In the US ... what do you say on Christmas Day?

[vaporcloud]

In NZ we still very much celebrate Christmas. Perhaps not so much in the pagan tradition or as a shrine to Christ being born etc ... but we still say Happy Christmas, merry Christmas and all that shit. Happy Holidays just doesn't cut it for us ... and we are a pretty multi culture society but (yet) we don't bow to the pressures of the minorities getting up in arms about celebrating a Christian day when your not religious or belong to another faith.

I know this is quite a touchy subject and I upset an Asian/American guy once when I told him I thought saying happy holidays instead of merry christmas was a crock of shit!

My family is not religious but my kids will celebrate Christmas in the time honoured tradition with a Christmas tree, Christmas presents, Christmas Diner and lots of Christmas cheers (and vaporclouds).

How does it work in the US? Do you call them holiday presents?

Sorry ... this thread is not meant to offend anyone, its just I feel closer to most of the yanks on here than I do with any of the other forums I belong too. I don't think the guys over at the Firewood/Chainsaw forum would give a flying fuck about a thread like this. But here at FC we are quite a deep thinking thoughtful bunch.

Oh and one more thing ... do you really have extended holidays this time of year ... in the midle of winter? Of course its mid summer here in NZ ... swimming pool weather - holiday weather

 

[SpiralArchitect]

I'm pretty sure it varies greatly depending on the family, just like in your country (in regards to Merry X-Mas/Christmas/Happy Holidays).

I just say whatever comes to my mind.... it's obviously based on a Christian Holiday, but it's evolved into more of a commercial enterprise than a celebration in my eyes. It's all about the $$$. We try not to make it like that in my family... gifts are low-key and thoughtful and it's all about the family.

And yeah, we got extended break.... well, I always have. I finished up school but I have to work until the 23. :/

 

[vaporcloud]

Thanks Spiral I do like to spend up on my kids. The wife and I don't usually bother to buy each other anything. Shit I don't wait for Christmas if I want something new I just go and buy it so we don't make any special effort for each other. Its a family day - often I'll mow the lawns

 

[Beezleb]

Happy Holidays and Merry Xmas is pretty universal in America for the most part I would say

 

[hazy]

Nobody says "happy holidays" here, it doesn't mean anything. It's "merry Christmas and happy new year" usually. Even though I'm not a Christian, I don't like the idea of watering down Christmas so that minorities aren't offended. I'd prefer to recognize the holidays of other religions and contemplate their meanings, and I don't expect them to change so that they don't offend me.

Some people get all religious about Christmas and go to church, like my father who says he's Catholic but never goes to church all year except for midnight mass. Australians are a largely agnostic bunch. For most people I know it's mostly about a family get-together on Christmas day with plenty of food and booze. I'll be visiting my parents who live about an hour's drive from here, then I'll come home and probably go to a friend's party nearby to finish off the night.

 

[max]

Do you call them holiday presents?

We don't go that far, thankfully. You see and hear Happy Holidays a lot these days, mostly from merchants/groups, etc., who don't want to offend anyone, but now there's a backlash with stuff like 'we're gonna take back Christmas' etc. I have no problem with 'Merry Christmas' whatsoever, but a lot of people here think we're off track as a nation unless we do away with separation of Church and State. IMO a government ruled by religion in this country will be the worst thing that could happen.

 

[vaporcloud]

Nobody says "happy holidays" here, it doesn't mean anything. It's "merry Christmas and happy new year" usually. Even though I'm not a Christian, I don't like the idea of watering down Christmas so that minorities aren't offended. I'd prefer to recognize the holidays of other religions and contemplate their meanings, and I don't expect them to change so that they don't offend me.

Ditto in NZ hazy.

Thanks for the replies people ... kinda how I expected it just wanted to be sure

 

[SpiralArchitect]

That's too bad your kiddos will never experience the joy of a snowy X-mas morning.... making snow-angels and snowmen... sledding and hot cocoa....

 

[Acolyte of Zinglon]

hell i live in the us and ive only seen snow in person like, once :/
we had to go up to the mountains for that even

 

[SpiralArchitect]

That sucks. A lot.

Seriously tho, Christmas isn't Christmas without snow..... I'm looking out at blue skies and a fresh inch or two right now.... ice all over my window.

/hits the PD with kief....

MMmmm nice and toasty

 

[vaporcloud]

That's too bad your kiddos will never experience the joy of a snowy X-mas morning.... making snow-angels and snowmen... sledding and hot cocoa....

No worries really. Christmas time is summer ... stinking hot days ... hours in the pool ... light until 9.30pm. I love it.

 

[SpiralArchitect]

This time of year is a fuckshow in SE AK.

Sun rises at 9-9:30 (depends on where you are because of the mountains) and it's pitch black by 3. And by 'Sun' I mean whatever slight glimmers of light escape through the fortress of clouds surrounding us. :/


I think if I didn't have some dank buds to hold me over the winter I'd probably lose my f'n mind.




So what do you guys do in the 'winter' in NZ?

 

[vaporcloud]

I love winter almost as much as summer. Sure the days are shorter - Sunrise at 7.00am sunset by 5.30pm but we get plenty of beautiful clear crisp days that are just awesome ... and no snow

It can get pretty cold in my part of the country in winter though ... infact most of NZ ... so have have an indoor woodburner I have roaring from April thru to October. I love firewood collecting, loving cutting trees with my Jonsered chainsaw and splitting it with my splitting axe. And winter time - bud wise - is a time of plenty. The kids get to sleep easier and earlier in winter so the evening are spent vapping dank weed by the fire.

Also if you can stand the cold surfing in Autumn and Winter is primo.

 

[Purple-Days]

"You see and hear Happy Holidays a lot these days, mostly from merchants/groups, etc., who don't want to offend anyone", says max.

It's too bad people get offended so easily these days. So we toe the Happy Holidays line with biz. But, a big damn 'Merry Christmas' to all the Fuck Combustion crowd that isn't offended by that.

PS. you don't need snow for christmas, just good people.

 

[vaporcloud]

"
PS. you don't need snow for christmas, just good people.

Aint that the truth! I can't wait to vap on Christmas day. Get up early, wake n vake and watch the kids open their pressies.

 

[SpiralArchitect]

I've never had a Christmas without snow.... I guess that's why it seems so essential to me is because I've never experienced anything else. Sledding, snowmen, hot cocoa, snow forts and snow shoeing.... From North Dakota to the interior of Alaska, I've never really lived anywhere that provides a 'warm winter'.


Do you guys do the whole Santa thing in NZ?


Hear the one about the dyslexic devil worshipper? He sold his soul to Santa.

 

[vaporcloud]

Santa - hell yeah! I'm hoping he'll bring me a bag of nugs! My 6yo is fizzing about Santa this year. Could be the last tho coz her 10yo broher is trying hard to convince her that its really just mum and dad

 

[Medivape]

I agree with Tom. I'd hate to see what society will be like 20 years from now if we continue with all this sensitivity crap.

Merry Christmas everyone.

And FTR, I'm an agnostic that doesn't dwell on the existence of a God. Still however, I prefer Merry Christmas to Happy Holidays.

 

[Beezleb]

Happy holidays is said alot because theres more than one holiday going on. Xmas, Hanuka and Kwanza and probably something else tossed in there.

Never mind its xmas and New Years typically being referred to as well.

Its not all about being overly politically correct.

 

[vaporcloud]

PC 'ism is out of control in NZ. I hate it My kids arn't allowed to take nut bars to school because there are 4 kids at their school with known nut allegies ... outa 200 kids! sheesh

 

[Beezleb]

Yea but thats because of a food allergy that can be deadly to some.

 

[Acolyte of Zinglon]

still, his kids are banned from bringing it to school just because someone is allergic, it would be different if they were taking the food for everyone... if the kids that are allergic arent smart enough to know "this food will make me sick" then thats natural selection at work

 

[vaporcloud]

Yea but thats because of a food allergy that can be deadly to some.

Yeah but why make a rule for only 5% of the population? This is why PC'ism is rife because we are pandering to anyone and everything instead of being prepared to draw the line a little closer to the centre. IMO its the parents responsibility to ensure their child (with the peanut allergy) knows the risks and is educated in what they should and shouldn't it. Its a bit like prohibition isn't it. There is a perceived problem so ban it ... remove the problem, draw the boundaries for freedom of choice even closer instead of educating.

My kids go to a school that has no male teachers. The only full-time male employee is the caretaker. Men have been pretty much pushed out of the Primary education sector due to Pedaphile fairs and ... you guessed it ... over PC'ism. This has created a bit of a nanny state and young boys are suffering because of the lack of male interaction during the early education years. Our schools are becoming places were boys are not being taught to be men, rather the ideals of a predominately female teacher workforce are trying to teach boys to become more like girls. Its wrong and will have serious consequences later on in life.

I've seen it with how my wife reacts to my son. Women are all about protection ... making sure their families are nurtured and kept from harm. This is great and I wouldn't change this attitude in women ... but young boys need to skin there knees. They need to fall out of trees and break there arms or get into a stoush over a playground matter. If they don't when they are teenagers they will have no concept of cause and effect. We have an epidemic in NZ of teenage boys killing themselves in cars. Cheap secondhand Japanese imported cars are available quite cheaply, already kitted out with extractors, hot cams and so on. Young men are getting behind the wheel with no true concept of cause and effect. The end result is they feel bullet proof ... drive way to fast and have massive car accidents.

The wife (god bless her) frets if my son hasn't completed his weekly homework prior to completion date. So she used to get in there and push him, help out wherever possible, which was usually on the morning of the deadline. This created huge stress ... and wtf for? I told her the boy needed to learn that if his homework wasn't completed he would be in for some sort of disciplinary treatment at school and he needed to feel the heat to make him complete his homework in a more timely manner. Now I'm a last minute deadline kinda guy and it works for me. I need pressure to make me work better, I thrive under pressure. My son is too but he had to learn the cause and effect of not completing things.

Sorry for the rant ... but its still kinda on-topic coz this thread is sorted aimed at the flat earth society and the world over political correctness.

 

[KeepCalm]

We have an epidemic in NZ of teenage boys killing themselves in cars. Cheap secondhand Japanese imported cars are available quite cheaply, already kitted out with extractors, hot cams and so on. Young men are getting behind the wheel with no true concept of cause and effect. The end result is they feel bullet proof ... drive way to fast and have massive car accidents.

Is this new in NZ? Because we've had teenage boys killing themselves in hot rods as long as there have been hot rods. It's probably got more to do with that underdeveloped prefrontal cortex than anything else.

 

[vaporcloud]

Its not new but the numbers of young men dying is increasing only because small fast cars are more affordable so more kids own them. Due to many of the factors I have mentioned above most are not prepared for the responsibility involved in driving a car.