runaroundtel:
<<<<<<<, Mutters something about those who have far too much to say about stuff
And there was me thinking it was chat forum for people to express opinion and chat about current, local, past and present topics, i thought that was the idea!!!
Just to get back ON TOPIC here… 
Let’s face it, regardless of where the whole Santa Claus thing started, and who started it…and, for that matter, regardless of which religion Christmas is about and whether it fits with your own…these days the whole thing is actually nothing more than commercialism!!! 
How many people really stop and think about the fact that we are supposed to be celebrating the birth of Christ? I know I don’t, not really. It’s just not really about that any more, not for the majority of society. No more than Bonfire Night is about Guy Fawkes.
As for the whole “ethic” thing…the area where we live is extremely diverse, and yet we don’t have many racially-motivated problems. Why? Because everyone is tolerant and respects each other’s traditions and practices. In this bit of town we have Diwali, Ede, Christmas, Ramadan, you name it. And no-one has ever said it should be any other way.
Ultimately, when there really is a problem - there were a lot of drugs problems at one point, for example…and the inevitable “wild” kids - the whole community stands together in making the Police sort it out. In fact, the Asians are actually the saving of Ayresome Park, because they teach their kids discipline and won’t stand for a lot of the nonsense that goes on on primarily White-occupied estates in Middlesbrough. We have a belt of 2 streets of them a few roads up from us, and trust me, the “riff-raff” ( ) rarely get this far…and if they do they aren’t allowed to stop for long! 
Sure, it can get a bit hectic if two celebrations coincide…but if people are having a good time, who cares? Life’s too short and dreary as it is…
Santa Claus and Christmas has evolved beyond the original Christian festival who’s name it bears…just as Christmas evolved beyond the old Winter Solstice festival who’s “time-slot” it occupies.
It provides fun and excitement for the kids, a much needed break for those who work, and a chance for families who may not otherwise have the time to gather together once a year.
I’m not a Christian, I’m an Agnostic (I’m not sure, as opposed to being Aetheist and actively NOT believing)…but no matter what the label, the spirit remains. And, IMHO, long may it do so…along with any other festival which happens to take our fancy…then roll on Chinese New Year, and the next party, eh?
Guess I’ll have to risk being labelled a Scrooge, cynic or whatever. Santa will not be comming to our house this year 
. Apparently it is the law that only those who have been good get a visit and also those over a certain age are exclude on grounds of being old enough to know better. 
Can I borrow some young, GOOD, wide eyed kids for just long enough to get a visit. PLEASE.PRETTY PLEASE
Wiretwister:
Can I borrow some young, GOOD, wide eyed kids for just long enough to get a visit. PLEASE.PRETTY PLEASE
you can have my 3 kid’s if you want 
pam
I agree with Lucy, so many of us make the effort to be with family at christmas, are nicer to their friends and give to others, It doesn’t matter to me wether Coke put Santa in his suit the values that christmas has now are good enough for me.
TC, can you give me a map for the wherabouts of this darkened room you’ve got please? I’m well known for being a miserable bugger at this time of year. If you’d lock me in, with a few crates of wine and some bread, I’ll come out when it’s done. Thanks. Bah, humbug 
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Ladytrucker679:
I agree with Lucy, so many of us make the effort to be with family at christmas, are nicer to their friends and give to others.
Me too. X-mas stands for family, fun and friends.
Ladytrucker679:
It doesn’t matter to me wether Coke put Santa in his suit the values that christmas has now are good enough for me.
Coke didn’t put Santa in his suit, he aways had one . They just changed it from ‘any bright colour’ to RED.
Liberace:
TC, can you give me a map for the wherabouts of this darkened room you’ve got please? I’m well known for being a miserable [zb] at this time of year. If you’d lock me in, with a few crates of wine and some bread, I’ll come out when it’s done. Thanks. Bah, humbug
If there is any room left in there give me a shout Lib and I’ll join you.
Ladytrucker679:
are nicer to their friends and give to others,
That’s one of the things that gets to me, all the false friendliness you get from people who can’t stand the sight of you, or you them, for the other 50 weeks of the year. Is it not also true that there are more major family rows, more cases of domestic violence, more families splitting and divorce proceedings starting than at any other time. So much for ‘festive spirit.’ It even spills over on to the Net, on just about every forum or BB trouble always starts around Xmas time as well, I expect TruckNet will be no different this year.
That’s it exactly Neil, plus the commercialism, with everyone trying to make a fast buck out of you. The adverts for boots started at the beginning of the month FFS.
Stop winging
It will soon be christmas.
Wiretwister:
Can I borrow some young, GOOD, wide eyed kids for just long enough to get a visit. PLEASE.PRETTY PLEASE
Iv,e got a couple of very bad kids who might not be seeing Santa in this house!!! so you can have them at yours i,ll pay HONEST!!!..
Decmber 24th about 6pm ok with you?, i could just get back for last orders if i planned it right 
.
Lucy… you dammed agnostic… how dare you have opinions…? Get back into the shadows you opinionated person you! Tut! I ■■■■■■■ hate opinions!!
Now I DEMAND that you bow to MY opinions!! NOW!!! Just for the record… do not get started on Pixies please!
runaroundtel:
Lucy… you dammed agnostic… how dare you have opinions…? Get back into the shadows you opinionated person you! Tut! I [zb] hate opinions!!
Now I DEMAND that you bow to MY opinions!! NOW!!! Just for the record… do not get started on Pixies please!
(Excuse the short reply…it’s Diwali here…another excuse to go to the pub and celebrate… 
)
Coffeeholic:
That’s one of the things that gets to me, all the false friendliness you get from people who can’t stand the sight of you, or you them, for the other 50 weeks of the year. Is it not also true that there are more major family rows, more cases of domestic violence, more families splitting and divorce proceedings starting than at any other time. So much for ‘festive spirit.’ It even spills over on to the Net, on just about every forum or BB trouble always starts around Xmas time as well, I expect TruckNet will be no different this year.
Neil I’m shocked
Are you getting enough fibre in your diet?
Why are you shocked at facts?
Your christmas cup is half empty Neil!
Never even been that full. I’ve never liked it, even as a kid it sucked big time.
i’m with you on this one neil,i hate xmas.if it was not for my kids i wouldn’t bother with it.all the hype for 1 day,and the amount of money people spend to satisfy their kids.sorry my kids get wot i can affoard end of story,they have never done badly out of it,far better than i did when i was a kid.why do certain parents put themself’s in debt for item’s that will be used once and chucked in the corner 
kitkat:
why do certain parents put themself’s in debt for item’s that will be used once and chucked in the corner
Because its the easy way out… it relieves them of the responsibility of teaching their kids the true meaning and purpose of Christmas. I remember stories my grandparents told about getting an orange, a piece of hard candy, new socks, and a handmade doll or hand carved wooden toy (that their parents actually made themselves) in their Christmas stocking… and they loved and appreciated all of it. It was about the gesture of giving, spending time with the family, going to church, singing caroles, ect…and the origin of the holiday wasn’t lost in the materialism of it. The problem is that too many people hate Christmas because of what other people have made of the holiday… instead of finding out what it means to them. Spending a lot of money and going into debt isn’t a requirement. It’s possible to enjoy the holiday without doing that. We buy presents of course, try to get at least one or two of the things we know they absolutely want, but don’t go into debt for it and don’t think they need or deserve EVERYTHING they’ve asked for. We want them happy on Christmas morning, not spoiled.
Hating the commericialism of the holiday is understandable, but when people are right out there with their credit cards falling into the same trap they complain so loudly about instead of taking a stand and changing it, they have no business complaining. And isn’t that what we see when we go Christmas shopping■■? people swiping their credit cards and whining about how expensive it is… why do they do it? Will their family actually love them less if they don’t get the expensive gifts they asked for? Is it truly an expectation of others, or do we make it an expectation of ourselves? Christmas will be miserable and materialistic if we let it be… its our choice.