Christmas Presents are just as good AFTER Christmas, right?

[RevCheesehead]

I ain't gonna get it done. Fortunately, the family Christmas is the week after. But what about gifts for others?

Am I in trouble? Or can I plead "I'm sorry, but I've been a tired, sick, overworked pastor who has had NO time to go out shopping, and I don't even have lights on my tree, I've been that busy..."?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Of course they are good after Christmas!

I think that with your workload, and being sick and all, anyone would understand!

I consider the week between Christmas and New Year's an appropriate time for gift-giving!

Take it easy, my dear Rev! This is the season for love, after all!

[RevCheesehead]

2. Well, now I feel better.

If California Peggy says so, then it simply must be true!

This is also the season for gift cards too, isn't it?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

9. I thank you so much, my dear Rev!

And yes, gift cards work too, as long as you know the giftee is interested in the store you're giving the card for!

Go for it!

Anything to lighten the load......and spread the cheer!

[SeattleGirl]

3. Absolutely, Rev!

Just think of it as extending the holiday! And I think friends and family would be understanding. After all, no matter what a super person you are, you aren't SuperWoman, and just can't do it all. Especiallly if you've been ill. :hug:

[RevCheesehead]

4. * squeak, squeak * "On the Twelfth Day of Christmas..."

"On the Twelfth Day of Christmas, I finally got around
to giving all my presents with glee."

At least my voice can be normal (whatever that means) on DU. But it's been hell, refusing to answer the phone except for emergencies.

[SeattleGirl]

7. Well, you just get well!

That is over all else, the most important thing!

[Book Lover]

5. Are there not 12 days of Xmas?

And as I'm sure you know, it is not until the Epiphany that presents were given to the little baby Jesus by the Magi? I say you;'ve got until 1/6 in my book!

[RevCheesehead]

8. I could call them Epiphany gifts....

then I could have the whole Epiphany season to get it done! :bounce:

[merh]

13. Mardi Gras

The Mardi Gras season kicks off on the Fest of the Three Kings.


And in answer to your OP, Christmas presents are great all year round. :bounce:


:hug: :loveya:

[RevCheesehead]

23. *whew*

because yours is going to be late this year!! :7

[merh]

41. Hey Cheezewhiz

Don't sweat the small stuff ;-)

My gift is that you are finally on the road to healing - my gift is that you went for that doctor's appointment and got the meds to help you feel better.

That is a truly wonderful gift - I need you to be healthy and so does your flock and your family. :hug:

:loveya:

[RevCheesehead]

45. ooh-la!

I couldn't love ya any more if you were my own sister! :hug::loveya:
(you could use another one, right?)

[merh]

50. Always room for another sister

(actually, since one recently dropped me from her life, there is space available ;-) )

:hug: :loveya: :pals:

[Book Lover]

6. dupe

duped my post, self-delete

[In_The_Wind]

10. Of course they're just as good after Christmas!

Your friends will be happy with your company without the gifts.

[RevCheesehead]

24. Friends? yes.

Niece and Nephew? I don't think so... well, definately NOT the niece.

[In_The_Wind]

64. Little ones, the very young have a difficult time understanding ...

That their Aunt has many people who rely on her.
Good luck on taking care of the needs of others but don't forget about being good to yourself too!

[RevCheesehead]

68. No, that's not it.

She's a friggin' drama queen who honestly believes the world revolves around her. When she grows up, she wants to be a teacher, so she can tell other people what to do. Her backup plan to that is to be queen.

I am so NOT making this up!!

[In_The_Wind]

69. OMG & ROFL!

Thanks for reminding me why I moved away from home the day after my high school graduation.
Family drama can become overwhelming.


Kudos to you Rev for who you are and all you do!

[Jamastiene]

11. Yes, if you don't get a chance to give me my Christmas hug,

I will just as happy giving and receiving a hug after Christmas. Don't religious scholars debate that the actual time of Jesus' birth was later anyhow? Of course, it's ok. It's the season for giving, not just one day. Don't worry about it. Better to be cautious and careful and not overwork yourself. Stress kills, ya know. Take it easy. If anyone has the audacity to complain in the face of a gift from you even if it is AFTER Christmas Day, just refer them to me. I'll shame them for it. They would be utterly rude to do that, imo.

[RevCheesehead]

25. well, heck -

would you like your Christmas hug now? :hug:
Here, take one for your aunt, too: :hug:

[redwitch]

12. You poor dear!

Christmas should be stretched out a bit anyway. It's all, rush, rush, get it done, get it wrapped, baked, whatever. And on the 26th it's all over. Too sad- much better to get gifts and give gifts for a week or so. Make it last I say! And yes, Epiphany gifts work very well indeed. Anybody who complains gets myrhh next year!

[RevCheesehead]

27. Myrrh is far too expensive.

Anyone who complains, gets nothing. Not even a hug.

You know what I hate? Driving around the day after Christmas, looking at all those poor discarded Christmas trees at the curb, next to the wadded up wrapping paper and rotting banana peels. So sad.

[redwitch]

56. I agree.

It's the trees of people who put them up three weeks before Thanksgiving! I didn't know myrrh was expensive, I have bought frankincense in years past, it was reasonable. Gold, oy vey, it's out of site. That leaves fruitcake ( which I actually like if it's made by the good monks and loaded with whisky). But you are probably right, complainers should get zilch!
A dear friend of mine is studying to be a minister. She is my hero- she is a family therapist, has a husband, two kids, two cats and a house to take care of in addition to some incredibly difficult courses and also assistant pastor duties at 2 local churches. Yikes. Add Christmas shopping and entertaining to the mix and I figure she'll be ready for a nervous collapse at any minute. Feel better Rev and a beautiful, peaceful Christmas to you and yours.

[RevCheesehead]

58. Fruitcake is an abomination unto the Lord.

Well, OK, it's an abomination to ME. :puke:

One year at Thanksgiving, I went to a friend's house. His great aunt made fruitcake cookies. And they were just as awful as they sound. Damned things were in disguise, too... I thought they were red & green M&Ms. I politely finished mine. But Tim screamed out in disgust and ran to the sink, spitting it out.

So later that day, his sister gave me the rest of the cookies, and I saved them for his Christmas present that year. I am evil. :evilgrin:

[redwitch]

61. People should not be evil about food and disguise it.

It would seem that most people intensely dislike fruitcake, but I read the lutefisk post last night and have concluded that it must be the worst food imaginable, even worse than the average fruitcake. In fact, I couldn't finish reading the whole thread, it made me gag!

[RevCheesehead]

65. Lutefisk is NOT a food.

It's a spackle substitute.

[politicat]

14. Through the 17th century, Christmas was not the time for gifts.

Gifts were for Epiphany. Christmas was for the big party to mark the end of Advent.

Give stuff on the Feast of the Slaughter of the Innocents... at least then it's appropriate, what with the destroying the whole message of the holiday to begin with....

[RevCheesehead]

28. December 28.

Oddly enough, that is the day of our family Christmas at Mom & Dad's this year. Hmmm... now I know how to keep Sarah in line (see post above, about my niece).

[supernova]

15. Aww, poor overworked RevChH

:hug:

Yes, there's no expiration date on a present. Anytime is a good time to give a gift. Just enjoy the company and get the other stuff done when you can.

BTW - I'm in the same boat as you. I don't have my tree decorated, either. It still pretties up the living room naked though.

[RevCheesehead]

29. Let's start a new tradition: Naked Christmas Trees.

Kind of the anti-Christmas. Just say NO to ornaments!
:hug:

[Lisa]

16. blame it on Pope Gregory XIII!

He changed the calendar on us. Can anyone say for sure "exactly" when Christmas is, these days?

"Pope Gregory XIII issued a papal bull, "Inter Gravissimus" on February 24, 1582 that established the Gregorian calendar as the new and official calendar of the Catholic world. Since the Julian calendar had fallen ten days behind over the centuries, Pope Gregory XIII designated that October 4, 1582 would be officially followed by October 15, 1582. The news of the calendar change was disseminated across Europe. Not only would the new calendar be utilized but ten days would be "lost" forever, the new year would now begin on January 1 instead of March 25, and there would be a new method of determining the date of Easter."


http://geography.about.com/library/weekly/aa041301a.htm


Or you could say that you are reaching out to Orthodox Christianity in hopes of mending the schism -- and the gifts will show up early in January, following their holiday schedule. (If you are in an area with a lot of Ukrainians, that might just work!)

Personally I have always felt that post-Christmas gifts do a lot to dissipate that general feeling of anticlimax (not to say "letdown") that can set in after "the holiday". That might be why Boxing Day is such a hit, up here in Canada.

[RevCheesehead]

30. The early Christians never celebrated Christmas.

That didn't happen until after Christianity was approved by Constantine. Once Christians stopped being persecuted, they could go around institutionalizing themselves, setting liturgical calendars, and getting rid of those pesky women church leaders. meh... progress, indeed.

[Lisa]

43. I can just imagine Roman legionaries scoping out people's houses ...

"That guy's got Christmas decorations up! We're going in ..."

Sure puts that infamous "musical light show" in perspective. That wouldn't have been a good idea, back in the first century! (Besides the fact that the technology hadn't been invented yet. Unless you count candles and minstrels.)

I still like the Gregorian calendar transition "missing days" -- I actually used it successfully on a history MA, who was cross at me for forgetting her birthday.

[Bridget Burke]

62. The Roman soldiers would join in the festivities.

Many of them were believers in Mithras, a Persian God whose cult (not a pejorative use of the word) was popular throughout the Roman world. It was a "man's" faith & Roman soldiers built Mithraeums (MIthraea?) as far north as Hadrian's wall. Romans had long observed December 25th as the feast of the Unconquerable Sun--Mithras fans adopted the holiday. (As have Christians, Neo-Pagans, etc.)

Have a look at that "old time religion" http://museums.ncl.ac.uk/archive/mithras/intro.htm

Keep your Christmas decorations up until 12th Night; then put up the Mardi Gras flag. And hand out presents on Epiphany, the day afterwards...

[Lisa]

71. cool site!

I'm forwarding the URL to a guy I know who heads the Legio XX re-enactment group -- he's always on the lookout for this sort of thing.

Re: the Christmas decorations -- the red and green color scheme would probably pass inspection, and the wreaths might be explained as Saturnalia greenery (especially if they were ivy ... wearing an ivy wreath was thought to ward off the worst effects of too much drinking).

But the nativity scene would probably be too much of a giveaway.

[Bridget Burke]

72. Saint Francis "invented" the nativity scene....

But any depictions of Jesus & his Mom could pass for Horus & Isis. She was another "foreign" deity worshipped throughout the Roman world. Here's how they envisioned her. (Although the kid in that picture might actually be Harpocrates--oops, my pedantry is showing.)



The Romans did NOT persecute the Christians full time. For much of the Empire, Christianity was one of the cults allowed to exist, as long as Jupiter got his occasional pinch of incense. Then Christianity became the state religion & the other faiths had to close up shop or get out of town.

[Lisa]

74. as you say, depends on the emperor ...

Some of them went after various cults (including Christianity) more than others. In any case, I don't think I would have liked to have been around during the reign of Nero, etc., even if I'm not a practicing Christian. A bit too much intrigue and excitement!

[mtnester]

17. Even better - they cost less to buy

don't you have the flu? :evilgrin:

[RevCheesehead]

31. technically, no..

at least, not strains A or B (those were ruled out Monday).
But yeah, I can milk this - for a while, at least. :thumbsup:

[SW FL Dem]

18. What about gift cards. You can email them from many sites.

The recipients will get the email notification within a few minutes. I've done it at Amazon.com and it worked well.

[RevCheesehead]

32. Always a good option.

But that would take away from my valuable DU time. :(

[SW FL Dem]

38. I would never advocate taking away valuable DU time

I just know that my life would be miserable if I forgot to remember my nieces and nephews(long story - my MIL keeps score). I pride myself on my ability to multitask. Usually, it is easy, the holidays are spread apart, this year Hanukkah falls on Christmas Day so I am totally screwed. No matter what I do, I will be accused of paying more attention to Christmas than I do to Hanukkah.

[RevCheesehead]

40. Oy.

For what it's worth, Jesus is Jewish. :shrug:

[SW FL Dem]

Oy Vey

And this from a shiksa who makes her hubby light the candles on Hanukkah because it's important for the kid to understand and respect both religions. The good news is that after 20 years, hubby still thinks I'm a keeper despite his mother's opinion. Even better, the kid is getting the message, he's proud of his diverse background and shares his parents' frustration with religious intolerance.

[SW FL Dem]

47. Oy Vey

Dupe.

[fortyfeetunder]

19. Unless I mailed it in October

There is no way I can get anything done in December. Don't worry, my folks expect to meet after the holiday. It's SOBs like my in-laws that expect a present on Christmas Day.

I am just coming off a cold and bronchitis and doing anything that resembles shopping is a pipe dream.

[RevCheesehead]

33. I have recently come to despise shopping.

About 3 weeks ago, I drove into the mall parking lot - and promptly left it. Well, not promptly, because it took me 10 friggin' minutes to get from the entrance to the exit. That's just wrong.

Fortunately, in-laws are not an issue for me.

[deadparrot]

20. Christmas presents are good anytime!

:hi:

[RevCheesehead]

34. Well, that's what I always thought.

But I mistakenly agreed to do my parents' shopping for them, and the kids are expecting something from Santa. I have a week.

[lady raven]

21. Absolutely!

They will understand, I'm certain of it.

[RevCheesehead]

35. I love your optimism!

Thanks. :)

[Wapsie B]

22. Heck yes!

I like to think of the time between Christmas Day and New Years's to be one big Christmas. It always bummed me out as a kid to have all this buildup to Christmas and it zipped right by just like any other day. I've never thought of Christmas as just those 24 hours.

Please, when you can get some rest. You deserve it. Go gift shopping when you're up to it. Might get some better deals after the 25th too.

[RevCheesehead]

36. Indeed, I will.

I've always had the Christmas-New Year's connection going for me, because my birthday is on Jan. 1. My brother had a hard time accepting that I got presents a week later, but he didn't. :shrug:

[Wapsie B]

46. A New Year's baby.

Way cool. :)

I have to think of the 12 days of Christmas just like the song to get into the spirit of the season.

[hfojvt]

26. an over-worked pastor?

You guys only work one day a week!! :hide:

Plus, you have been spending tons of time on DU.
So I am not accepting any excuses. I had better have a present by the 25th. You already missed giving me a present for Beethoven's birthday.

[RevCheesehead]

37. The dog had a birthday?

I have to start keeping up with things, I guess.

[hfojvt]

42. Every dog has its day

or so I have heard. But, of course, I was thinking about this one

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110116/

[RevCheesehead]

44. I love that movie!

My first encounter with the remarkable Gary Oldman. :loveya:

[hfojvt]

48. it was a pretty cool movie

but none of the bios that I checked agreed with its conclusions.

[RevCheesehead]

49. yeah?

Well, that didn't stop me from loving Amadeus, either. :)

[hfojvt]

53. that one bored me, but I am not a big fan of Mozart

http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/~simonj/lvb/ib.html

"The recent Beethoven movie (The Immortal Beloved), which took large liberties with the truth, has Beethoven sister-in-law Johanna von Beethoven (nee Reiss) as the recipient of the letter. This preposterous idea flies in the face of all known evidence. Beethoven and Johanna positively hated each other as each fought to get control of Karl (Johanna's son and Beethoven's nephew) through the courts over many years."

Passion, however, can easily turn from love to hate.

[Robeson]

39. My wife and I are doing X-mas with my parents on the 27th.....

...We're not Christians, but my parents are, so we respect their beliefs. Christmas is important to them, so we accommodate. I look at it not as much as a religious thing, since it was originally a pagan holiday anyways, but as a time to respect the wishes of aging parents...

[RevCheesehead]

51. Not to mention the one and only day (this year)

that you will actually root for the Packers to win, right? :P

It's good to honor parents and their beliefs. Besides, most people think Christmas is about family, anyways.

[Robeson]

52. Say a special prayer to your God Rev......

...in hopes that the Pack doesn't let me down....;-)

[Rhiannon12866]

54. I think that's perfectly fair. And I don't see how anyone can blame you.

Too much stress is placed on the holidays, anyway. We could all use a little breather and I really think that you deserve yours, my friend.:D

Rhiannon:hi:

[Hardrada]

55. 12th Night.

12 days after Christemas are still wolcome Yule. Thus of course On the 12th Day of Christmas etc. etc.

[Shell Beau]

57. Friends should be understanding!

:hug:

[RevCheesehead]

59. Bless you, Ms Shell.

They certainly should. :hug:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

60. Good morning, my dear Rev!

Hope your day is off to a great start......

And let's hope for cheerful times today for all of us!

*she says, smiling.....*


:loveya: :hug:

[RevCheesehead]

67. Much better!

Just got a call from church, & the lady said "boy, you're sounding a whole lot better!"

So that's one problem licked, but the work remains.
For some reason, people expect a bulletin for Christmas.
And there's the handheld candles.
And another funeral.

I'm ready to say to people "Have a Christmas. You decide if it's merry."

:hug:

[DanCa]

63. Cuddles - can you give em an iou - seriously that's what my parents

did when we were too poor for presents.

[tjwmason]

66. I doubt that you could pretend to have converted to Orthodoxy....

If you could, you could claim you keep it on 7 January - but somehow I don't think that that line's going to hold much water.

:hug: because I know how over-busy the life of a cleric is at this time of year.

[Patiod]

70. One advantage to being Greek Orthodox

They can do their Christmas shopping at after-Christmas prices

[LaraMN]

73. Of course! Except for mine-- I'm going to need that in a timely manner...

:evilgrin:

[Shine]

75. Damn straight!!!!!

plus, you get to take advantage of all those after-Christmas sales, when everything is majorly marked down. It's a great time to go gift shopping.

Believe me, I can relate to the busy-ness factor.

Hang in there, Rev.
:pals: