice and the slow increase in the length of days. When I lived with my parents, we celebrated Christmas in our own secular way, and I liked “the season” a lot. I liked Christmas day a lot too because we got presents and what kid doesn’t like that. Most of all,

Comments

[hilleviw]

I always loved Christmas stockings the best. Waking up, and someone has miraculously managed to sneak into my room without waking me, and I have a whole pile of things to shake and guess about and unwrap. And they're little things, like a jar of bubbles or blank cassette tapes or an orange or a baggie of pistachios. Cool, useful, things which by themselves don't constitute presents, but which, aggregated into a stocking, make the best present. Post-its, and pens, an inkpot, a bag of beads. Once there was a miniature jigsaw puzzle. I not only love receiving a stocking, I love putting them together for my family.

[verin_the_brown]

Waking up, and someone has miraculously managed to sneak into my room without waking me, and I have a whole pile of things to shake and guess about and unwrap.

Ooh, did you put up the stocking in your room?

[hilleviw]

Yup. It was a great way to keep us kids quiet in the morning so that parents could snooze for a while. We had our big Christmas dinner on Christmas eve, then on Christmas day we had a late brunch of French onion soup. The big presents might be opened on Christmas eve, or on Christmas day after brunch.

Shiny

[merlin_sleeps]

My best memory from childhood Christmases was always getting an exotic present from my mysterious aunt who lived in Switzerland. (Her husband came back to the United States; she didn't.) The present was always art supplies, such as colored pencils, calligraphy pens or pastels -- and oil pastels, which I had never known existed

Re: Shiny

[verin_the_brown]

Maybe you can find a Senior Quantitative Analyst action figure for the top of your tree.

I think the closest thing I have to that is the "Supermom" action figure you got me, which I keep here at work.

[kickindancer]

Despite not celebrating Christmas in my family, Ive always enjoyed looking at everyone else's decorations---lights and trees and whatnot. Im not very fond of the pop Christmas songs, but I really like the old carols/hymns/whatever they are. I was in chorus throughout much of school and part of college so I learned many of them

[crouchback]

We celebrated Christmas when I was a kid, and still do.

The moment when everyone was gathered under the tree with all the presents open, stuffed full of good food and content, was always my favorite.

The annual empty gift-wrap paper tube duel with my sister was my second favorite part.

[verin_the_brown]

The moment when everyone was gathered under the tree with all the presents open, stuffed full of good food and content, was always my favorite.

On what day, stuffed with food from what meal?

[enochs_fable]

You so should put Witch King up there. Matchy matchy be damned!

We had a "Hannukah Bush" when we were little, and then the dogs kept knocking it over and away it went. I remember lighting the candles with my Dad as he read the prayers from his serviceman's Jewish prayer book, and having latkes with apple-sauce.

This is why I go a bit bananas with festive gatherings as an adult.