General Chat

Hi Baz, Merry Xmas. It should just be for the kids - lots of presents under the tree and someone should wave a magical wand and all the work would be done and the Xmas dinner would be on the table and all the stress about how many people are going to end up coming and will there be enough for everyone all taken away. It usually all works out in the end and everyone has a wonderful time. My son was telling me he got the movie Elf out for the kids when he was babysitting them the other night. Don't know if you've seen it - I haven't. Nobody believed in Santa anymore and the sleigh wouldn't fly so Santa had to attach rockets to the sleigh. Sounded very funny and the kids loved it. Christine

I hate the build up to Christmas, It drives me potty everyone rushing around getting the last minute shopping. Sometimes I wonder why on earth everyone is going absolutely mad spending all that money. However, I do love Christmas day. With 2 kids of my own, it makes me sooooo happy to see there little faces Christmas morning when they think Father Christmas has been. Nicola xx

hi baz i LOVE christmas lol cant wait for it to arrive ,sorry to upset your thread lol susie

me baz.take me away from all this and 14 hungry people on christmas day!!!!!lolxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx(:

I'd rather fast forward a week and miss Christmas this year. Think it's because I don't have any decorations up at all and haven't been to any Christmas parties so I've missed it all... Roll on 2005!!! becx

Happy birthday 19th for Jim. Baz in Essex - hope you are okay now. :) Joy

Val, Takes more than a heart attack to keep me down. LOL Baz.xxx

Jim, Just to say, I had a heart attack on the 19 th Dec, and let me out on Christmas day, 1993. Baz

As I was born on Dec 19th Christmas has always come in the middle of my Holiday Fortnight. Just a part of my tie off, feet up, pig out, relaxation from last year's horribilisms.

Don`t think you`d like it Joy,dirty and smelly. Baz.xx

Not yet been to Bethlehem myself :) Joy

Thanks for that Joy,great. But as I said, I`ve never seen a reindeer in Bethlehem. LOL Baz. xx

Googled: Reindeer has come to be associated with Christmas, riding the tradition of the Santa Claus. As Santa is believed to have come from the far away North, what else than a reindeer drawn sledge can serve as a better carriage? It is man's most ancient herd animal, the first animals being raised around 15,000 years ago. Up until about 12,000 years ago, reindeer grazed over a vast area of Europe. Rock paintings by primitive peoples featuring them are widespread, as are discoveries of tools made from reindeer horn. there was even a period of European prehistory in a part of France called Dordogne that is sometimes called "the civilization of reindeer." The only surviving part of such a civilization might be found in Lapland, which is the northern part of Norway, Sweden and Finland. There are only a few thousand Lapps, but they own herds of many thousands of reindeer. From them the Lapps obtain meat, milk, hair for weaving, hides to make tents and clothing, and horn, from which they make households. They are also used to pull heavily laden sleds. It is all these multiple uses that have made reindeer so endearing to people in the North. Caribou, the name by which the Americans are more familiar with reindeer, comes from an Indian word. Reindeer and Caribou look different, but they probably are the same species. Caribou are large, wild, elk-like animals which can be found above the tree-line in arctic North America and Greenland. Because they can live on lichens in the winter they are very well adapted for the harsh arctic tundra where they migrate great distances each year. Caribou cows and bulls both grow distinctive antlers and bull antlers can reach 4 feet in width! A Caribou calf can run within 90 minutes of its birth. It must do this to keep up with the migrating herds. Reindeer are slightly smaller and were domesticated in northern Eurasia about 2000 years ago. Today, they are herded by many Arctic peoples in Europe and Asia including the Sami in Scandinavia and the Nenets, Chukchi and others in Russia. These peoples depend on the reindeer for almost everything in their economy including food, clothing and shelter. Some Nenets even keep reindeer for pets! Reindeer were introduced into Alaska and Canada last century, but most attempts failed. Native peoples in these countries still prefer to hunt caribou rather than herd reindeer. Reindeer and caribou have unique hairs which trap air providing them with excellent insulation. These hairs also help keep them buoyant in the water. They are very strong swimmers and can move across wide rushing rivers and even the frozen ice of the Arctic Ocean!

i agree too baz, merry christmas though, love mel xxx

Hiya Joy, I`ll take your word for it .lol Baz. xx

Ah, but 'tis a "proper" carol! Look at this. :) Joy .......................... We Wish You a Merry Christmas! The author and composer of We Wish You a Merry Christmas cannot be traced however it is believed to date back to England in the sixteenth century. The tradition of carollers being given Christmas treats for singing to wealthy members of the community is reflected in this Christmas song - We Wish You a Merry Christmas! Over the years the fashion for figgy puddings mentioned in We Wish You a Merry Christmas has faded. But for the curious, the recipe consisted of the most important ingredient which was of course figs together with butter, sugar, eggs ,milk, rum, apple, lemon and orange peel, nuts, cinnamon, cloves and ginger! Not dissimilar to the modern day Christmas Puddings! We wish you a Merry Christmas; We wish you a Merry Christmas; We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Good tidings we bring to you and your kin; Good tidings for Christmas and a Happy New Year. Oh, bring us a figgy pudding; Oh, bring us a figgy pudding; Oh, bring us a figgy pudding and a cup of good cheer We won't go until we get some; We won't go until we get some; We won't go until we get some, so bring some out here We wish you a Merry Christmas; We wish you a Merry Christmas; We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

We had carol singers last night,singing `We wish you a Merry Christmas`, and then holding out their hands. Where`s the proper carols gone. Baz.

Ooops, just realised I sounded bit pious, sorry!!! :) Visting my niece at the weekend, I found they had not spent over the top, and her 7-year-old Henry was asking very intelligent questions about God, Jesus and Father Christmas. :) Joy

Roll on 2005, Ive had enough of 2004. Len

Guess the important thing is to keep things in perspective, spend reasonable amounts without going over the top, only buy Christmas presents if you want to celebrate the birth of Jesus. :) Joy