Interesting Christmas Traditions

[myboynoah]

My wife just got off the phone with family and told me that her sister introduced a new Christmas tradition at the family gathering this year. She bought a white cake, had it decorated with "Happy Birthday Jesus!" and had the family sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus. Sadly, my wife failed to ask if Jesus blew out all the candles on the first try.

Her sister says she's going to make this a new tradition for family Christmas gatherings. I guess centuries of beautiful music celebrating the birth of The Savior pale in comparison to a good round of "Happy Birthday" in setting the right tone for the holidays.

As we're going to be back in the U.S. for the next two years, and most likely spending holidays with my in-laws, I plan to bring hats, noise-makers, a pinata, and a magician next time. Nothing says Christmas like a pinata and a magician.

[SeattleUte]

Seriously, is she an athiest or Muslim or other non-Christian? This sets even my teeth on edge it's so horrid. Bad taste isn't nearly strong enough condemnation.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by myboynoah

My wife just got off the phone with family and told me that her sister introduced a new Christmas tradition at the family gathering this year. She bought a white cake, had it decorated with "Happy Birthday Jesus!" and had the family sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus. Sadly, my wife failed to ask if Jesus blew out all the candles on the first try.

Her sister says she's going to make this a new tradition for family Christmas gatherings. I guess centuries of beautiful music celebrating the birth of The Savior pale in comparison to a good round of "Happy Birthday" in setting the right tone for the holidays.

As we're going to be back in the U.S. for the next two years, and most likely spending holidays with my in-laws, I plan to bring hats, noise-makers, a pinata, and a magician next time. Nothing says Christmas like a pinata and a magician.

You don't need to attend those horrible Christmas comedies which Hollywood releases. You have one in your family.

Does she have a southern accent? And does she shout "praise the lord" afterwards? No offense intended to any lingering baptists.

[BarbaraGordon]

I know people that have Jesus birthday parties. In all sincerity. They really feel this is a way to remember the true meaning of Christmas. Helium balloons and all.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by BarbaraGordon

I know people that have Jesus birthday parties. In all sincerity. They really feel this is a way to remember the true meaning of Christmas. Helium balloons and all.

Well, after many years of life, this is first I've heard of such thing. It sounds very kitschy, but who am I to judge another's taste.

[RockyBalboa]

Originally Posted by myboynoah

My wife just got off the phone with family and told me that her sister introduced a new Christmas tradition at the family gathering this year. She bought a white cake, had it decorated with "Happy Birthday Jesus!" and had the family sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus. Sadly, my wife failed to ask if Jesus blew out all the candles on the first try.

Her sister says she's going to make this a new tradition for family Christmas gatherings. I guess centuries of beautiful music celebrating the birth of The Savior pale in comparison to a good round of "Happy Birthday" in setting the right tone for the holidays.

As we're going to be back in the U.S. for the next two years, and most likely spending holidays with my in-laws, I plan to bring hats, noise-makers, a pinata, and a magician next time. Nothing says Christmas like a pinata and a magician.

I've heard of the blowing candles out on a cake for Jesus before from a couple other families and that is just creepy to me.

Weird.

[Jeff Lebowski]

That's funny. We knew some folks in Texas that did this. With an angel food cake, of course. We thought it was about the cheesiest thing we had ever seen.

[SeattleUte]

We get a small three foot live Christmas tree which we place on our counter and decorate. Beside it we have a Playmobil nativity scene that the kids play with. That's as unorthodox as we get.

[BlueHair]

Originally Posted by myboynoah

My wife just got off the phone with family and told me that her sister introduced a new Christmas tradition at the family gathering this year. She bought a white cake, had it decorated with "Happy Birthday Jesus!" and had the family sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus. Sadly, my wife failed to ask if Jesus blew out all the candles on the first try.

Her sister says she's going to make this a new tradition for family Christmas gatherings. I guess centuries of beautiful music celebrating the birth of The Savior pale in comparison to a good round of "Happy Birthday" in setting the right tone for the holidays.

As we're going to be back in the U.S. for the next two years, and most likely spending holidays with my in-laws, I plan to bring hats, noise-makers, a pinata, and a magician next time. Nothing says Christmas like a pinata and a magician.

This is possibly the funniest thing I've ever heard! Maybe the magician could do some water to wine tricks.

[myboynoah]

Originally Posted by Archaea

You don't need to attend those horrible Christmas comedies which Hollywood releases. You have one in your family.

Does she have a southern accent? And does she shout "praise the lord" afterwards? No offense intended to any lingering baptists.

Bingo, sans the strong southern accent. She became born again several years ago.

My wife's family is firmly entrenched smack dab in the middle of the Bible Belt, and while all but my wife and her sister are Catholic, they tend to take on much of the local flavor in day-to-day manifestation of their religious fervor (for example, they all pray vocally at restaurants).

I don't mean to offend and fully assume that my SiL had picked up the idea from Bible Study class. Frankly, I'm tolerant enough to suffer a wide variety of religious observances, and have done so in my life. But the overwhelming majority of them, while odd and outside of my full understanding and appreciation, at least introduced some form of reverence for and humility before deity.

That said, my first thought was, “Hasn't everyone done enough to remember and honor the "true meaning" of Christmas?” We put up a tree topped with a star, we sing and listen to the carols celebrating His birth, we set up nativities throughout the house as a constant reminder, we attend special religious services solely to honoring and remembering the reason for joy at this time of year. To me, after all this, a cake with candles and singing Happy Birthday trivializes and dumbs down the event, aside from being in extremely poor taste (and very cheesy).

If people really want to draw nearer to the "real meaning" of Christmas, why not read from scripture, re-enact the Christmas story, and sing some of those carols we've come to love over the centuries?

Next Christmas is really going to be interesting.