Does anyone here have the holiday spirit? Just curious.

[BigBearJohn]

[emilyg]

1. I'm faking it for

the grandkids.

[saracat]

2. I do! We don't have much money but I am so grateful that Mr. Saracat is better

I am going to celebrate!It isn't about gifts or spending , it is about attitude Thanksgiving was wonderful and I have decided to enjoy Christmas mo matter what! I have decided to choose to enjoy the season and the heck with all the rest! I have no control over any issued or anything in DC so I am concentrating on what really matters! Happy Holidays!

[Hannah Bell]

4. hope it's a wonderful holiday for you.

[saracat]

5. Thanks! Happy Holidays to you as well

[w8liftinglady]

27. I am,too-have a great holiday...lots of fun!

[saracat]

3. delete Dupe

[Webster Green]

6. I'm gearing up for the war on Christmas. Does that count?

I just got my check from Soros too. Life is good. Sure beats working for a living.

[tsuki]

17. I just got over the Republicon War on Halloween and the all-new,

improved War on Thanksgiving. I'm going to hibernate. Wake me up when the Republicon War on New Year's begins.

[FamousBlueRaincoat]

7. no

I had it one season - it was pretty fun. I was 15. I wouldn't mind having it again, but it requires a lot of beliefs I don't have anymore.

It was pretty neat sitting in the park tonight with all the Christmas lights up though.

[JVS]

8. I plan to drink a lot of spirits during the holiday

Does that count?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

9. Not too much yet...

I"m really busy with school, and papers to be written.

Once the semester is over, I will have it!

:toast:

[Divine Discontent]

15. Oh that's right, you're busy with all that writing! More power to ya to get through it and of course

to start enjoying the season once the semester ends! :toast:

[Divine Discontent]

10. yes, more than in year's past. I have divine discontent about lots of things in life, but

I truly appreciate what "Christmas" means to me from a family POV (caring for my bro w/M.S. and hearing from other siblings with kids & my sole remaining parent) and spiritually, and despite the painful things that are going on, I am enjoying the little things in life as much as possible (for in some ways, that's all many of us have).
I love seeing Christmas cookies being baked and iced, hearing Christmas carols that remind me of my childhood, and talking to friends who are up in the cold and want to feel a little bit of sunshine when they hear me talk about the FL weather (it was so warm here yesterday). We are in a frustrating situation in this country, as there's lots to be concerned about, but I am enjoying the holiday for what it is, and hoping for a better 2011 for our hurting country, and a stronger fight against the obstructionist GOP corruption machine.

Thanks, BBJ, for the thread which allowed me to think of some of the reasons I like this time of year.

DD

[BigBearJohn]

11. Thanks for the thoughtful response!

[AsahinaKimi]

12. Don't really

do the holidays until New Years.
Then I have to send out my Nengajo, traditional Japanese New
Year Cards to Mom and Dad.

[pnorman]

22. "Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu"

And a Happy New Year to you too!

[AsahinaKimi]

26. actually...

Before New Years you say "Yo Otoshi wo", or the more formal: "Yoi otoshi o omukae kudasai" After new years then its "Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu!"

These too can be used:
Sakunen wa taihen osewa ni nari
arigatou gozaimashita.------------------------------------------------------Thank you for all your kind help during the past year.

Honnen mo douzo yoroshiku
onegaishimasu.------------------------------------------------------------------I hope for your continued favor this year.

Minasama no gokenkou o
oinori moushiagemasu.---------------------------------------------------------Wishing everyone good health.
(This is what I send to my parents)


Yoi otoshi o omukae kudasai!
よい おとし お おむかえ ください

[pnorman]

30. On edit: I'm deleting the original header!

Incidentally, does the below show up on your screen properly?
皆様のご健康をお祈りを申し上げます

[AsahinaKimi]

33. Yes I can see it.

I have installed the Asian script into my computer so I can see it. Btw, I can read hiragana and katakana, but I haven't learned Kanji as yet. Someday, I hope to go back to school for it. Can speak it better then I can write it.

[pnorman]

34. I thought so.

But at first I didn't know whether your computer had a native Japanese OS, or you had reconfigured a US OS. I've installed the MS East Asian Language Pack into both my (WIN XP) computers. That's something that's always on the computer, but you have to go into the Control Panel to set it up. (I didn't bother with the Chinese or Korean options). After rebooting, you get a floating tool bar at the upper right which you can hide if it gets in the way.

You can then specify Hiragana. Thereupon, whatever you type in is rendered into Hiragana, but "marked off". Hitting the SPACE Bar displays ALL the phonetic equivalents. After you select the proper one, the ENTER key will 'fix' it, and then on to the next word or phrase. TEDIOUS,but endlessly FASCINATING!

じゃ！お休みなさい！

[uppityperson]

13. I do. I am looking forward to hanging out with my family, cooking, playing together

So far we've each spent time helping another on one of their projects they've been putting off (more fun to do things with company) which is our main "gift" to each other this yr.

I love the lights people put up during this dark time of yr. And making/giving cookies.

[Adsos Letter]

14. Yes! My daughters will both be with us for the holidays...

as will my wonderful son-in-law. The time from Thanksgiving to New Years has always been about family for us. We consider ourselves fortunate.

[Subdivisions]

16. Surprisingly, yes. I also happen to think that we'll be moving back to

a more traditional paradigm where families will begin to become tighter and closer, even extended family. We will return to the old familiar single breadwinner households where gardens will be tended and clothes dried on a line. Christmas will become less commercialized and more traditional and gifts will be made by hand or by local artisans.

It'll take a while, maybe 30-50 years.

[Systematic Chaos]

18. Fuck that noise.

[Raine]

19. Yes ... inspite of it being personally one of the worst

years of my life. I'm looking forward to a break from all the sorrow and doing something different than the same crappy routine.

[barbtries]

20. i had a good thanksgiving

two of my sons came and we played poker and laughed all weekend.

christmas? eh. i'm planning to get gifts for my 3 grandchildren and make a nice donation to Justice for Murdered Children JFMC.org in honor of my daughter for the grown ups.

if my boys come back again - well i know at least one of them will be here - we might go to the movies on christmas day. i'll make steak and eggs.

but basically no. however i know quite a few people who are as psyched as ever.

[xchrom]

21. i LOVE the holidays -- good times, bad times -- doesn't matter.

i used to outwardly be a humbug about -- then i came out of the Festive closet -- with
holiday bells on -- wishing good tidings to all.

parties, food, cookies, fabulous trees -- what's not to love?

[crikkett]

36. Yay!

:)

What triggered the holiday spriit for me this year? Just before or just after Thanksgiving I joined a contest on Twitter, whose winner is the person who goes the longest without hearing "the little drummer boy" in any version (except someone singing it to you for the purpose of cutting you out of the contest.)

I am SO THERE.

[rug]

23. Yeah, but it feels like this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=venG1sMp-No

[mdmc]

24. yes

here

[seabeyond]

25. i took a bet of a break last year. this year, i am feeling very much in the spirit of things. nt

[City Lights]

28. No.

Not even a teensy-weensy bit.

[AngryOldDem]

29. Nope. Not by a long shot.

If I could wake up tomorrow and it was Feb. 1, I'd be really happy.

I hate this time of year, for many reasons.

[AndrewP]

37. +1

[BoneDaddy]

55. wow how sad

sorry to hear that

[BoneDaddy]

57. dupe

edited for dupe.

[GoCubsGo]

31. What the hell is "holiday spirit"?

Just curious. I don't celebrate any of these upcoming holidays.

[AngryOldDem]

32. With me, it's whatever is available at the nearest State Store.

[crikkett]

35. Me!

:hi:

It's different than previous years. I'm not interested in spending money or receiving gifts, but I am really enjoying lights & decorations & socializing. I think I'm more in tune with the seasons this year than ever before.

Happy Holidays everyone!
:hi:

[AndrewP]

38. No. But I hope everyone enjoys themselves.

[jtrockville]

39. Nope. Too busy setting my DVR to record the few shows I watch.

Can't stomach the commercials insisting I should want new diamond jewelry, or a new car, or cheap Chinese crap. I don't like commercials anyway (who does?), but this time of year it goes beyond dislike, straight to disgust.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

40. I have the spirit but, not the money.

Same as it ever was.

[BurtWorm]

41. Which holiday?

I'm not terribly in the mood for winter, that's for sure, and all this awful Christmas music and kitsch scenery is making it that much less pleasant to head into.

[Generic Other]

42. not into celebrating consumerism ever again

Will enjoy time off without giving a damn about the reason for the season. Let the cash registers ring empty.

[Nye Bevan]

43. Me! Me!

Maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.

Pretty sad reading this thread to see how many DU Scrooges there are....

[BoneDaddy]

59. LOL

Don't you know that being a wet blanket, scrooge, negative nancy, sad-sack, chicken little and whatever "glass being half full" metaphor we can come up with is part of so many DUers identity. It is incredibly sad.

[FSogol]

44. I do. I've been gathering ingredients to do some cookie, fudge, and candy making.

I'll give it away as gifts.

[LWolf]

45. Depends on how you define holiday spirit. nt

[aikoaiko]

46. It's better for me this year than last year.

Ho. Ho. Ho.

[JustAnotherGen]

47. Yes - yes - I do!

:-) But I'm a UU - and that drives my perception of the meaning of the Holiday. As Charles Dickens - a fellow UU wrote - keep Christmas in your heart.

[CLANG]

48. No unemployment benefits, no holiday spirit

Unless you mean the spirits I will be drinking...

[Arkansas Granny]

49. Yes, I do. My grandson and granddaughter were both be able to

arrange leave time from the Navy to be with us this year. They haven't seen each other in over two years. My daughter is very excited about having them both home togehter.

We have new babies that are celebrating their first Christmas and toddlers who will be really getting into it this year. We've all been having fun shopping for little ones again after we had so many years with no babies in the family.

The whole family is in good health, no one is experiencing severe job or money problems and we are all looking forward to the season. We will have four generations around the table for Christmas dinner.

[Adsos Letter]

60. Sounds like your Christmas will be great!

Enjoy; and treasure the memories.

[Bluenorthwest]

50. Nope

[Waiting For Everyman]

51. Yes, in a very basic old-fashioned way.

People-centered, not materialistic. I skipped holidays for the last 10 years because times were so tough, this is the first one that I'm into it again. It'll just be about closest family, a few friends, and being thankful for what I do have - regardless of still being broke and defending a foreclosure.

I can't put life on hold anymore, waiting for hard times to pass. And don't want to. And won't.

A holiday state of mind costs nothing! (fortunately) And it doesn't have to be reality-based, but "just because" I want it so - at least as far as only myself is concerned. That, I can control. In my holiday imagination everything is great and plentiful. All I want to do is add a little cheer/encouragement to those I personally come in contact with this season. That, I can give no matter what.

It's people that matter, not things, not circumstances. Happy holidays, BBJ and all! :hug:



"Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas", from Meet Me In St. Louis, sung by Judy Garland:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siWvAo2twV0

[Le Taz Hot]

52. No, but I will.

No kids so no reason to do the holiday/spending thing. I'm volunteering at the the Poverello House serving hot meals to those in need. As a non-Christian I can still appreciate the original meaning of the holidays, which is giving.

[petronius]

53. Not yet - once final exams are over and grades are in, I'll turn my attention to the holiday

It's way too early for the tunes and decorations and whatnot - at this point it's just a bunch of commercial nonsense. Holiday spirit arrives when we're off work and relaxing with our families...

[laruemtt]

54. I lost my mom in August and

I just want the holidays to be over with.................

[totodeinhere]

56. I do have the holiday spirit. The most important things about Christmas have nothing to do with

materialism.

[BoneDaddy]

58. absolutely

My children keep me honest. Their joy, excitement, innocence remind me that it is so easy to become discouraged, so easy to awfulize and think the worst. I remember when Bush got into office and DU started and there was so much handwringing and projection that I eventually had to take a break, it served no purpose. and it changed, like this will change. How we adapt is what matters.

I am going to spend Christmas with my family. WE have downsized on gifts among the adults and only give to the kids and minimal at that. We get together for a huge potluck Christmas dinner and truly enjoy each others company.

We always have a choice to how we are going to respond, our reaction being the only real thing in our control. the level of negativity and willful descent into being miserable is sad. Most of us still have more than most of the people in the world and have alot to be grateful for. If you feel incredibly self piteous, get somewhere where someone has it worse and spend some time with them. That is always a good cure.

[pipi_k]

61. OK...at first I said...

"Fuck Christmas".

Then I wondered...what exactly do you (or others) mean when you/they say "Holiday Spirit"?


Is it something that only comes once a year at this time, and the rest of the year it's back to "Fuck you and the horse you rode in on"?

See, this is what I really hate about the Christmas season.


Fucking hypocrisy.

Being kind to our fellow creatures for a month or six weeks or whatever, then right back to treating them all like shit again the rest of the year.

It makes me sick.

[Wounded Bear]

62. Bah! Humbug!

J/K, but I have never been a big Christmas lover. :shrug:

Maybe when I get back to work, it'll be better, but I doubt it. It goes deeper than that.

[mdmc]

63. ..

[guardian]

64. Does tequila count? n/t