I've already lined up the Mrs Christmas present. Telling her it's a robot vacuum cleaner.....

 

 

2 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

Christmas not connected to religion?

Isa was born that day but my religion does not celebrate it. 

Like many others we just do Christmas, tree flashing lights, etc.

 

On the closest Sunday to the 25th we have a family / village mega party complete with a secret gift draw (gifts topped up by yours truly so everyone gets a roughly equal value prezzie).

 

Halloween and Christmas for me. I always get a semi-pro costume for Halloween and have a GREAT Santa Claus outfit, wear them at the school where I teach, and it's just FUN!

2 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

Christmas not connected to a religion?

Of course it is.  It's the worship of the Gods of Unbridled Consumerism. 

2 hours ago, fredwiggy said:

Miss Halloween because of my grandchildren, and when I return, it will happen again with my daughter here. Thanksgiving I'll be with my daughter's family, as the last few years. Christmas isn't celebrated here besides  phone calls and something for my daughter here. Others aren't that important being here. New Years with my girlfriend. 

Don't tell me your one of those imbeciles who walk around with their kids knocking on doors asking for Halloween treats !

 

Absolutely not !

I avoid people and crowds 

 

Even when I was holidaying in Pattaya I stayed (locked)in the condo with air conditioning on and classical music up loud to drown out any outside noise 

 

I could hear the Saturday night fireworks outside ,no way was I going into a crowd of people breathing and spitting on me !! 

1 minute ago, georgegeorgia said:

Don't tell me your one of those imbeciles who walk around with their kids knocking on doors asking for Halloween treats !

 

No, I'm one of the millions of fathers who like to see their children happy, celebrating holidays where they can have treats and good memories they'll pass on to their children, my grandchildren, like three daughters already do.

1 hour ago, Keeps said:

I've already lined up the Mrs Christmas present. Telling her it's a robot vacuum cleaner.....

 

 

Unless your wife is super heavy, that one will not harm anyone unless your wife run over it with a 🚗 or similar. That is an anti tank mine.

3 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Unless your wife is super heavy, that one will not harm anyone unless your wife run over it with a 🚗 or similar. That is an anti tank mine.

You've not seen the size of her......

2 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

I've also always hated Bonfire Night.

When I was a kid in England (I'm a Yank but lived there), I enjoyed Guy Fawkes day, or Bonfire Night, as we got to play with fireworks.  But later I understood what that all symbolized.  The torture, drawing and quartering of some guy who really disliked the Parliament. Leave it to the Brits to celebrate like that.  I'm surprised that the Brits don't have a "Blowing From The Gun" day to celebrate the colonization of India.  Rather grotesque lot imho. 

 

 

3 hours ago, connda said:

How about you?  Do you keep track of your home-country holidays or do you just let them pass by unnoticed?

No, never really been into the holiday thing including the birthday thing even though I comply when it’s imposed upon me.

21 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

No, I'm one of the millions of fathers who like to see their children happy, celebrating holidays where they can have treats and good memories they'll pass on to their children, my grandchildren, like three daughters already do.

Whilst I don't get these annoying people knocking on my door nowadays because I live in a apartment, I do remember when I went to visit my mother back in the early 2000's at her house up on the NSW central coast

I didn't know the night I went to visit her was Halloween night 

I opened the door to hear a group of young kids with an old bloke with a cardigan on and long socks pulled up to his knees stsnding behind them

They all shouted "trick or treat !!!

I looked at the old guy , "get outta here NOW you old C I shouted before I put my non gender boot up your ass ..and take your monster kids with you !

 

8 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

Whilst I don't get these annoying people knocking on my door nowadays because I live in a apartment, I do remember when I went to visit my mother back in the early 2000's at her house up on the NSW central coast

I didn't know the night I went to visit her was Halloween night 

I opened the door to hear a group of young kids with an old bloke with a cardigan on and long socks pulled up to his knees stsnding behind them

They all shouted "trick or treat !!!

I looked at the old guy , "get outta here NOW you old C I shouted before I put my non gender boot up your ass ..and take your monster kids with you !

 

Obviously you haven't any children as you would understand. You do now realize what you said they did is kinda like what you've been doing in Thailand right? Going into bathrooms and asking personal questions of older gentlemen and peering into doorways at expats resting on their couches. The difference is that what the children are doing is traditional and accepted by most besides the Ebenezer Scrooges. 

7 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

with an old bloke with a cardigan on and long socks pulled up to his knees

Are you 100% sure there wasn't a mirror on the back of that door?

2 minutes ago, Keeps said:

Are you 100% sure there wasn't a mirror on the back of that door?

I can assure you sweetheart there's no way I look my age, I don't drink or smoke although occasional red wine and cheese especially as I'm tonight studying about the history of Cambodia 

Read my other thread 

 

Does eating mince pies mean celebrating Christmas for an atheist? If mince pies were available all the year round I would be celebrating mince pies only.

Yes, I celebrate Western holidays. I don't celebrate Thai ones

I work for a Swedish company so no working on Swedish holidays

16 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Obviously you haven't any children as you would understand. You do now realize what you said they did is kinda like what you've been doing in Thailand right? Going into bathrooms and asking personal questions of older gentlemen and peering into doorways at expats resting on their couches. The difference is that what the children are doing is traditional and accepted by most besides the Ebenezer Scrooges. 

 

Halloween isn't a world wide tradition for most countries except the  last decade other places in the world. Those who are not from USA older than 40, most likely never celebrated Halloween, and naturally sees it as an idiotic tradition rooted in  overconsumption and Greed, 

2 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

Christmas not connected to religion?

 

 

5555 wakey wakey

9 minutes ago, Hummin said:

 

Halloween isn't a world wide tradition for most countries except the  last decade other places in the world. Those who are not from USA older than 40, most likely never celebrated Halloween, and naturally sees it as an idiotic tradition rooted in  overconsumption and Greed, 

It's actually celebrated in many countries worldwide, and more all the time. North and South America, Asia, Europe, Australia, Mexico and more. It's a time to dress up and fantasize, along with children getting treats. Some countries like Italy, Ireland, Germany and China years before we were born. Mexico, Scotland and Italy in the 1800's. Not about over consumption but treats for the children. Adults have parties and venues to dress up, much like Mardi Gras. This explains more................https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Halloween

1 hour ago, connda said:

Of course it is.  It's the worship of the Gods of Unbridled Consumerism. 

Used to be Jol or Yule long time Christians arrived with their feast to celebrate their imaginary god. 

 

Christians just implanted their seasonal feast instead of the old traditions connected to seasonal natural happenings

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yule

 

20 minutes ago, Purdey said:

Does eating mince pies mean celebrating Christmas for an atheist? If mince pies were available all the year round I would be celebrating mince pies only.

I always look forward to late August when they start wheeling out the Christmas mince pies in my local Co-op....555

 

I do love a mince pie, Christmas pudding too. Always buy a few small ones to eat throughout the year. Bit of xmas pudding with a mince pie and slathered in custard. Perfect after a Sunday roast. 

We do Christmas as the kids, now grandkids, like it. Decorating the Christmas tree etc, we don't do Christmas dinner, just a BBQ new years eve. As for it being a religious observance, the mid-winter festival is far older than Christianity, it was just co-opted and renamed by the missionaries. We do the Thai holidays, though I abstain from Songkran for grumpy granddad reasons.

Imagine being tied down with kids and family 

 

15 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

It's actually celebrated in many countries worldwide, and more all the time. North and South America, Asia, Europe, Australia, Mexico and more. It's a time to dress up and fantasize, along with children getting treats. Some countries like Italy, Ireland, Germany and China years before we were born. Mexico, Scotland and Italy in the 1800's. Not about over consumption but treats for the children. Adults have parties and venues to dress up, much like Mardi Gras. This explains more................https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Halloween

How can Christians celebrate pagan culture and festivals? 

 

I have to disagree with you. Halloween was not much celebrated world wide before the last two decades, and more now. 

1 minute ago, Hummin said:

How can Christians celebrate pagan culture and festivals? 

 

I have to disagree with you. Halloween was not much celebrated world wide before the last two decades, and more now. 

It's just a fantasy thing, the same as watching horror shows. A release. Some go overboard and practice witchcraft but most do it just for fun. You can see in the link and in others that Halloween was celebrated in a lot of places, but yes, more and more in the last few decades. 

14 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said:

Imagine being tied down with kids and family 

 

Imagine being single, without family, and alone during the holidays. When you see your children respect others, animals, elders and do well in life, you can know it's because you helped them along the way. Family is why we're here.

2 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

It's just a fantasy thing, the same as watching horror shows. A release. Some go overboard and practice witchcraft but most do it just for fun. You can see in the link and in others that Halloween was celebrated in a lot of places, but yes, more and more in the last few decades. 

 

Well, the Bible says something else, even Christians tried to convert everything pagans did, making it their feast, I doubt they can convert Halloween 

 

"The Bible views paganism as a rejection of the one true God, frequently condemning its practices as false worship and a source of moral corruption. The Old Testament commands Israel to separate from pagan nations, avoid their religious practices like idol worship and sorcery, and destroy their shrines. The New Testament acknowledges that non-believers may have a moral conscience but are still considered separated from God until they believe in Jesus Christ."