Christmas Around the World

Christmas Around the World

I know one thing is for sure- Christmas sure isn't the Christmas I remember as a kid. When I was younger, I used to be able to not sleep on Christmas Eve, wondering what 'Santa' brought for me because I was good. And when I got up, I would run like a marathon runner into the living room sitting there until my parents woke up and we would all open gifts together and after that, we'd have some breakfast. Well, in past years, that kind of stuff has been altered. With the divorce of my parents, that forced us to basically go to my aunt's house and then on Christmas Day, go to my mom's and come home and go to my aunt Mary's house up the street, where she would give us stuff better suited for an older woman, not a kid. I'm serious on this one, she gave me this gaudy watch that an older lady would wear. I hated having to leave my mom's house and go to my stupid aunt Mary's house. Don't get me wrong, I loved her, but I don't think she was fully aware we were kids, not old ladies.

And another thing that has me ticked about Christmas is the TV keeps showing commercials with people getting expensive cars, and diamonds and all things pricey. That's not what Christmas is all about. I hate these stupid, greedy-ass kids, pardon my French, sorry. It's just I'm not even a parent and even I hate Christmas anymore. It's gotten away from the true meaning. And for those out there too thick to see it, it's about the birth of Christ, it's in the name for God's sake!! Are people really that mental to where they can't see that? Well, I guess they are. They're more occupied with standing for long hours in long lines for useless garbage for their greedy-ass kids. These kids that beg for useless garbage on Christmas like homeless people at Christmastime, what they need is a good slap upside the head. They need to be f---ing thankful that they can get gifts or that they have a loving family to begin with. Some kids don't have that, some kids are not in the richest areas and they can't live in houses, but instead foster care, or they're so poor they don't get gifts, so they may not know what Christmas gifts are. I'm so sick and so tired of seeing commercial after commercial showing women getting pricey diamonds, people getting Lexuses, Caddys, Lincolns, etc, expensive game systems, expensive music systems, anything expensive in general. Last time I checked, I'm not rich, and I'm also not spoiled. I get happy if I get a CD or a piece of clothing, so you can tell I'm not spoiled. Sorry, I just needed to vent. I'm so sick and so damn tired of seeing these kids out there who have the world at their feet and yet still they want more. Why do they worry? When they get old and die they can't take it with them anyway. Besides, last time I checked, Greed is one of the 7 Deadly Sins.

You ever wonder how they celebrate the holidays in other countries? Well, here's how.

Yugoslavia
-The kids celebrate the 2nd Sunday before Christmas as Mother's Day. They creep in and tie her feet to a chair and shout Mother's Day, Mother's Day, what will you pay to get away? She then gives them presents. They play the same trick on the father a week later. This is kind of barbaric!
-They also have a Christmas cake called a chestnitsa, contains gold or silver coin and is said that whoever gets it can expect lots of good luck

Wales
-Great lovers of music and every year at Christmas, carol singing is the most enjoyed activity.
-Spent with lots of people gathering in the public square for announcement of whom during the year has won the prize for submitting the best music for a new carol, and the formal pronouncement of it as the carol of the year.
-Alot of their traditions and customs have been derived from England, such as Christmas stockings, holly, mistletoe, pudding, carols, oranges, crackers and lots of snow.

Vietnam
-Christmas is one of the 4 most important festivals of the Vietnamese New Year. They are the birthday of Buddha, the New Year, and mid autumn festival.
-They attend mass at midnight. Dinner consists of chicken up, and richer people eat turkey and Christmas pudding.
-The European cousin of Santa leaves presents in the shoes of good children.

Venezuela
-On Dec. 16, families bring out their pesebres, which is a specially designed and thought out depiction of the nativity scene.
-Firecrackers explode and bells ring out to call worshippers from bed in the predawn hours. The last of the masses take place on Nochebuena de Navidad. Famillies attend a mass on this night and return home to a huge and fancy dinner.
-On Uan. 6, the children awake to discover the straw they had left beside their bed the night before is gone and in it's place are gifts the kids know the Magi and their camels brought. And if they go to the bathroom and look in the mirror, they might see a black smudge on their cheek and that's how they know that Balthazar, King of the Ethiopians, kissed them while they slept.

US
-In 1863, he was given the name Santa Claus, and bore the red suit, pipe, and reindeer.
-In Alaska, a star on a pole is taken from door to door, followed by Herrod's men, who try to capture the star. Boys and girls with lanterns on poles carry a large figure of a star from door to door.
-In Boston, carols are singing everywhere.
-New Orleans: a huge ox is paraded around the streets decorated with holly and ribbons on it's horns
-Arizona: the Mexican ritual Las Posadas is kept up. This is a ritual procession and play representing the search of Mary and Joseph for a room at the inn.
-Hawaii: Christmas starts with the coming of the Christmas Tree Ship, which is a ship bringing a great load of Christmas fare. It's also believed Santa comes by boat
-California: Santa comes in on a surfboard
-America celebrates with the exchange of gifts, greetings, dinner together with family and friends.
-Houses are decorated with holly, garland, trees heavily decorated, mistletoe, candy canes

Switzerland
-A tinkling of silver bells heralds the arrival of Christkindli- a white clad angel with a face held in place by a jeweled crown. The tree candles are lit as she enters each house and hands out gifts from her basket by her child helpers.
-The week before Christmas, kids dress up and visit homes with small gifts.

Sweden
-Begins with the Saint Lucia ceremony. Before dawn on the morning of Dec. 13, the youngest daughter from each family puts on a white robe and red sash. She wears a crown of evergreens with tall lighted candles attached. She wakes her parents and serves them coffee and Lucia buns.

Russia
-Is replaced by Festival of Winter.
-Special prayers are said and people fast, sometimes for 39 days. Christmas Eve is when the first evening star appears in the sky. Then begins a 12 course supper in honor of each of the 12 Apostles. Hay is spread on the floor and people make chicken noises to help their chickens to lay eggs
-Babushka is a traditional Christmas figure who gives out gifts to kids. Her name means grandmother and it is known that she declined going with the Wise Men to see Jesus because of the cold weather.

Scotland
-They have their celebrations on New Year's day called Hogmanay.
People make big bonfires and dance around them to playing bagpipes. Bannock cakes are made of oatmeal and eaten at Christmas.

Mexico
-They celebrate La Posada, which reenacts the search for a room at the inn that Mary and Joseph endured.
-The flower of the season is pointsettia. It's believed a young boy walking to church to see the nativity showing the birth of Christ put a pointsettia near the manger
-They get gifts, on Christmas Day they are blindfolded and try to break open a pinata. At midnight they sing lullabies to Jesus

Japan
-Only 1% of Japanese people believe in Christ. The dominant religion here is Shintoism.
-They have a Buddhist monk named Hotei-osho who acts like Santa. Kids act like he is nearby because he's said to have eyes in the back of his head and he brings gifts to each house

England
-The gift giver is called Father Christmas
-Wears a long red/green robe and leaves gifts in stockings, but are not opened until the following afternoon
-Kids usually leave a stocking or pillow case at the end of their bed to be filled with presents
-The traditional dinner consists of turkey and veg. For dessert, it's Christmas pudding, mince pies, pastry cases filled with chopped dry fruit
-England is where alot of the traditions here in the US stem from

Australia
-A traditional meal consists of turkey dinner, for dessert, a flaming Christmas pudding.
-They even have their Christmas dinner on a local beach, mostly Bondi Beach in Sydney. And as for shopping for gifts, they do it in T-shirts and shorts
-They also believe Santa comes in on a surfboard

How Merry Christmas is said in diff. countries

Dancing with the Stars.... and more!

They sure are bringing on some stupid people on Dancing with the Stars, John Gosselin, Lindsay Lohan, Simon Cowell, who might I add was once upon a time a judge on American Idol. Why can't they bring on interesting people, like Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, or maybe a musician? Personally, I think maybe The Rolling Stones would be an interesting group to see on Dancing with the Stars, seeing Mick doing the tango with someone or seeing Keith do the Salsa dancing or seeing Ron ballroom dance or Charlie ballroom dance, that would be interesting and therefore, I'd watch it. Dancing with the Stars is really going down hill, they're running out GOOD people to have dance there.

And American Idol, pretty cool that they have Steven Tyler from Aerosmith judging. He's way more compassionate and patient than that snob Simon. And at least Steven is a singer. Sometimes I wonder why get a judge who's never had singing experience? Maybe get judges who are patient and some judges who are singers. I like the judges they have, at least they're patient, compassionate and nice.

One thing I've always wondered is why do guys wear their pants so low? I found out the answer from a good friend of mine, her name is Denise and she's from New Jersey. She goes to school with me and Tuesday in class, somehow we all got onto the topic of why guys wear their pants like that and whatnot, and she delightfully told me an interesting tidbit of info. It's a trend started in prison, guys who "put out" in prison wear their pants low to show off what they have and the long t-shirts guys wear, they're supposed to be dresses, almost as if in prison the long shirts are dresses. That stuff means you're some one's "girlfriend" in prison. Even in high school, guys do it. They say stuff like "Yo, what's up dog? how's my homie?" and sometimes I feel tempted to say to them "Dude, pull your pants up, no one wants to look at your black boxers with bananas on them or your red boxers with Christmas trees on them." or "Dude, you're whiter than Texas, you'll never be black, you're not Ice T, you're not Flava Flav, so don't bother" Most black people think it's ridiculous that white kids talk like this, assuming black people talk like this. It ticks me off when people do this, and then they start questioning me about listening to rap music and being like them, I simply tell them I don't care for rap music and I wish to be myself and that I don't wish to change just to fit in. I have 2 friends that I've known for all my life, they work with my dad and they're both black, but I don't see it that way, any way they say it's ridiculous that white kids assume blacks talk this way, they both think it's funny, and this one guy who goes to school with me, his name is Alexander, he's black and he's my best buddy, he don't talk like this, he even thinks it's ridiculous.

And as Christmas draws ever closer, I start to see more commercials for Christmas, showing one of the 7 deadly sins-greed. What is it about Christmas where everyone has to get greedy? Especially the kids, I hear kids saying stuff like "I want this" or "I want that". If I were the parents of some of these kids and they came up to me saying they want a Wii system or XBox 360, I'd tell them when hell freezes over, I'd then tell them to go out, get a job and pay for it yoursefl, you'll appreciate it more, it works for me and has done it for the past 20 years, mainly I babysit and I use the money for something if I need it, recently, I had to save up all my money from it to buy books for school when the morons at the Gateway Financial Aid office in Edgewood didn't process my financial aid paperwork on time. But I just grow tired of seeing all these commercials showing people getting cars, expensive phones, expensive music systems, expensive game systems, etc for Christmas and I wonder to myself, "who the hell can afford something like that?" I could barely afford to do Christmas shopping this year and I see people buying cars and whatnot for people? A few years ago, it seems you never seen commercials like this, they're getting worse every year. What people need to realize is that Christmas is not about the gifts, decorations, how much you can spend, how much you can buy for that undeserving, ungrateful family member, how empty you can make your bank account, it's about the birth of Christ, it's about spending time with family, making special memories, giving rather than recieving and sharing. People seem to have lost sight of this, and they need to regain sight of the true meaning of Christmas. I'm just tired of hearing about people wanting stuff they truly don't need.

Holidays

Ah, Christmas is right around the corner, does it seem like the holidays get here quicker and quicker every year? It certainly seems that way for me. And this year, I have money to go shopping and I have some Muy grande shopping to do. For my dad, I want to get him this old sci-fi B-movie from the 1950s, it's about this town in California that gets overrun by giant ants, it's called Them!. He loves that kind of stuff. For my sister, I want to get her this CD of this country band called Sugarland. Hopefully she likes it. For my mom, I want to get her this book she said she wanted, it's on the mob. She loves learning anything about organized crime. For my step-dad, I want to get him this set of cars, he collects car models and I seen one in Eastgate mall that he'll love.

 

But what I mainly tire of is seeing/hearing the commercials about these people buying people expensive Caddies as gifts, expensive game systems, expensive iPods, you name it. The greed has totally and completely ruined Christmas, last time I checked, Christmas was about the birth of Christ for God's sake. It's not about the gifts, it's not about how much you can spend, how much the gifts are worth, how many gifts you get, it's about spending time with the ones you love, it's about the birth of Christ, spend time with your family, don't care about the greed of Christmas bargain sales. I see commercials showing people buying their kids these expensive game systems, like PS3, Wii, XBox 360, you name it, expensive music systems, like iPod Nanos, iPod Shuffles, iPhone, etc. Wake up people! Christmas is not about the greed, it's about spending time with your family, it's about the birth of Christ, for crying out loud! In my family, we don't worry about the worth of the gifts, we spend time together by putting up the tree, decorations, etc. But in past years, it's getting to the point where we actually have to decide to do it, because it'll go down again in a few days anyway. Why can't it just be like the old days where Christmas was exciting? Where it wasn't about the greed, where you couldn't sleep the night before because you wondered what Santa brought you? Where's those days? 'Cuz they sure aren't here.

And the day after Thanksgiving, watch going out. That is the most dreaded day of all, that's when people go out and turn into complete kamikazes on the road, they're all in such a rush to get stupid stuff. My dad made the mistake of going out last year on Black Friday, I think that's what they call it, to get a gift for my sister. I also had something to pick up. I told him that I'd be in the entertainment section of the Alexandria Meijer's to pick something up and I had to push and shove my way through because people were crowding the aisles, all I had to get was an old 1950s sci-fi movie called The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms. I got it and got out. By the time I got back to the video game dept. where they were, they had just gotten into the aisle. My dad was planning to get my sis The Sims 2 Pets, where you can create a Sim and a pet for them. Boy, we were glad to get out of that store, we got donuts at Dunkin donuts that morning and did it taste good! We got first dibs on donuts before anyone, even before the Alexandria Police we seen pulling into the lot in their massive SUV. Suckers!

And here's a music video, it's of the song Try Again by Aaliyah.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEF_-IcnQC4

Christmas/Weekends

Ah yes, it's that time of year again, time again for the greed of the holidays to make its presence known. Have you ever noticed that only a few years ago, you never seen as many Christmas commercials, but nowadays, you see more Christmas commercials than ever. You see these people buying undeserving people expensive Caddies, expensive jewelry, that's not what Christmas is all about. It's about the birth of Jesus Christ for God's sake. It's right there in the name. In my house, we remember the TRUE meaning of Christmas. In my house, it isn't about the greed or whatever associated with what everyone considers Christmas now. And also a few years ago, you never seen commercials for Christmas until about November, now you're seeing them in September. But with some people they like to get Christmas shopping done early. My mom, my step-dad Greg's sisters Jeanne and Carol are 3 people who I know do their shopping early every year to get it done. They say it's a pain. But I've kind of strayed away from liking Christmas anymore. I used to love it, I used to be able to not sleep on Christmas Eve, wondering what Santa brought me, that's when Christmas was magical.

Nowadays, when it's morning, I usually walk right past what 'Santa' brought me, it just doesn't feel the same as back then. Is that what growing up does to you? Makes you forget that Christmas is a time for magic and miracles? I guess I've forgotten that magic when I keep seeing those stupid commercials advertising more greed and people getting what they don't deserve more than anything. What people need to do is realize the true meaning of Christmas-- the birth of Christ for God's sake, it's right there in the name for cryin' out loud! I do a little Christmas shopping every year and this year, I've got some money I've scrounged up for the past 2 years to do some serious shopping. I have a lot to buy-- for my dad I have to get him this old movie he wants, called Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, it's one of those old 1950s sci-fi B-movies, for my sister I'm getting her a blanket that has her favorite show on it, Invader Zim, she's a sucker for all that stuff from Hot Topic, for my mom, I'm getting her this book about the mob, she loves reading books about the mob, for my step-dad I'm getting him a picture, a hand drawn one of Tahiti at sunset. And I know where I can get it, at this place called In-Light Studio in the Eastgate Mall. You should really see this place, it's awesome, they have a picture of virtually anyone. So you can say I'm up to my eyes in shopping for the holidays.


My weekend was pretty cool though. Last night, I got to see that new Karate Kid movie with Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan. It was totally awesome, way better than the old 1980's one, but that one is good too, my dad kept talking during the movie though, and there was this little kid who kept bullying Jaden Smith's character Dre Parker, and my dad kept saying that the little Oriental kid who was bullying him should get smacked so hard his eyes become straight. I told him this wasn't right. You see, my dad sometimes jokes about racial stuff like this, and sometimes it's hard to tell if he's joking. If he is, I tell him that it's not right to make racial/ethnic cracks about people. But I watched the movie last night and it was awesome! I love movies like that.


And what's stupid? I bought 2 movies with some birthday money, and I haven't even watched them yet. I bought Bulletproof Monk and Unleashed, one has Chow Yun-fat in it and the other has Jet Li in it, I haven't even watched them yet, but this Friday, if I'm not doing anything particularly interesting, I'm watching them.


And here's a video that's really cool, and I think perfect for any hard worker, it's the song Nothin But a Good Time by Poison, here's the link to the video.
http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/--2162500
If you see my stupid email adress thing, sorry. It's off my video playlist thing on Yahoo. But the song is really cool, I guarantee it.

Random Thoughts and Stuff, pt.II

Random Thoughts and Stuff, pt.II: I figured just title this blog random thoughts and stuff, make it easier to just put little random things out. I'm not sure if anyone else out there in the blogosphere is an Aerosmith fan, but there is this one song by them called Fallin in Love(Is Hard on the Knees), if you really listen to the lyrics, it's actually a nasty song, this is the opening chorus to the song: this song has cussing in it and everything! What was Steven Tyler thinking? He must have been out of his mind on drugs! I mean it's a good song, but gross lyrics!


You think you're in love Like it's a real sure thing But every time you fall You get your ass in a sling You used to be strong But now it's ooh baby please 'Cause falling in love is so hard on the knees
the chorus
There ain't gonna be no more beggin' you please You know what I want And it ain't one of these You're bad to the bone And your girlfriend agrees That falling in love is so hard on the knees
P.s. if you watch the video, you see Steven flip the finger a few times!


And I'm not sure if anyone has traditions for the holidays, like Halloween or Christmas, but for some reason my family does. every year on Halloween, we watch scary movies. My dad don't like my idea of turning off the lights and watching the Exorcist, which isn't scary. And on Christmas every year, like clockwork, my dad will watch Die Hard(not sure why). But he hasn't been in the christmasy mood lately, neither have I. I mean. I'm growing tired of seeing commercials for people buying these undeserving people Caddies, expensive diamonds, expensive iPods. Christmas, for all who go to church, you'll know what I mean, is about the birth of Jesus Christ. It's nota about the gifts, it's about spending time together with family and loved ones, it's about showing them yoy care, gifts are not needed, but Christmas has become so commericalized anymore. No wonder no one likes Christmas anymore! I used to like it, not anymore!

This World Stinks!

I'm so tired of hearing about these Reds and Bengals players getting $20 and $30 million for playing! What I'm really beginning to tire of hearing about is our economy, how it is going down in flames! I mean, people can't find jobs, teachers are losing their jobs, schools are closing, but the people of the supposedly, so-called great city of Cincinnati can afford to put in a streetcar, a casino? That sucks, sorry to be so rude about it, but that's how I feel! Do you want to know how I spent my summer? I spent it all trying to find a job! No one is hiring, and with the money issue, it's bigger than Mick Jaggers' lips for crying out loud! I can't buy books for school, I have to hope and pray that financial aid covers it! This one book I have to buy is $185! I can't afford that, no wonder kids don't go to college, it's so expensive! I can't cover it with money from my bank account--I don't have enough, I just about cleared out my bank money buying 2 other books! I just wish that this terribly ridiculous economy would just get better! Pardon my French  but this economy is going to h--- in a handbasket! Sorry to sound like I'm ranting on about something, but I just need to get it out of my system. I'm just tired of hearing about these ridiculous politicians lying to get in office and not doing squat about anything! Sometimes I just wonder if it's even worth going to college, I can barely afford it, right now I'm barely squeaking by for college money, I mean my grades are doing just fine, they are peachy, it's just the financial issue, I'm relying on a student loan to get me by! It Is ridiculous. Sorry to sound rude, but I'm just a little P O'ed that I can't get stuff I need for school or a job! I mean, I tried EVERYWHERE! Donato's called back and politely siad that they weren't hiring, and I'm hoping that Hot Topic in the Florence mall is hiring, because if so, I'm there!