What with all the excitement, I keep forgetting to say, but will finally say now:

<center><FONT size="4">Happy Everything, to Everybody! </FONT s></center>

May your holidays, your year ahead, and all your days be filled with peace, joy, healing and wonder.

Kensington town council outlawed St Nicholas from its traditional Christmas tree lighting ceremony on religious grounds.

But 50 Santa's turned up marching on the town hall. Hundreds of pro and anti-Santa demonstrators also clashed. One Santa was taken into custody by police.

Local residents and national media criticised the decision of councillors in Maryland town.

Santa was banned because some residents complained he had no place at a non-religious event, reports The Baltimore Sun.

Protestors chanted, "No Santa, No Peace!" and carried signs declaring, "Mean Spirited Arrogant Santa Hating Liberals" and "PC = Stupid."

The local fire department also rode through town with a Santa leading the fire trucks. Traditionally, Santa helps the Mayor to turn on the lights.

"This whole thing is ludicrous," said Santa impersonator and local resident Fred S. Hass. "Santa Claus is not a religious figure."

Two protestors holding a placard saying, "If Jews can ban Santa, why can't we ban Jews?" had it torn down by a teen Santa after the crowd chanted, "Take it down! Take it down!" He was led away by policemen.

One resident has now vowed to stand for local election to the town council - as Santa Claus.

makes one proud doesn't it?

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makes one proud doesn't it?
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well, Nathen, maybe proud isn't exactly the right word..but I do kind of wish I had the video - raw and uncut.

Sounds like some townsfolk Need Something To Do. How embarassing for us all. But I, too, would relish seeing the video. Better than the Three Stooges, I'm guessing.

<img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/rolleyes.gif" width=15 height=15>

It's beginning to feel more like Kerrymas,
Everywhere I go,
The Toddmeister is at home,
He no longer is all alone,
And Mrs. T. has got her cards today!

It's beginning to feel more like Kerrymas,
Everywhere I go,
But the loveliest sight we'll see,
Is when all of us can be
In the Church next fall,
in the Church next fall.

Fan, here's a long-winded answer to your simple question on another thread. Like most other things in the U.S., when we begin Christmas celebration depends on a number of things, largely because there are so many different Christian denominations and sects. They start playing Christmas music and decorating stores for Christmas in (no kidding) October. Some people put up their Christmas trees the weekend after our Thanksgiving, which is in the last or next-to-last week of November. Some people keep an Advent calendar; some don't. For many, the family Christmas celebration begins on Christmas eve. Some go to church, some just have the family together at home on Christmas Eve, then have the main gift-giving and dinner on the 25th. Others just have the one day, on the 25th. We don't observe Boxing Day, as they do in England and Canada, but I think it would be nice if we did.

All this was in preface to asking, if you'd care to, would you tell us how you celebrate Christmas?

Thank you Ceashel, that was very interesting!
We usually don't start celebrating Christmas (or playing Chrsitmas music and decorating stores THAT early...)
Most people here (especially children) have Advent calendar.. The first time people start thinking of Christmas is on December the 6th (that's "Nicolaus day" as we call it) Many children put shoes on their doorstep and hope that "Nicolaus" will bring them presents. We usually buy a Christmas tree about one week before Christmas ,december the 24 th.
In some families the parents decorate the Christmas tree and in some (in my family also) we decorate the tree together, this happens on december the 24 th in the evening (usually around 4 or 5 pm) Later the children have to go out of the living room (where the tree stands) and wait until Santa (that's what you call the "man" who brings presents don`'t you??)has brought the presents After that (at around 7pm) the presents are lying around the Christmas tree ... (Some families even hire a man dressed as Santa who talks to the children and gives them their presents)

Although many "grown up" children don't believe in Santa they "keep the custom alive "
We usually have a "small" Christmas dinner on december the 24th consisting of sausages and potatoes (tough luck for a vegetarian like me) on the 25th and 26th there's an official bank holiday (son most people don't have to work) We often have a "huge" dinner on december the 25th (this year we will have a dug or some other kind of "bird")
Some families get together for Christmas (grandmothers ,aunts,ect. getting together) but in our family that's not very usual because all of my family members live in another part of Germany (so we usually celebrate Christmas "on our own" this year my grandma will stay for Christmas..
I think that's basically it.. I'll write again if I've missed something-...
Merry x-mas to all of you!!

Ohh I forgot one thing, it's the same here ,many people go to church on Christmas eve before unpacking the presents ..For many that's the only time of the year they go to church and so it's usually very crowded..

Thanks, fan. You would probably feel right at home in the Midwest, where there is a large German immigrant population. To add to what Cea said, people bring their customs with them when they come to America. Holidays, especially, have a way of making people homesick -- so it's also a time to pass along the "old ways" to the next generation, to insure that they don't forget where they came from.
One of the reasons the tree has such a long and venerable history in the US, is because of the Hessian soldiers who came to fight during the American Revolution, BTW. Many stayed on, and so did their holiday customs.

When you come right down to it, it's probably part of the reason why Americans can be so thoughtless when it comes to imposing our views and lifestyle when we go abroad. After all, no immigrant group has ever come to America and tried to fit in with and assimilate into the Native ways here, either. But that's another thread.

fan, your command of English is commendable. Where and how did you learn it so well?

Thanks, Fan, for sharing. Your Christmas must be very beautiful and full of love. And this year, a white Christmas! As you said, some silly adults here don't believe in Santa, either, but we in Blunderland know the truth. How could Dave have put Santa's picture on the home page of arlo.net if he didn't exist? <img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/smile.gif" width=15 height=15>

You would feel more at home in Texas, too, than you might think. There's a large German population in the beautiful Hill Country of central Texas. They settled there in the mid-1800s, before Texas was part of the U.S., and have kept their culture more intact than many groups have been able to do here.

To add to what Muffy said, with many different traditions all around us, when we see a tradition we like, we incorporate it as our own. In Texas, with a large Hispanic population, there is a tradition of having tamales on Christmas Eve. <img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/yum.gif" width=15 height=15> That's a little pastry made of spiced cornmeal, sometimes filled with meat or (my favorite) fresh hot chiles and cheese, then wrapped in a corn husk or banana leaf and steamed. Sometimes they're sweet, with sugar and cinnamon, raisins, and nuts inside. The homemade ones are NOT AT ALL the same as what you can buy in stores. Making them is very labor-intensive. I've adapted the tradition, because I'm always really busy before the holidays, but then have some (relatively) free time during the holidays, so I make my tamales for New Year's Eve, instead of Christmas Eve.

As I type this, it would be about 1 p.m. for Fan, so you're well into Christmas, and Santa will be there before too long. Merry Christmas!

Homemade tamales! Yummerama!!

I like the savory ones, too Cea. Don't be too surprised if I show up on your doorstep some New Year's eve, now that you've made that bit of information public. <img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/biggrin.gif" width=15 height=15>

<center><FONT COLOR="#000080">--- Edited 1 times, lastly by muffy on Dec 24, 2001 ---</FONT></center>

That sounds really interesting! Yeah, maybe I'll move to the US some day.. Muffy- Thank you!I learned English at school (I've always had quite good teachers) and I spent 7 and a half weeks near London during the summer (as an au pair) .... Again merry Christmas to all of you (for you in about 10 hours time??) I'll have to do the last preparations now.. Cu all soon!

Merry Christmas to all, where ever they might be, may it be where they can enjoy their family and friends and share peace on earth for all.

Great song you posted, on the 22nd, Ceashel. I hope it comes true!
Fan, have a Merry Christmas, I have fond memories, of German Christmases. I was stationed just outside Frankfurt, for two years, in Oberursel, at foot of the Taunus mountains. I Loved the festivities there, at Christmas time, Merry Christmas, Muffy & Nathen, & Nathen, wish Becky a Merry Christmas, for me too, I miss her...
Todd have a good one...