Holiday Prep and celebrations

[CellarDweller]

I'm starting this thread as a place for people to talk about holidays and what they're doing to prepare for them, and how they celebrate.

This is not just a Christmas thread, although I am opening with Christmas prep. This is for any holiday that you are celebrating, what you are doing to prepare (meals, decorating, religious observations) and everything that goes along with any holiday.

 

[CellarDweller]

Now that Thanksgiving has passed, I can start my Christmas prep. I refuse to do anything Christmas related until Thanksgiving is over.


I put some things out in the kitchen to get into the spirit.

If you click the images you can enlarge them.

 

[CellarDweller]

This is on top of my refrigerator.

 

[CellarDweller]

My collection of plush figures from the classic cartoon "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer".

 

[CellarDweller]

The side table by my computer desk.

 

[CellarDweller]

A close up of one of the items on the table.

Nativity scenes are common at Christmas. I was searching Google one day, and found site by man who told a story about meeting someone who was very negative, and heard someone say this person shouldn't have a Nativity scene, he should have a "negativity scene", and so he created one.

I thought it was hysterical, so I bought one, and now each Christmas, my Negativity Scene goes up.

 

[NanaPat]

That is an impressive collection of Christmas stuffies. I recognize what most of them are (elves, Santa, cowboy, etc) but am stumped by the one in the back row , second from left, and his light-blue species-mate in the center. WHAT????

 

[CellarDweller]

That is an impressive collection of Christmas stuffies. I recognize what most of them are (elves, Santa, cowboy, etc) but am stumped by the one in the back row , second from left, and his light-blue species-mate in the center. WHAT????

Thanks @NanaPat !

As for the one that has stumped you, it's hard to see because of the way I stacked them. The light-blue one is the plane that can't fly from the Island of Misfit toys. For some reason, they made a green and red variant, I guess because they're holiday colors. Here's an image of the plane, on the ground because it can't fly, with some of the other misfit toys.

 

[iluvtodd]

We're Jewish, so decorating for Chanukah is pretty simple. I have our decorations ready to go, but I'll put them up by mid December. The first night of Chanukah is Sunday, December 18. As for special holiday foods - latkes (potato pancakes), soofganiyot (fried jelly donuts). It's all about the oil!

 

[elbkup]

We're Jewish, so decorating for Chanukah is pretty simple. I have our decorations ready to go, but I'll put them up by mid December. The first night of Chanukah is Sunday, December 18. As for special holiday foods - latkes (potato pancakes), soofganiyot (fried jelly donuts). It's all about the oil!

Years ago a coworker treated us to these delicacies every year snd I am hooked!! Oil is good

 

[NanaPat]

Thanks @CellarDweller . I recognized the propeller, but mis-interpreted the wings as large ears! Of course it's an airplane! I probably would have recognized it if it had been oriented wingd-flat instead of nose up.

I know someone who has minimal Christmas decor, but does have one of
these

She also has his Spanish cousin who wears a sombrero and sings Feliz Navidad, but I couldn't find a video of it.

 

[4everchan]

well.. i am the grinch I do not decorate. As a matter of fact, I have lights that stay all year long.. but they are not xmas lights they are these kinds

La Case de Cousin Paul - Vente guirlande lumineuse boule & luminaire boule

La Case de Cousin Paul, Vente de guirlande lumineuse en boule tissée et luminaire boule suspendu. Optez pour une décoration d'intérieur ou d'extérieur colorée !

www.lacasedecousinpaul.com

and i chose the colours myself and made the arrangements (creams, golds, greens and browns) so it's very earthy and natural... so during the holidays, I light them up very often... they are used at other moments in the year, if i have guests over or if I am simply relaxing at home and want some mood lighting

besides that... no tree.... no stuffies... nothing... I am that boring.. for me, it's all about cooking and sharing food with friends and family... and I am not traditional... it's almost never turkey, gingerbread or yule log...

however, i do appreciate what others do and I like watching trees and all... just not in my house... i guess i am more lazy than a grinch
To my defense, the holidays come at a time where it's very high season for me (work related) and I just have no energy for such things...

Oh... i forgot... I do receive A LOT of small presents and cards from my young artists... and I set them all up on the grand piano... so it looks festive anyways...

 

[LadyB]

I'm not religious at all, but I'm very much into Christmas. Decorations go up around 1. Advent and it's (apart from Easter) the only time of the year when I actually love sweets and chocs. A tree is super important, but since I always go abroad to spend the hols with family and friends, I haven't got one myself. I get to decorate my mum's instead.
For me, it's all about being with loved-ones, good food and definitely drink. Also having traditions with friends that developed over the years. Most of all: no work for two weeks

 

[CellarDweller]

We're Jewish, so decorating for Chanukah is pretty simple. I have our decorations ready to go, but I'll put them up by mid December. The first night of Chanukah is Sunday, December 18. As for special holiday foods - latkes (potato pancakes), soofganiyot (fried jelly donuts). It's all about the oil!

When I would decorate the office for Christmas, I would put Chanukah decor out as well.

I would light an electric menorah placed on a decorative cloth, a dish shaped like a Star of David with gelt in it, and put a pair of dreidels next to the dish of gelt.

 

[elbkup]

Christmas prep is a December thing for me.. never in November but I always enjoy watching neighborhood activity and decorating around Thanksgiving, a large part of my seasonal celebration exploring the various light displays. Amazing how creative and festive they can be, and how different.

When I lived in Boston I loved strolling through the each neighborhood, especially in a light snowfall - the Boston Common & Garden, Beacon Hill, Italian North End, Boston Harbor, the Back Bay Newbury & Boylston Streets, Southie, Brookline, Cambridge and Harvard Square - each beautiful with unique charm.
Also about music: free Carol concerts at all the churches! Trinity does The Messiah every year, Old South Church in Copley Square, Arlington Street church, St. Stephen’s in the North End, many others…

Now I live in Connecticut’s Quiet Corner, lots of country roads, wooded areas, houses spaced apart so I drive around looking at the lights and decorations. My neighbor puts up a huge Snoopy lying on the roof of his red doghouse staring skyward . It’s all about animals out here and they get lots of gifts and treats, apples, carrots, peppermint, special grain mixes and second cut hay.. and children special toys and homemade cookies, cakes, brownies..
Adult get-togethers are informal, large or small, with food, drink.
I love to visit the small country stores in the area (Our Kids Farm) etc. usually nicely decorated, feasts for the eyes and senses.
At home, I do wreaths and ribbons on the doorways, decorate the mantel with lights and Christmas cards, but no tree since it would not survive with the cats and dogs. Plenty of pine and bittersweet growing around to cut and stick in vases. That’s about it!
It’s also about foods too, stuff you don’t eat at any other time of year, eggnog, fancy chocolate, and dinner with all the trimmings. New Year’s a double shot of Drambuie over ice and Scotch shortbread.
One caveat… NO candles or fire in the fire place!! I stopped doing that long ago when my friend’s husband - a Boston firefighter - forbid her decorating with candles.. a sad reality

Fun thread!! I adore your displays CellarDweller
I did a similar celebration until my life became more pared down..

 

[skylark]

So far, the only holiday prep I've done is read "Happy Hanukkah, Curious George" to my 3-year old granddaughter SO many times ...

Mr Skylark and I are both half Methodist, half Lutheran, and all-religion-inclusive/appreciative.

For about a year, whenever I'm with Zoe every couple of weeks, at her house or ours, I've brought along a bag of library books. A couple months ago, I couldn't make it to the library and showed up without one. "Grammie, do you have any library books?" You can bet I've made sure I have them now! I love that she thinks of it as our special tradition.

Sometime in November, her favorite book was the above-mentioned George. So much so that I checked it out again for our Thanksgiving week-end together. (1) the first time I read a verse starting with "George waits and waits ..." Zoe said, "NO, no no! Curious George!" Yeah, she's 3. LOL. (2) On the page about making latkes, there's a low-tech mixer. We have one of these, so we dug it out and she beat some eggs in a fun teaching moment. (3) Last week-end, George vied for most-often-read with "Grumpy Cat." (4) I'm fond of the page that includes the mitzvah, or good deed, as one of the Hanukkah traditions.

Here's a read-along, 4 minutes. In case you're Curious. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-pZRmG2F3c

 

[iluvtodd]

^ Did you know that the authors of the Curious George books were Jews who fled from Nazi occupied France during World War 2? The story of their escape from occupied Paris is referenced in "Curious George Rides a Bike."

 

[skylark]

^ Did you know that the authors of the Curious George books were Jews who fled from Nazi occupied France during World War 2? The story of their escape from occupied Paris is referenced in "Curious George Rides a Bike."

I didn't know that. Wow, they escaped on bikes. I'll look for that one. thanks!

 

[4everchan]

not religious here but I love this advent hymn...

what is your favourite holiday piece ?

 

[iluvtodd]

^ It IS a beautiful melody. I really enjoy many of the traditional Carols.