Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
And then there's the "traditional" Father Christmas, of course, who comes from Coca Cola advertising in the 1930s  . |
And they got him from Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas), who was the patron saint of children, unmarried women, merchants and sailors....
When I was young, Saint Nicholas was for presents for us, children. We got toys and such (the stuff kids "really" want). We also "celebrated" christmas. We did decorate a tree and the house, but more in the original sense of christmas trees: making light in the middle of the winter when it was darkest outside.
We also got presents under the tree. But those presents were more meant for the entire family (board games, for example) or for mental advancement (such as books). We always unwrapped them in the morning, at breakfast. Which was always very elaborate on christmas morning and could take hours! No lunch (breakfast was too long
) and a fun dinner, most of the times gourmet (typical Dutch, apparently, where you prepare your own food at the table).
Christmas for us was most often a time to get together, and relax.
These days, I completely agree with Harry. It's only a commercial celebration where most people don't even know where it all started. Why do you give gifts? Why do you put a tree in the house and light it up?
Oh, we're going to my mother's this year, and we'll be giving small presents, those you don't really need but are fun to give. For me, that's the most enjoyable part of christmas, the giving of completely useless gifts!