Yeah, I "celebrate" Christmas and Hanukkah because my parents are divorced and one is Jewish, other is Catholic. Yes, it's somewhat of a tradition to get gifts each day of Hanukkah. However, it's my personal belief that those holidays aren't purely for consumption... there should be a family element. I find it terrible that a thread like this is centered around what gifts everyone recieved, as opposed to what everyone did on Christmas Eve/Day to spend time with family/friends. I don't see where society says families need to spend thousands of dollars on one kid because their religious savior died, or something. If I got as many things as you all got, I'd be embarrassed.
Somebody didn't get very much, did he?!
But seriously, you're 100% right. I was just telling my dad that on Christmas Eve, even with the over-commercialization and everything, the best part of Christmas is the fact that families spend time together. That being said, here are my days:
Dec 23: Spent the evening at my aunt's with my mom's relatives
Dec 24: Spent the evening with my dad (step-mom worked, she works at a hospital), watching a movie and playing cribbage (he won, just barely)
Dec 25: Spent part of the morning with my mom, part with my dad, for presents. Spent the evening with my mom, stepdad, sister, step-brother, step-sister, and cousin. Played board games.
This Christmas, more than ever, it's important to spend with my family because I'm moving away next week and won't have the opportunity to see them much when I do.
I haven't posted in this thread yet because I didn't really get anything exciting. I didn't ask for or want anything exciting, I actually have more money than my parents so that didn't work. The highpoints:
- A cheap office chair, for when I go away
- Bedding
- Pillows
- Deodorant, toothpaste, soap, etc in a travel bag
- Clothes (cheap stuff, which I like), underwear, socks
- DVD (Clerks 2)
- Random stuff (a singing cow, a penguin full of chocolate, stuff like that)
And that's from both halves of the family.
