What are YOU doing for the Holidays?

John F. · Post by **John F.** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 10:51 am

Well? What about it? Will you be visited by Santa, Per Noel, Kris Kringle or Father Christmas? Will you and yours celebrate Christmas, Boxing Day, Yule, Chanukka, or Winter Solstice?

Whatever happens at your home, I wish you and yours the best for an enchanted Christmas season and a bold New Year!

Roger O'Keeffe · Post by **Roger O'Keeffe** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 11:24 am

<rant>This Kris Kringle and other equally mangled spellings is getting totally out of hand: it's Christkindl, Southern German diminutive name for the Infant Christ </rant>

As far as I'm concerned, Christmas is above all about family. Will be wallowing mellowly in the warmth and affection of my wife and three not-altogether-unlovely daughters (cf. Cutie-Pie thread a few gigazillion posts back), together with my mother-in-law and brother-in-law and his family of whom I am also very fond and who are all coming to stay with us over Christmas.

Hope you and all other Chiffsters have a lovely holiday time in accordance with your respective traditions, beliefs and/or lack of same.

<rant>And then a few days later we'll probably see the first of the Valentine's cards in the shops, then it'll be Easter eggs...</rant>

FJohnSharp · Post by **FJohnSharp** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 1:36 pm

I'm learning the 'Christmas Eve' reel, which isn't very Christmassy, but it's fun.

PhilO · Post by **PhilO** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 1:43 pm

An interesting year here, as Chanukah and Christmas fall on the same day, and we remain mired in a transit strike. We have much to be thankful for though, and will celebrate the eight nights of Chanukah, my daughter's well earned acceptance to Williams College, and our family's improved and continued good health. We will also celebrate, as is our longstanding tradition, Christmas day with our friends.

Best to all of you - good health, happiness, and much merry music!

Philo

dDave · Post by **dDave** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 2:29 pm

FJohnSharp wrote:I'm learning the 'Christmas Eve' reel, which isn't very Christmassy, but it's fun.

That always happens after one beer too many

Best,

Dave

Unseen122 · Post by **Unseen122** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 6:10 pm

I will be celebrating Chanukah myself. I will also have to play Chirstmas Eve just becuase it happens to be a favorite tune of mine kind of ironic that being a favorite tune of mine. I will be catching up on some needed sleep during the week off. Like PhilO's Family does mine also has friends and relatives over on Christmas day, what else would us Jews do?

chas · Post by **chas** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 7:58 pm

We always try to cover all the bases. We always get a Christmas tree the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Got an absolutely fabulous concolor fir, incredibly full, and the house reeked of that unique citrus/conifer smell for a good two weeks after we got it. We light the menorah, too. We always have on display a Samoan totem and a happy Buddha.

I don't have a religious or spiritual bone in my body. I don't deny it, just don't feel it.

I'm trying to learn the Christmas Eve reel, too -- saw Helicon play it last weekend. Christmas day ida mornin' is another good flute/whistle (or dulcimer, which I learned it on) tune, too.

Cynth · Post by **Cynth** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 10:06 pm

My husband and I and our two kitties are heading to northern Minnesota tomorrow. We rent a little cabin up there every Christmas for about a week. It is on the edge of a beautiful frozen lake. There are very few people around. We don't have a tree, but I put little candles outside on Christmas Eve and make a wish for peace. We do a few gifts and have a nice dinner, play with the kitties, keep the fire going, try a little cross-country skiing, and read or knit or take naps. It's my idea of paradise. (Although the packing can be just a tad trying!)

I hope everyone has a peaceful holiday season.

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 1:29 am

Well, let me see:

On Christmas Eve afternoon, I'm setting up at church for the 3:00 children's service. Then I'll come home and make our traditional Christmas Eve dinner (homemade pizza!). After that, we'll light all the candles on the Advent Wreath and put the infant Jesus in the manger. Then our daughter gets to unwrap one present from under the tree.

By 9:00 I'll be heading back to church for choir rehearsal. We lead congregational carols starting at 10:30, and then mass starts at 11:00 (we have a total of four anthems and a fanfare to sing, so it will be a challenging service!). Mass usually gets over about 12:30, but I always bring a couple of bottles of champagne and some goodies so the choir can share a bit of Christmas cheer before going our separate ways.

When we get home, we have to hustle our daughter off to bed so we can play Santa. Then it's off to bed and hopefully a few hours sleep before we get woken up by the first family phone call. Once we're all up, we pass out the goodies from under the tree and take turns opening, so everyone gets a chance to see what everyone else got (and enjoy their reactions).

Once the wrapping paper is cleaned up, my hubby will make our traditional Christmas breakfast: Gingerbread waffles (mmmm!). The rest of the day will be spent calling family and playing with our new toys until it's time to make Christmas dinner (Tempeh Millenium in a Chianti reduction sauce, with rosemary roasted potatoes and seasoned rice...double yummm!). I'm making a new dessert for us this year too...that "Kentucky Pie" that someone here mentioned a while back (only I'm making it with Irish whiskey, so I guess that will make it a "Bushmill's Pie").

I love Christmas!

Redwolf

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 1:55 am

Roger O'Keeffe wrote:<rant>This Kris Kringle and other equally mangled spellings is getting totally out of hand: it's Christkindl, Southern German diminutive name for the Infant Christ </rant>

Kris Kringle, indeed a corruption of a Germanic term for the Christ Child, is a term which got attached to Santa Claus (itself a corruption of a Netherland Dutch term) a long time before most of us were even born. These corruptions of Old World terminologies and traditions were part of a trend in 19th Century America that derived from the Knickerbocker stories and the like. It was intended in good humor, I think.

John F. wrote:Well? What about it?

We'll be having extended family over for the noon meal.

brewerpaul · Post by **brewerpaul** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 6:19 am

Unseen122 wrote:I will be celebrating Chanukah myself.... Like PhilO's Family does mine also has friends and relatives over on Christmas day, what else would us Jews do?

Go to a movie, then out for Chinese food... ancient Hebrew Christmas tradition.

Actually Char and I won't be doing either of those since she will have just returned from the hospital following her gastric bypass (doing very well indeed). Probably a movie at home, and sipping chicken broth for her. My Mom is coming up to babysit Charlene for most of next week since I'll be back at work, which will make for a nice visit.

Whatever y'all celebrate, I hope it's joyous and meaningful.

brewerpaul · Post by **brewerpaul** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 6:24 am

chas wrote: I'm trying to learn the Christmas Eve reel, too -- saw Helicon play it last weekend. .

Is Chris Norman still in Helicon? Man, he's KILLER good! Did he play his recorder variations on Lo, How A Rose Ere Blooming? I really want to learn that.

chas · Post by **chas** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 6:40 am

brewerpaul wrote:
chas wrote: I'm trying to learn the Christmas Eve reel, too -- saw Helicon play it last weekend. .
Is Chris Norman still in Helicon? Man, he's KILLER good! Did he play his recorder variations on Lo, How A Rose Ere Blooming? I really want to learn that.

They're really not a group any more (Robin Bullock's living in France, although Ken and Chris are both still in Baltimore), but get together for the Solstice concert every year. Two sold-out shows with audiences of over 1000 at each.

Each of the members did a solo set, and I was hoping Chris would do Lo, How. . , but he did something from his new winter album.

Wormdiet · Post by **Wormdiet** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 9:14 am

I celebrated solstice yesterday by watching the sun set on a gorgeous afternoon.

Tomorrow I'll drive to my folks, wrap last minute gifts, catch up on sleep, learn some tunes.

Christmas eve will feature a combination of stressing out, decorating, helping to bake cookies, eating cookies, running last minute errands, and probably a walk around the neighborhood. I may go to midnight mass if feeling religious.

Christmas day my sister, legal brother, 2 nephews, 2 nephewettes will join us. I'll get to play with their toys!

Monday morning I fly up to Maine to visit my brother in Portland. We'll exchange gifts, play videogames on his X-box, drive to some lighthouses, maybe have a snowball fight. I love Maine

MarkB · Post by **MarkB** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 10:21 am

Let's see, Christmas Eve afternoon getting together with friends for a brunch session at a local eatery, to my sister's place for dinner with her and her husband and our brother. Home to change for church, I've been asked to play the Huron Carol as a flute solo, then the Fairy Child and What Child is This latter in the service.

Then off into the Stilly night to a friend's place for a house session and very warming eggnog!

MarkB

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What are YOU doing for the Holidays?

What are YOU doing for the Holidays?

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