Guys, I'm curious how do you celebrate xmas in your country, if you celebrate it at all? When are you opening presents, which days are holidays, and so on. I'm gonna start it in the next comment.

Hungary:

we usually decorate the xmas tree on the afternoon of 24th, then comes the endless cooking, then we usually have a family dinner starting aroun 5-7pm. Later come the presents (however this year we have a no present policy with my parents, so no pressure on anyone what to buy)

Generally the 25-26th are national holidays, but in recent years they made the 24th a holiday as well, in a way we have to work a saturday instead of it. Also whenever we have a national holiday on tueasday, or thursday, we always get the preceeding monday, or the friday after. It gives us a 4 day long-weekend, and we have to work on another saturday, a week earlier or later to, make it up for the extra day. This will be the same this year, making it a 6-day long weekend from today till sunday, as we get this friday as well.

Back to the celebration, usually people spend the 25-26th by visiting the wider family, grandparents, in-laws, etc.

1 more thing, pubs/party places:

about 10 years ago, basically no pub was opened on xmas eve (24th) except a few pubs in the jewish district of Budapest (the capital)

As years passed by, and people started to party, even on the night of the 24th, pubs adopted, and now the city is basically full of life after 10pm on the 24th. And of course there's an even bigger nightlife in the coming days.

USA: we spend the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrating the "holiday season", which is mostly spent resenting other faiths/cultures who do not celebrate Christmas, resenting our families for making us travel during the holiday season, and resenting the house next door who had the nerve to only decorate their house with a few strings of white lights instead of eight inflatable reindeer.

The week after Christmas is generally spent talking about how quiet our Christmas was and commenting on how weird it is to be writing "201X" instead of "201X - 1".

Australia:

Wake up in 35C heat, open presents, eat leftover food from Christmas Eve. Head over to a mate's house for a barbie and a beer, watch the kids play in the pool, watch cricket on the TV, share stories of 2013. Sometimes might even go down to the beach and enjoy the surf.

Of course, on Boxing Day, we have our own "Black Friday"-ish sale, with most stores like Myer selling stuff dirt cheap. The Boxing Day cricket test starts, which is also the 4th Ashes test this year, so we'll tune to watch the Aussies pummel the Poms (as per usual).

Ahh, the benefit of summer in December.

I feel sorry for Santa having to come to the southern hemisphere in his thick robes. Given his advanced age, heatstroke is a real danger. Hope he's got his travel insurance up to date.

Speaking of Santa, in Hungary Santa comes only on the 6th of December,while the xmas presents are brought by 'little Jesus'. No Santa today, not at all.

@2WL
"USA: we spend the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrating the "holiday season", which is mostly spent resenting other faiths/cultures who do not celebrate Christmas, resenting our families for making us travel during the holiday season, and resenting the house next door who had the nerve to only decorate their house with a few strings of white lights instead of eight inflatable reindeer."

+1. And a hearty bah humbug to you, too.

I'm cursed with a family that doesn't drink, so we don't even have the advantage of getting so shitfaced on Christmas that we forget we don't actually like each other very much.

Yes Merry Xmas Jesus lovers and don't worry .......... he'll be back soon to destroy the human race, murder all of the innocent men, women and children apart from yourselves and your family and all your pious mates, how cool will that be, you'll be in raptures !!

And Nigee officially joins Putin on my mute list.

Yeah, Nigee. Save the resurrection-bashing for Easter. Christmas is the season for immaculate-conception-bashing.

Either way, Merry Christmas everyone!

Around a week into December our town has its goodwill festival on a Friday night, where there is carol singing by the town hall and the lights are turned on. The pubs are full of locally brewed festive ale and mulled cider, and the market is generally full selling trees, food and potential presents. Lots of music, of course, and the annual charity Christmas tree competition in the church.

Over the weekend we pick holy from the words for decoration, and cast the best piece into the river for those who can't be with us. After that it's the usual present buying and planning, with present opening on Christmas morning, dinner at 3ish, and games in the afternoon. Leftovers and a long walk on Boxing Day :).

All rather ordinary, but fun.

Woods, not words*

^ Somebody's posting from his phone.

"...we pick holy from the words for decoration..."

Holly from the woods ...... or holy from the words ??

Go on Nigs. If you try very hard you can figure it out. You can have the last After Eight if you get it right!

I'm just picturing Oct poring over his Bible, thinking, "Hmm... which word shall I select to decorate for Christmas. Hey, how about 'Holy'? That's pretty festive!" then cutting out every instance of the word 'holy" with a pair of scissors and throwing the nicest one into the river.

Christmas is the time of year when Nigee gets a boner in the middle of the day but refuses to believe in the immaculate erection.

I just want to spread that message of Goodwill and Happiness to everyone, tonight we celebrate (unless you're not Christian), tomorrow back to the spying and water-boarding !!

CIA agents are not great at singing Xmas carols but can give a good rendition if asked to do so.....

I have ordered myself a Samsung Note 3 for Xmas, is that good thing?

Jews in Indiana:

Get Chinese food, put up a small Star-of-David magnet in the window, avoid people for about a week. Wish everyone we know a Merry Christmas, make a Christmas card, leave baskets with our neighbors, conform in every way we can without violating our own faith, and hope we don't get car bombed.

Happy Barmitzvah to the Hinduanian Jews .... that's Jewish for Xmas right !!

Is it that bad in Indy? I didn't realize that. Over her in Cinci especially, we have a large Jewish community and everyone gets along pretty well. Especially as us Christians (born-again, or born into the church) love the Jewish deli food.

No, it's just the Jewish way of trashing any chance of another Virgin Mary.

Merry Christmas ya'll!

Draug ..... It's Xmas and that is a great opportunity to un-mute everyone and spread the world with the spirit of joy and happiness, after all Baby Jesus forgave King Herod, fair enough he was 'away in a manger' at the time ..... got a bit carried away with the frankincense !!

Why can't they have nativity plays in Ireland ...... can't find 3 wise men and a virgin !!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8gmARGvPlI

This is for all the Ugandan Gays .... we're here beside you, hand in hand we'll all stand together !! ******Be Gay and Proud********

We spend every holiday season shuttling between factions of family for separate celebrations because nobody wants to do one big one all together. So we do like five Thanksgivings and six Christmases.