[sionnsar]

ADVENT: The other Lent!!

Almost nobody in America knows that anymore. It's "The Christmas Season" to them -- that's when you rush out right after Thanksgiving, put up a tree, spend weeks shopping for things, parties with Santa Clauses, the kids opening one present Christmas Eve, gift exchanges Christmas morning (that's the 12th day, you know), bored kids by afternoon, and on the 26th the tree is on the curb awaiting pickup. Christmas is over. (2nd option: tree remains until New Year's Day.)

[Monkey Face]

Congrats on the 00!

There are a lot of people who observe Advent, but probably not for the same reasons as it was originally intended. My sister and her family observe the Eastern Orthodox "Christmas season," which ends (I think) on Jan 6th.

[Irish_Thatcherite]

Almost nobody in America knows that anymore. It's "The Christmas Season" to them -- that's when you rush out right after Thanksgiving, put up a tree, spend weeks shopping for things, parties with Santa Clauses, the kids opening one present Christmas Eve, gift exchanges Christmas morning (that's the 12th day, you know), bored kids by afternoon, and on the 26th the tree is on the curb awaiting pickup. Christmas is over. (2nd option: tree remains until New Year's Day.)

Christmas is still a big holiday in Ireland - the Christmas tree is still up 'til the Epiphany!