Random Question of the Day

[Jiala Aeon]

Our family always did it so that you got to open one small gift on christmas eve, the rest waited till morning.

[Novaku]

We don't celebrate Christmas like that, though it is a custom that starts to become more common here, especially with families who's children have already become adolescents.

The reason why many generally don't celebrate Christmas with gifts here, is because of Saint Nicholas (Sinterklaas in Dutch) whom died on December 6th, so on the eve of the 5th, gifts are shared (Children find them in the morning, much like Christmas). Basically said, he is our version of Santa Claus and there's plenty of comparisons there too, but funnily enough, we're celebrating the death of a holy man

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinterklaas

Funnily enough, the American Santa Claus, is based on the Dutch Sinterklaas.

"The modern figure of Santa Claus is derived from the Dutch figure of Sinterklaas, whose name is a dialectal pronunciation of Saint Nicholas, the historical Greek bishop and gift-giver of Myra. During the Christianization of Germanic Europe, this figure may have absorbed elements of the god Odin, who was associated with the Germanic pagan midwinter event of Yule and led the Wild Hunt, a ghostly procession through the sky."

So.....hah! Copycats! We did it before it was cool and corporatized by Coca Cola!

[Tenaar Feiri]

Us Norsemen don't even celebrate Christmas because of either America or the Dutch!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomte

In fact, Swedish Jenny Nyström created the appearance of Santa Claus as we know him today based on the Tomte folklore of Scandinavia & a painting of Father Christmas (specifically this one: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/FatherChristmastrial.jpg ).
Moreover, Father Christmas did in fact not give presents to children, he was a symbol for adult celebration, bringing news of Christ's birth to the world & encouraging people to eat and drink.
Father Christmas became the precursor for Santa Claus when puritanism emerged & they needed to give him a friendlier, cheerier appearance of venerable, kindly old gentleman given to cheer but not excess. Indeed, the Americans then proceeded to rip off the Dutch Sinterklaas later on as a gift-giver, but Sinterklaas was not technically Santa Claus' precursor!
That was the tomte and the puritanized Father Christmas!

The more you know...!


Incidentally, I don't wait with opening presents unless made to wait =P I don't have the time nor motivation to sit with something on my shelf for that long & not knowing what it is.

[Xela]

Christmas Morning/after the Christmas meal!

And also boxing day, as I visit my other side of the family then, too.

[Husky Dragon]

Morning

[Ausar]

On the 24th I visit my family early in the morning. We have breakfast together and then go about the preparations, usually with my father and I setting up and decorating the tree, while my mother and brother are busy in the kitchen to make sure we will have a nice meal later on. Once we are finished with everything, we take a walk together and then spend the rest of the afternoon and evening playing card or board games, singing carols and reading stories.

We keep doing that till midnight, when one of us will read the Christmas gospel. Usually it is after that when we unwrap our presents.

[Ashtyn]

Christmas back in Brazil used to be that we'd get the presents on after midnight from 24th to 25th, and then on the 25th was just Christmas meal and such.

Here in The U.S. while I lived in Tennessee it really didn't matter, the only 'tradition' was to go for Christmas lunch with my ex's parents on the 25ht; but where I live now in Virginia, Tye's family has Christmas traditions! We get a small gift at midnight, then I'm dragged out of bed at 6am on the 25th to open presents, then everybody goes back to sleep and in the afternoon there's Christmas lunch with Tye's relatives.

This year is likely going to be really.... strange, since Tye's father died a few months ago. They are holding up alright but I know Christmas itself is going to be tough on them since he was intrinsic part of their tradition routine.

[Lycanthrope]

Christmas morning, after 9am

[Ashtyn]

And continuing on the xmas spirit....
Would you have your kids believe in the whole Santa Claus thing, or just tell them straight-up where the gifts come from?

[Lycanthrope]

   I'd keep it up as long as they belived or at least played along convincingly. I loved the whole santa thing, even when I started to suspect it wasnt real the simple fantasy was always enjoyable.

[Ausar]

"Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus."

Few things are as wonderful as the fantasy of a child. I would try to create wonderful moments for them for as long as I can. I already played St. Nicholas at a kindergarten my cousin works at myself. Also, I still like to think of myself or the other parents setting up the event for children as Santa's little helpers. Santa Claus is an idea and that idea is very much alive. Everyone of us can be part of him and add to the legend.

[Radem]

Depends completely on the child in question.

If I had to pick yes or no I'd pick yes. I still remember everything about the moment I figured it all out. Where I was, what everything looked like, all the sounds. It's something of a coming of age ritual, and even if it's not entirely pleasant, it was still an important life lesson, and one that can be made positive - learning one form of magic is less real than we might hope, so we have to make other kinds.

[Husky Dragon]

I think it's good to encourage kids to believe in fantasy and magic at an early age, as long as it's not allowed to go too far. I very much think part of my love of roleplay and maybe a lot of other parts of who I am today are because I was allowed to explore myth and fantasy as if it were real.

And even now, really, it's fun to let myself believe in superstition now and then. We visited a ghost town in northern nevada a couple years ago, I can't say it would've been anywhere near as fun if I hadn't let part of myself believe it actually was haunted!

[Novaku]

I'm pretty much in complete agreement with what Ani said.

[Ashtyn]

One more on the xmas spirit....
Do you prefer a natural tree or an artificial tree (or no tree at all)?