How much do you like Christmas?

[Pumpkin_Man]

I really love sitting in ftont of my fire place at Christmas time while listening to Christmas music or watching a Christmas tv special. I know what you mean about Christmas turning into a stress tournament. That's why I decided in recent years to make the time for these things. I have one party, which is my tree trimming, and I spread out my Christmas shopping over the entire year so it's usualy all done before Halloween.

I don't like the way my brothers & sisters celebrate Christmas because fo their non traditional attitudes, so I go to dinner at their house on Christmas Day, but I stay home and enjoy my fire place, music and Catholic tradition on Christmas Eve.

But as far as really having a love of Christmas, or it being my favorite holiday, it was much better and my favorite when I was a kid. Now a days, Halloween if my favorite.

Mike

[DemonSlayerMau]

Well, I pretty much like all the holidays the same, and Christmas helps me fill the void after Halloween is over. Thanksgiving tends to get me more excited for Christmas, though I feel bad because it seems so overlooked.

And pumpkin man...Halloween tends to be more geared toward kids than Christmas because it's not like grown ups go trick or treating...well I suppose they COULD but it would be very strange in my neighborhood. Christmas on the other hand is more geared toward the whole family. (Then again Halloween you can throw a wild party on too instead o.o)

But it's hard for me to say that I like any holidays less. I suppose my top ones would be Halloween, Christmas, Valintine's, July 4th, Thanksgiving and Easter, with New Years being "part II" of Christmas, since I'll generally leave my christmas stuff up until after New Years is over, and with watching Rudolph's Shiny New year there's still a christmas feel to it. Things like St Patty's day are fun too, though typically nothing is done on that day, Memorial day traditionally I'd have a picnic on that day.
But of those 6 holidays I mentioned above, it's hard to say which ones are the best. Granted, it's not that big a deal if I miss out on "Ka-boom" day, because in my town they have the festival the following weekend with their own fire works.

[Pumpkin_Man]

Well I have to respectfully disagree with you, DemonSlayer about Halloween being more geared for kids. Yes, adults generaly don't go 'trick or treating," but there are a lot more activities that adults as a whole can enjoy, including various horror shows that you would not show to little kids. I do agree, however, that Christmas is more geared towards the whole family, but there's no escaping the fact that the main emphasis is on children, toys and Santa Clause. A lot of our most popular Christmas music (i.e. "Santa Clause is Coming to Town," "Jolly Old St. Nicolus" "Here Comes Santa Clause" "Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer" "Must Be Santa" ) and a whole host of others are "admonishments" that children "better watch out" if they want to get any presents from Santa Clause. The entire Christmas celebration is based on the birth of a baby 2000 years ago. Please don't get me wrong. I love Christmas. I love the Advent Wreath, and I love all the various traditions that comes at Chrsitmas time, but the "magic" of Christmas has pretty much faded into a stronger affinity for tradition.

Halloween is a much more "fun" holiday for me, because I love to give out the TOT candy as much as I loved getting it when I was a kid. I also throw parties, and watch a lot of R rated horror shows, which I would never do if I had little ones living in the house, or at Christmas time. Halloween is my favorite, no doube about it. That does not mean that I don't enjoy other holidays, but for me,

Halloween
4th of July
Thanksgiving
Easter
Christmas

In that order.

Mike

[Rising Dead Man]

No holiday is just for kids! Anyone who says so need to open their eyes. Think of any holiday. Adults celebrate it too.

[Pumpkin_Man]

I never said Christmas or any other holiday was "just for kids." I said that Christmas is more geard for kids, or rather that it's more of a family holisay with the emppasis placed on kids. I don't presume to know what everyone on this forum celebrates on Christmas, but for me, Christmas is the celebration of the birth of the Christ Child. And I do celebrate it as do all of my family members, children and adults alike.

It's just my opinion that kids play the most important part when it comes to Christmas. I do put up a tree, I have a Christmas party, and I listen to Christmas music, but it was a much more "magical" season when I was a child. The love of tradition is still there. I sing along with the stereo when I play Christmas music, and I have Christmas Dinner with my brother every Christmas Day, but it's not the "magical" exciting day that it was when I was a kid.

Mike

[SpookShowBaby]

I think all the major holiday seasons Easter, Halloween, and Christmas are more focused on children. Children get candy and wait for the Easter bunny, they dress up and go T-O-T, and they put up stockings and get presents. It doesn't mean there are not activities for adults and others, but the focus really is on the children.

[Pumpkin_Man]

I can understand your point but Christmas is IMHO THE most focused on kids of all those holidays, with Easter being a very close second. Just look at some of the most commonly sung Christmas carols that you hear constantly:

"Santa Clause is Coming to Town"
"Jolly Old St. Nicholus"
"Here Comes Santaclause"
"Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer"
"Up On the House Top"
"The Night Before Christmas"
"I'm Gettion Nutin for Christmas"

And those are the titles that I coulc dome up with on a monents notice. A huge segment of Christmas is focused on children waiting for Santa, being good and getting lots of toys and other "neat stuff" under the Christmas tree. I'm sorry, but the way I see it is that Christmas is truely dedicated to children in a way that no other holiday can be.

Easter comes in a pretty close 2nd, but the religious aspect to Easter plays a much more prominant role in that holiday, so the "Easter Bunny " aspect is significantly less a factor then Santa Cluse is at Christmas time. But children do wait anxiously for the Easter Bunny in the Sprint time, just like they wait even more anxiously for Santa Clause at Christmas time.

Halloween also has activities for kids to enjoy, but I can't help but to feel that there are a lot more things for adults to enjoy. There are a lot of "haunted house" attractions that you would never take a little one to. ToT is enjoyed by a wider range of age groups, and a lot of adults go ToTing in some communities.

But hands down, Christmas IS "Childtrens Day" through and through. Even the religious aspects of Christmas is centered around the birth of the the Christ Child. Now I do enjoy many Christmas traditions as an adult. I put up a tree, have a tree trimming party, listen to Christmas music, attend mass, observe Advent, and all kinds of other observances and traditions that adults and kids alike get in to. I never said that I didn't like Christmas or participated in Christmas traditions, but it is "Childrens Day," for the most part.

And my greatest fun is the look on my little grand nieces and nephews faces when I hand them Christmas presents.

Mike

[Haunt Master]

As you know, XMAS is coming in 2 weeks and I have to keep eye on some kids to make sure they need to stay out of my office den because last year some kids accidently spilled a drink all over my keyboard, and it was broken! That's why I bought a new keyboard - but right now I got new WebTV a few months ago. I have to put away this keyboard when the children are around here on XMAS day until they go home later at night, then I will put down the keyboard and turn online.

I know all children are getting excited for XMAS because of all presents and stuffs like that!

[Rising Dead Man]

OK, we understand Pumpkin Man. lets not turn this into a big argument.

Who likes eggnog? I love it!

[Haunt Master]

How about those Christmas wines??

OK, we understand Pumpkin Man. lets not turn this into a big argument.

Who likes eggnog? I love it!

[Rising Dead Man]

I don't drink alcohol and never will. I drink alcohol free eggnog!

[Haunt Master]

I know that you don't drink, but some adults do just like me.

Maybe in the future, you might change your mind to try and taste some alcohol beverages. Maybe not...

[Pumpkin_Man]

I do enjoy a drink a couple of times a year. I like to have a beer with my St. Patrick's Day dinner, and I also enjoy a Margerita on New Years Eve. I may have a glass of whine on Christmas Day with dinner, but that's about the extent of my drinking. I sure use to drink heavily, though. When I was in my mid 20s, every time the Chicago White Sox were playing, I would get myself a 6 pack of 12 packof Old Style and plop myself down in front of the tv for an evening of Baseball and beer. But not any more.

Mike

[Haunt Master]

I usually drink beers each night when watching horror movies or surfing the internet. Mixed liquors on some weekends only when clubbing somewhere to have a good time!

[Pumpkin_Man]

After I have my surgery, I wonder what sort of restrictions are going to be place on my partaking of alcohol. I don't im agine I am going to be allowed to drink much at all for at least 6 months.

Mike