"It just wouldn't be Christmas without..." --what?

Family. Sadly enough we are on three different time zones now so Christmas is never quite what it used to be. There will always be the memories though.

Family drama.

Midnight Mass.
Leaves more time for the other festivities without interruption or having to crowd yourself into church with a bazillion others…

Stress.

Danny Kaye. :)

Ohh, yeah. Something getting broken. Usually made of glass. Screaming ensues…

good drink and friends

A Christmas Story

And booze.

getting bombarded with x-mas music at work.. I hate x-mas music. I really wish they’d not play it so darn early.

@scubydoo I have to admit I am one of “those” people. I also put up my tree yesterday.

And to answer the question. White elephant gifts that piss my mom off.

Listening to Vince Guaraldi’s A Charlie Brown Christmas, at least a dozen times!

Singing Christmas songs in the car with my children.

I fucking hate White Elephant.

Driving around the suburbs looking at the christmas lights on new years eve, going to my grandparents in the morning on christmas day and then my aunty’s for lunch. Family, sunshine, swimming, barbecues, backyard cricket or soccer or testing out whatever new toys we get (now its what toys my cousins get seeing as my sister and I are a little old for those kinds of toys). Our cousins dog jumping on everyone and eating the wrapping paper. Prawns. Pavlova. Fruit. Turkey. Ham. Cranberry sauce. Cloves. Trifle.

What is White Elephant?

@shrubbery: also known as Sad Christmas, and Yankee Swap.

Learn about this terrible practice here.

Ugly, horrible presents that you try to pawn off on the next poor fellow.

Ohh like Secret Santa?
don’t worry, I’ll just wikipedia it :P

Not just horrible presents, there’s always one good one that everyone steals, even from children. My family has reduced me to tears on two separate occasions, and many other kids as well. They say they won’t steal it and then they fucking do. Fuckers.

I’m sorry if I’m offending your culture but that just sounds like the most (edit) fucking absurd game ever. (I felt left out too.)

Fucking fuckers!

Well fuck, I feel leftout without dropping the f bomb.

@shrubbery: I couldn’t give you enough lurve. Not now, not ever. The game fucking sucks.

Fuckity fuck fuck fuck!
(Boy, that was fun.)

I love Nimis.

No, I fucking love Nimis.

Ich liebe Asmonet because she is fucking fantastisch!

Fuck. I was going to bed.

Jeruba, I am sooo sorry that we’re doing this to your nice Christmas question! I apologize.

Fuck. I have an exam tomorrow.

I’m sorry too.

In order to keep this on topic HAPPY FUCKING CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Oop. Sorry, Jeruba!

To stay on topic, it wouldn’t be Christmas without fearing the mall. I’ve had an old lady push me over in order to grab something in the midst of the rabid Christmas Eve frenzy. Ruthless!

lo siento. I just like the word. It’s a stress relief.

Hmm…maybe it wouldn’t be Christmas without somebody ending up in tears over presents?

hee, i knew what that meant! <<blushes>>

HAM, PUDDING, TREES, WHITE LIGHTS, ROBOT REINDEER ON THE FRONT LAWN AND BAUBLES.

Back on target. :)

Mmmm…ham.

Cocito, (mmmm…) drunk family, lots of laughing, lots of loving, the smell of Christmas trees, wishing for a white Christmas, surprise family visits, unconditional love, late night conversations while waiting for Santa to show

I freaking love Christmas time.

Relatives, empty wallets, christmas music up the ying yang Hi, Aug! broken ornaments, piles of wrapping paper, Charlie Brown christmas, Hi, Asm!, Alvin and the Chipmunks on 8-track, sitting in the dark staring at the lit tree, Hi, Shrub! stocking stuffers, ridiculous amounts of food, Hi, kro! socks from grandma, the squealing young cousins, the sullen tween cousins, the aunt with the crazy laugh Welcome to Fluther, Jeruba! watching TV and having snow envy, watching all the kids in the neighborhood Christmas morning wobbling on their new bikes and roller skates, asking question about Christmas on Fluther…

Sangria and Ceviche!

Gotta love the ethnic extended familia.

Hey all, who should be in bed!

Oh, and I have a serious need for professional help when it comes to Christmas. Seriously.

Oh yes! I love decorating the tree at Grandma’s. It’s always so scary because she has ornaments that were her mothers so I usually try to steer clear of those. I must admit, I have broken about three of them… She still loves me though. Gotta love her.

hi nimis!

Mommm, Nimis is sending subliminal messages again!

For me I think it’s the lights. Especially lights reflected in sparkly things. Colored lights, lamplight, firelight…candles. Candles and candles. Reflections in ornaments, in icicles and tinsel, in darkened windows and shiny gift wrap, in gilt-edged bowls and Hershey kisses and silverware and chains of gold and silver beads—lights and reflections and glowing lights and glittering lights and gleaming lights and shining stars.

I love the music, the food, the bright colors, the love and laughter, the family time and the traditions—they are all glorious. But it just wouldn’t be Christmas without the lights.

(And I am glad to say that nobody ever cries over presents at our house.)

Thank you, Nimis.
@Augustlan, if you don’t take anything, you don’t have to play that damned game.

@Jeruba: Sadly, after the first time I only played so I could steal things for the kids who were crying to give to them when it was over, with family or friends or whatever. The second time I cried out of anger, because the girl’s father was actively stealing the present away from me so I wouldn’t give it to her. Just for shits and giggles, while his kid cried. Asshole.

wow, I’ve participated in “Chinese Christmas” or “White Elephant” whichever you so choose, and it’s always been funny. No tears, only laughter. Maybe you should come try it with me and my gang.

@asmonet, you have got to stop playing with those people until they learn how to play nicely. Come over here and play. I will not steal your presents. Here.

Wooooooooo! Pwesents! :D

Hi Nimis! that was cute. I want to give presents to everyone too. I’ll be back in a minute!

Yay! Presents for everyone!

Candy!!!!, Oh and Tree Gifts, (little cheap gifts that you get in the evening after christmas lunch, usually funny joke stuff)

OHHH I FORGOT! christmas crackers and the paper hats that come out of them and the jokes that are the worst jokes in the world but you still laugh (eg. what do you get if you cross a snowman and a vampire? frostbite) and those plastic things that go on the side of your wine glasses or the measuring tape or the dice or….

The tree; sitting by the tree with the lights sparkling.
Ribbon Candy; breaking it into tiny bits and King Leo Peppermint Sticks. Christmas Songs; both old & new. Friends, family, oh and did I say presents?!?!? Santa rocks!

Me preparing xmas dinner :) It doesn’t have to be super fancy, just dinner but with all my love, I thinks is the only good thing I do in the whole year :s

Debt, disappointment, anxiety, and eggnog w/ amaretto.

Ha ha ha! I sent my post and then went to bed, I never knew there was such animosity for the White Elephant! I look forward to it every year. I think we do it a little differently then the “traditional” way. There are no “good” presents, just silly/ funny things. We also don’t just find things laying around the house we go out of our way to find something to give. For example here are some things that have been given. A bathroom sink, a 5 foot trophy, a fur lined jock strap, a live lobster. That’s just to name a few. Mostly we just try to make our mother get mad. She puts on ths faccade like she is “perfect” so someone always brings something a little risky (like last year my sister brought earmuffs with those fake boob inserts glued on the outside) My mom was fuming! Also we don’t have any kids taking part. In fact we make them leave.

@shrubbery it sounds dumb but it is actually really entertaining.

Picking out and decorating the tree, baking cookies with my daughter, Gingerbread houses, spending time with family, kissing under the Christmas tree, surprising my daughter with a gift she never thought she would get, cooking good food and drinking good wine, listening to Christmas music, and most importantly celebrating the birth of Jesus!

Egg nog and walnuts.

Watching old Christmas movies with my mom.
Decorating the tree.
Finding useless trash to give my Secret Santa person at the elementary school where I teach (And yes, I too hate hate hate everything Secret Santa).

We did a secret santa once. The only black guy in the group received a bucket of chicken.