Welcome Christmas and New Year's Eve 2019!

_Elsa_

Thanks for sharing @wafercookieflippers!  Your beautiful message reminded me of something that I did at work with another firiend.  I was an employment counselor and when people lost their jobs due to downsizing They would come to our agency for training or updating the skills that they previously had.  We also worked with the welfare population and this one guy was raising his 2 sons on his own and putting himself through college.  He couldn't even afford to buy the boys new school bags that year.  So my friend and I gave him the magic of Christmas.  I don't remember how much money we gave him but the tears ran down his face in gratitude that his boys would have some gifts to open on Christmas Day.  He graduated from college with a bachelor's degree and that was over a year ago.  I'm sure that's found a job now and is off welfare.  That did my heart so much good to know that I was helping a family in need.

wafercookieflippers

That's very sweet @elsa. Regardless of most circumstances, parents have that desire to give their children what they believe will make them happy. If you can supply the parent with that "something," you have given him a gift beyond measure. 🤗♥️🐳

_Elsa_

To see the tears run down his face really brought tears to my eyes.  Not sure what happened to the mother but he stepped up and took care of his kids!

[Deleted User]

Hi @wafercookieflippers @Elsa

I used to assist a not for profit organization by going to various local retailers and collecting "close to use by" or blemished food items and then seeing it distributed from their HQ each week. Many families looked "normal" from the outside, but they still had so many needs. Others had horrific stories why their family incomplete. Either on a temporary or permanent basis. Some could hide the pain, but many could not. So we always went over the top to make our Christmas celebration a night to remember. Each young child received a gift and the parent/parents/guardians got "three bags full" over and above what they normally got. Everybody always left with a big smile.

_Elsa_

That is really neat @Rancid!  That is what the holiday should be all about.  Yet here in New Jersey we have some greedy individuals who cry the blues that they need financial help.  They get food stamps and many get housing and yet they used to walk into our office with their cell phones and the women always had manicured nails.  Yet their kids suffered without food or want.

[Deleted User]

Greed is the root cause.

_Elsa_

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_

Here is a teddy bear animated video that I created.  Please click on the image to view it.

_Elsa_

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

KevChaddie

Welcome Christmas!