wishiwasthere

With 4 days until Christmas I look forward to waking to yet another warm, sunny day starting with champagne, lunch with 4 other families, eating al fresco, jumping in the pool, kids playing table tennis...etc. Maybe we'll go to the beach afterwards.<BR><BR>How I wish one day for Christmas to be COLD and WHITE.<BR><BR>For those of you in Europe & other cold climates will you really be doing what all the movies suggest, ie. looking out your windows to clear white snow covered gardens with icycles hanging from windows, drinking eggnog, riding in sleighs or putting up with chains on tyres, rugging up to go visiting and taking all those outer layers off as you enter the door?? What IS mistletoe by the way?<BR><BR>Oh, I wish. No doubt many of you would like my Christmas Day but believe me, after a lifetime of them, just once it would be nice to experience the "real" thing. I know family and friends and the true meaning of Christmas are more important, but go on, tell me about your experience; put me out of my misery. Is it like in the movies?<BR><BR>No matter where you are, enjoy the day. Merry Christmas.<BR><BR>

Carla

I live in New Jersey with a view of NYC from bridge to bridge. The weather is variable but the days leading up to Christmas are filled with decorating- I love real plant decorations- the pine smells so wonderful. I also fill vases with deep red roses, greenery, and berries. Pinecones are everywhere and pots of Amaryllis are my favorites. At night the candles are lit and Christmas music is playing. Trips to NYC are a must- to look at the tree at Rockefeller Center- tea at the Plaza or the special Charles Dickens' Christmas tea at the four seasons, looking at the light displays in the courtyard of the Palace Hotel (they make the best Hot Chocolate I've ever tasted there), the ice skaters at the Wollman Rink in Central Park, snuggling under blankets with the baby on a ride through Central Park in a horse-drawn carriage. Also try to fit in a Christmas show like the Nutcracker. Presents are opened on Christmas Eve followed by Midnight mass at St. Patrick's Cathredral of St. John the Divine. Christmas morning is always a breakfast of Pannetonne and tea and cappuchino followed by Christmas stockings. Snacks of special cheeses and sausages sustain us until Christmas dinner with the whole family. We then either pay a visit or are visited by close friends for a toast of champagne. It's definately the best time of the year.

Jess

Christmas usually begins on Christmas Eve when my family goes to Midnight Mass. It's a great time to have a large part of my family together (being part of 7 kids makes it hard to bring them all together). After that we go home and are allowed to open one present, picked by another sibling.<BR><BR>In the morning, I'm greeted with Happy Birthdays before Merry Christmases. Yep, I was born Christmas Day. One heck of a present to my parents (not to mention heartbreak for my older brothers, not having their Mom to open presents.) <BR><BR>A lot of people think that sharing a birthday with such a holiday may feel like a burden. But it only means that I'm guaranteed to have my family around for my birthday and I get treated twice as nice on the 25th. (Not to mention a large part of the world shares in my birthday as well : ) )<BR><BR>When my older brothers and I were together for my birthdays, they'd wrap my presents in Christmas wrapping and Birthday wrapping to separate and "honor" the two. And just when I'd get to the end of my Xmas presents, eager to start ripping away at the untouched birthday paper, they'd stop me immediately, and, for the sheer torture that only older brothers can give, they'd announce that since no one can really open birthday presents without cake, I'd have to wait until the evening to open my birthday presents, that way the holiday and my birthday would be seperate. After which, a wrestling match would usually ensue until one of us won. I'm somewhat embarrassed and yet, proud that the fine Christmas wrestling tradition has carried on through our twenties. I think I was six when it started. <BR><BR>I'll definitely miss not having my older brothers around to torture me this year. But I know they'll call. And we'll weave stories around the great wrestling match of '86, or the time I actually won, or when they won by default by putting lotion in my hair...<BR><BR>Having family around is the most important part of the holiday for me. <BR><BR>Merry Christmas and/or Happy Holidays!!<BR><BR>Cheers,<BR>Jess<BR><BR>P.S. my family loves me so much, they're sending me away to London this year! *LOL* They're the best!

mh

I live in Germany and yes we will have snow but the Germans take christmas seriously and the country basically will shut down from sunday until thursday. Not much will be open as far as restaurants, stores, etc. I will be finishing my masters thesis this holiday weekend. Since time is running out on that....Me,my dog, cats and a laptop....The grinch is coming to my house

ssss

Lived in Hawaii for 3 years I can tell you I and friend that I have who live in Hawaii have always gotten sicke when we traveled to snow destinations at Christmas time. Unless you are in at a primier ski resort it is more bother than comfort.<BR><BR>I dread shopping in 40 degree temp. this weekend. Not at all the thick of winter but I have to wear a heavy coat which is a pain in the neck to carry when you are in a heated building. UGH!!! Christmas for me is about family, giving and eating beyond that temperatures are not at all important to me.

bennie

Here in New England its been warmer than usual so not much chance of a white Christmas. However, the one and only day of significant snow so far was the day my family went out to cut its Christmas tree. There are many Christmas tree farms in our town, so we grabbed the sled and walked to our favorite. All the trees were snow covered which was absolutely beautiful but made it hard to identify exactly what kind of tree you were looking at. A snowball fight occurred, lots of laughs, a great memory to cherish. <BR><BR>House is decorated with lots of lights outside, wreaths, poinsettas, the creche, the tree with tons of ornaments (mostly homemade from the kids)<BR><BR>Christmas Eve we will go to Mass and open a few presents. Christmas morning Santa will have visited and the kids will rush through opening all their gifts. Then a two hour drive to visit my mother and brothers with their families. Big dinner with lobster and prime rib, a little champagne. Then a two hour drive home. Maybe my husband and I will finally have a minute to ourselves to exchange gifts when everyone is tucked in bed.<BR><BR>All in all a great holiday.

cynical

a snowball fight in New England "a memory to cherish" give me a break. I think Bennie just wants you to come to New England.

Vicki

Mistletoe is a green plant with poisonous red berries that is hung up at Christmas time and the tradition goes that if someone stands under it they get a kiss. Sorry but I don't know how the tradition originated. <BR>Here in the mountains of Idaho we have alot of snow this year and it really is as pretty as in the movies. I love sitting by the fireplace in our house and watching it fall. Some years we have been totally snowed in on Christmas with all the roads closed and it was great. This year we will spend Christmas at a nearby cabin in the woods located right on a snowmobile trail. We will divide our time between ejoying the 3 feet of fresh powder we have gotten lately and sitting in the hot tub or watching all our new Christmas videos by the fireplace. It's tough I know but someone has to do it. I absolutely love riding up through the trees to the top of a mountain and looking out over what seems like the whole world. It's one of those things that you can't even imagine how spectacular it is until you see it. <BR>Merry Christmas to all of you no matter where in the world you are.

vicki

P.S. We don't really need tire chains too often because around here we almost all drive big 4-wheel drive trucks or SUV's. It's not for status though it's for survival!

MaryC

Vicki I think you're talking about holly. : )<BR><BR>Mistletoe is a parasite that normally grows on tops of oak trees in the wintertime. People shoot it off the tops with a shotgun, take it home, and kiss underneath. Merry Christmas to all!

vicki

You are right in that it is a parasitic plant that grows on various kinds of trees. But it is green and poisonous (at least some of the varieties). The red berries are probably added to the stuff they sell at Christmas time to add to the holiday appeal. As far as shooting it off with shotguns I guess I don't live quite that far into the backwoods.

kam

I've always seen white berries on mistletoe and the red ones on the holly that grows in my backyard. Never seen mistletoe outside of the florist's however. Pointsetta is also poisonous, but someone once told me you'd have to eat a whole salad's worth to feel a bit sick!

Alexander

As a priest Christmas is of course a busy time in the church. So I put off family celebration until the last service on Christmas Day, around midday. We start with a cold lunch (turkey sandwiches) with a glass of fine wine, then a couple of hours' rest (don't get much sleep with Midnight Mass and early Christmas Day service), then we go out to a local restaurant, usually Indian, for a festive curry and a bottle of bubbly! Then home and Christmas pudding (with generous helping of brandy) and ice cream for the younger kids. Watch a film on TV before we fall into each's arms for a well-earned sleep and lie-in on Boxing Day.

Curious2know

Usually just kvetching & kvelling about how the only restaurants in my town open on Christmas Day are the Chinese restaurants. All this trouble for such a nice Jewish boy! I go to my parents' house until things get too dysfunctional, which means I usually miss the meal. Then I go home, watch videos or anything on TV that might strike my fancy, read, listen to CDs and catch up on my sleep. A good day, IMO, to indulge one's interests a bit, and forget about what's going on in the world. And this year we need that more than ever!

Arab

Dear Wish, for you to experience the "real" atmosphere of Christmas weather from the original Christmas, you would have to be in a desert area with camels and sand, there was no snow in Bethlehem.

MaryC

Vicki<BR><BR>Thanks for the additional info on the mistletoe! Didn't mean to get pedantic. I always enjoy learning new things. And I imagine that people shoot the mistletoe off as it tends to grow towards the tops of the oldest, tallest trees. No fun climbing those suckers.<BR>Now as for backwoods part, well, let's just say that in eastern KY that hit t'warn't no backwoods, hit was hollers. Unless you was a ridge-runner. Then you could run along the tops of the hills and never have need to go down INTO them hollers.<BR>Also understand about the need for SUVs and such in Idaho. I used to live in South Dakota in blizzard country, where people also had snowmobiles to get around. Ah, seven-foot drifts of snow that we used to tunnel into to make snow forts. I would like to say that this was strictly a Christmastime occurence, but this could also happen as late as April or as early as October. Talk about the need for survival skills! Merry Christmas!

Rhonda

Sounds like "wishiwasthere" is Australian because that's exactly what our Christmas will be like. <BR><BR>We'll be going to church on Christmas Eve, waking to find Father Christmas has visited, ringing our families interstate and sharing lunch with our friends (who also don't have family in Sydney). <BR><BR>Most Aussies grew up with the traditional English hot Christmas lunch, which doesn't make sense in our heat. Nowadays people are far more casual, eating cold seafood, cold meats and salads instead. We'll still have the hot Christmas Pudding, mince pies and shortbread to finish.<BR><BR>Bondi Beach is where hundreds of tourists end up on Christmas Day, no doubt relishing a warm one for a change.<BR><BR>Yes, I would also like a white Christmas one day, but trying to convince my family to share it with me is proving difficult.

ja

Me, too, Jess - born at 1030h MST on Dec. 25, 1954! While we had a bit of snow earlier this winter, we don't have any left on the roads(yay) but there is enough to cover the dead lawns. As a shift-working professional most of my adult life, I'm quite used to working on Christmas Day/my b'day - and this year is no exception! We'll be having our Christmas dinner on the 28th, as my bf is also a shift person. However, I will be doing my rounds with a big basket full of Christmas sweets to share the cheer!<BR>ja

Pickens

Hi you guys! Been a while since I was able to post. Another great topic like the Thanksgiving thread. <BR><BR>Since I won't have family visiting my house this year, I will go to Midnight Mass, then Christmas Day, go help out at the homeless shelter serving meals from about 10 to 1. Then its over to my brother's house for dinner and opening presents and then to my dad's place for the evening. Friends will be dropping by during the day. I love Christmas' like this one because I think it is truly what the day is about - giving to others in need and sharing with family and friends.<BR>Hope all of you around the world have a wonderful day and enjoy your Christmas.

Ebenezrette

The original poster asked how we spend our Christmas Day. I answered honestly that I have an "Un-Christmas/Hannukah" and happily decline on principal to participate in the orgy of obligitory shopping, singing, and family-related travel, therefore my December is wonderfully relaxed. I didn't attack anyone, or use profane or crude language, yet my post was deleted. Apparently it was considered Un-Christian, Un-American, un-sentimental, and offensive. There is no censorship like pro-Christmas censorship!