Morality is not determined by the church you attend nor the faith you embrace. It is determined by the quality of your character and the positive impact you have on those you meet along your journey
A neighbor put up her Christmas decorations, inside and out, the day after Halloween. I refuse, in fact, I don't even decorate at all. Didn't do any shopping, zilch on Black Friday. Had a small, roasted turkey breast on Thanksgiving that I sliced and made into turkey sandwiches. Watched football and stayed home. I refuse to join in the over-commercialization of holidays. I'm not a grinch, yet, maybe on my way but right now no! No over buying and putting myself into debt.
I don't start Halloween until that week. I have some cute sweaters and jewelry I like to wear.
After Halloween it's Fall and Thanksgiving.
Christmas doesn't start until the day after Thanksgiving and lasts until January 6th, Twelfth Night.
That's the way it used to be.
That's the way it is for me.
I do not recognize commercial jumpstarting and will boycott shopping for businesses too greedy to recognize the proper seasons.
We got a "feast" from Marie Callender's this year because we were only four and it was the only way I could get my Mom (86) NOT to cook. She did anyway.
Oh noes! A WAR ON CHRISTMAS! There should be Christmas every day but Easter! Who cares if the baby Jesus, were he actually born, arrived in the spring? We want to be able to keep those Christmas lights and manger scenes and inflatable camels up year round! The Christian Founders have an amendment about that, don't they? The right to be annoying?
The rule should be that absolutely NOTHING to do with Christmas should be visually or aurally displayed until after Halloween. Decorations and Christmas music could BEGIN to infiltrate our consciousness in the time between Halloween and Thanksgiving week, but only at a minimal level. Full blown Christmas promotion should never begin prior to Thanksgiving!
While visiting my husband's German relatives many years ago in Munich, we were astonished to find out that the family only put their live tree up for two days. I'm sure that they would be horrified if they ever came to the US in October, November, December, January...........
We put ours up about a week to ten days before Christmas. I think that the song has it about right.........the TWELVE days of Christmas, not the TWELVE months of Christmas. Yes, we had a husband and wife in my neighborhood who actually kept their's up all year round. For us kids, that really kind of made it not so special, you know?
This is my teenage sons pet peeve also, he'll get a kick out of that sign. I'll suggest that he have his own little sit in protest on the issue. Not sure what the best place for something like this is, maybe City Hall or the next Assembly Meeting!
One year I put off having a tree too late and all of the lots were empty and I couldn't find a tree anywhere. This was a Dec. 23 I think. Then I heard there was a giveaway on the 24th and I went and got a free tree. Put it up and decorated it and I left it up until 12th night, Jan. 6. (Sherlock Holmes Birthday)
I really liked doing that. But the only way I can do it is to use a fake tree as you usually can't get a tree the day before Christmas.
I can't be the only one that is sick to death of Christmas by the time it arrives. Over-saturation everywhere. In my youth, Black Friday started the season. It should have stayed like that.
Our Christmas tree also went up on Christmas Eve and came down on January 6 or the day after if the 6th was a Sunday. I also recall, vaguely, that the tree went up after my sister and I went to bed on Christmas Eve making that a really long day for our parents! Last year our tree, still a real one, came into the house about two weeks before Christmas (because of snowy weather) but remained undecorated for another week. It was pretty standing in the corner of our dining room just doing its natural "tree thing." Beaglemom
But But But....... the War on Christmas? We MUST decorate at least two months to stay ahead of those nasty non believer evil doers. And Black Friday starts on Thanksgiving day, gotta keep those register's humming! My dad was ahead of his time. He'd plant real trees every year and we'd decorate the newest one. You can tell the houses we lived in by the descending order of evergreen trees. If we lost a few, he'd replace them with ones that would approximate the size. We had a faux tree in the living room and we'd take down the decorations on three kings day. The outdoor trees got decorated with fruits popcorn, nuts, seeds, and suet for the birds and were never cut down.
There aught to be a law against those inflatable parachute material ones with the fans, lights and fake snow blowing around.
Being of Swedish descent, we, too, put up our tree on Christmas Eve and took it down on New Year's Day. Of course, it was a live tree. And, back in the 40's and 50's, the Christmas celebration began AFTER Thanksgiving. In my opinion, everyone has forgotten the reason for the season and the stores are just down right greedy in their attempts to draw in customers. Yuck!
Isn't it a shame when the War on Christmas has gotten so bad that people wait until after Halloween to put up Christmas decorations? These poor, persecuted Christians! How do they ever manage?
I don't really care about the christmas decorations going up early too much. I can always either close my eyes or turn my head. What drives me bonkers is the radio stations that begin playing christmas music well before Thanksgiving.
Actually, I don't like the CONSTANT christmas music, even after T-day. Why? Because there really are VERY few DECENT christmas songs and they always end up scraping the barrel for anything to play!
If they would MIX the seasonal songs with whatever their normal play list was, I wouldn't feel so bad. Too much of ANYTHING can make one sick!
My Mom left their first Christmas tree (after getting married) up until Feb. 14th. They lived on the top floor of a duplex & the apartment downstairs had a fire. When the firemen came upstairs to check their place, they were horrified to find their Xmas tree still standing. She was embarrassed to the max so took it down, after they warned her to do it. =)
A neighbor put up her Christmas decorations, inside and out, the day after Halloween. I refuse, in fact, I don't even decorate at all. Didn't do any shopping, zilch on Black Friday. Had a small, roasted turkey breast on Thanksgiving that I sliced and made into turkey sandwiches. Watched football and stayed home. I refuse to join in the over-commercialization of holidays. I'm not a grinch, yet, maybe on my way but right now no! No over buying and putting myself into debt.
ReplyDeleteI don't start Halloween until that week. I have some cute sweaters and jewelry I like to wear.
DeleteAfter Halloween it's Fall and Thanksgiving.
Christmas doesn't start until the day after Thanksgiving and lasts until January 6th, Twelfth Night.
That's the way it used to be.
That's the way it is for me.
I do not recognize commercial jumpstarting and will boycott shopping for businesses too greedy to recognize the proper seasons.
We got a "feast" from Marie Callender's this year because we were only four and it was the only way I could get my Mom (86) NOT to cook. She did anyway.
Next year I'm taking them OUT to eat.
Oh noes! A WAR ON CHRISTMAS! There should be Christmas every day but Easter! Who cares if the baby Jesus, were he actually born, arrived in the spring? We want to be able to keep those Christmas lights and manger scenes and inflatable camels up year round! The Christian Founders have an amendment about that, don't they? The right to be annoying?
ReplyDeleteThe rule should be that absolutely NOTHING to do with Christmas should be visually or aurally displayed until after Halloween. Decorations and Christmas music could BEGIN to infiltrate our consciousness in the time between Halloween and Thanksgiving week, but only at a minimal level. Full blown Christmas promotion should never begin prior to Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteFloyd! You're still out there somewhere?
DeleteGood to see you, sir.......
Floyd M. Orr!!! My (other, besides Gryphen and Tina Fey, duh) celebrity crush! Where've you been keeping yourself, dear man?
DeleteHalloween? That's a typo right? You meant, until after THANKSGIVING. As in the start of Advent.
DeleteWhile visiting my husband's German relatives many years ago in Munich, we were astonished to find out that the family only put their live tree up for two days. I'm sure that they would be horrified if they ever came to the US in October, November, December, January...........
ReplyDeleteWe put ours up about a week to ten days before Christmas. I think that the song has it about right.........the TWELVE days of Christmas, not the TWELVE months of Christmas. Yes, we had a husband and wife in my neighborhood who actually kept their's up all year round. For us kids, that really kind of made it not so special, you know?
This is my teenage sons pet peeve also, he'll get a kick out of that sign. I'll suggest that he have his own little sit in protest on the issue. Not sure what the best place for something like this is, maybe City Hall or the next Assembly Meeting!
One year I put off having a tree too late and all of the lots were empty and I couldn't find a tree anywhere. This was a Dec. 23 I think. Then I heard there was a giveaway on the 24th and I went and got a free tree. Put it up and decorated it and I left it up until 12th night, Jan. 6. (Sherlock Holmes Birthday)
DeleteI really liked doing that. But the only way I can do it is to use a fake tree as you usually can't get a tree the day before Christmas.
I can't be the only one that is sick to death of Christmas by the time it arrives. Over-saturation everywhere. In my youth, Black Friday started the season. It should have stayed like that.
ReplyDeleteNo kidding! Our radio station was playing Christmas music before Thanksgiving. The stores had Christmas decorations before Halloween.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't be ready for Christmas if they had it in March.
DeleteI remember as a child, we put our tree up and decorated it on Christmas Eve. Took it down on New Year's Day.
ReplyDeleteNice to know our family wasn't alone!
DeleteOur Christmas tree also went up on Christmas Eve and came down on January 6 or the day after if the 6th was a Sunday. I also recall, vaguely, that the tree went up after my sister and I went to bed on Christmas Eve making that a really long day for our parents! Last year our tree, still a real one, came into the house about two weeks before Christmas (because of snowy weather) but remained undecorated for another week. It was pretty standing in the corner of our dining room just doing its natural "tree thing."
DeleteBeaglemom
But But But....... the War on Christmas? We MUST decorate at least two months to stay ahead of those nasty non believer evil doers. And Black Friday starts on Thanksgiving day, gotta keep those register's humming!
ReplyDeleteMy dad was ahead of his time. He'd plant real trees every year and we'd decorate the newest one. You can tell the houses we lived in by the descending order of evergreen trees. If we lost a few, he'd replace them with ones that would approximate the size. We had a faux tree in the living room and we'd take down the decorations on three kings day.
The outdoor trees got decorated with fruits popcorn, nuts, seeds, and suet for the birds and were never cut down.
There aught to be a law against those inflatable parachute material ones with the fans, lights and fake snow blowing around.
What a lovely idea! I'm going to encourage my family to plant trees every year & decorate them for the birds and other critters. Thanks for sharing!
DeleteSorry ... in dark Alaska I love Christmas lights in November. They lift my spirits.
ReplyDeleteBeing of Swedish descent, we, too, put up our tree on Christmas Eve and took it down on New Year's Day. Of course, it was a live tree. And, back in the 40's and 50's, the Christmas celebration began AFTER Thanksgiving. In my opinion, everyone has forgotten the reason for the season and the stores are just down right greedy in their attempts to draw in customers. Yuck!
ReplyDeleteIsn't it a shame when the War on Christmas has gotten so bad that people wait until after Halloween to put up Christmas decorations? These poor, persecuted Christians! How do they ever manage?
ReplyDeleteI don't really care about the christmas decorations going up early too much. I can always either close my eyes or turn my head. What drives me bonkers is the radio stations that begin playing christmas music well before Thanksgiving.
ReplyDeleteActually, I don't like the CONSTANT christmas music, even after T-day. Why? Because there really are VERY few DECENT christmas songs and they always end up scraping the barrel for anything to play!
If they would MIX the seasonal songs with whatever their normal play list was, I wouldn't feel so bad. Too much of ANYTHING can make one sick!
My Mom left their first Christmas tree (after getting married) up until Feb. 14th. They lived on the top floor of a duplex & the apartment downstairs had a fire. When the firemen came upstairs to check their place, they were horrified to find their Xmas tree still standing. She was embarrassed to the max so took it down, after they warned her to do it. =)
ReplyDelete