Foo - Many Holiday Traditions Fading Into Obscurity

I am sure that many of you are probably are overjoyed at the prospect of limiting or even eliminating the major Holidays hectic pace (and prices) from your life. Here is some food for thought:

"......former holiday fixtures being slowly relegated to oblivion. Once considered staples on par with the tree and dinner with all the trimmings, they're becoming as forgotten as last night's eggnog....."-
http://www.thestreet.com/story/11321615/1/6-holiday-traditions-fading-into-obscurity.html (http://www.thestreet.com/story/11321615/1/6-holiday-traditions-fading-into-obscurity.html)

As you look at the photographs and read the captions of our rapidly shrinking holiday spirit, keep in mind how much money and finances all around is the foundation of the letting-go of the festivities.

Do you agree with the article or not?

I don't know that those things listed (aluminum trees and spray cans of fake snow) could be considered traditions. More like fads.

I think people don't watch a Charlie Brown Christmas on TV because they can watch it any time on DVD. It's a Wonderful Life was just on TV after Thanksgiving, so that hasn't gone away.

My workplace has a department Christmas party so that tradition is still going. I could see why companies not doing well financially would get rid of them, though. Better to axe the party than lay off workers.

I, for one, am glad to see tinsel go away. It made a mess and the cats would eat it and then you'd have to pull it out of their backsides because it would get stuck coming out.

I'm also glad to see the high-wattage light bulbs gone. I remember bumping up against one when I was a kid. Those things could get hot.

Naturally, cultures change, times changes, traditions change...so I don't understand the point of the article. It doesn't mean the world is going to end.

Interesting article. Like Cbad said, some I wouldn't consider traditions. Aluminum trees are like polyester suits: a fad that's dead and should remain so :lol: And hail the LED tree! Brighter and more power efficient, so it's welcome.
But I hope the office party never goes away. Here at work we throw one every year with the intention that everyone will go back to work after lunch but we're usually to full and/or drunk to so we have a half day.
Now you want to talk old school tradition? I still celebrate Christmas like my grandpa did and my dad did. Christmas day is the first day of Christmas, and presents are given until twelve days later.

I want my asbestos snow back.

I've been meaning to send Modo a gift.

I want my asbestos snow back.

I've been meaning to send Modo a gift.

http://savasplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/garden-darts.jpg
complete with blood on them still.....soon as I get the permit to mail them to you.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d126/telehammer/ChrismasSharrow3.jpg

I don't know that those things listed (aluminum trees and spray cans of fake snow) could be considered traditions. More like fads.

I think people don't watch a Charlie Brown Christmas on TV because they can watch it any time on DVD. It's a Wonderful Life was just on TV after Thanksgiving, so that hasn't gone away.

My workplace has a department Christmas party so that tradition is still going. I could see why companies not doing well financially would get rid of them, though. Better to axe the party than lay off workers.

I, for one, am glad to see tinsel go away. It made a mess and the cats would eat it and then you'd have to pull it out of their backsides because it would get stuck coming out.

I'm also glad to see the high-wattage light bulbs gone. I remember bumping up against one when I was a kid. Those things could get hot.

Here. If your cat can get these down there is an opening for it in Vegas. http://www.leevalley.com/US/gifts/page.aspx?p=45140&cat=4,104,53211&ap=2

We watched "It's a Wonderful Life" on Saturday, and didn't realize that was half of the showings for it this year. I still prefer the DVD of "A Christmas Story", and not just because we can see it without sitting through the commercials.

I took part in another outdated Christmas tradition over the weekend by roasting chestnuts at a couple of events. Most people had never had them before, but they'd all heard of the song.

I never worked anywhere that did a real office party. The best we ever got was a tame lunch, so I’ve missed out on the drunken regretful day after coworkers.

I still use tinsel. My parents actually had tensel made out of metal. We had to collect it off the tree at the end of the season and save it for next year.

No aluminum trees, but more of my friends and family are opting for artificial trees.

I won’t miss old lights. I love LED’s.

I live in FL. Even fake snow would melt here.

I think digital media has made the biggest change in holiday viewing traditions. When I was young (pre cable and VCR) you only got one chance to see Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. If you didn’t catch it then you were screwed until next year, so you made darn sure you marked your calendar for all the holiday specials. Now children, like my daughter, can pull a DVD off the shelf or go to Netflix anytime to watch holiday shows. I think it defeats the excitement of anticipation. I still get excited to watch the old holiday specials, but my daughter isn’t interested anymore.

I miss the after Christmas tradition of gassing up on bourbon and dragging every thrown out Christmas tree on the block onto my neighbor's front yard for his suprise and enjoyment the next morning. Oh what fun!
Ernest

The author talks about "It's A Wonderful Life" like no one ever sees it anymore, then proceeds to mention that it's shown twice a year on a major network, every year.

I don't know that those things listed (aluminum trees and spray cans of fake snow) could be considered traditions. More like fads.

I think people don't watch a Charlie Brown Christmas on TV because they can watch it any time on DVD. It's a Wonderful Life was just on TV after Thanksgiving, so that hasn't gone away.

My workplace has a department Christmas party so that tradition is still going. I could see why companies not doing well financially would get rid of them, though. Better to axe the party than lay off workers.

I, for one, am glad to see tinsel go away. It made a mess and the cats would eat it and then you'd have to pull it out of their backsides because it would get stuck coming out.

I'm also glad to see the high-wattage light bulbs gone. I remember bumping up against one when I was a kid. Those things could get hot.

+1. Seems like there are other traditions that have gone by the wayside. Carolers for one. Is that done anymore? I think I've had them come by once or twice in my youth (1970's) but never since. And Christmas cookies - while I know quite a few people still make them (myself included) it seems more and more I hear of people just going the store bought route.

One tradition that hasn't gone out of style in my neighborhood is outdoor Christmas lights. I live on a cul de sac of Griswolds.

http://savasplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/garden-darts.jpg
complete with blood on them still.....soon as I get the permit to mail them to you.

THANKS! You are a good friend!

One tradition that hasn't gone out of style in my neighborhood is outdoor Christmas lights. I live on a cul de sac of Griswolds.

The GF gives me grief about the lights on my bike, and then lights up the front of her place like it's Las Vegas.

Bah humbug.

One tradition that hasn't gone out of style in my neighborhood is outdoor Christmas lights. I live on a cul de sac of Griswolds.

At my last house, the next door neighbor was determined to be the biggest and brightest on the block. So I let him. I would run a single string of lights across the front and be done with it.

Unless, we got freezing temperatures. Then I would break out all the lights and do the bottom of the enormous orange tree that was in our front yard. I couldn't reach more than half way up, but that was okay. All those warm lights kept the tree from freezing and allowed our organic oranges to ripen in January when I could do the California tradition of picking oranges while looking at the snow above me on the mountains.

http://www.playle.com/KDL/77242.jpg

The only Christmas tradition I enjoy is eating a gingerbread man. I snap off his arms, legs, eat them, then the torso, and finally the head, believing the gingerbread cookie can actually watch me in utter horror the entire time.

I do like wrapping presents but I give so few (no kids here, just adults -- if a grown-up wants something, I'd rather hand over cash) that I miss hot glueing the wrapping paper and ribbons.

My brother did stay up for 36 hours to watch each and every showing of "It's a Wonderful Life" to observe the different edits. He was more inarticulate than usual after that marathon.

+1. Seems like there are other traditions that have gone by the wayside. Carolers for one. Is that done anymore? I think I've had them come by once or twice in my youth (1970's) but never since. And Christmas cookies - while I know quite a few people still make them (myself included) it seems more and more I hear of people just going the store bought route.

I remember going caroling with my Girl Scout troup ages ago. :)

I still make Christmas cookies. A coworker at my last job used to have a cookie exchange party every year and I got all sorts of good stuff.

I miss Wassailing. We used to go out caroling and the people would hand out either hot Wassail (A really good rum and Southern Comfort fortified nutmeg laced mulled wine), or mulled wine itself. It was great, and the drunker we got, the worse we sang. :p

I don't know that those things listed (aluminum trees and spray cans of fake snow) could be considered traditions. More like fads.

I think people don't watch a Charlie Brown Christmas on TV because they can watch it any time on DVD. It's a Wonderful Life was just on TV after Thanksgiving, so that hasn't gone away.

My workplace has a department Christmas party so that tradition is still going. I could see why companies not doing well financially would get rid of them, though. Better to axe the party than lay off workers.

I, for one, am glad to see tinsel go away. It made a mess and the cats would eat it and then you'd have to pull it out of their backsides because it would get stuck coming out.

I'm also glad to see the high-wattage light bulbs gone. I remember bumping up against one when I was a kid. Those things could get hot.

+1

http://savasplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/garden-darts.jpg
complete with blood on them still.....soon as I get the permit to mail them to you.

Like this? http://fastcache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/4/2006/12/dangeroustoys.jpg

Like this? http://fastcache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/4/2006/12/dangeroustoys.jpg

where did you find that old picture of me?

where did you find that old picture of me?

On the milk carton. Or was it at the Post Office?

The current trend of guilt- and greed-fueled consumerism can fall by the wayside any time now. Strip away the stress and the three-month-long "season" built up around it and return it to being a nice, quiet time where you can enjoy the company of family and/or friends.

The current trend of guilt- and greed-fueled consumerism can fall by the wayside any time now. Strip away the stress and the three-month-long "season" built up around it and return it to being a nice, quiet time where you can enjoy the company of family and/or friends.

Retro Grinch! Save me a seat please.

+1. Seems like there are other traditions that have gone by the wayside. Carolers for one. Is that done anymore? I think I've had them come by once or twice in my youth (1970's) but never since. And Christmas cookies - while I know quite a few people still make them (myself included) it seems more and more I hear of people just going the store bought route.

Carolers seem rare. Mom and I still make cookies.

Rather funny an article on recent fads fading and little ot nothing on real traditions.

But hte season is young, I may still see a bum playing his flute at teh local shopping center.

It has been years since I tied a rope from the end of a string of Christmas lights to a rope attached to the bumper of a car, does that count?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UqEhUm2B_8

The current trend of guilt- and greed-fueled consumerism can fall by the wayside any time now. Strip away the stress and the three-month-long "season" built up around it and return it to being a nice, quiet time where you can enjoy the company of family and/or friends.

That's why I like Thanksgiving much more than Christmas.

The current trend of guilt- and greed-fueled consumerism can fall by the wayside any time now. Strip away the stress and the three-month-long "season" built up around it and return it to being a nice, quiet time where you can enjoy the company of family and/or friends.

This times a hundred bazillion.

Will be spending a quiet Christmas in Portland with my wife and friends.

On the article itself... few of those things are anything I consider to be traditional.

Looking back to when I was a kid we did have those flesh searing lights because that was the technology of the day but we went out and cut down our own tree and strung popcorn and hung home made ornaments... we saved tinsel and used it year after year.

People went on sleigh rides and went caroling, there were Christmas concerts at our church, and we looked forward to the bags of candy and fruit that got handed out afterwards.

It was less about what you got but more about what you gave and being able to spend time with family and friends.

Retro Grinch! Save me a seat please.

You could always come and join us in Portland for a nice dinner... seems that I have adopted my wife's tradition of cooking a Christmas goose and I make killer egg nog and should get that started when I get there next week as it needs time to age properly.

:)

The current trend of guilt- and greed-fueled consumerism can fall by the wayside any time now. Strip away the stress and the three-month-long "season" built up around it and return it to being a nice, quiet time where you can enjoy the company of family and/or friends.

I love you, man.

The current trend of guilt- and greed-fueled consumerism can fall by the wayside any time now. Strip away the stress and the three-month-long "season" built up around it and return it to being a nice, quiet time where you can enjoy the company of family and/or friends.

That would make it Thanksgiving again, already. Or maybe that's not a bad idea.

That would make it Thanksgiving again, already. Or maybe that's not a bad idea.

I thought that Thanksgiving was just carbo-loading for Black Friday. ;)

One of the traditions I miss from my youth is light bulb fights. We would steal the bulbs from peoples houses, the big ones(c9?), them throw them at each other. Great fun to hear them popping around you. I went home and emptied broken glass out of my shoes many times. We usually did this on the way home from Boy Scout meetings.

The things in the article were traditions? My family didn't do any of that except possibly the bulbs. All I remember about them is that if one burned out the whole string went dead.

I sometimes miss the advent wreaths on the table.

One of the traditions I miss from my youth is light bulb fights. We would steal the bulbs from peoples houses, the big ones(c9?), them throw them at each other. Great fun to hear them popping around you. I went home and emptied broken glass out of my shoes many times. We usually did this on the way home from Boy Scout meetings.

Ah... the good old days.

Since we could not afford toys these delicate glass bulbs provided many hours of explosive enjoyment.

One of the traditions I miss from my youth is light bulb fights. We would steal the bulbs from peoples houses, the big ones(c9?), them throw them at each other. Great fun to hear them popping around you. I went home and emptied broken glass out of my shoes many times. We usually did this on the way home from Boy Scout meetings.

Is that you, Steve? Ha ha. We did that too. Baaad Boy Scouts. BAD Boyscouts.

That's why I like Thanksgiving much more than Christmas.Ditto.


That would make it Thanksgiving again, already. Or maybe that's not a bad idea.That was my thought, and that was my thought.

I love you, man.Oh god, why is the Partridge Family in my brain now? GET IT OUT GET IT OUT GET IT OUT!

I prefer Halloween followed by Thanksgiving. Neither are very commercial or stressful for that matter.
Halloween is just plain old fun. Thanksgiving involves a fun running race and good food.
Christmas is okay but being an atheist and my wife a pagan we find the religious aspect rather annoying. We say that our celebration is for the winter solstice. I think my wife is making a yule log this year and we are trying non traditional food.
However, being the good capitalists we are we love the gift giving as an excuse to spoil the kids and purchase us some needed or wanted items. Then again the commercialism is rather irritating. Hypocrites we are.

Happy Buddha's Enlightenment Day (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/05/bodhi-day-2011-buddha-enlightenment_n_1128223.html) (Dec 8) everyone.

Eff the stupid holidays.

Elf the stupid holidays.

fify

Oh god, why is the Partridge Family in my brain now? GET IT OUT GET IT OUT GET IT OUT!

I have a lovely drill we could use to help with that...

I have a lovely drill we could use to help with that...

Don't try that at home. (http://www.wikidoc.org/index.php/Trepanation)