I’m sickly fascinated with Christmas. I grew up in a Jewish environment. Most of the people I knew grewing up were Jewish and Jews, even Ultra-Orthodox Jews, don’t get into any Jewish holiday with the intensity that Christians and secular people who celebrate the holiday get into Christmas. Jewish kids do not get worked up for Chanukkah the same way that Christian kids do for Christmas. Its just really intence. The songs, the food, the decorations. Its a month of built up anticipation for one day.  Non-Jewish friends of mine still find it weird that I don’t get a Christmas tree for my apartment or celebrate it in anway.

  My favorite secular Christmas songs are Fairy Tale of New York and Christmas Wrapping. For religious ones, Joan Jet’s rendition of Little Drummer Boy rocks.

Happy Christmas or other festivity of your choice, Pandagonians!

*goes back to peevishly blaming the patriarchy for the fact that my beloved has just ruined three white bras, two pairs of black tights and a grey silk jumper by chucking them all in the normal wash cycle*

Oh, plans for holidays: lots of food and booze at the in-laws’. Although I’ve got a stinking end of term cold so the booze may be mostly cheap scotch in my hot toddies. Still - good cheer with good people, which is the point of it all.

For Christmas music, I’d pick Lieutenant Kije. With the in-laws Christmas officially starts at the moment a terrified choirboy soloist strikes up Once In Royal David’s City on the radio, so I’m warming to that too.

I hope everyone on Pandagon has a happy and safe holiday!

By the by, I’ve been listening to Opinionated and it’s starting to really hit its stride. This last episode about Hitchens was really entertaining.

Work.

I’m an atheist—so I’ll be on-call this weekend.  I’ll visit out-of-state family at a better time of year, when the airports and planes are not quite so crowded, and the weather is better.

But as for punk holiday music, here are some for you:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nmx3QC7n6sk (Pretenders)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChoLATYqiMM (UK Subs)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SzjDOk_u9I (The Waitresses)

I’m Jewish, so I used to do the usual Chinese food and a movie, but since I work at a newspaper I’m work both Even and Christmas day since it’s not my holiday! And about the only Christmas songs I can tolerate are Christmas Rapping by the Waitresses and Father Christmas by the Kinks. I’m even sick of Adam Sandler’s Hanakkah Song.

MissPrism: bummer! That sucks. Maybe his “penance” can be going lingerie shopping with you. Fun for all.

Not a fan of holiday music?  Even when performed by Prince?

Another Lonely Christmas

Miss Prism, might I suggest my Woodchuck hot toddy for that cold?  Brew two cups of green tea, mix it with a room temperature bottle of Winter Woodchuck (or Granny Apple), two tablespooons honey, a healthy squeeze of lemon juice, a teaspoon of cinnamon, and a dash of ginger.  I’m actually making a large quantity for tomorrow night because it got surprisingly cold.

I try really hard to not have anything to do with Christmas, because all the Christians I know point to the fact that atheists celebrate a holiday on 12/25 and call it that as proof we’re all not really atheists.  Our big winter blowout is Spookymas instead, which is the 25th of January.  There’s booze, a karaoke fundraiser for a local cancer charity, more booze, and pizza.  It’s the true most wonderful time of the year and my birthday.

Christmas is a great excuse to eat, drink and go for walks in the snow. There are only about 5.5 hours of daylight here right now, so it’s hard to focus on anything serious. Parties help. I’m going to cook duck in brown sauce with calvados with a spicy lingonberry sauce, sweet potato/apple/basil casserole and green beans roasted with garlic and dressed with balsamic.

Christmas music:  as James and Lee say, 2000 Miles and a Fairy Tale of New York…and River by Joni Mitchell, Santa Baby by Eartha Kitt and all the Charlie Brown Christmas TV Special music.

Happy holidays! Here is bit of Yukon winter cheer for everyone…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwvfYmpYdaM

Dinner with my mom—I’ll cook the duck, she’s doing the rest.

My favorite “carol” is The Waitresses and Christmas Wrapping.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyEztz6nY9Q