It's called CHRISTmas for a reason

[kerravonsen]

I see it's time to change my default icon for the Season.

Comments

[tptigger.livejournal.com]

*g*

[kalypso-v.livejournal.com]

I'm already muttering because, when I enter items for comments, LJ's putting up a "Happy Holidays" banner with stockings and reindeer and snowy trees. For heaven's sake, do I have to put up with this for a whole month? I could enjoy Christmas if it lasted for, let us say, twelve days.

[kerravonsen]

Excatly. It was the LJ banner which prompted me to go into anti-Santa mode.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Yes. I saw that today and it really annoyed me.

[kerravonsen]

And of course the Santafest season is even more irritating to those of us who live in the southern hemisphere, where there is not, and never will be snow, sleighs, sleighbells, or White Christmases, unless one lives in a high mountain or on Antarctica.

[kalypso-v.livejournal.com]

Haven't spotted many sleighs in Manchester recently, either...

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Tell me about it. I hate fake snow. I hate tinkly songs about winter.

I might feel a bit differently about a real winter festival (and it needs something to brighten up months of cold, wet greyness) but nope, no such thing.

[fikgirl.livejournal.com]

I hate real snow. I hate winter. I hate the cold, I hate the ice, I hate having to shovel or snowblow the drive. I hate having to let my car warm up a spell, I hate watching my gas heating bill go up, I hate having to break out the heavy coat and gloves and scarfs and bundling up like some sort of creature that can barely move. I hate needing an electric blanket and having to winterize the house. I hate that I have to have a portable heater by my desk and wear heavy socks and an extra sweatshirt and a robe just so that I don't end up making my gas heating bill go up anymore.

So one month of pretty lights and songs doesn't make winter anymore tolerable for me. I don't think that a winter festival would make that much difference either. The snow sucks, winter sucks and the only thing that would make it better would be if it only lasted one month instead of five or six ... or it never came at all.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I feel much the same way. I hate rain, damp cold, floods, dark grey days, getting wet walking to work, sitting in damp shoes and trousers all morning, being cold (I run a fan heater beside me at home; no such thing as central heating, double glazing, or decent insulation here in what they laughingly call a subtropical climate) and if you're not a skier, there's no fun at all to lighten the gloom.

OK, I'll raise you and see you. ;-)

[neuralclone.livejournal.com]

I find the whole thing surreal. I'm sure an anthropologist could have a field day (pun intended!) analysing an Australian Santafest.

[fikgirl.livejournal.com]

So are you anti-Santa or just anti-all those people who seem to worship Santa Claus and forget that there is more to the holiday than egg nog, spiced rum, and fighting in the stores because "my kid will absolutely die if he doesn't get this toy!"

[kerravonsen]

Santa is the symbol of the commercialization and secularization of Christmas.
It is a worship of Santa. Those who worship Santa should call it Santafest instead of Christmas, but they won't. If you take Christ out of Christmas, how dare you call it Christmas?

And I HATE, LOATHE, DETEST and ABHOR the whole "you've got to tell lies to your kids about this made-up person that you know is made-up, and crucify anyone who tells the truth" stuff. Hate it. Utterly utterly hate it.

Whatever happened to "Saint Nicholas"? He was a saint, darn it, a man who lived and died in history, not a make-believe figure who lives at the north pole with silly elves.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

What is this egg nog people talk about? Is it made with eggs and coffee? People say they buy them at Starbucks but I've never seen them here.

[kerravonsen]

I don't actually know myself. I believe traditional egg nog is very creamy (and has eggs) and has nutmeg in it. And is usually quite alchohilic as well, though I noticed on googling for Egg-nog recipes, some have alchohol and some don't. They all have egg and milk and sugar, though.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

I can imagine. I don't think I'd bother making one but if someone offered me one or I could buy one, I'd give it a try.

[mistraltoes.livejournal.com]

The traditional homemade eggnog is really too much work unless you're having a party. I think I've had the non-alcoholic kind once. But we can get 'dairy eggnog'--with no alcohol or eggs--in the milk cooler of the grocery near Christmas and New Year's. It's delicious and extremely rich, so we serve it in small glasses or cups. Mmm! I think I'll put some on the grocery list. :)

[fikgirl.livejournal.com]

I like this kind too. Very rich, but small cups and it makes a nice touch. Non-alcoholic thank you very much.

But my personal favorite is mulled cider (again with no alcohol, because why ruin a good drink). Now, if I could have someone feed me hot mulled cider from October through March and I never had to set foot outside until the first flower broke through, I'd be a happy camper.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Sounds like creme anglais; that's nice over fresh berries.

[reapermum.livejournal.com]

I thought that was French for custard.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

It's nicer than custard, though I do buy Greg proper brandy custard for Christmas and his birthday as he loves it so. Creme anglais is lighter, nowhere near as thick, and has a delicate flavour. Here, anyway.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

And kerravonsen? Sorry we went off at a tangent here. :-(

[reapermum.livejournal.com]

And even sillier custard here http://tinyurl.com/78l2f

[redstarrobot.livejournal.com]

You can get it (in non-alcoholic forms) at the store next to the milk in the Christmas season, but (like all things) the store-bought isn't as good as the homemade. You tend not to make one, you tend to make a whole punch-bowl-full or pitcherfull. It's not really a one-drink recipe.

[redstarrobot.livejournal.com]

No, that's eggnog-flavored coffee. Eggnog is made of eggs, sugar, cream, nutmeg-cinnamon-cloves-type spices, and something like rum or brandy.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Yum! It sounds good. Starbucks had a creme brulee latte on their board yesterday but they were out of it. I wondered if that was eggnog under another name but obviously not. I'd have tried it if they'd had it (I adore creme brulee) but settled for a light caramel frap insetad.

[lizamanynames.livejournal.com]

Kvetching about the LJ banner aside (and even for someone who lives where it does indeed look like that, and has for a couple weeks, that thing is hideous) I'd just like to say that that icon is absolutely GORGEOUS, especially the pulsing effect of the star (which I missd the first time).

(Note to self - need Christian-y Christmas icon)

[kerravonsen]

Thanks to eyesthatslay. The original one I had changed it to was my "No Santa" one. But I realized that it made me and everyone else all grumpy, so I wanted something more positive.
Then I saw (points to Linus) in someone else's post, who said it was by eyesthatslay so I went over, and fell in love with the Wise Men.

[lizamanynames.livejournal.com]

I've always loved that - go Linus. Tell it like it is.

[dawnmist]

You can get rid of the Christmas banner if you wish by changing your 'Browse Options' view preferences.

Log in, then go to http://www.livejournal.com/manage/siteopts.bml and select the 'Dystopia' view.

It changes the veiw - not the simple plain blue theme anymore - but no Christmas advertising either, so is useful for getting rid of that annoyance.

I'm also finding it easier to find stuff with the Dystopia layout, so I may continue to stick with it after Christmas as well.

[kerravonsen]

Ah, thanks.