Christmas in MENA in the USA

[brnidokiegurl 0]

you may need to place the tree like more to a corner, then place something around it and tie it off so it dont get knocked over, something our cat did one year but once tied we had no more prob that i remember, maybe batting the hanging around, i would say no to icecicles and snow

also i will send small gifts to morocco sorta like a christmas but actually our neices birthday is christmas day so that can be the celebration

Edited November 19, 2008 by brnidokiegurl

[Aymsgirl 0]

We have a mixed family with the children so we are having Christmas. We will also put up a Christmas tree and exchange gifts and celebrate with a huge family dinner! My husband is excited for it and enjoys going to the stores and seeing all of the decorations.

[Staashi 371]

the male cat is 14 lbs already and hes only 8 months old! Hes an eater and mischievious. Hes not nuteured yet, but he should be! I hear its expensive!

Well, Im hoping the price of a real tree isnt too expensive bcz I really would like that! Im even going to decorate the outside balcony patio of our apartment for christmas too. Im excited!

Tamara, check out this website http://www.spotsociety.org/atl_shelter_list.htm#spay it has all the low cost neuter places in Atlanta. You can get it done for about $35.

Good luck!

[Staashi 371]

Well, I'll tell you how we do it Argentine style because it's just too cute - our tree will go up as soon as hubby gets home, as I like to see it out. But we'll put up all the decorations on December 8, which is the Feast of The Immaculate Conception. That is the Blessed Mother's day and so we keep it special for her. We'll have a little party in her honor and enjoy the festivities. Our Christmas season won't end until January 6 on the Epiphany or Día de los Tres Reyes Magos (the Three Kings). We'll celebrate that too by putting our shoes filled with hay (aka grass) underneath the tree with water on the side for the three kings' camels, and we'll leave sweets for the kings. To thank us for this gesture, the kings leave us gifts in our shoes. It is all very sweet, and I can't wait till someday we have our little one and can do this for him/her and watch get all excited. We'll have a nice meal that evening and just enjoy the end of our holy days.

FYI - the Immaculate Conception wasn't Jesus' conception, it was that Mary was conceived with out sin. Just my two cent tidbit for the day.

[Hanna&Mohamed 0]

We are both muslim and my children are christian so we will still put the tree up and decorate . I told Mohamed it will be so much fun this is his first Christmas here .We will celebrate with my family but i explained to him it will not be a religious holiday for us . Also we will celebrate Eid too with my mother this year and my children .

At first I was having problems with Mohamed putting a tree up and I told him I have children that are not Muslim that celebrate this holiday and my family.

[MrsAmera 41]

My husband never really had any problems with the Christmas thing - I think it wasn't so foreign to him because of the expats in Morocco. Anyway his first Christmas I got him a plane ticket home to Morocco it was really a great surprise and we had a lot of fun with my family. Last Christmas we weren't together, I was visiting my family but he had to stay home to work. This Christmas we're all going to spend the holidays with my family (pre-Christmas). We fly home Christmas Eve and we'll probably just do stockings for the kids as they will get most of their presents while we're away. We don't go to church or anything (although my grandmother always tries). I would like him to go and observe the service, we always went to the candlelight midnight service on Christmas Eve and I just think it's really beautiful. I don't push him but feel like there's nothing wrong in understanding and observing other faith traditions. You can never have too many experiences IMO!

[doodlebugg 10]

My daughters are Christian so we still celebrate and decorate. Hubby is ok with it because he knows how important it is for them. Unfortunately he will work both Thanksgiving and Christmas because that's $$$$$$ but I hope he at least takes New Year's Eve off so I can take him to first night.

[Muh and me 18]

After last years fiasco with Christmas, i may not decorat at all!!! Even tho I'm muslim my boy isn't and I told him I wasn't sure what I was gonna do. I will buy gifts for Mom and Dad and him and a few others but other than that. Nothing!

[prince+angel 3]

Unfortunately my husband isn't here to celebrate any holiday with me yet but one day soon he will be! Knowing that day will come gives me a big Kool Aid smile!

I thought he may have had reservations about celebrating my religious holidays but he seems more excited about it than I do! Like a kid experiencing such magical wonderful things for this first time - warms my heart that he's not opposed to whats religiously important to me as I have shown him the same respect, interest and excitement for all thats religiously important & meaningful to him.

Sounds like everyone has lots of exciting plans filled with great blends of ideas, experiences & fun - looking forward to all the pics that will be posted no matter what everyone does! Peace & blessings

[babynursetobe 0]

Wow.....what a GREAT idea!! I love it!! We always put our tree up the day of Thanksgiving too when we get home from my parents house. Sounds like alot of fun at your house!!

Decorating our home for many reasons. It's my hubby's birthday and my father and some of our family still celebrate Christmas. Cooking traditional foods plus a little mix of the ME! Our family is a mix of Muslim/Jewish/Christian so there is great respect and observance on all sides. A melting pot we are!

We just got our new prelit xmas tree (Its SO cute!) and I can't wait to have it up and decorated. We will do it on Thanksgiving Day with our guests! We are hosting Thanksgiving this year at our new home and have many people coming. Everyone was instructed to bring a decoration for the tree (handmade is wonderful too!). We are also having a "desert night" that evening and invited our friends/neighbors around the area and they too were told about our tree many of them offered to bring something as well! I can't wait...should be so fun!!

[sara..... 371]

there is nothing wrong with enjoying the holidays or even having a beautiful tree and decorations as long as its not done for religious reasons mom has always done it and we had the fat santa come we use it for family time ........i know that there are a lot of people that will disagree with it but people in our mosque are the same way they also enjoy the holiday is not much different than thanks giving we are not worshiping the tree or the turkey that we serve .......perviz puts on santa hat in kashmir and visits all the children with gifts they are also muslim................

[Tunisia216 2]

We are going all out too. I was considering just a small table top tree and then Jihed found a massive 7 foot pre lit tree at Walmart that he HAD to have. Last week he spent what I know was a good hour in the Christmas Shoppe at Walmart. His eyes were twinkling more than the trees It looks like he's going to have to work Thanksgiving, but I'm hoping that the store will be closed for Christmas and that he'll get the day off. Last night I caught him helping Aaron make a "Santa list" It was really cute because Aaron was asking how to spell this and that and one of the things on his list was light saber. Saber is a name in Tunisia and it's pronounced "Sah Burr" not "sayber" like the Star Wars thing - so they were going on and on about that trying to figure out how to spell it. It was cute. I think that my kid is really taking advantage of this multi-family thing as he's now made a Santa list at his father's home, my home, my parents and his father's parents. 4 Lists and none of them are the same

We will probably put our tree up after Thanksgiving (that weekend I think ) and start to decorate it and the house during the following week. He's dying to take a lot of pictures to send back home to his family. They usually put up a small Christmas tree there anyway and he's excited to show them how "big" Christmas gets here. We're also planning a trip to NYC so that he can see the tree at Rockefeller Center. I think they said it's 72 or 73 feet tall this year! I'm excited It's really a nice time to blend cultures, religions and traditions like Annie said! PS Annie you better take lots of pictures for me!! I can't wait to see Hazem and Mamma's face

[babynursetobe 0]

Tamara you should look into ur local human society. When we got our cat spayed I called there and they gave me a credit towards the procedure. I only ended up paying $20.00. I'm sure it varies from state to state, but definately worth looking into. Just thought I'd mention that.

from the vet it was going to be nearly $200... i will definitely have to look into other places!!!!

[Muh and me 18]

I saw a hot pink tree at Hobby lobby i might get!!!

[star_dragon 0]

Our Christmas season won't end until January 6 on the Epiphany or Día de los Tres Reyes Magos (the Three Kings). We'll celebrate that too by putting our shoes filled with hay (aka grass) underneath the tree with water on the side for the three kings' camels, and we'll leave sweets for the kings. To thank us for this gesture, the kings leave us gifts in our shoes. It is all very sweet, and I can't wait till someday we have our little one and can do this for him/her and watch get all excited. We'll have a nice meal that evening and just enjoy the end of our holy days.

Same here, Staashi! We celebrate Dia de los Reyes too. Same tradition, except we leave the hay for the camels under our bed...lol. Well, when I was little Now, I open my door and my mom (or ahem, Three Kings) leaves me a gift there on my doorstep

I'm alone again for Christmas...I've seen lots of ideas for a new tree I'd like to decorate but next Christmas when he's here with me! I told my mom I wanted a Moroccan Christmas tree! She said, "Um...there's something wrong with that picture" Um HELLO, the Nativity scene has camels and desert! I told hubby too and he said sure we can have a Moroccan Christmas tree, but it has to be a palm tree, not evergreen tree, and we have to hang olives from it