Getting into the spirit

[tofutakeout]

Are you more a commercial Christmas type or a traditional? Or do you celebrate another holiday for the season?

What gets you in the spirit for the holiday?

Shopping, decorating, music, etc

For me personally I go to the Scandinavian fair held at PSU every year to celebrate it with my heritage. But then I also like to listen to old choir music. I'm not very religious but I do like older christmas music. But I love the newer stuff too. "Last Christmas I gave you my heart~ But the very next day you gave it away~"

Right now, something that's really making me happy is this right here. The end makes me cry for some reason.

[RemSaverem]

For me, Chanukah & Solstice, both about looking inward and to one's community and nature/divinity for reminders of the return of light and the maintenance of light in face of greatest darkness.

I like to walk outside when it's not raining and look at the colors of the changing, falling leaves.

[Pots]

 I just loooove, love George Michael

[Malaria]

I nominally celebrate Chanukah, but I don't even have a menorah here so that's probably not gonna happen this year. Might make some latkes, though.

The big thing in my family is New Year's Eve and Day, which are kinda different celebrations. Eve, everyone goes out and parties with their friends and wishes everyone health and happiness and success in the New Year. Then around 3 AM we all tend to fall asleep. Crawl out of bed around noonish for New Year's Day, which looks a lot like Christmas does in the US. The family gets together, and we've got a tree and presents from an old guy in a weird outfit who we call Old Man Frost. The presents are a lot humbler, since you're supposed to give mostly useful things, and there's less of them. There's also zero religious connotations. Although it seems like Christmas for a lot of Americans is secular too. My family is skipping presents this year, so on January 1st we'll just be sitting around drinking tea and being lazy.

[~boogiepop~]

I celebrate "Christmas" I guess. Or I just deal with the fact that's what my family does. I would actually just be perfectly fine ignoring Christmas and not celebrating it.

I don't really get in the spirit. I used to get excited when I was a kid but I just don't really care anymore. I'm not religious, I don't really like accepting gifts because it makes me feel awkward, and though I love my family we just end up fighting whenever I go back home.

It doesn't help that a bunch of crap tends to happen right before it that are just angering and depressing. Seems to be following the same course this year.

[StarryShay]

Candy canes get me in the spirit.
The taste of the first candy cane you taste of the holiday season is the best ♥

[NARUNIK]

The freaking snow is what gets me in the spirit!

Plus all those Christmas specials on the T.V.

Don't forget the food.

[sandrobotticelli]

The Scandinavian fair is in December? I didn't know that : O

I don't want to get into the spirit until December. The end.

Our family usually celebrates in an old fashioned sort of way like one might see in The Christmas Carol. Mainly a goose and other assortments. Mostly just a feast. haha. None of us are Christian though (well, except my dad) so it's mainly doing it for fun.

[reppy]

For me, Chanukah & Solstice, both about looking inward and to one's community and nature/divinity for reminders of the return of light and the maintenance of light in face of greatest darkness.

I like to walk outside when it's not raining and look at the colors of the changing, falling leaves.

They seemed especially pretty this year. O:  I remember a few times driving down this stretch of road in my neighborhood, and there must be like 100 or so trees on it all in a row .. and the colors were simply amazing.  I really wanted to record some video of it or something but I would always forget. D:

I would also find myself plucking leaves off trees and admiring them when I out on walks. ^^;;

[tofutakeout]

The Scandinavian fair is in December? I didn't know that : O

I don't want to get into the spirit until December. The end.

Our family usually celebrates in an old fashioned sort of way like one might see in The Christmas Carol. Mainly a goose and other assortments. Mostly just a feast. haha. None of us are Christian though (well, except my dad) so it's mainly doing it for fun.

Yeah, first weekend every year.

[RemSaverem]

@ Malaria, Best place in town for Menorot: The Kiva.

[Saki-the-cat]

I know this is going to sound very...5-year-old. But what gets me into the Holliday spirit is things like TV specials and music on the radio, hanging out with friends (which i'll be doing again finally for the first time in 5 years.), going house looking (i call it that because it sounds stalkerish..and that's basicly what we do. We go and look at Christmas lights at peoples houses), comparing the quality of Santas at each mall/store(yeah that's entertaining for me...), things like that. Stuff i've been doing for as long as i can remember that i never plan on changing ^^

[MiriaRose]

Happy Hanukkah to those who celebrate it~

I celebrate secular Christmas in a traditional fashion. Basically, I don't go to Mass but I eat a 13 course meal.

[RemSaverem]

Thank you.

I can't even imagine what 13 courses would look like.

I used to love Rudolph in particular (as far as TV specials) and the Heat Miser & Cold Miser.

[RemSaverem]

For me, Chanukah & Solstice, both about looking inward and to one's community and nature/divinity for reminders of the return of light and the maintenance of light in face of greatest darkness.

I like to walk outside when it's not raining and look at the colors of the changing, falling leaves.

They seemed especially pretty this year. O:  I remember a few times driving down this stretch of road in my neighborhood, and there must be like 100 or so trees on it all in a row .. and the colors were simply amazing.  I really wanted to record some video of it or something but I would always forget. D:

I would also find myself plucking leaves off trees and admiring them when I out on walks. ^^;;

Heh, I used to do that. Now I kinda look like my kitty, I jump into the air trying to catch the ones that are swirling in the wind.

[superjaz]

This year my family (mainly husband and brother) are really getting into christmas, Partly because this has been a really tight year.  like instead of eating out I would make a nice dinner at home instead.                          The promise of Yummy food christmasy movies and presents has got us excited.  I even found an ordement for the tree that looks like toro sushi!  We put our tree up, watched the ref.  Today we start our chocolate advent calendars!

[Fuyuko]

Well, what started getting me into the holiday spirit this year was hearing people wish each other a happy holiday and such. This reminded me that not everyone is caught up in the commercialized aspect of the holidays, and that it's all about giving to others in a spiritual sense, not materialistic. Oh, and another thing is the smell of Christmas trees. That alone really fills me with excitement and spirit. ^^ OH OH, and not to mention snow~! <3

[MiriaRose]

Thank you.

I can't even imagine what 13 courses would look like.

'Welcome.

And it's pure deliciousness. Once you get past the kapusta pierogi, that is. There's usually a lot of fish and other seafoods, and there's a lot of cabbage and sauerkraut.

Oh, and presents are opened after dinner. Always. And once person gets to be Santa and sorts them out.

[RemSaverem]

Interesting! Thanks.
So. What are everyone's favorite holiday songs!
Mine:
Chanukah: The Chanukah Song (Adam Sandler)
Solstice: Walking in a Winter Wonderland
X-mas: The Little Drummer Boy (my eyes tear every time!)
Kwaanza: Seven Principles, Sweet Honey in the Rock
for Diwali: Yep, "Sayid Jarrah" from Lost goes Bollywood....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocNFQioWM5c

[superjaz]

we open one present on christmas eve.  chris always liked how his parents would have appetizers so that's what we do.  I really like the muppets christmas music,

[MiriaRose]

Every song from the Colbert Christmas Special.

[RemSaverem]

Every song from the Colbert Christmas Special.

I didn't know there was one. I will have to look that up!

There is "A Very Scary Solstice" which is an H. P. Lovecraft filk piece, that I haven't checked out yet but which has been recommended to me, along with Chthulhu on the Roof.

[Prinz Eugen]

Interesting! Thanks.
So. What are everyone's favorite holiday songs!

My two favorite songs for Advent are Venez divin Messie (half my family is from Quebec and so we learned many of these in French,) and On Jordan's Bank. The words aren't quite as fun, but I really like the melody.

For Christmastime I like God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen and an obscure but raucous, energetic FUN, exuberant piece called Personent Hodie.
Its insistent da-da-dah, da-da-dah rythm reminds me of all manner of noisy rabble celebrating in the streets if a medieval city.
John Rutter wrote an awesome arrangement that brings this out gloriously. My favorite verse is:

In mundo nascitur, pannis involvitur
praesepi ponitur stabulo brutorum,
rector supernorum.
perdidit -dit, dit, perdidit -dit, dit,
perdidit spolia princeps infernorum.

Gotta LOVE it:

Born into [this] world, wrapped in swaddling clothes,
placed in a manger among beasts of the stable;
is the Ruler of the High Place(s.) <-[edit]
His treasures* to steal back from the Prince of Hell.

*our souls

[jaybug]

good lord, what verb tense is that? not one I used all that often learning French, that's for sure. woof, makes it look more like Latin.

Speaking of Latin, I had to learn one song in Latin for 7th grade music class. Dona Nobis Pacem. Don't really remember the words all that well anymore.

I usually get back to being able to play God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen every year on my bass guitar. Of course I then break out into Grieg's In the Hall of the Mountain King. I should learn Bach's Toccata Fugue.

Well tonight it's my wife's company's Christmas party. I don't know if they are politically correct, and they actually call it a Holiday Party, or not. It being filtered through my wife to me. SO to quote the Vorlon's of Babylon 5, "and so it begins".

I still know about equally well what I want, and what to give the loved ones. I wish I could come up with what I want for under $100, make that under $200 it seems. good grief. I'm becoming the man who has everything. At least everything I want/need. I don't think anyone is going to buy me an ocean going boat, of an aeroplane.

[Prinz Eugen]

good lord, what verb tense is that?

From the 'net: nāscitur = "is born" = 3rd-person singular present active indicative of nāscor
and yes, it's Latin. The churchy-stuff was all in Latin, Adeste Fideles outranked Oh Come, All Ye Faithful, etc.
But the regular-folk religious stuff we learned in French: Les Anges dans Nos Compagnes = Angels We have Heard on High.

Just like SUB vs DUB wars: the French words to Minuit, Chrétiens sounds softer and prettier than the long-I in O Holy Niiiiiiigght, (dee-VIIIIIInnnne)
PUNCH that octave - wear smaller underwear if you have to!

Dona Nobis Pacem.

Last line of the last song in a standard Mass: Angus Dei. (No relation to Doris Dei.)
One rendition of these is a really boring round that only uses those three words over and over and over and PUDDI PUDDI PUDDI PUDDI PUDDI PUDDI

I usually get back to being able to play God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen every year on my bass guitar.
Of course I then break out into Grieg's In the Hall of the Mountain King.

That's a RIOT - at what point do you jump the tracks?

SO to quote the Vorlo's of Babylon 5, "and so it begins".

Fifth Season Opener! - Now go around asking everyone "WHAT do you WANT..." / "WHOM do you SERVE" etc. The give your wife's boss the Vir Wave. [CMOA in that episode...]

[RemSaverem]

Doris Dei could sew those tighter shorts in The Pajama Factory ;-) Sorry, couldn't resist ADding it. Feel free to VENT, children ;-)

[@random]

Warning: Nerdy Latin rant ahead, with a side of grousing about creative dubs.

From the 'net: nāscitur = "is born" = 3rd-person singular present active indicative of nāscor and yes, it's Latin.

Oh, the weirdness gets better. Nascor is one of those weird verbs that indicates passive action, indicated by conjugating it in passive tense even though it's officially active. (Huh?) But the other two are active verbs (involvo, pono), so they're both officially passive (he is wrapped, he is placed) and conjugated passively.

The last (perdo) is active all the way, but perdidit is perfect-indicative tense (he has stolen/dispersed/destroyed) rather than infinitive. Slightly confusing unless you consider the fact of his birth to have accomplished it already.

Looking up the Wikipedia ref you gave, it's interesting how many liberties the Joseph translation takes with the original text - yours is much, much more accurate. My favorite is how she completely omits the last lines of each stanza ("conceived from a virginal womb", "he has stolen the spoils of the prince of hell", etc) - possibly because they were too 'vulgar'. I guess creative dubbing to appease the perceived sensibilities of the audience (*cough* Disney's alleged version of Princess Mononoke *cough) isn't exactly a new phenomenon, eh?

Last line of the last song in a standard Mass: Angus Dei. (No relation to Doris Dei.)

Ohhhhhhh, terrible pun. I love it. (^_^)

_{but technically, Agnus.}

[Prinz Eugen]

Warning: Nerdy Latin rant ahead,

TOTALLY welcome and informative! If we really want to nail down some split hairs, in the last line perdidit is 'he lost,' or 'gave up' ( per=away, do=give) and its subject is princeps, even though my translation above has the child Jesus implied as a subject of an active verb 'steal.' A more exacting but less energetic rendition of the last line would be 'The prince of infernos(pl) lost his spoils' ( spolia implying ill-gotten, such as pirate booty.) Your comments?

(*cough* Disney's alleged version of Princess Mononoke *cough) isn't exactly a new phenomenon, eh?

Pocahontas so departed from actual history that I was *done* with Disney for that. No mention of her conversion to Christianity, marriage to John Rolfe and tobacco farming in Jamestown? Whoops - left out some things didn't we?
(Not surprising, given Pixar's cowboy character with an empty holster...)

but technically, Agnus.

Angus - it's what's for dinner. My typo there!

By the way if people want to LISTEN to the song we're talking about, here are The Cambridge Singers on the John Rutter arrangement: Personent Hodie
I find it angelic yet authoritative, but still accessible to the peasantry, all at the same time = PERFECT for the KING.
IMHO, Rutter's arrangement NAILS the Christmas Spirit here, even as a contemporary composer - an ever more rare feat given all the secular weeds growing up around Christmas - eg, Bing Crosby tunes, etc.

@randompvg: If you listen, what do you think of their Latin pronunciation? Personally I love it even though I'm no degreed scholar at all. I note the 'ch' for 'c in princeps and also the strong 'a' in aurum; they sound it more like arrum or ow- (as in 'ouch') -rum; definitely leading with an 'ah' sound.

[Prinz Eugen]

What gets you in the spirit for the holiday?
Shopping, decorating, music, etc

For my wife and me, we start our shopping (what little we have to do) after K-con and get most of it done before Halloween, except for folks whom we send gift cards, which we get about the time we buy the cards to send. We both have parents' birthdays that hit in early December so it's an incentive to clear the deck in advance.

Decorating: We have a small Nativity set that's roughly smaller than a ski-boot box. The baby figure and the Magi ( three kings ) stay our of sight until Christmas Day.
For us, Christmas Day is not the END it's the START of the 12-day PARTY, and the 3 kings pop out elsewhere in the room at a distance. On each of the 12 days you move the kings partway on their journey to the creche. Then on 6-Jan when they arrive I also cook some holiday special meals; usually enough to freeze portions of certain foods that keep for MONTHS when frozen, so I can thaw out tourtière** meat in July or my own birthday (November) and it's still TASTY.



** Much of my mom's side of the family is from the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean region of Quebec. We would often trek up there for Christmas (-45C!!) or they would come down and visit. So Saguenay cuisine is Christmas fare for me: BLUEBERRIES, a local wild bean similar to fava called gourganne:


It's a little beefier or meatier taste than common favas, so you might be able to cheat with favas by adding a little MSG.

Soupe aux gourgannes is served DAMN HOT as an common appetizer to the Christmas meal.


and a land-locked salmon called ouananiche ('WUN-a-nish.')

Technically this is summer fare; these lakes are all frozen over in winter of course.

Trees don't get very tall there; it's a sub-arctic region:

[Prinz Eugen]

Oh, the weirdness gets better. Nascor is one of those weird verbs that indicates passive action, indicated by conjugating it in passive tense even though it's officially active. (Huh?)

Since older music tends to come out of the woodwork this time of year, we will often see some quaint, obsolete usages pop up in lyrics. One of my grammar-faves is the present perfect tense of come as an intransitive - which means you will get IS and not HAVE in the past tense: "we are come," "He is come," etc.
(Stick around for Easter - the end of what starts with Christmas - and you will get 'He is risen' (and not 'He has risen.')

[@random]

Warning: Nerdy Latin rant ahead,

TOTALLY welcome and informative! If we really want to nail down some split hairs, in the last line perdidit is 'he lost,' or 'gave up' ( per=away, do=give) and its subject is princeps, even though my translation above has the child Jesus implied as a subject of an active verb 'steal.' A more exacting but less energetic rendition of the last line would be 'The prince of infernos(pl) lost his spoils' ( spolia implying ill-gotten, such as pirate booty.) Your comments?

I did goof on not catching the fact that it was princeps rather than principis; what you're saying makes more sense. I did kinda wonder about it given that the general connotation of perdo is "waste" or "squander", though one meaning is "steal". Didn't make a whole lot of sense for baby Jesus to have squandered souls. =/

@randompvg: If you listen, what do you think of their Latin pronunciation? Personally I love it even though I'm no degreed scholar at all. I note the 'ch' for 'c in princeps and also the strong 'a' in aurum; they sound it more like arrum or ow- (as in 'ouch') -rum; definitely leading with an 'ah' sound.

You caught me; to me it's like nails on chalkboard to hear "Veni, vidi, vici" rendered as "Vinny, viddy, vichy" rather than "Wainy, weedy, weeky". The same is true to a lesser degree of the other Anglicized pronunciations, but I mostly try to tune it out since almost no one knows. Ranting about that would evoke Churchill's infamous "This is the sort of English up with which I will not put"

[RemSaverem]

I haven't been as far north as sub-arctic in Canada (though I've been to Alaska) and find it fascinating to hear about that part of the world, thanks.

Latkes are in my top 3 of all Jewish foods, along with matzoh ball soup (for which I make vegetarian broth, but which I haven't learned how to make without egg) and charozeth.

I was wondering if you two or anyone else could please help me with something. A beloved relative-by-marriage who spent over 40 years as a Catholic school teacher, is approaching what is likely to be her last Xmas, or at least, her last lucid Xmas (due to Alzheimers). She's in Chicago, so I can't spend time with her directly. I went around looking for a card that would mean something to her and found one with a photo of the bas relief on the ceiling of a cathedral in Italy (depicting the 4 authors of the gospels as saints). I would like advice for something to write in it; I don't know Catholic prayers for healing & for inner peace. It can be in English or Latin (but if in Latin please let me know what it says). Also if there is either the right medallion or candle or something to accompany it (either for me to send or to use here). Thanks.

[Prinz Eugen]

you two or anyone else could please help me with something [...] I went around looking for a card that would mean something to her and found one with a photo of the bas relief on the ceiling of a cathedral in Italy (depicting the 4 authors of the gospels as saints). I would like advice for something to write in it; I don't know Catholic prayers for healing & for inner peace [...] Thanks.

Hard to find in a secular shop (as opposed to a 'Christian supply' shop) but /imho/ you could not go wrong with (a) the Holy Family, or just Madonna & Child, (b) a baby in a manger surrounded by livestock - there are a number of iconic images and no particular one is necessary or 'best fit' - Christmas has several 'classic' scenes and settings, and they all reference the same event. To continue: (c) Three kings following a star, or arrived at a stable with gifts* (d) shepherds in a field with a shining angel; light shining down onto them - 'Get up and go see!'

*gold, frankincense, & myrrh.

As for what to say inside - just be yourself. You don't need to invoke any saints  - now is a time for everyone to rejoice and STOP the world, crack the flow of time apart, and behold the peace of the universe peeping through the gap. Just like in Hanukkah we can stop and honor a people who made it possible for us today to choose what we want to do, without interference from the state or any other amassed activists who would hate you or me or anyone for believing and celebrating what we believe.

If you want to send something inside the card, you may wish to consider a rosary.

[RemSaverem]

Thanks, I know she'll like the card, just wanted to give her some words to hold onto, because Alzheimer's is beginning to affect her memory. I pictured her trying to say prayers and crying about not being able to remember all the words and didn't know how to remind her of them because I haven't learned them.

[Prinz Eugen]

Thanks, I know she'll like the card, just wanted to give her some words to hold onto, because Alzheimer's is beginning to affect her memory. I pictured her trying to say prayers and crying about not being able to remember all the words and didn't know how to remind her of them because I haven't learned them.

Many rosaries come with a card listing the 4 x 5 = 20 Mysteries. Used to be 3 x 5 = 15, but Pope Jaun-Paul II received an inspiration to add on 5 more to be said on Thursdays. Heck, I am still trying to get used to them and they are out of chronological order, so a card might be handy.

Sent you a Christmas Novena booklet that I got a little earlier in this year from the 94-year old nun who taught me CCD.
She is the only living person left with whom I correspond with LETTERS, an ENVELOPE and a STAMP.

[Cyprus]

I love buying people gifts...I think that I get more excited about it than the person(s) that get the gift. My birthday falls on the 23rd of December, so naturally Christmas tends to be my favorite holiday. Getting together with friends & family, eating good food, listening to Christmas music, watching classic Christmas movies...what's not to like. Oh ya, hot chocolate, hot tadies, hot chocolate w/ peppermint schnapps...all wonderful to sit down & enjoy a cup with others when it's cold outside. That being said, I hate snow! Pretty to look at, great for sledding/snowboarding...but it's cold, wet, miserable & dangerous. Yes, I like a white Christmas...nothing could be more beautiful. But once again, the cons far out-weigh the pros on this one.

[superjaz]

we always seem to buy a ginger bread house kit then get busy and make it after christmas.  At the store I saw a kit that has only wonka candy, Now that will be eaten!

[RemSaverem]

Thanks, I know she'll like the card, just wanted to give her some words to hold onto, because Alzheimer's is beginning to affect her memory. I pictured her trying to say prayers and crying about not being able to remember all the words and didn't know how to remind her of them because I haven't learned them.

Many rosaries come with a card listing the 4 x 5 = 20 Mysteries. Used to be 3 x 5 = 15, but Pope Jaun-Paul II received an inspiration to add on 5 more to be said on Thursdays. Heck, I am still trying to get used to them and they are out of chronological order, so a card might be handy.

Sent you a Christmas Novena booklet that I got a little earlier in this year from the 94-year old nun who taught me CCD.
She is the only living person left with whom I correspond with LETTERS, an ENVELOPE and a STAMP.

Thank you!

[Pots]

We haven't even decorated yet... O_O