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Welcome Christmas and New Year's Eve 2019!

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  • _Elsa_
    _Elsa_ Posts: 37,047
    edited December 2019

    And I'm not done yet.  This week it is Christmas Jokes.  Each game community has different Christmas jokes.  If you click on the video link below you can view the entire project.  Enjoy!


  • _Elsa_
    _Elsa_ Posts: 37,047
    edited December 2019
    Tomorrow is National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day!




    On the third Friday of December each year, people all over the U.S. decide to don hilariously hideous Xmas sweaters and inflict this sight on everyone around them. From garish green and red colors to pom-poms and nonsensical designs, there seems to be no end to the dreadfully silly designs on display. You’ll see these knit monstrosities at the office, out on the street, and especially at holiday parties. This isn’t happening by accident. The fashion-savvy and playful hearted participants in this trend are celebrating National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day.

     

    When Did Ugly Sweaters First Enter Public Consciousness?

    How did National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day get it start? Like many trends, this one began in fits and starts and has waxed and waned in popularity over the decades. The ugly sweater first became a household meme in the 1980s with The Cosby Show’s, Bill Huxtable leading the way. Chevy Chase’s character in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation added the holiday twist to this look. These well-known leading actors were playing decidedly unhip characters, who had no fashion sense at all. But for some reason, the idea of wearing awful sweaters as an ironic statement, somehow caught on. For a while, ugly holiday sweaters for women and men were easy to find. Then things kind of petered out in the nineties. Perhaps the trend was no match for a decade that was having a love affair with drab emo apparel?

     

    The First Ugly Christmas Sweater Party Revives the Trend                                 

    In the early 2000s, the first ugly holiday sweater party was held in Vancouver, Canada. All the guests were instructed to wear a hideous sweater, and interest in ugly sweaters was reborn. Today, the party is still an annual hit and the event routinely sells out the Commodore Ballroom. Not surprisingly, the U.S. picked up on the idea and now there are thousands of ugly sweater parties held all over the nation each year. They can be fundraisers, office holiday parties, community events, pub crawls, or private affairs. The only rule is that they take place in mid-December and everyone MUST wear a tacky sweater.  You can read more here.


  • _Elsa_
    _Elsa_ Posts: 37,047
    edited December 2019
    Here is a teddy bear animated video that I created.  Please click on the image to view it.


  • _Elsa_
    _Elsa_ Posts: 37,047

    This is my last Christmas 2019 video.  Please click on the image to view it.


  • keke98
    keke98 Posts: 92

    Level 3

    @elsa. We don’t usually get together because my brother lives far away from us but we try and get together every chance that we get 
  • _Elsa_
    _Elsa_ Posts: 37,047
    keke98 said:
    @elsa. We don’t usually get together because my brother lives far away from us but we try and get together every chance that we get 

    It's difficult when you can't share it with family but I'm sure you guys will probably talk on the phone right?
  • keke98
    keke98 Posts: 92

    Level 3

    @elsa yes we do. But my brother works ALOT and we see him on the holidays also when he doesn’t work 
  • _Elsa_
    _Elsa_ Posts: 37,047
    edited December 2019
    Let's keep the fun going!  
    It's now time to get ready for New Year's Eve!

    How about some New Year’s Folklore and Superstitions!

    First Kiss: One of the more popular beliefs is that kissing your beloved at the stroke of midnight ensures twelve months of continuing affection. Failing to do so is said to produce the opposite effect.

    Debt Free: Never begin the New Year with unpaid debts.

    Bare Cupboards? Empty cupboards at the turn of the year foretell a year of poverty.

    Comings and Goings: The first person to enter your home after midnight foretells the kind of luck you’ll have in the coming year. A tall, dark, handsome male bearing small gifts is said to bring the best luck. According to this same tradition, no one should leave the house until someone first enters from outside, and nothing should be removed from the house on New Year’s Day.

    Air It Out! Opening all doors and windows at midnight lets the old year escape.

    Lucky Duck! Babies born on New Year’s Day are said to have the best luck throughout their lives.

    Best Foot Forward: A Polish tradition states that if you wake up early on New Year’s Day, you will wake up early for the rest of the year. And if you touch the floor with the right foot when getting up from bed, you could expect a lot of good luck for whole new year

    You can read more here.  


    Here are some Superstitions that are attached to the beginning of the New Year!

    Letting the Old Year Out:   At midnight, all the doors of a house must be opened to let the old year escape unimpeded. He must leave before the New Year can come in, says popular wisdom, so doors are flung open to assist him in finding his way out.

    Loud Noise:   Make as much noise as possible at midnight. You’re not just celebrating; you’re scaring away evil spirits, so do a darned good job of it! According to widespread superstition, evil spirits and the Devil himself hate loud noise. We celebrate by making as much of a din as possible not just as an expression of joy at having a new year at our disposal, but also to make sure Old Scratch and his minions don’t stick around. (Church bells are rung on a couple’s wedding day for the same reason.)

    The Weather:   Examine the weather in the early hours of New Year’s Day. If the wind blows from the south, there will be fine weather and prosperous times in the year ahead. If it comes from the north, it will be a year of bad weather. The wind blowing from the east brings famine and calamities. Strangest of all, if the wind blows from the west, the year will witness plentiful supplies of milk and fish but will also see the death of a very important person. If there’s no wind at all, a joyful and prosperous year may be expected by all.

    Born on January 1:   Babies born on this day will always have luck on their side.

    You can find more here.

  • _Elsa_
    _Elsa_ Posts: 37,047
    edited December 2019

    Many New Year’s traditions surround food. Here are a few:

    The tradition of eating 12 grapes at midnight comes from Spain. Revelers stuff their mouths with 12 grapes in the final moments of the year—one grape for every chime of the clock!

    In the southern US black-eyed peas and pork foretell good fortune.

    In Scotland—where Hogmanay is celebrated—people parade down the streets swinging balls of fire.

    Eating any ring-shaped treat (such as a doughnut) symbolizes “coming full circle” and leads to good fortune.

    In Dutch homes, fritters called olie bollen are served.

    The Irish enjoy pastries called bannocks.

    In India and Pakistan rice promises prosperity.

    Apples dipped in honey are a Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) tradition.

    In Swiss homes dollops of whipped cream, symbolizing the richness of the year to come, are dropped on the floors—and allowed to remain there.

    You can read more here.

     

    10 Food Traditions for Good Luck in the New Year 

    Buttered Bread: New Years Day in Ireland is also known as Day of the Buttered Bread (or Sandwich, depending on the Gaelic translation you use.) Tradition says buttered bread placed outside the front door symbolizes an absence of hunger in the household, and presumably for the year to come.


    Grapes/Raisins: Tradition in Spain says 12 grapes or raisins eaten just before midnight (one at each chime of the clock) will bring good fortune for all 12 months of the year, as long as you finish all 12 before the final stroke!

     

    Greens: Because of their deep emerald color (think money), hearty greens like kale, spinach, and collards are believed to bring wealth (And of course health!) to those who enjoy it early and often in the New Year. For legume or meat-based dishes, a garnish of parsley is also said to ward off evil spirits.

    Pork: Bring on the bacon! Because pigs root forward while they forage for food (as opposed to cows, who stand still, or chickens, who scratch backwards), pork in all forms is enjoyed by many hoping to embrace the challenges and adventures that await in the coming year.

     

    Long Noodles: Signifying longevity in Asian culture, a stir-fry of unbroken noodles is a tradition believed to bring good health and luck in the New Year. Those who can eat at least one long noodle without chewing or breaking it are said to enjoy the longest lives and best luck of all!

    Lentils: Resembling tiny coins, the custom of enjoying lentils in the New Year is a common Italian tradition said to bring wealth.

    Cornbread: Golden yellow and inarguably delicious, cornbread is especially popular in the South. Because it’s color is similar to that of gold, this bread is enjoyed by those hopeful for a prosperous year.

    Round Foods: Cakes, pastries, cookies, and round fruits like clementines are often enjoyed on New Year’s Day as their shape signifies that the old year has come to a close and the New Year holds the promise of a fresh start.

    Whole Fish: In Chinese culture, serving fish whole (both head and tail intact) symbolizes prosperity, abundance, and a good year to come (from start to finish!)

    The information came from here



  • _Elsa_
    _Elsa_ Posts: 37,047
    Have you guys read any of the stories that I created with the characters from our games?  If not, you can check them out here.

    I have a treat coming for the community that will be posted during the weekend? A New Year's Eve story!

    The girls (Tiffi, Kimmy, Jenny and Rachel) are planning on getting together New Year's Eve in Candy Town. 


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