Suzie,
only the one set of twins they are 10, the 11 year old is on her own. All girls lot's of fun. Holidays is the best. Thanks for your wishes and hope your christmas is a blast.

OUG:

I hope that all your Christmas wishes come true and that you have a good one with your family.

Nairbe:

May your Christmas be everything that you could wish for with your lovely girls!

oh lexi you are a dear
im sorry for raising the issue at this time

i would start a new thread...
but im batting 3 out of 12 in that regard

see essentially jesus said see that ye saw me do
[well that begins in the few weeks before his birth...ie pre xmass]

im from europe..we get saint nick..5 dec
and swarte piet too...[there is a whiole lot of lessons there alone]

but lets recall...jesus was born at the time of the census*
ie the WHOLE FAMILY..was..[had to]..get to gether]

this is what ANY good xmass must consist of
preferably arround the matriarcal..elder

but everyone..MUST try to be there..EVERYONE
their names must be called..recalled...and fondly rememberd
[this importantly..for those who are what we call dead..we KNOW dead isnt dead...[jesus came back..to rebut that lie]

so its time we realised..that any gathering of the family..INCLUDES the dead attending...[as a normal matter of course]...and especially..if mentioned frequently and often

ie all the new family members FORMERLY introduced..to each of our beloved departed...who yet are present..right now

photos...films..of all the family are vieuwed..discussed...and communicated..between all living mortals attending..even spiritual photoes are taken...

xmass could be so much more
MUST be so much more...[we might only have one more practice..till 25/12/12]..when the matter falls out of our hands

that the pope remains ignorant...in teaching ..the FULL lessons and teaching..of OUR saviours birth..life and teachings..is a shame

but i will try to restrain myself
from voicing the issue further here

you are a dear...
i wish you and yours..all the best...in the next year

and just know the family photoes
would reveal a loving world..each of you EARNED...by being nice

love you dear..sweet/foxey..lexi

all my best
from

[johan..son of the deer]
holder of the horn of plenty

to whom too much was given
thus expecting to give more..than any one wants to know

Hi Lexi
well...our personal traditions are pretty simple.

We just have a small tree usually, and give gifts. We have a devotional time prior to opening presents where we recount the reasons for the gifts. Not only do they express or symbolize God's wonderful gift to mankind...the sharing also symbolizes the new relationship 'between' mankind "Peace on earth and good will to all men/people".
I do make the point from time to time that the tree is nothing to do with the real meaning of Christmas, but that we use it to add to the celebratory atmosphere. I guess it shows that 'traditions' are difficult to let go of once they are with us from childhood.

We don't mention 'Santa' at all. He has no place in our Christmas celebrations.

On Christmas day we have a yummy Christmas dinner.. party hats, bonbons and family togetherness.

Then...we blokes undo our belts and spread out while it all settles :)

Johan (OUG):

Thank You for your kind words and for explaining what Christmas means to you. It sound beautiful and very inspiring. I especially love the fact that you remember ones who are no longer with you - what a magnificent tradition that is. And I'm now beginning to re-think some of what I will do this year. I may adopt some of your traditions. I
wish you dear Johan, and your family all the Joy and Happiness that you can possibly bear - and a New Year filled with Good Health, Good Friends, and many Beautiful Days.

AGIR:

Thanks for coming back and sharing your family Christmas with us. I also wish you and your family Peace and Joy over Christmas and throughout the New Year.

To Everyone:

Take a look at the following website:

http://silver-mg.com/Xmas/Aussie_Christmas.htm

I thought it rather special and if you want Aussie Christmas Lyrics,
click on the bells on the right hand side. They're awesome!

ode to the belly
the visioning of the tree

the bible talks of trees two
that of the knowlwedge tree..the tree of good and evil
and the tree of life..[protected by angels with flaming [sacred]..[s]-words

science once talked about the evil=lootion tree
[now..it talks more..of an evolution-forrest][lol]..for linal decent is a delusion..[speculation..not science/conclusion]

but lets look..for the visioning...behind the tree..of xmass
recalling..how much despised..in lebinon..trees used to be

but recall the family-tree..*of our saviours decent

[yes that lengthy line..of begats..adam begat eve...[god begat adam]..all the way down to..*thee]..thus is the family_tree

perhaps those who would be more familiour..with custom ..can more clearly see..the symbolic visioning..inherant in the tree..[of your life]

recall the cusstom..in the...SHOW..of..'days of our lives
where baubles they did hang...of each new..into the family

[what did..past/season...*arrive]...so beua brady..got a bauble...and so too did hope..[i stopped watching about this time..but there were many more..in time]

but there is..the visioning...the linal decent
of your*own family..ie..at xmass time

visionings arnt often clear..but im being as clear as i dare be..in revealing this visioning..of the family xmass tree

clearly ..the hanging of the baubles...for buae..or for hope
should be followed by their children baubles...
as much..as the tree can cope

at the highest point..is the unseen god
the true root of your matriarchal accent

then the hanging of eve...[on top]..because it feels right
then decending downwards..the matriacrchal line...back to you

then on the lower branches..the new born..[the fruit from your loins]

anyhow think on it...im sure its closer to the truth

the tree would be living...and put into holy-ground..[each time a new birth arrives]..the custom of this land recalls the/birth tree

the cusstom..was..at a childs-birth..to bury the placenta
restore it into earth..then plant in it a tree...that is called your birth tree...

that gives us a sign..of your spiritual being..
even when spirit has moved on...

anyhow...we need to think more..on what jesus family line reveals
its a big part of xmass...but so too family trees...

and the taking of family cencus..
and togetherness..recalling..
and the joining of spirits...material and disincarnate

its all lumped together
well..thats all..mate