Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 9,597
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Post by Confessor on Dec 25, 2019 1:57:58 GMT -5
Yeah, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays one and all. Hope you all enjoy time with your families and get all the presents you wanted.
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Post by Rob Allen on Dec 25, 2019 3:41:46 GMT -5
Merry Christmas and a great Yuletide to all who read this! My sincere wish is that you all are doing better than I am today - I've got a stomach virus that has kept me in bed or in the bathroom for the last 24 hours. But this board puts a smile on my face in spite of all that.
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Post by Mormel on Dec 25, 2019 3:48:22 GMT -5
Merry Mutant X-Mas, everybody!
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Post by EdoBosnar on Dec 25, 2019 4:37:13 GMT -5
Merry Christmas and a great Yuletide to all who read this! My sincere wish is that you all are doing better than I am today - I've got a stomach virus that has kept me in bed or in the bathroom for the last 24 hours. But this board puts a smile on my face in spite of all that. Oh, man, that seriously sucks. Hope you get better real soon. To you, and everyone else, Sretan Bozic from Croatia.
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Post by Icctrombone on Dec 25, 2019 8:43:24 GMT -5
Merry Christmas everyone! Now get busy on those leftovers.
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Post by Prince Hal on Dec 25, 2019 10:22:52 GMT -5
Merry Christmas and a great Yuletide to all who read this! My sincere wish is that you all are doing better than I am today - I've got a stomach virus that has kept me in bed or in the bathroom for the last 24 hours. But this board puts a smile on my face in spite of all that. Sorry, Rob. Hope you feel better today. Sleep is the best medicine. But Merry Christmas, anyway!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 25, 2019 10:31:00 GMT -5
I wish you get better Rob Allen and most importantly get plenty of rest & recover ... and to all of us ... Merry Christmas to all and enjoy the time with your loved ones ...
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 9,597
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Post by Confessor on Dec 25, 2019 11:08:48 GMT -5
Merry Christmas and a great Yuletide to all who read this! My sincere wish is that you all are doing better than I am today - I've got a stomach virus that has kept me in bed or in the bathroom for the last 24 hours. But this board puts a smile on my face in spite of all that. I prescribe 1 Aoxomoxoa and 1 American Beauty to be taken twice daily. Call me in the morning.
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 9,597
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Post by Confessor on Dec 25, 2019 11:33:50 GMT -5
I have a few questions for the Jewish members of our community...
At this time of year, do you celebrate Hanukkah exclusively or do you celebrate Christmas at home as well (you know, with a Xmas tree, tinsel around the home, presents from Santa Claus on the 25th Dec etc)? Also, while you are celebrating Hanukkah, do you light a Menorah in your home and do the children in the family (if you have them) play with dreidels?
Apologies if this all sounds like some hopelessly out of date cliché, but I'm genuinely curious and have a very limited knowledge of Jewish tradition. I was nominally raised Church of England myself, and the Jewish population of England is much, much lower than in the U.S., so my knowledge of Judaism generally is sadly lacking. That said, in recent years I've learned that I'm actually ¼ Jewish myself, due to genealogy research having revealed that my farther's biological father -- who he never knew -- was Jewish. So, I'm just really curious.
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Post by Rob Allen on Dec 25, 2019 12:18:16 GMT -5
I have a few questions for the Jewish members of our community... At this time of year, do you celebrate Hanukkah exclusively or do you celebrate Christmas at home as well (you know, with a Xmas tree, tinsel around the home, presents from Santa Claus on the 25th Dec etc)? Also, while you are celebrating Hanukkah, do you light a Menorah in your home and do the children in the family (if you have them) play with dreidels? I'm not Jewish but my wife is, as were my closest friends in high school. Some Jews avoid all trappings of Christmas, while others think it's OK to indulge in the secular aspects of the American Christmas tradition. Some put up a Hanukkah Bush: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah_bush. Most observant Jews do indeed light a menorah, but dreidels are more a tradition than a popular toy. That wikipedia article also mentions another tradition among some American Jews - going to a Chinese restaurant on Christmas Day. I think this started originally because the Chinese, not being Christian, were the only ones open for business on the 25th. Mazel Tov (that's congratulations) on finding out about your ancestry! Here's a forum where you can learn more: www.city-data.com/forum/judaism/.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 25, 2019 15:21:51 GMT -5
I have a few questions for the Jewish members of our community... At this time of year, do you celebrate Hanukkah exclusively or do you celebrate Christmas at home as well (you know, with a Xmas tree, tinsel around the home, presents from Santa Claus on the 25th Dec etc)? Also, while you are celebrating Hanukkah, do you light a Menorah in your home and do the children in the family (if you have them) play with dreidels? Apologies if this all sounds like some hopelessly out of date cliché, but I'm genuinely curious and have a very limited knowledge of Jewish tradition. I was nominally raised Church of England myself, and the Jewish population of England is much, much lower than in the U.S., so my knowledge of Judaism generally is sadly lacking. That said, in recent years I've learned that I'm actually ¼ Jewish myself, due to genealogy research having revealed that my farther's biological father -- who he never knew -- was Jewish. So, I'm just really curious. I'm Married to a non-Jew (who's not very religious himself..but that's besides the point).
we have both a Menorah up, that I light nightly (tonight is night 4), and we have a Chanukah Bush (a white christmas tree with Blue ornaments). . we also have "holiday lights" on the house/wrapping the trees out front - but they are blue (Chanukah colors)
although I did open Chanukah gifts from my Brother and from Jewish friends on Sunday night? Most gifts were opened this morning with my Spouse (so on Christmas Day).
we just got back from Chinese Buffet - aka: Jewish Christmas Dinner
we did not play with dreidels this year, tho we have some. Mainly because no kids over (and there were no dreidels at the Chanukah party we attended on Saturday night. . . tho we did participate in making Latkes & eating lots of fried foods (donuts, wontons, etc). in the past tho, we have played dreidel with folks, and we play for pennies (traded in at end of night for Chanukah Gelt - tho everyone gets at least a coin or two), or pretzel sticks (eaten at the end of the game).
Hope that answers some of your questions
fell free to ask if you have follow ups. . .I"m not super religious, but can probably answer!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 25, 2019 15:25:08 GMT -5
I have a few questions for the Jewish members of our community... At this time of year, do you celebrate Hanukkah exclusively or do you celebrate Christmas at home as well (you know, with a Xmas tree, tinsel around the home, presents from Santa Claus on the 25th Dec etc)? Also, while you are celebrating Hanukkah, do you light a Menorah in your home and do the children in the family (if you have them) play with dreidels? That wikipedia article also mentions another tradition among some American Jews - going to a Chinese restaurant on Christmas Day. I think this started originally because the Chinese, not being Christian, were the only ones open for business on the 25th. absolutely true, and as I just mentioned, we just got back from Chinese Buffet (that was absolutely packed, and always is, on Christmas Day). Chinese Restaurants also tend to be one of the few open on New Year's Day too (since Chinese New Year is typically in early Feb).
but yep, tradition in my family to do Chinese Buffet on Christmas Day, ever since I can remember - back in New York, as well as continuing on in Texas when I moved here at age 7
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Post by beccabear67 on Dec 25, 2019 17:00:18 GMT -5
I got a touch of the Rob Allens from some red wine I should've known better than to think actually loved me last night (had a glass and a half too many)... but it didn't ruin our traditional delivery Chinese feast for Christmas Eve. If that's a Jewish tradition all I can say is... pass the fershlugginer deep-fried mousey-tounge? When my grandparents were around we used to have it at their house, and before that everyone would go to a restaurant... been a tradition for my Mom's side all my life at least. My BF and I used to be together for Christmas Eve and day, but his Dad died around this same time a couple years back and it reminds him now of a very bad time, plus he moved further away from my parents' home, so we are separate (but spent an hour on the phone today). I know he has adopted the Chinese dins tradition though. I had leftover Chinese for my brunch, and a couple smoked oysters.
A lot of people find out they have Jewish ancestry, I'm still prepared for it to be true for myself though so far it hasn't. A great-uncle was killed in occupied Holland for some sort of labor/rail protest disruption though back in the early '40s.
Today, Christmas Day, my Mom stuffs a turkey and we have brussel sprouts with nutmeg on them, creamed celery, and riced potatoes with gravy. I have some eggnog, usually sans any rum, but I might have a pear cider (I'm off wine for awhile) later tonight. I went online to click a few more comics by mail with some gift money I received. New Warriors 5-10, Slingers 9-12, Iron Fist 1-3 (1998), Warlock 1-4 (1998), X-Force 97-99 (anyone got #100 cheap?)... I'm definitely addicted. Well, best wishes, and especially to Australia right now! Off to see if I can catch the Queen's address...
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 9,597
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Post by Confessor on Dec 25, 2019 19:10:05 GMT -5
Lots of fascinating info here already, Rob Allen, @bert and beccabear67. Thank you for that. In particular, I had no idea about the existence of the Chanukah Bush or that blue was the Chanukah colour or about the Chinese restaurant tradition. Also, interesting to hear about the dreidel traditions. Couple of things I wanted to ask more about... we have both a Menorah up, that I light nightly (tonight is night 4)... So, do you light an extra candle on the menorah every night throughout Hanukkah then? There's seven candles on a menorah, right? So, does that mean that Hanukkah is a week long? Again, excuse my ignorance. A lot of people find out they have Jewish ancestry, I'm still prepared for it to be true for myself though so far it hasn't. Just to be clear, when I say that I recently found out that I was ¼ Jewish, it wasn't that recently. It was about three years ago, so relatively recently, but not like last week. It's funny because at odd times in my life, especially when I was a younger man or boy, people would occasionally ask me if I had any Jewish ancestry. Like they must've thought they saw something Jewish in me. Of course, I would answer, "no, of course not!", but actually, turns out I have.
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Post by The Captain on Dec 25, 2019 19:28:52 GMT -5
Confessor, I can actually answer the question about the candles on the menorah. There are eight candles for the eight days of Chanukah. They represent the eight days that, according to Jewish tradition, the lamp in the Second Temple in Jerusalem burned during its rededication (the temple's, not the lamp's), even though there was only enough oil to keep it lit for one night. This happened in the second century after the Jewish people were liberated from their oppressors (IIRC, these were Syrians) by the Macabees. Because of this miracle, the Jewish people celebrate Chanukah, the festival of lights, over eight nights in December in rememberance. If I've gotten any of this wrong, no offense meant to our Jewish members and friends. My dad grew up in the Jewish neighborhood in Pittsburgh (where the synagogue shooting happened last year), and most of my mom's friends are Jewish, so I've picked up a basic, but far from comprehensive, knowledge of Jewish traditions and holidays.
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