It would not be Christmas without________________

[debm55]

[Glorfindel]

1. Listening to the Mannheim Steamroller Christmas albums.

Watching George C. Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge in "A Christmas Carol."

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3. Thank you Glorifindel

[SWBTATTReg]

2. Ironically, when I read this, I thought of all of the things that I don't have to do any longer, as I get older and

older. The hypocrisy is overwhelming at Xmas time.

But, I guess that Xmas trees would be the big thing. I love the smell, even had my own Xmas tree operation, grant you, it wasn't very big, about 20,000 trees, and the number of trees that died off every year (In the Ozarks) was staggering. The hardest part? Mowing the lot w/o running over a few trees accidently and trimming them so they wouldn't grow up lopsided or the like.

Finally gave up after battling the deer, they love these things. There's probably maybe about 10 good sized trees now, out of 20,000 now.

[yellowdogintexas]

4. Christmas movies. We have a large collection of them old ones and new ones.

The other thing is baking I love to bake and always bake a chocolate pound cake for our family get together. I use Mr YD's grandmother's recipe.

[debm55]

6. Thank you yellowdogintexas. That sounds delicious

[keithbvadu2]

5. Watching Trump win the War on Christmas........ every single year.

You would think he would only have to win it once.

[debm55]

7. Don't understand what that has to do with the OP. I will celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah as they both are

occur at the same time this year,

[CrispyQ]

8. Peanuts Christmas music by Vince Guaraldi.

[debm55]

9. Thank you CrispyQ. I have the disk . I used to play it in school

[debm55]

11. Thank you. But there are a lot of people that have no family or friends that need friends and the community to step in.

[anciano]

12. You are right.

I apologize if my post came across as selfish or insensitive. I will delete it.

[debm55]

15. Oh no, please don't apologize to me. . You are not selfish or insensitive..

[Paladin]

13. Without 1.) Watching the Alistair Sim "Scrooge" movie; and...

2.) Listening to the Alison Krauss/Yo Yo Ma version of "The Wexford Carol" online.

[CTyankee]

16. I would LOVE to see/hear that! they are two of my favorite musicians!

[Paladin]

22. Pretty easy to find, via Google. (nt)

[ProfessorGAC]

18. Definitely With You On #1

I've watched it already this season. I'll watch it again.
There are others I'll watch again. Maybe the 24th & 25th.

[Wicked Blue]

14. Paganism

The Yule log, the evergreen tree, the wreaths and mistletoe are all borrowed from pre-Christian celebrations. Even the date, December 25, was Saturnalia to the Romans, the Bacchanalia celebrating the birth of Dionysus to the Greeks, and the celebration of the birth of the god Mithra to the Persians. To the Norse, it was Yule, honoring the birth of their god Frey, to the German tribes, a celebration of their god Odin.

[debm55]

17. Thank you . When I was young, I could never understand why the shepherds had to keep watch over the sheep.Sheep drop

with the babies in April not December. I understand your post and have for a long time.

[NNadir]

19. My inlaws getting obsessive about the subject of planning Christmas.

[debm55]

31. Some people will, let them be.

[NNadir]

34. Frankly, it annoys the hell out of my wife, since they start texting - sometimes 50 texts a day - beginning in...

...September about Christmas.

It comes, I think, from my late mother-in-law, who was obsessive/compulsive, and who made Christmas into this bizarre intense ritual.

I recall, that when I showed up for my first Christmas with my (future) wife's family - I'd been living with my future wife just about 2 months, definitely a new boyfriend - I politely brought a bottle of wine, and it turned out I had about 20 gifts, which was embarrassing. This was in spite of the fact that I don't think they really liked me, particularly because I was older than my future wife and we were, as they say, "living in sin" in their minds. (They were decidedly not happy when their daughter married me; but eventually we all made peace, but still...)

Christmas got worse and worse, especially after we had kids. My brothers-in-law started to really resent Christmas, as the hour upon hour upon hour of gift giving left the kids, my sons, my nieces and my nephew bouncing off the walls near midnight and somewhat bored by "stuff." One Christmas we were faced with a choice: Bring home the gifts or bring home the Children, and we had a pretty big station wagon.

A residue of this upbringing remains with my wife's sisters. My wife was nearly in tears this evening after 50 or so texts from her sisters. We figured a way to stop the notifications on group chats. She was getting really upset. She couldn't think. She was threatening to skip the whole thing.

It's pretty unhealthy.

I actually don't know how my wife came out of that family. She's sane.

[debm55]

37. That is very intense.Sorry for you and your wife..My family was like that too, especially with my son.

[Lunabell]

20. How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The cartoon original.

Or "It's a Wonderful Life." Watched on Christmas Eve.

[debm55]

30. Thank you Lunabell. Love both

[FuzzyRabbit]

21. Darlene Love singing "Christmas, Baby Please Come Home".

[debm55]

29. Thank you very much FuzzyRabbit.

[Ziggysmom]

23. At Thanksgiving it's Alice's Restaurant and at Christmas I need to hear, played loudly,

Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24 By The Trans Siberian Orchestra.

?si=P46ryR6ZmooNTeej

[debm55]

28. Thank you very much Ziggysmom. It is a beautiful tune.

[3catwoman3]

32. Near the end of this thrilling piece, when what I call the "shrieking violin" part starts...

...at about the 3 minute mark, I feel it in every cell of my being. It's like I am a violin string with the bow being drawn across me. I LOVE it!!!

That little girl is a good actress.

[Different Drummer]

24. Watching my two favorite Christmas specials

"Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (the original animated version) and "The Year Without a Santa Claus." Also, hearing Eartha Kitt sing "Santa Baby" (which I've already heard several times since Thanksgiving).

[debm55]

27. Thank you Different Drummer.

[electric_blue68]

25. Lights, and decorations around the city!

Personal in apt buildings, single houses, or public displays.

[debm55]

26. Thank you very much electric_blue68,

[Chipper Chat]

33. Fox News proclaiming there's a war on it.

[debm55]

38. Agree, They do that every year. Thank you ChipperChat.

[OldBaldy1701E]

35. Playing 'The Nutcracker' in its entirety while opening presents on Christmas morning.

Andre Previn and the London Symphony!

My grandmother bought it for me when it came out. I play it every year.

[debm55]

39. Thank you OldBaldy1701E That sounds beautiful.

[catbyte]

36. ...

[debm55]

40. Hahahahahhhah. Thank you catbyte.