Happy Holidays

[Chewy509]

As I'm going to be busy with friends and family over the holiday season (and won't be online for a week or two), just like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and hope you enjoy a safe and pleasent holiday period.

[ddrueding]

...and you (and the rest of you).

[CougTek]

Holidays? WHAT HOLIDAYS? I'm working like a mad man just trying to keep up with the amount of work I have. People are crazy this time of the year and everyone wants everything before Friday. But the suppliers, unlike the customers, are feeling really relax and many among them have stopped taking orders...last Friday! Finding hardware to fulfill my orders has been insane and it'll be a miracle if I receive everything soon enough. It's mad, mad, mad, mad, MAD!

Christmas is pure evil.

[ddrueding]

I'll be working throughout, the holiday is that everyone else will be gone, so I can get on with it.

[Stereodude]

Glad to see you all have the spirt of season flowing through your veins. :p

Merry Christmas

everyone!

[Bozo]

Merry Christmas

To everybody!

[Mercutio]

Merry Christmas

To everybody!

Happy Kwanzaa!

You have your made up holidays and I have mine.

Anyway, for the least possible political correctness and EXTREMELY not safe for work language, I give you... A Charlie Brown Kwanzaa (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fghQsUKNgq0&feature=player_embedded).

[Handruin]

Do you really partake and celebrate in kwanzaa or are you just saying that because you dislike people saying merry christmas or dislike the holiday in general?

[LunarMist]

Festivus and everyting is over. Time for a rotten 2010.

[udaman]

Festivus and everyting is over. Time for a rotten 2010.

Not so fast...ya damn'd racists :D


Food items Name Description Buddha's delight (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddha%27s_delight)
(simplified Chinese (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simplified_Chinese_characters): 罗汉斋; traditional Chinese (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_characters): 羅漢齋; pinyin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinyin): luóhàn zhāi) An elaborate vegetarian dish (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_cuisine) served by Chinese families on the eve and the first day of the New Year. A type of black hair-like algae (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algae), pronounced "fat choy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fat_choy_%28vegetable%29)" in Cantonese, is also featured in the dish for its name, which sounds like "prosperity". Hakkas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakka_%28language%29) usually serve kiu nyuk (Chinese (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_language): 扣肉; pinyin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinyin): kòuròu) and ngiong teu fu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yong_tau_foo).

There you go LM, vegetarian Chinese food for you, as Racheal R. would say Yumm-O!

paugie should be familiar with this one:


Nian gao (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nian_gao) (Chinese (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_language): 年糕) Most popular in eastern China (Jiangsu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiangsu), Zhejiang (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhejiang) and Shanghai (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai)) because its pronunciation is a homophone for "a more prosperous year (年高 lit. year high)". Nian gao is also popular in the Philippines because of its large Chinese population and is known as tikoy there. Known as Chinese New Year pudding, nian gao is made up of glutinous rice flour, wheat starch, salt, water, and sugar. The colour of the sugar used determines the colour of the pudding (white or brown).

Sunday Feb 14, 2010... year of the Tiger;most important celebration on the Chinese calendar.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_New_Year

http://www.gio.gov.tw/taiwan-website/5-gp/culture/lunar-NY/


The origin of the Lunar New Year Festival can be traced back thousands of years, involving a series of colorful legends and traditions. One of the most famous legends is Nian 年, an extremely cruel and ferocious beast that the ancients believed would devour people on New Year’s Eve. To keep Nian away, red-paper couplets are pasted on doors, torches are lit, and firecrackers are set off throughout the night, because Nian is said to fear the color red, the light of fire, and loud noises. Early the next morning, as feelings of triumph and renewal fill the air at successfully keeping Nian away for another year, the most popular greeting heard is gong xi 恭喜, or “congratulations.”
http://www.gio.gov.tw/taiwan-website/5-gp/culture/lunar-NY/food06_t.jpg (http://www.gio.gov.tw/taiwan-website/5-gp/culture/lunar-NY/culture35_3.htm) To ensure good luck in the coming year, the Taiwanese always give every dish a special name. This dish is called “Five Blessings for the New Year” and represents longevity, wealth, peace, wisdom, and righteousness. (Photo by Chang Su-ching)

Even though Lunar New Year celebrations generally last for only several days, starting on New Year’s Eve, the festival itself is actually about three weeks long. It begins on the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month, the day, it is believed, when various gods ascend to heaven to pay their respects and report on household affairs to the Jade Emperor, the supreme Taoist deity. According to tradition, households busily honor these gods by burning ritualistic paper money to provide for their traveling expenses. Another ritual is to smear malt sugar on the lips of the Kitchen God, one of the traveling deities, to ensure that he either submits a favorable report to the Jade Emperor or keeps silent.
Next, “spring couplets” are hung up around the house. Spring couplets are paper scrolls and squares inscribed with blessings and auspicious words, such as “good fortune,” “wealth,” “longevity,” and “springtime.” The paper squares are usually pasted upside down, because the Mandarin word for “upside down,” dao, is a homonym of the word “arrival.” Thus, the paper squares represent the “arrival” of spring and the “coming” of prosperous times.
http://www.gio.gov.tw/taiwan-website/5-gp/culture/lunar-NY/food04_t.jpg (http://www.gio.gov.tw/taiwan-website/5-gp/culture/lunar-NY/culture35_5.htm)
Tradition says that the wider the split in the top of the fa gao 發糕, which is a type of rice cake, the more prosperous the coming year will be.
On Lunar New Year’s Eve, family members who are no longer living at home make a special effort to return home for reunion and share in a sumptuous meal. At that time, family members hand out hong bao, or “lucky money” in red envelopes, to elders and children. They also try to stay up all night to welcome the New Year, as it has long been believed that by so doing on New Year’s Eve, their parents would live a longer life. Thus, lights are kept on the entire night—not just to drive away Nian, as in ancient times, but also to make the most of the family get-together. In addition, some families even hold religious ceremonies after midnight to welcome the God of the New Year into their homes, a ritual that is often concluded with a huge barrage of firecrackers.

[Howell]

Happy Kwanzaa!


http://www.hulu.com/watch/114700/the-hebrew-hammer

[LunarMist]

Maybe Merc is serious? :scratch:

[BingBangBop]

A LITTLE CHRISTMAS STORY


When four of Santa's elves got sick, the trainee elves did not produce toys as fast as the regular ones, and Santa began to feel the Pre-Christmas pressure.

Then Mrs. Claus told Santa her Mother was coming to visit, which stressed Santa even more.

When he went to harness the reindeer, he found that three of them were
about to give birth and two others had jumped the fence and were out,
Heaven knows where.

Then when he began to load the sleigh, one of the floorboards cracked,
the toy bag fell to the ground and all the toys were scattered.

Frustrated, Santa went in the house for a cup of apple cider and a shot
of rum. When he went to the cupboard, he discovered the elves had drunk
all the cider and hidden the liquor.. In his frustration, he
accidentally dropped the cider jug, and it broke into hundreds of
little glass pieces all over the kitchen floor. He went to get the
broom and found the mice had eaten all the straw off the end of the
broom.

Just then the doorbell rang, and an irritated Santa marched to the
door, yanked it open, and there stood a little angel with a great big
Christmas tree.

The angel said very cheerfully, 'Merry Christmas, Santa. Isn't this a
lovely day? I have a beautiful tree for you. Where would you like me to
stick it?'

And thus began the tradition of the little angel on top of the
Christmas tree.


Merry Christmas

[Pradeep]

Happy holidays all.

[Bozo]

MERRY CHRISTMAS

[LunarMist]

It is only Dec 22 here.

[Stereodude]

It is only Dec 22 here.Is that you're response when someone in a store wishes you a "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays"?

[LunarMist]

Depending on the store, I'm not sure what they said or even if it was in English. Maybe my countenance scares the clerks. :D
Normally I say, "You too."

[CougTek]

Holidays? WHAT HOLIDAYS? I'm working like a mad man just trying to keep up with the amount of work I have. People are crazy this time of the year and everyone wants everything before Friday. But the suppliers, unlike the customers, are feeling really relax and many among them have stopped taking orders...last Friday! Finding hardware to fulfill my orders has been insane and it'll be a miracle if I receive everything soon enough. It's mad, mad, mad, mad, MAD!

Christmas is pure evil.
I'll just quote myself from last year because a year later, I'm in the EXACT same situation.

[CougTek]

Normally I say, "You too."
I normally don't answer vocally, but my eyes scream "Go FY!"

[Mercutio]

I'll wish you all a jolly Saturnalia.

[Chewy509]

I'll wish you all a jolly Saturnalia.

I thought Saturnalia was on the 17th Dec?

In any case, Io, Saturnalia!

[LunarMist]

I'll wish you all a jolly Saturnalia.

Last night was absolutely insane for me. :mrgrn::king::queen::geek: I'm not sure that Saturnalia was involved. ;)

[Chewy509]

Just like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, and hope you have a safe and enjoyable holiday period.

[LunarMist]

:santa::bsmurf::cheers:

[Chewy509]

And for Merc, for the 26th - Happy Kwanzaa!

[Mercutio]

Just like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, and hope you have a safe and enjoyable holiday period.

Usually my period is not a very happy time even if it's a holiday. :P

[LunarMist]

Damn it, Merc. Please try to enjoy the holidays. :reindeer: :santa: Do you have family that can be visited?

[time]

Well, it's now the 25th December in the important parts of the world, so Happy Christmas to everyone, regardless of whether or not you celebrate it.

Here, it rained yesterday, it's raining today, it will rain tomorrow, the day after and for a few days after that. The airport weather station has recorded 389mm (15.3") so far this month, and we're not done yet.

Santa in scuba gear - an intriguing image.

[LunarMist]

The Western hemisphere is not important then?

[ddrueding]

It can't be that important if precipitation exceeds a foot a month.

[LunarMist]

It can't be that important if precipitation exceeds a foot a month.

That is not so much if only for several months per year.

[time]

A small cyclone just crossed the coast about a thousand miles north of here; weather stations there recorded >150mm (6") overnight. Apparently, they received nearly 800mm (31") last month.

Australia is the driest (inhabited) continent - believe it or not.

Having a relaxed Christmas with the family, no tree this year because we have 2 1/2 hyperactive kittens onboard. No Christmas lights either because, a) it's always raining and I don't like my powerboards getting drowned or breaking my neck on the slippery tiled roof, and b) I couldn't be bothered.

Still digesting the smorgasbord cold lunch followed by two types of hot pudding with custard and cream. Barbecued chicken, smoked ham, salami, vegan soy meatloaf (!), chive potatoes, chickpea salad, pasta salad, potato and egg salad, mediterranean salad (tomatoes, olives, fetta, cucumber, etc), vine leaves stuffed with rice, kalamata olives, marinated fetta and sundried tomatoes, brie with sea salt flatbread and crackers.

You have to remember it's Summer here. ;)

[paugie]

It's 3 minutes before midnight here in Vietnam as I type this. Still time to wish you all Happy Holidays. May you enjoy the rest of 2010. And thanks for being part of my extended family. I cherish your onlne fellowship.
Tomorrow I will be visiting Cambodia. I have a missionary friend and his wife to stay with. Ah and to photograph the Ankor Wat.

[paugie]

Yes and a time for remembering Tony, wherever he is and however he is using his time now. May he be healthy and strong.

[LunarMist]

Yes and a time for remembering Tony, wherever he is and however he is using his time now. May he be healthy and strong.

Yes, I sure hope he is still alive even if not hanging around here. :(