Hey everyone,

I swear there was a thread like this, but I can't seem to find it anywhere. Anyhow, I'm just posting to inform the forum that I'm on holiday for three weeks from tomorrow, and won't have any Internet. I suppose this thread could be used for others to tell the forum they won't be here. Anyhow, see you guys later!

Luke

See you. Looking forward to see you after three weeks.

I'll be doing my annual church visit (Christmas-time) in Austria this year!

So yeah, I'll be gone for at least 2 weeks. If any of you live in Vienna and want to sell any puzzles, let me know

Which church are you going to visit? Pilgrimage always makes me excited! Back due to my limited pocket money, i can just stay in my city. I just graduate from university and start working. But i always look forward oneday visiting Rome. Are you going to Madrid this August?

Actually, we're just visiting our relatives for Christmas, it's not a religiously-motivated trip

Of course, if you're going to celebrate Christmas, you should probably go to church on Christmas Eve no matter what your religion (I'm actually an atheist, hence the "annual" church visit) so that's what I do. And in Austria, the custom is to open your gifts on the 24th, so I'll have a slight edge on everyone posting in the holiday puzzles thread

Well, I'm back in England now. The holiday went really quick! Now it's time to sort out my average post-per-day count.

AND YOU BOUGHT A HOUSE IN FRANCE !!!! YEEEHAAAA

Not sure I understand that.

I agree with Tony. Even if Christmas is a religious event, it's a good excuse to have all the family in one place sharing presents, for religious reasons or not.

To me, I'd feel like a hypocrite if I celebrated Christmas in the traditional way (which I do) without attending church or paying attention to the fact that it's a Christian holiday in some way. That's all (I really hope this doesn't somehow become a flame war).

I can understand both sides of the situation here. Some see Christmas as a Christian holiday, some see it as a holiday to be with family, friends, and the like, and nothing further than that. Though Christmas is thought of by (us) Christians to be a religious holiday, it was based partly on a pagan holiday that took place around the same time.

Basically, to each his own. Celebrate the holiday how y'all wish! Though it is still a few months away...

Chris

Not getting into this past "Based on pagan holiday" because they were forcing people to convert. I have some really big issues with the catholic church. :/

I am an atheist yet love Christmas. I think it's to do with that magical feeling I had as a child. I just associate Christmas time as a happy time. The 'true meaning' or whatever has no interest to me.
I actually find the concept of celebrating a birthday more interesting to think about. A birthday simply marks the fact that a big lump of rock has orbited a big firey thing once more since you were born. Who cares about that? No one of course but then why so many birthday parties? The answer I guess is the same reason I celebrate Christmas.
Taking it further, why do we make so much out of big birthdays like 40, 50 etc? If we had more or less fingers on our hands these events would be at totally different times. I have tried explaining this to people who ask why I don't bother with my 'big' birthdays much but they just stare blankly and think I'm mad.
Sorry for leading this thread totally off topic.

That's it. I'm counting my age in base 16 from now on.

Perhaps you are mad, and right now you are sitting in a padded room wearing a straitjacket just imagining all this

I am not religious in the slightest (though come from a very relaxed christian family),

I think that christmas goes well with some hymn singing- not for the religious part, but for the atmosphere it creates, much like snow, a pine tree, and the streets of london closing down. Just because its main and original purpose is for religion (singing the praise of "god" and whatnot) doesn't mean that there aren't any other benefits to it.

To me 25th december is merely a day that we (humans) picked to be a day of celebration. Just cause, y'know, its always nice to have an excuse to celebrate.

Oh, and its my birthday as well, so its nice to know that many of you will be celebrating my 18th this year

It's my cousins on the 24th and my grandads on the 25th, however he'll be hitting the big 90 this year.

My views about Christmas is that everyone should enjoy it. I come from a Christian based family yet we do not practise, however we do tend to go to midnight mass on Christmas Eve. I have a friend from Kazakhstan who is of Muslim origin, and while he doesn't celebrate Christmas he does celebrate New Years so everyone one has their own version.

Christmas isn't as exciting as it used to be when santa came down the chimney and filled your stockings and when presents that were in your parents closet appeared under the tree, but the atmosphere that is present when you have a big meal with your whole family (I have, a Grandad, 5 Aunts, 2 Uncles, and 19 cousins on one side so I mean BIG meal) is unmissable.

Robert

What! Are you saying Father Christmas doesn't exist?!?

Come on guys, this is supposed to be a summer holiday thread, not a religious debate on the meaning of Christmas!

I cannot image how frustrating it must be to have a birthday on christmas day. You have been 'conned' out of a celebration per year

I may be having a bit of fun, but I'm still watching. By no means can anyone say Christmas is in summer.

Back on topic please. And watch the religious stuff. It's getting close to deleting time.

A few forum members may disagree on that but point taken.

I'll also be leaving for a week, so... um... don't expect any replies okaythanksbye *runs away*

Tomorrow I'm off until Tuesday to an American 50s music festival thing (that's my Dad's hobby). Wish me luck! It will be a nightmare. And see you guys on Tuesday .

This will probably be my last post for a week or so. I'm getting hitched up in Northern Wisconsin. If it weren't for Oskar, I wouldn't have been able to pop the question
See below.
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=18360&hilit=gift+pyramid

-d

That's amazing!

Did you leave off the heart stickers? They made it seem a bit obvious that there could be a surprise in the center of it to me. But still, I wish you a happy marriage, and that's probably one of the coolest ways to propose I can think of.

Back from the wedding. It went great. Lots to catch up on now. Anyway, if I haven't posted it yet, here is the engagement story and it has a picture of the finished stickered gift pyramid:
http://weddingpreparty.social.onewed.co ... ow=1336248

-d

Nice story, very sweet. I wish you two many happy years together

To you two, that is the world's most valuable puzzle.

Exactly.

Here in Kangarooland we celebrate Christmas by jumping from a big rock into the sea.
(and sometimes we even have company - i.e. great white sharks... as seen here again!)

Oh yes, and we don't have snow fights, we have sand fights!!! (ouch!). So can we please
include to the puzzle snow competitions some puzzle *sand* competitions too?

Thanks!


Pantazis


PS. As for holidays, just close your eyes and with a little bit of imagination you can travel
anywhere you dream! And that without even leaving this forum!

Off to Punta Cana for 10 days for my honeymoon. I'll probably miss a whole bunch of new puzzles that sell out instantly, but what can ya do?
Anyway, I'll be back to check in probably around the 26th or so.

-d