Christmas Greetings thread

[Major]

I didn't ask Imeo before posting this but I hope it is okay to make a thread of this nature. Christmas is but a week away! My time on the forums here has been a tad inconsistent the last couple of weeks due to a stroke. I am doing much better but my apologies for my absence at this busy time of the year!

One thing I still love just as much as I did when I was a child is Christmas. That is one thing I hope never changes. The meaning of Christmas is different for all the different countries and areas that are part of the GG family but one thing remains the same, whether you relate it to Christmas or not.

It all starts with Imeo and the way he envisioned this forum to be. Yes, this is a product and support thread but anyone that spends a few days here will see the difference And not just around the 25th of December either!

People from all different levels of expertise readily offer their help to new users. We have our own version of "Pay it forward" here, again starting with Imeo down to anyone that has something you might need to get by until items are back in stock or even consumables like O-rings and the like.

It would be impossible to name all the fine people here that make up this "giving" mentality and the actions that go with it. When you factor in the time of year that even usually reserved individuals tend to be more open with others and a GG Christmas is quite unique.

Yes, this old world has problems that have no answer. Regardless of what Christmas may mean to you personally, it does offer a bit of respite from the sometimes cold and cruel realities of real life in the 21st century. Yes the problems will still be there on December 26th but the celebration of this holiday can bring a bit of peace if you choose to allow it.

So dive in and enjoy it. Whether it is with family and friends or a quiet few hours of relative personal peace, it is what you choose to make it to be. For me, despite some health problems we all have from time to time, I refuse to allow any of that rob me of the joy of Christmas. And it isn't always associated with what you can ring up in a cash register this "giving" I am referring to.

I have been blessed with a great year meeting new friends from all over the world thanks to this forum. I look forward to more years just like this one but you have to take each Christmas as they come, one at a time. I know I am long winded but there just isn't a "short version" to some things. At the end though, the sentiment remains the same.

From myself and my family to all of you and those you love, may you have a very special Christmas and a prosperous new year. And remember, it can will be what you choose to make it to be.

Steve aka Major

P.S. I did fail to mention that anyone that would like to, please feel free to offer your greetings for the season as well. That is what the thread was meant to be for.

 

[fright88]

Merry Christmas GG community. I hope everyone here gets more then their share of the magic that comes with the time of the year.

 

[5vz]

Merry Christmas everyone here in GG family. I cannot thank anyone enough for all of the help and companionship, and cannot thank Imeo enough for creating the GG line. Major I am sorry to hear of your stroke, I hope you are recovering rapidly, I will send prayers and thoughts for you along with Imeo's daughter, and both your families.

I wish everyone a wonderful, peace filled, and healthy holiday and many more years of such to come.

 

[k3v1n]

Lovely words to open up this thread Steve.

I'm very new to this forum and feel that it's an extended family, not just a forum, "Pay it forward" sums it up exactly.

GG family is awesome.

Merry Christmas everyone.

 

[cliffy1]

And a MERRY CHRISTMAS from me as well to all my US cousins and Imeo and his family as well ,very glad to hear that you are getting over your stroke Major and yes lovely words to open the thread.

 

[Torqueguy]

Good post Major. Its people like you that keep me coming back to this great forum. We have a common enemy, smoking, and that enemy makes us allies. Together we stand against the real enemy.

Merry Christmas all

 

[imeothanasis]

Merry Christmas to all my friends, to all my customers, to all my big family, to all of the GG supporters, to all of the GG fanboys. All of the above are the same people of course, the people that gave GG the place it deserves.

Merry Christmas to all of my friends that donate for the childs around the world that have huge issues with several things like food and health

Merry Christmas to all of my friends that send me pms and made posts about my small daughter

And Merry Christmas to you too Major for opening this thread and for being a GG friend for a life

 

[boggypot]

Merry Christmas everyone!

I am glad to be part of GG. This is a lovely formal and everyone's really helpful.

Cheers!

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

 

[imeothanasis]

I dont remember if I have already welcome you but one more time not only is not bad but it makes us feel even better. So welcome buddy, enjoy your staying, I wish you a very nice staying and Merry Christmas my new friend

 

[Torqueguy]

"Pay It Forward"

My gift to you is not at all tangible.

You can't see it, feel it, taste it, or hear it,

Yet, this gift is quite reachable,

for it comes from within you, born from your spirit.

It is, of all possible gifts, the very best gift,

for with it, you will explode with feeling.

experiencing that which gives hearts a lift,

and strengthen spirits into believing.

Because, you see, the gift is in the giving.

A gift to others, Oh, indeed, yes,

but, also to you, a gift worth receiving.

For in the giving of yourself, you too will be blest.

The giving, it does so very, very much,

and, just for a start.....

Love, joy, peace, kindness,.....all in a bunch.

So much so that it just warms the heart.

So, my Christmas Gift to you is simply this thought,

that for every kindness you receive,

say "Thank you", for sure, but more is to be sought.

"Pay it forward" to others, for in doing so, you will continue to spread kindness, joy, and belief.

We can change the world - one word, one action, at a time.

................................................. Merry Christmas!

 

[wigglr]

I would love to hear everybody's traditions.

I will start with a short one. My family always gets a "Santa" to come over to the house -- when he is about to walk in we play "Jingle Bells" and then he comes in! We usually invite people from the area, especially those without family that is local. First thing Santa receives is a beer. (Santa these days is typically my brother, before that, my grandfather). He has a sack of presents and he hands them out to everybody .... even the adults have to sit on his lap for pictures!

It's quite special!

Now I want to hear yours!

 

[5vz]

wigglr - That sounds like so much fun!

We were just traditional family things. Get up early Christmas morning, there was always stockings full of little things, plus the traditional tangerine, apple, and few nuts in the shell. A couple of gifts from Santa, no matter how old we were. We would open the stocking and play or look at what Santa brought. Then breakfast. The only real meal required for Christmas, and we could eat candy all day! Breakfast was eggs, bread and Christmas ham done with pineapple, cherries, and brown sugar, yum. Then we all sat around in front of the tree and took turns opening packages, with breaks for ham and other snacks. It made it all last a lot longer. By the time that was done, the family guests would show up. Not a close family with extended members, so we only got to see some on Christmas Day. We also got to leave the lights on the tree on all day.
It was always fun and always beautiful. I miss all of those family Christmases.

How about everyone else?

 

[wigglr]

wigglr - That sounds like so much fun!

We were just traditional family things. Get up early Christmas morning, there was always stockings full of little things, plus the traditional tangerine, apple, and few nuts in the shell. A couple of gifts from Santa, no matter how old we were. We would open the stocking and play or look at what Santa brought. Then breakfast. The only real meal required for Christmas, and we could eat candy all day! Breakfast was eggs, bread and Christmas ham done with pineapple, cherries, and brown sugar, yum. Then we all sat around in front of the tree and took turns opening packages, with breaks for ham and other snacks. It made it all last a lot longer. By the time that was done, the family guests would show up. Not a close family with extended members, so we only got to see some on Christmas Day. We also got to leave the lights on the tree on all day.
It was always fun and always beautiful. I miss all of those family Christmases.

How about everyone else?

Sounds so beautiful... and DELICIOUS! Now let me go make my lunch..

 

[5vz]

Sounds so beautiful... and DELICIOUS! Now let me go make my lunch..

Haha, I didn't mention the family tradition of homemade fruitcake. Soaked from, get this OCTOBER!, to December in some sort of alcoholic beverage, choice of the year. It was actually very good believe it or not, but the recipe had to be made in a giant galvanized tub, and made lots of cakes. Passed down a few centuries.

 

[boggypot]

I dont remember if I have already welcome you but one more time not only is not bad but it makes us feel even better. So welcome buddy, enjoy your staying, I wish you a very nice staying and Merry Christmas my new friend

Thanks! I've already felt the love going around before i even joined! Not regretting a single bit!

 

[Oddy]

greetings Major great OP & Merry Christmas to all the GG family

 

[Zogem]

Growing up, there were many traditions, starting with the extended family at my aunts house. Santa would be there at 7:00 and my uncle from ohio would blitzed by 7:30 (Every family has one, right?). His son was my age, and santa always bought us the exact same thing (Years later I find out this was a 'conflict avoidance' tactic). My Aunt and Uncle were well off, and my aunt very food conscious, so there was always food that in the eyes of 6 yr old middle class german/irish kid was odd. My mom made us have a snack before we left, and swore us to secrecy. But it was still a treaserued evening, and the 5 mile drive seemed to take forever (not unlike all of december to a kid on 'Christmas time').

Christmas day was immediate family. My sister, who to this day is a christmas fanatic (and the sole cause of my parents having to store presents in the attic, and hide the key), would wake me up early. 4am early sometime, as santa always left one present for each kid, unwrapped. The house was old, and the stairs squeaked, so in order to be stealthy, one had to know where to step. (This knowledge was very useful in my teenage years). We'd check everything out, giggle since we were getting away with something, and head back up stairs, for some sleep.

The morning was excruciating. Wake up, act surprised (giggle), eat breakfast, hustle off to church, come home.. and wait. 2 hours we had to wait until everyone got there. There were so many boxes you couldn't see the bottom of the tree. 2 hours in this enviroment felt like child abuse. Finally everyone would get there, and we'd start to get ready, and hear my dad say "Hang on, need to get the camera". Not the camera, this is going to take forever.

Funny thing, I don't recall many of the presents, just the anticipation of getting them. It was oh so magical.

At some point I lost touch with it. My fiancé wanted to see her family, i wanted to see mine, so the easy compromise was have our own Christmas in Atlanta. The 2001 compromise meant I missed my Dad's last Christmas. That's a sort of regret that sticks with you; you can't change, nullify, justify nor discount.

So, my current tradition, since 2002, is hell or high water, I'm "Home" for Christmas for what maters most; Family.

My flight is Wednesday, for 6 days of eating, drinking and being merry with family and friends.

Merry Christmas to you and yours,

-Z

 

[Major]

We have some excellent posts here guys! I love the idea of sharaing family traditions. I want to keep this thread so all can see it this week so forgive if I bump it.

Some may prefer the anonymity of the net and that is respected but I would be very interested to see how others in the different countries celebrate Christmas as well.

I may have had to be a hard person during my working life but I am retired so I can go back to the child-like wonder of it all. My mother was like that her whole life.

When she passed away in 2002, I truly thought that Christmas would never be the same. But I was oh so wrong! Even though she is no longer with us, the memory of the love and caring she gave to me makes the season even greater.

Yes I am a sentimental old goat but as much as she and other loved ones are missed during the season, their memory and the love they gave seems to be even stronger at the Christmas season. I suppose that's what the old cliche about "making memories" has such an intense reality for me.

 

[wigglr]

Well I'm originally from South Africa -- that is where we got our tradition. But for many of the white people, especially english speaking, the culture isn't too different from those here in the states. What is different is the kinds of cultures surrounding you down in South Africa... We do have a game farm there (like a safari lodge), and we would all have christmas there when my grandfather was still alive...


@ Major... the christmas spirit is so strong, and she is a part of that Christmas spirit! IT WILL NEVER GO AWAY!

 

[36tinybells]

Major, that was lovely. Merry Christmas to you and everyone else!