Merry Christmas Everyone • Hacker News Board

Re: Merry Christmas Everyone

#311

Post by parentheses » Wed, Dec 25, 2024, 6:49 PM UTC

First "proper" Christmas in the US (7 years after moving here) where I got Quake III Arena. It sparked a life long love of programming that has yet to subside.

As a non Christian immigrant, my parents did their best to understand and embrace the "good parts" of Christmas. We went from just having dinner to now exchanging presents and spending time together as a family. My wife is from the US and grew up with Christmas being a very big deal (and lavish with presents). She took it to the next level once we got together. Now, with kids, it's taken on a new life.

So, I guess my real answer: Christmas just gets better every year. I hope it continues to for me and does for all of you!

Good health, wealth and tidings to all of you - kindred spirits from all around the world!

Re: Merry Christmas Everyone

#312

Post by snozolli » Wed, Dec 25, 2024, 6:54 PM UTC

Sometime between maybe '79 and '83, there was a particularly memorable Christmas. We drove across the state to my grandparents' huge ranch home (I visited the new owners as an adult, turns out it was a normal-sized house). Waking up on Christmas morning with all my cousins, aunts, and uncles there, anxiously waiting while Grandpa built a fire in the fireplace, absolutely dying to finally open presents. Some adult walked in dressed as Santa to hand out presents and I never did figure out who it was.

Re: Merry Christmas Everyone

#313

Post by pewpew_ » Wed, Dec 25, 2024, 6:57 PM UTC

samanthasu wrote: post #126

I am Sam. And I wanna say 2024 is definitely a challenging year to me as I was laid off and a lot of changes in this year. My fav memory from Xmas would be the year of 2019, celebrating with my bff in winter wonderland, drinking, laughing, and we were really happy since we were still students with no worries at all. Wish time could go back

Sam, things always work themselves out for the better. You will be fine, keep moving forward.

Merry Christmas!

Re: Merry Christmas Everyone

#314

Post by octopoc » Wed, Dec 25, 2024, 6:59 PM UTC

nickpsecurity wrote: post #274

Merry Christmas, Hacker News! Today is a day made for celebrating the birth of Christ. Later, a tradition of giving gifts and spending time with family. I pray God blesses you in each of these things. If anyone here is unfamiliar with what Christmas is, this page has links explaining the birth of Christ and why it’s one of history’s greatest events: https://www.desiringgod.org/topics/the-birth-of-christ

Actually gift giving at the winter solstice far predates Jesus. For instance the tradition of Santa coming down the chimney comes from a time in Britain when there was a terrible snowstorm and the poor people were starving. The Druids had food to give them but couldn’t get in the doors because the snow was so deep. So they sent the food down the chimneys!

Having said that, merry Christmas!!

Re: Merry Christmas Everyone

#315

Post by zoomablemind » Wed, Dec 25, 2024, 7:03 PM UTC

tasty_freeze wrote: post #255

I grew up in a family with eight kids. Mom was stay at home and Dad did well, but with eight kids each individual kid received a few mostly modest presents. When I was in college and home for Thanksgiving, my folks invited everyone out to dinner. After ordering, my dad would often introduce a topic of discussion that we'd bat around until the food came. That year he said: if you didn't need to worry about money or su…

> ...That year he said: if you didn't need to worry about money or success, what other career path might you find interesting.

Such a wise way to both elicit ideas and encourage introspection. Very inspiring!

Re: Merry Christmas Everyone

#316

Post by gweinberg » Wed, Dec 25, 2024, 7:09 PM UTC

neofrommatrix wrote: post #47

Indian (Hindu) here who went to a Catholic convent back home. My favorite memory is of a reenactment of Jesus’ birth on stage by a bunch of 10th graders (my class) and instantly falling for the girl that played Mary. I’m now married to her and we have a toddler. Merry Christmas!

Merry marry Mary Christmas!

Re: Merry Christmas Everyone

#317

Post by jamestdsmith » Wed, Dec 25, 2024, 7:09 PM UTC

samanthasu wrote: post #126

I am Sam. And I wanna say 2024 is definitely a challenging year to me as I was laid off and a lot of changes in this year. My fav memory from Xmas would be the year of 2019, celebrating with my bff in winter wonderland, drinking, laughing, and we were really happy since we were still students with no worries at all. Wish time could go back

This too shall pass. Life goes on and up. Many times I’ve felt that something bad happened to me. But a few years later I realise it was a blessing in disguise

Merry Christmas Sam

Re: Merry Christmas Everyone

#318

Post by cperciva » Wed, Dec 25, 2024, 7:17 PM UTC

consf wrote: post #105

cperciva wrote: post #23

When I was in Oxford, almost all the students went home for Christmas -- for the domestic students it was easy to travel, and most of the international students were wealthy enough that the cost didn't matter to them. I came from a middle class background and flying back to Canada would have been a significant cost (especially since my scholarship came with a living allowance which was only paid while I was in the UK…

[dead]

It does, doesn't it? This might say something about English authors -- a lot of them went to Oxford or other places heavily inspired by Oxford.

Re: Merry Christmas Everyone

#319

Post by samatman » Wed, Dec 25, 2024, 7:18 PM UTC

bowmessage wrote: post #219

i_am_a_peasant wrote: post #207

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m Jewish too. But I’ve always been around people who celebrate Christmas. I don’t bother lighting the Menorah for Hanukkah this year since I live alone. I got half a mind to go to the local temple and sit with strangers there but I don’t really feel like it. Treating myself to some McDonalds a la uber eats today. I never eat the stuff.

Please don’t poison yourself with that chemical food!

All food is chemical food. That's why we eat it, for the chemical energy.

Re: Merry Christmas Everyone

#320

Post by ddingus » Wed, Dec 25, 2024, 7:18 PM UTC

Merry Christmas!

Thank all of you for being here and for the most part, being real.

We are a fundamentally good crowd.

Be nice to one another please. It counts in this world. A world where guilty pleasures like this one we share are seemingly on the way out, back filled with soulless places nobody really cares about.