Forum Calendar

[Pam]

Americans also often have presents on December 24, but Christmas Day is still December 25.

[Swede1992]

We call the 25th "Christmas day", but if you say "Christmas" everybody is going to assume (at least here in Sweden) that you're meaning the 24th. On the 24th, we have all presents, all normal traditions (which tv show to watch, what alcoholic beverage to drink etc.). That the name of the 25th is Christmas day is often ignored, it's the 24th that's the real Christmas. Hey, sometimes my parents are starting to talk about when to remove the Christmas tree then.

What you're doing during the 25th can vary between families, but many do nothing besides maybe having an extra nice meal or something.

[pallyndrome]

Interesting. My family celebrates (presents, parties) on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Each family does it differently. I was about to say that people usually go to church on Christmas Day (if they go), but they have Christmas Eve services too, often late at night. Oh, and the day after Christmas Day is Boxing Day - a holiday, from times when people used to give boxes of gifts (food?) to the poor the day after Christmas. But I could be wrong about the origin there - my memories are vague in that regard.

[Saltypaws]

When we were little,we always woke up on Christmas day and opened all of our presents and had our big meal later.  As we got older, on Christmas eve we got to open one gift and the rest Christmas morning.  Very interesting on the different way different cultures and countries celebrate holidays.

I think the calendar is a great idea.  I never really paid attention to it before.

[Leto85]

Can Sinterklaas be added? It is a children celebration at december 5 in Holland, Belgium and maybe some other Dutch speaking countries.
The story tells of a man (Sinterklaas, aka St. Nicolaas) came from Spain in a boat with zwarte pieten (a lot of black piets), his horse and a lot of presents for all the children in Holland. At pakjesavond (presen evening) children al over the country will get presents from sinterklaas (which will be the parents, but the children are to young to know that ).

I still don't see the calender by the way on the page.

My birthday is 20 september, for in case member birthdays will be added.

[The Illuminator]

The we want Bevrijdingsdag (Liberty Day, 5th of May) and de Dodenherdenking (Remembrance Day, 4th of May) too. When it's Bevrijdingsdag we celebrate that the Allied Forces liberated us in WO II and when it's Dodenherdenking everybody is silent for a few minutes to remember all soldiers who died anywhere in the world. Just like most Remembrance days!

[Leto85]

And valentine, and Pasen (Dutch celebration), moederdag (mothersday), vaderdag (fathersday), rammadam (what moslim people celebrate here to) and I think I can go on for quite some time now. If there are no limitations for what to put in the calender I think we have to read a lot of stuff every day, according to specific days or celebrations around the globe per country.

[Pam]

My birthday is 20 september, for in case member birthdays will be added.

You just need to put your date of birth on your profile and it will automatically show up on the calendar.

[Leto85]

My birthday is 20 september, for in case member birthdays will be added.

You just need to put your date of birth on your profile and it will automatically show up on the calendar.

Ah, okey.

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After checking: I saw I already had put it in, but I didn't saw it showing up in the Summary under Profile Info. Or doesn't that matter?

[Swede1992]

No, it doesn't show there. I can see your birthday on the calendar Leto, so you're on it.

[Leto85]

Thank you Swede. Now I finally see it too. Home - Help - Search - Profile - My Message - (and bingo) Calendar.
I was searching way too high.

[samoht04]

I found me!  

Also on the 11th of November it says Veterans Day but in the UK it is called Remembrance Day? Are they both for the same reason of the end of the first world war or something like that?

[Pam]

Something like that.  Veteran's Day is to honor all veterans, both living and dead.

[Joria]

I so liked all the different ways and days to celebrate Christmas that our family instituted the 12 days of Christmas.  Christmas Eve we fast until after the church service and then do a big feast, more or less a traditional Russian kind of thing. (We're not Russian at all but it was cool baking those goodies).  Then we all get to open one gift.  Christmas day morning, (25th), we can have whatever is in our stockings and whatever gifts, (unwrapped items), that Santa Claus has left along side of our stockings.  Later that day extended family visits and there is one more round of presents.  We do this until January 5th, Epiphany, when supposedly the Wise Men came.  Any presents left, and there always are presents left, are opened then with another family gathering.  Of course, New Year's Eve is a celebration too, with kids usually at one members house with adults who are not partying and the rest go out and have their fun.  By the time we're through we really don't want to see each other for at least a week!  lol  The tree stays up until Epiphany but comes down that night with all the family helping or the next day at the latest.  It all sounds horribly expensive but the gifts range in price from a few cents to several dollars.  Forinstance, one teenager gave a gift to her auntie of a book of coupons she could redeem with the teen for free babysitting, and one child requested a pack of lolllipops he didn't have to share.  You know how sometimes you open a lovely package and it turns out to be socks or underwear?  This makes the sock/underwear package fun.  Everyone groans and giggles and hopes their socks and underwear are NOT under the tree. lol  Plus, we all are musical in our family, so we spend a lot of time singing, dancing, playing games and of course, eating!  (to see one family member who sings, go to YouTube and search for FanMom4Olivia and you'll see/hear my kid)

[Pam]

Just a reminder for our members that we do have a Forum Calendar.  I've got it updated with all of the challenges to the end of the year, as well as the release date of Late Night.  Also, if you included your birthdate on your Forum profile, it shows up on the Calendar.  To view the Calendar, just click "Calendar" in the menu bar located in the upper left corner of the Forum screen.

Note:  We already know that it shows primarily U.S. holidays, but there's nothing we can do as the Forum is based in the U.S.