Friday The 13th

“Then I am properly protected.”

“hahah”

“um your brain is down there.....�
The Dutchess of Road Kill
6:40:34 AM
11/13/09

Isn_t that true for all males?”

“no, cause I thought most men have two brians.
one upstairs and one down stairs

but then again, this is TT

so I cuase you are correct Day...”

“so I cuase you are correct Day...”

At least we have a brain ;)”

“haha I was to lazy to change it.”

“I speak mapelese.”

“haha


you can get away with that just for today!”

“I wonder if Ballon Boys parents are wearing their tin foil hat while in court today?”

“...uhm, folks, can somebody explaine me what Black Friday is? It has something to do with shopping, but whats the hype?”

“balloon boy not ball boy”

“Its the day (Friday) after thanksgiving (a very American holiday). Lots of families together and too much time on their hands and so close to christmas, the women just naturally headed out to shop while teh men sat around getting fat eating left over turkey. Its the biggest shopping day in the US and most stores have gotten very competitive with ridiculous deals on a limited number of items so that people get in line the night before to be first through the doors in the morning. I hate the day, but I have camped out to buy things like a nice computer for $299. A trampoline for $88. A 32" TV for $118, etc.”

“Okay, got it. It is shopping madness day.

There is one holiday I envy you for: Thanksgiving.
I dont care for Halloween, you can have that one, I like German Christmas better, but American style Thanksgiving... it seems to be such a great family holiday.
Over here we dont really celebrate Thanksgiving. It is probalby noted in most calendars, but we dont get a day off or so, and it is not a big family festivity.”

“I_m insterested to hear how German Christmas is different? Less commercialized maybe?”

“How is Halloween celebrated over there? Halloween is the best eva.”

“word”

“euro is it cause you have crappy candy over there?
oh wait, sorry it is us that has crappy candy.
sorry”

“Well, it may be slightly different in each family, but we celebrate christmas on the afternoon/evening of December 24th. Thats when the presents are exchanged under the christmas tree. I think the christmas tree actually may be a german invention?
Plates with home baked cookies, german lebkuchen, nuts and tangerines are on the table. Actually, the home baked cookies are a very important part of the pre-christmas preparation, usually starting at the beginning of December and every family has their own favourite cookie receipts and the kids help baking them.
Traditionally for dinner, on the 24th, its potato salad with sausages (Frankfurters). The big meal is the following day, on the 25th. Depending on regional traditions as well as whether the family is protestant or catholic, it is either a big roast goose, with potato dumpling or spatzle, and sauerkraut, or it is a large carp. Dont know what they serve with the carp, maybe potatos? For me it is christmas goose or nothing!
Mom spents all morning long with cooking and preparation. For lunch the family comes together, kids, parents, grandparents. The afternoon is spent sitting around and digesting, possibly Kaffee and Kuchen in the afternoon (coffee and cake), or visiting other family members, like uncles, aunts, cousins, so that the kids can bag more presents.
On the 26th everybody is sitting around, bored, feeling mildly annoyed of the in-laws and kids and definetly being overeaten.
Both 25th and 26th are public holidays. The 24th is a half day holidays, with buisnesses and shops closing at noon.”

“My wife and I on Halloween:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/85659721@N00/4100381401/
last edited: 11/13/09 9:24:11 AM”

“crap, I did right click and properties, but can_t get the flickr image to work”

“the King and wendy?”

“Yep.”

“German Christmas sounds quite a lot like an American Christmas except in the details - turkey and/or ham here, goose there. Cookies are big here, usually made with a family recipe that only gets used once a year :).”

“Euro - your Christmas sounds like my Christmas....the foods are different. Throw in a Christmas Eve communion service and it_s not that different. Heck, it sounds like my Thanksgiving too.”

“I just don't understand how someone can not like dressing up in costume and going out to party, or to frolic with their kids or to zombie walk downtown terrorizing the tourists. candy and ghosts, ghouls and goblins, wendys and kings. old school jack-o-lanterns, fake spider webs, haunted houses on crisp autumn evenings.”

“Here are our kids dressed up. We had Mario, a witch, and Minnie Mouse.



”

“Halloween was imported a few years ago, just so to beat money out of people, in praise of commerce. Its not uncommon that kids come to your door and demand money, not candies. Sometimes gangs of teenagers, not even dressed up, take it as invitation that every sort of misbehaviour is permited. In the morning you may find vadalized cars, or front doors, blown up letter boxes or what not. I dont beliefe though thats the true spirit of Halloween?
We have Fasnacht (Carnival). With dressing up and street parades and throwing candies and sweets at the crowd. Kindergartens and schools have a day when all the kids cna come dressed up.”

“sounds like that line from the song, "father christmas give us your money"”