Checking everything twice...

[BASSclary]

So what is on your Christmas list for Santa Claus?

Im hoping for a new tacklebag;

some lures to fill up my new tackle bag,

and NHL 11.

Im not asking for much,

and oh! some basic rod building stuff e.i. thread epoxy etc.

Whats on your list?

[B-Dozer]

How about skipping winter altogether, and jumping right into Spring.

[lynyrdsky1]

How about skipping winter altogether, and jumping right into Spring.

Aint that the truth.

[Tin]

The noise, noise, noise....

[B-Dozer]

The noise, noise, noise....

What's that suppose to mean, Billy Batts? :-?

[brushhoggin]

Tins the schizo of the family here

[Tin]

The noise, noise, noise....

What's that suppose to mean, Billy Batts? :-?

I'm a grinch...

[Grey Wolf]

P.O.E. & G.W.T.A.M.

[OHIO]

The noise, noise, noise....

What's that suppose to mean, Billy Batts? :-?

I'm a grinch...

How can you not like Christmas?

[B-Dozer]

I don't either. 

[slonezp]

If you hope in one hand and crap in the other, which one do you think will fill up faster.

[Stasher1]

I don't either.

So that's three of us so far.

Worst time of year, by far.

[bilgerat]

Hi. I'm bilgerat and I'm a scrooge also.

I start hating on Christmas about the middle of September when they start to shove it down your throat.

When the hell did Christmas start being all about retail sales forecasts ?

For the sake of the family (and especially the kids) I've toned down the scrooge act. I still dislike it just the same.

Thanksgiving is the king of all holidays in my book.

[B-Dozer]

If you hope in one hand and crap in the other, which one do you think will fill up faster.

Can't speak for everyone, but I don't crap in either hand. I got me some indoor plumbin'

[farmpond1]

Christmas (and all holidays, for that matter) has definitely become a commercial racket. Commercialism has almost overtaken television as the opiate of the masses.  Still, if you can overlook it or, perhaps, rise above it, there are some nice traditions which can involve buying/possessing things.  Since this is a fishing forum, I'll use fishing as an example:  Buying a fishing "pole" for your girl or boy should only be the tip of the iceberg.  Teaching her or him how to use it and then taking them fishing with it should still be the central part of it.  There's a pond I have the privilege to fish which is surrounded by very expensive (by my standards anyway) houses.  Seldom do I ever see anyone from those houses enjoying their backyards or the pond itself.  Not that I'm complaining, mind you, because I have the pond nearly to myself, but with all that money spent, those folks don't seem to appreciate what they have.

Okay, I'll get off my soap box now.   

[Lund Explorer]

I love Christmas!  It wasn't always that way, as the stress kinda put me down when our kids were young.

For me though, Santa was reborn when my first grandchild was 2 years old and I got to witness the simple joy and wonder of the day's festivities through watching him.  By the next year, he was ready to write a letter to Santa, and I got elected to help. 

All told, I've been lucky enough to witness this eight times in my life, and will be starting another new tradition this year with my first great-granddaughter.  To me, a lot of Christmas is about the kids.  As the year's go by, I better understand why my Dad enjoyed it.  When you can re-live the experience through them, it is a magical time of year.  My best presents are given to me in the wide eyes of a small child, as it doesn't get much better than that.

By the way, its also fun to egg the kids on to doing a little scrounging under the tree while the women folk are out in the kitchen.  A Grandpa's work is never done.

[Grey Wolf]

So what is on your Christmas list for Santa Claus?

Im hoping for a new tacklebag;

some lures to fill up my new tackle bag,

and NHL 11.

Im not asking for much,

and oh! some basic rod building stuff e.i. thread epoxy etc.

Whats on your list?

It's not what you recieve or want , it's what you can give and do for others.

[BASSclary]

I didn't want this post to come off as sort of materialistic, I know Christmas is about the spirit of giving and recieving, dont get me wrong.

But don't people usually say(or hint for that matter) what they want? I already know what i'm getting for everyone in the family.

[B-Dozer]

Clean your room BC w/o e. >

[BASSclary]

Clean your room BC w/o e. >

NEEVVERRRR!!! 

[lynyrdsky1]

I'm a Jew, I got 8 days haha. On a serious note tho, people do take Christmas for granted and do not really see the religious aspect in it anymore but there is a higher majority that does than those who take Hanukkah seriously.. The problem with this holiday is that majority of people who are Jewish, do not even celebrate it except give presents and thats it. There are spiritual aspects to it but they get overlooked by many. There is alot more spiritual power to Christmas so it is harder for people to blow that aspect off.

Sorry i got on a rant there. Hope that made since.....

[BASSclary]

Ya that made sense.

Im one of very few people I know who goes to a church service on Christmas morning, and I hardly ever see anyone go to a Christmas service on anyday for that matter.

[lynyrdsky1]

Yea i've gone to Christmas Services with friends and I actually was surprised there were alot people there but this was a huge church

[BASSclary]

out of the 150 in my church, probably 45 show up for a Christmas service.

[Hookemdown.]

Now that I'm in college, I guess I'm starting to mature a little bit.  I guess you could say I'm spoiled (aren't all Americans?).  I've always recieved to much and given way too little as a kid, but I'm trying to turn that around.

In the past year or so I've begun to absolutely loathe materialism, so I'm begging my parents to give to a needy kid this year instead of me.  I honestly don't NEED anything...

I'm going to try to slow down this year and appreciate Christmas.  Everybody has made it too stressful.  It's not about buying your kid the most expensive/hard to find gift.  It's about spending time with your family (and, of course, the spiritual meaning that started it all).

But with that being said... I've asked for a new study bible and a good pair of hiking boots.   ;D