The Enid Blyton Society

I love giving presents as well. I remember when I was in Spain, me and my family used to go to an Oxfam shop, where we got each other small but valuable presents. The good thing about it was that apart from having a variety of stuff from other countries, you knew that your money was spent in a good cause. Otherwise I mostly get my mum and sister what they love the most..
Now I'm thinking what to get them for the Epiphany!!

Katharine wrote:

floragord wrote:We spread our gift-opening out over 2 days so aren't quite "there yet", ......! Onwards and upwards after lunch, this is tough but someone has to shoulder it

I hope you've managed to finish unwrapping your many presents by now.

Not a problem I have, although as I don't buy that many, it wouldn't seem fair if I got far more than I sent. One present less this year, as my husband and his brother agreed not to buy for each other any more. There were also a lot less presents under the tree this year as my two adult children really couldn't think of anything much they need/want so instead the tree held several envelops with their names on, containing money. Still we had fun opening the gifts that we were lucky enough to receive.

I got a milk frother, which I'm hoping to try out a bit later.

No!!, still going, we got diverted by going up to the Preselli's today to frolic in the snow and stayed out to lunch, so there's another (final ) session scheduled for tonight . I agree it wouldn't be fair to get and not give, I'm absolutely unable to accept without reciprocating, but as you say huge fun opening what you get, we do so appreciate how immensely fortunate we are. Hope the milk frother is a big success, do you whip up lots of cappucinnos?

Machupicchu14 wrote:I love giving presents as well. I remember when I was in Spain, me and my family used to go to an Oxfam shop, where we got each other small but valuable presents. The good thing about it was that apart from having a variety of stuff from other countries, you knew that your money was spent in a good cause.

Sounds like the Oxfam shops in Spain are like our ones in Australia, then. They're fair trade gift shops with items from around the world, rather than mainly selling second hand goods as they do here in the UK. I like the UK Oxfam shops too, of course (especially the bookshops!), but I miss browsing through all the beautiful items at the Australian ones — I used to buy a lot of gifts for my family there too.

floragord wrote:Hope the milk frother is a big success, do you whip up lots of cappucinnos?

It worked very well thank you. Might have been slightly better if I'd warmed the milk as it suggested, but our microwave stopped working a week or two ago, and I couldn't be bothered to heat it up in the saucepan as it was such a small amount.

Machupicchu14 wrote: Now I'm thinking what to get them for the Epiphany!!

A) What exactly is that? I'm rather ignorant about all that since I dislike the concept of religion.
B) Goodness Gracious, I barely managed to think of Christmas gifts in time for Christmas, however do you do it, Maria Esther? Kudos.

Ok don't worry. I'll explain
A)
The Twelfth Night (Epiphany) also marks a visit to the baby Jesus by three Kings, or Wise Men. The word 'Epiphany' comes from Greek and means to show, referring to Jesus being revealed to the world.

In the West, Christians began celebrating the Epiphany in the 4th century, associating it with the visit of the Wise Men to Jesus.

According to the Gospel of Matthew, the men found Jesus by following a star across the desert to Bethlehem.

The three men - named Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar - followed the star of Bethlehem to meet the baby Jesus. According to Matthew 2:11, they offered symbolic gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

The gifts were symbolic of the importance of Jesus' birth, the gold representing his royal standing; frankincense his divine birth; and myrrh his mortality.

And in Spain it's a typical celebration. There's a parade in Spain of the wise men which happens on the 5th and on the 6th we receive presents.

B) Well, I've done it for many years so...

The custom in England on Twelfth Night (Epiphany/Day of the Three Kings) is to eat a special cake that has a coin somewhere in it. Whoever gets the piece of cake with the coin is declared the Twelfth Night King (or Queen).

That at least was what we did in my family. I have heard that in other families the custom of a cake with a coin in it took place on Christmas.

I've heard of that custom, but we never observed it. Mostly we just took the decorations down before midnight!

I've never heard of it either, isn't a coin traditionally meant to go in the Christmas pudding? Twelfth Night is when the tree and decorations are meant to come down as it's bad luck to keep them up any longer.

"Heilige drei Könige" (January 6th, "Holy three kings") is in Catholic dominated federal states of Germany a Holiday.

Sorry if I offend anyone, but so much fuss over a baby omg. Now, if Jesus had been a puppy, I might've understood...

It is who the baby grew up to be that matters to millions of people, Sunskriti.

This baby grew up to be a man whose moral and ethical teachings are an important foundation of Western civilization.

Even though most Western countries don't follow them!