Belle Christmas Shirt, Disneyland Princess Shirt

Belle Christmas Shirt, Disneyland Princess Shirt

We lived a 3 hour drive from my grandparents so when my dad finished work on Christmas Eve we would pack everything into the Belle Christmas Shirt, Disneyland Princess Shirt and set off for Yorkshire. No motorways back then. Green fields turned moorland until we finally went over the Pennines, Stanage or Holme Moss, and begun the final leg of our journey through soot blackened mill towns reaching my grandparents’ house at around 8pm. At about 9.30 a plethora of cousins and aunties and uncles would turn up an we would set off to go carol singing with other members of the congregation and band from their local chapel. Along the route we would be greeted with mince pies, slices of Christmas cake and chunks of cheese even the odd glass of Sherry or mulled wine for the adults. We belted out all the old traditional carols, my favourites being While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night which we sung to Cranbrook (Ilkley Moor) and also Christians Awake. We naturally sang O Come All ye Faithful but only after midnight were we allowed to sing the final verse of Yea Lord we Greet Thee. Shortly after midnight we called it a day. Many of the adults slightly ‘merry’ from a surfeit of Sherry!

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Belle Christmas Shirt, Disneyland Princess Shirt hoodie, tank top, sweater and long sleeve t-shirt

I adore the world of Christmas traditions, which vary from Belle Christmas Shirt, Disneyland Princess Shirt to country … I also enjoy the ancient pre-Christian traditions behind most Christmas customs. Diwali is a lovely tradition that coincides with autumn and shares a lot of imagery (IMO) with Hanukkah, the tradition of my own ancestors. (We made a bigger deal of Christmas at home.) I am all for the human impulse to fill the winter months with light and celebration. I’ve always considered them “the holidays,” and I have no personal desire to put Christ in Christmas. I also don’t want my government to do so. I’ll gladly wish you “Merry Christmas” if I know it’s your tradition. But it’s not mine. That’s not persecution, and it’s only traditionalism if it’s your tradition. Christmas presents have nothing to do with Christianity. Neither do almost all of the Christmas customs of hanging holly and mistletoe, decorating trees, drinking egg nog, Santa Claus, jingling sleigh bells. etc. In the religiously strict Massachusetts Bay Colony celebrating Christmas was illegal, as their leaders recognized that almost all of the festivities were continuations of pagan practices. Merchandisers have gotten rich by popularizing the giving of gifts at Christmas and they spend heavily every year to promote this secular mania. So feel free to give Christmas presents to any of your friends and relations regardless of race, religion age or sexual orientation.

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