Thanks Hayden – right back ‘atcha! BTW, wanted to let you know I mailed PRIZES yesterday — your Christmas card is inside too. Hope you & Chris have a fantabulous day. I know you will. XOXOXO
Thanks and same to you – hope you had a good time. Here is Spain they carry on till 6th Jan by which time I am sick and tired of Christmas and all that merriment.
Hey! Thanks Zhisou – hope you & the fam had a great day too. As for Spanish custom, I think I’d be thrilled to have an extra week feasting & making merry, as long as it didn’t entail buying more presents!
Dish, the Kings do bring presents on the 6th – they parade through the streets on the 5th evening then bring gifts to the house that night. In my house they just bring one present, which is convenient because I’m not sure I could cope with it all happening again so soon after Santa’s visit.
Sounds very lively — and makes more sense, strictly speaking, seeing as the 3 kings brought the presents to Jesus. Definitely a nice tie-in to the biblical story. Here in the US, it’s all santa all the time. Poor Jesus barely gets a mention.
zhisou, the Kings’ parade on Jan 5th, bringing gifts to the house, to be opened on the 6th, is a wonderful tradition that I can pass on to my Religious Education class. Not being as worldly as Europeans are because of the clustering of countries there, we in the countryside of Maine need the reminder that other countries celebrate the full Season of Christmas in different traditions. I’m glad to pass Spain’s, on to my students. Thank you.
And, Dishy, have your tree and seasonal decorations come down, yet? Our mother grew up in the South & brought north the belief that the tree & decorations in the house needed to be down before New Year’s Day in order to have good luck for the coming year….Maybe it became her rule so that we could enter the new year with a clean house. This year my family is celebrating the full 12 days of Christmas. May you & your families have a hope-filled New Year, 2011. Kate
Hey Kate – No, the tree & decorations are still up. I tend to take them down well after Christmas. This year our tree’s gotten so dried out from the heat of the wood stove it’s dropping needles everywhere. But I’m still waiting until New Year’s Day to take it down. (I love the way it looks regardless) I have made jokes that we should drag it out to the ravine and light it on fire.. something tells me the neighbors wouldn’t be so keen.. 😉 Happy New Year to you too!!
Kate, happy to help – the traditions in Spain have got a bit mixed up with the more northern Santa (Papa Noel) traditions becoming more and more important – it’s just more convenient to give kids the presents at the start of the holidays rather than the end.
wishes for a swell 2011! when is the guest room going to be ready for my visit??? i have a feeling some stall tactics have been put in place to keep me away! xooxox
Listen toots, the welcome is open but you’re gonna have to pitch in w/ some work on ye olde homestead.. Now that it’s 2011, John’s set on finishing the attic. Which first means at least one more jumbo construction dumpster, and a whole mess of manual labor. Plus, we want to upgrade our master bath with a stall shower, re-do the walls & floor with tile, change the through-way to a walk-in closet….. Hey – Wait? Where’d you go?
Thanks so much, Tammy! And a very Happy New Year to you, too. Can’t wait to hear how you celebrated. You’re always so clever & creative – hope your holidays were great!
Merry Christmas, Christy & Co.!!!
Thanks Hayden – right back ‘atcha! BTW, wanted to let you know I mailed PRIZES yesterday — your Christmas card is inside too. Hope you & Chris have a fantabulous day. I know you will. XOXOXO
Thanks and same to you – hope you had a good time. Here is Spain they carry on till 6th Jan by which time I am sick and tired of Christmas and all that merriment.
Hey! Thanks Zhisou – hope you & the fam had a great day too. As for Spanish custom, I think I’d be thrilled to have an extra week feasting & making merry, as long as it didn’t entail buying more presents!
So lovely!
Aww shucks – thanks S.Le! Wishing you all the best in the new year!
Dish, the Kings do bring presents on the 6th – they parade through the streets on the 5th evening then bring gifts to the house that night. In my house they just bring one present, which is convenient because I’m not sure I could cope with it all happening again so soon after Santa’s visit.
Sounds very lively — and makes more sense, strictly speaking, seeing as the 3 kings brought the presents to Jesus. Definitely a nice tie-in to the biblical story. Here in the US, it’s all santa all the time. Poor Jesus barely gets a mention.
zhisou, the Kings’ parade on Jan 5th, bringing gifts to the house, to be opened on the 6th, is a wonderful tradition that I can pass on to my Religious Education class. Not being as worldly as Europeans are because of the clustering of countries there, we in the countryside of Maine need the reminder that other countries celebrate the full Season of Christmas in different traditions. I’m glad to pass Spain’s, on to my students. Thank you.
And, Dishy, have your tree and seasonal decorations come down, yet? Our mother grew up in the South & brought north the belief that the tree & decorations in the house needed to be down before New Year’s Day in order to have good luck for the coming year….Maybe it became her rule so that we could enter the new year with a clean house. This year my family is celebrating the full 12 days of Christmas. May you & your families have a hope-filled New Year, 2011. Kate
Hey Kate – No, the tree & decorations are still up. I tend to take them down well after Christmas. This year our tree’s gotten so dried out from the heat of the wood stove it’s dropping needles everywhere. But I’m still waiting until New Year’s Day to take it down. (I love the way it looks regardless) I have made jokes that we should drag it out to the ravine and light it on fire.. something tells me the neighbors wouldn’t be so keen.. 😉 Happy New Year to you too!!
Kate, happy to help – the traditions in Spain have got a bit mixed up with the more northern Santa (Papa Noel) traditions becoming more and more important – it’s just more convenient to give kids the presents at the start of the holidays rather than the end.
wishes for a swell 2011! when is the guest room going to be ready for my visit??? i have a feeling some stall tactics have been put in place to keep me away! xooxox
Listen toots, the welcome is open but you’re gonna have to pitch in w/ some work on ye olde homestead.. Now that it’s 2011, John’s set on finishing the attic. Which first means at least one more jumbo construction dumpster, and a whole mess of manual labor. Plus, we want to upgrade our master bath with a stall shower, re-do the walls & floor with tile, change the through-way to a walk-in closet….. Hey – Wait? Where’d you go?
PS: Wishing you Ant & the rest of the family all the very best in 2011! XO
Merry Xmas, I hope your holiday season went well!
Hey! Thanks so much, Leaf! Christmas was great, very mellow, just like I like it. NYE too. Hope your holidays were lovely as well. Happy New Year!
A belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you! I hope it was wonderful.
Thanks so much, Tammy! And a very Happy New Year to you, too. Can’t wait to hear how you celebrated. You’re always so clever & creative – hope your holidays were great!