[Šneček]

NATIONALITY: Czech
FESTIVE DINNER DATE AND SPECIFICATION (in case you also have a traditional lunch add this): The evening of 24th December, mushroom soup, schnitzel (or fish fillets) with potato salad (from potatoes, carrot, onion, pickled cucumbers, boiled eggs, mayonnaise, mustard, pepper, salt) (carp is more traditional, but due to the amount of small bones, some people substitute it with schnitzels, fish fillets or a wine sausage)
XMAS CANDY SPECIFICATION:
-linzer dough shaped with a small round bowl, filled with walnut filling, with sour cherry, drizzled with chocolate and decorated with half a walnut
-linzer dough shaped with a small round bowl, filled with caramel, drizzled with chocolate and decorated with grated coconut
-patties from candied fruit and nuts
-rounds (or other shapes), cut out from linzer dough, joined with marmalade after baking
-crescent-shaped rolls made from a dough of plain flour, powdered sugar, ground walnuts, butter and egg yolks, then coated in a mixture of icing sugar and vanilla sugar (coated immediately after baking)
-braided bread
-fruit cake
-Stollen
XMAS CUSTOMS:
-paper nativity scene with Baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, donkey, ox, flock of sheep and Three Kings (Caspar, Melchior, Balthazar) placed under the tree
-Midnight Mass in churches on 25 December
-slicing an apple in half - if the core is shaped like a star, you will be healthy and happy next year, if it is not, you have a big problem
-all-day diet on December 24 until the evening hours. Those who can stand it will reportedly see the Golden Piglet
-hanging mistletoe on the chandelier
-baking gingerbreads of different shapes, decorated by spraying thin lines of egg white glaze in different shapes on the gingerbread (people who don't consume them immediately, let them harden and hang them on the tree as part of the decoration)
-launching "boats" with a lit candle on the water, (boats are made of walnut shells, the number of boats corresponds to the number of family members. If one of them goes away, the one to whom the boat belongs goes out into the world. If they stay together, the family will be together.)
-On Christmas Eve, a carp scale is placed under the plate at dinner. The fish scale is supposed to bring money and abundance. Subsequently, the scale from the Christmas carp should be carried in the wallet for plenty of money in the coming year.
-lighting sparklers and hanging them on washing lines on the balcony
DATE&DAYTIME OF GIVING GIFTS: After dinner on December 24, it is customary to lure the children out of the tree room so that presents can be placed under the tree. When it is done, a bell is rung to signal that the children can come in.
WHO DOES YOUR NATION BELIEVE IN? (="person" bearing gifts): Ježíšek (Little Jesus) (-has no concrete form)
AN ARTIFICIAL OR A LIVE TREE? (+any particular favoured species of live tree?): we own an artificial one, which we used to use a lot, but lately we "regularly" buy smaller live fir (it last the longest)
DO YOU VISIT ANY CHRISTMAS EVENTS OR MARKETS?: I visit the Christmas stalls in the square. Most often I buy a Christmas punch, hot mulled wine or a spit cake at the stall. (spit cake is a yeast dough wound on an iron rod, sprinkled with sugar with other ingredients according to type (vanilla, cocoa, nut or cinnamon)). On New Year's day I also go to the square to taste some soup at the stall.


It is possible that the candy section is not described in much detail, but I am not very familiar with the other types of candy.

((Among the other things I almost can't imagine Christmas without is the great Grinch movie starring Jim Carrey.) (-if I leave out other Christmas "classics" both Czech and foreign))

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Please try to keep to the point and not create a second main discussion in ↑THIS↑ main discussion. It could end badly.

[Hank]

NATIONALITY:
Dual Canadian / US
FESTIVE DINNER DATE AND SPECIFICATION:
We’ll get a turkey with mash potatoes, pees and carrots, and Cheery Cheesecake as desert; usually late in the afternoon on the 25th.
XMAS CANDY SPECIFICATION:
Bethmännchen, Germany cookies.
Sablé Breton, French cookies.
XMAS CUSTOMS:
None, really. We just do what we like. Christmas tree and lighting around the little shack we have, no more.
DATE&DAYTIME OF GIVING GIFTS:
All we do, drop an envelope to families in dire straights. And this year, you didn’t need to look very deep. This is done at least week before, so no one catches us.
WHO DOES YOUR NATION BELIEVE IN? (="person" bearing gifts):
Difficult to answer. North America has many beliefs. My closest friends are Catholic and believe in Jesus as part of the Holy Trinity.
AN ARTIFICIAL OR A LIVE TREE?:
It’s artificial.

Movies not really, but if it is snowing, nothing more relaxing than listing to Bach while the snow is falling silently, making everything clean.

[Aleks]

Nice topic. I've got many customs/foods very similar to Šneček since I'm just north across the border from him. I gotta say I really like Christmas, always brings the family together and ever since childhood, I have nothing but very fond memories of it

NATIONALITY: Polish
FESTIVE DINNER DATE AND SPECIFICATION: 24th December, we usually start around 16:00 ("when the first star shows at the sky"). There is a tradition that there should be 12 dishes, but it's difficult and quite inconvenient to keep, unless you count everything as a dish of its own. We have red borsch (which is a traditional regional soup from beetroots) with small mushroom dumplings. Then cabbage dumplings, which I never eat because I don't like them. Then carp (has to be the carp, it's eaten once a year and it's pretty damn tasty fish, although yeah the bones are a bitch) with bread and some salad. There's also something called "kutia" which my mom made a few times, it's more of an eastern dessert which is basically assorted delicacies with honey, but it's too sweet for my taste. And then there's also prune juice (a true warrior's drink!).
XMAS CANDY SPECIFICATION: My mom usually makes more cakes than anyone sane can eat, anyway the true traditional ones for Christmas are gingerbread cookies with raisins, almonds and walnuts, which she makes pretty spectacular and which are consumed in great numbers. Also similar cookies made from linzer dough.
XMAS CUSTOMS: Sharing a wafer between the family members before the dinner while exchanging wishes. There's also a lot of similar stuff to what Šneček mentioned, like the "model" nativity scene or fasting during the 24th before the dinner (I usually do it for convenience, so I can get stuffed with the good stuff later on).
DATE&DAYTIME OF GIVING GIFTS: For me it's always been right after the dinner - we put them under the tree before the Christmas Eve dinner and then someone gives them out after everyone finishes eating (and my parents are done singing Christmas carols).
WHO DOES YOUR NATION BELIEVE IN? It's mostly catholic here, personally I don't give a shit
AN ARTIFICIAL OR A LIVE TREE? Pretty much the same as Šneček here - we've usually had an artificial one, but lately we're sometimes buying a small live one. This year's gonna be artificial I guess. I always decorate the tree myself, don't think I've ever skipped a year for the past 30 years or so. Probably gonna do it one day before the Christmas Eve, on 23rd. And it has to be as kitsch as possible, so no single colour decorations, just pure randomness. We've got some pretty neat vintage decorations that are probably like 50-60 years old too, that my parents used to have when they were kids.
DO YOU VISIT ANY CHRISTMAS EVENTS OR MARKETS?: We usually have quite a large market on the town square here, but I hate it since it usually smells so heavily of old cooking fats and artificial sweets that it's unbearable.

[Šneček]

Messrs, I'm not sure if you have interpreted the section "WHO DOES YOUR NATION BELIEVE IN?" in the right way - I don't want to draw out whether you believe in God or are atheists, but the topic was meant to be whether your children get presents from Santa Claus, St. Nicholas, some bearded old man or witch, or perhaps various "animals" Anyway, I'm glad for your interest in getting involved in this topic!

[brullov]

Nationality: Ukraine

Festive dinner date and specification: It used to be the 6th of January, maybe changed to the common 24th of Dec now. We visit our relatives, sow seeds, and sing Christmas songs. There are traditional dishes, however, people make their own special dishes.

Candy specification: None. Depends on my mom's mood. She can make a cheesecake or cookies.

Customs: We receive money for sowing seeds and singing the songs mentioned above. Some people (especially children) try to earn money that way, by visiting everybody in town. Very annoying!

Date of giving the gifts: We do not get gifts for Christmas. We do that for the New Year.

Who do we get presents from? Used to get it from "Did Moroz" (translates as "Blizzard Grandpa", "Did/Didus" is "Grandpa" and "Moroz" is "Blizzard", we just put words in another way), but it's a soviet name so I think it will be changed soon.

An artificial or live tree? I love artificial more, cause it looks better. The only minus is that it lacks the smell, so I may buy a live branch, just for the smell of pine needles.

Do you visit Christmas events or markets? My family did not cause in my childhood I've never seen such. We only had the main pine tree in the city center where you could go for New Year's eve. Never did, a lot of drunk and noisy people.

P.S. Just want to add that we mostly celebrate the New Year as you do for Christmas. Our Christmas is a more religious holiday.

[LakiSoft]

Nationality: Serbia

Date: 6th January for Christmas Eve, a day when we are prohibited to eat animal-based food and products (except the fish), 7th January for Christmas as we in Serbia use old Julian Calendar.



Customs: We have tradition of Badnje Veče and Položajnik. First one happens during Christmas Eve, where we put a decorated plant based artifact called Badnjak at the kitchen or house entrance door (from inside of course)

Next day on 7th January we extract one leaf from the Badnjak and put in fire as for good luck for Health, Happyness and Money and to pay a respect to Our Dear Lord Jesus Christ that day and his birthday. Položajnik is usually same thing, but it's only called like that in case when you to your relatives house to do same thing there too. In my case, i usually go to my Grandmother as a Položajnik myself.


We also get gifts for New Year Only and not Christmas.

New Year Gifts are usually credited to Deda Mraz ("Old man Freeze/Winter" or "Grandpa Freeze/Winter", i don't know how to translate to English correctly)

We use Artificial New Year Tree.

Just like @Brullov already mentioned, Christmas in Ukraine is very similar to one in Serbia and Russia and it's a more religious holiday. And there is many similarities of what @Brullov said about Ukraine with what is going on in Serbia during Christmas Time. Hope i answered everything needed.

Some markets and stores do work during Christmas Day some do not. It depends.

[Šneček]

LakiSoft, on 19 December 2022 - 07:53 AM, said:

Nationality: Serbia

Date: 6th January for Christmas Eve, a day when we are prohibited to eat animal-based food and products (except the fish), 7th January for Christmas as we in Serbia use old Julian Calendar.



Customs: We have tradition of Badnje Veče and Položajnik. First one happens during Christmas Eve, where we put a decorated plant based artifact called Badnjak at the kitchen or house entrance door (from inside of course)

Next day on 7th January we extract one leaf from the Badnjak and put in fire as for good luck for Health, Happyness and Money and to pay a respect to Our Dear Lord Jesus Christ that day and his birthday. Položajnik is usually same thing, but it's only called like that in case when you to your relatives house to do same thing there too. In my case, i usually go to my Grandmother as a Položajnik myself.


We also get gifts for New Year Only and not Christmas.

New Year Gifts are usually credited to Deda Mraz ("Old man Freeze/Winter" or "Grandpa Freeze/Winter", i don't know how to translate to English correctly)

We use Artificial New Year Tree.

Just like @Brullov already mentioned, Christmas in Ukraine is very similar to one in Serbia and Russia and it's a more religious holiday. And there is many similarities of what @Brullov said about Ukraine with what is going on in Serbia during Christmas Time. Hope i answered everything needed.

Some markets and stores do work during Christmas Day some do not. It depends.

no characteristic sweets/pastry?

[LakiSoft]

Šneček, on 19 December 2022 - 08:15 AM, said:

no characteristic sweets/pastry?

AFAIK There aren't any. At least i never got any as a kid Neither other kids did. I think all present types (sweets included) are mostly gifted during New Year Time here.

[Hank]

Šneček, on 19 December 2022 - 07:03 AM, said:

Messrs, I'm not sure if you have interpreted the section "WHO DOES YOUR NATION BELIEVE IN?" in the right way - I don't want to draw out whether you believe in God or are atheists, but the topic was meant to be whether your children get presents from Santa Claus, St. Nicholas, some bearded old man or witch, or perhaps various "animals" Anyway, I'm glad for your interest in getting involved in this topic!

Oops.
Children here, get their presents from Santa Claus, on the 25th December.
Yet, it is a free country, and everyone does what fits within their own heritage.

[Aleks]

Šneček, on 19 December 2022 - 07:03 AM, said:

Messrs, I'm not sure if you have interpreted the section "WHO DOES YOUR NATION BELIEVE IN?" in the right way - I don't want to draw out whether you believe in God or are atheists, but the topic was meant to be whether your children get presents from Santa Claus, St. Nicholas, some bearded old man or witch, or perhaps various "animals" Anyway, I'm glad for your interest in getting involved in this topic!

Hahaha, that was my first thought, but then I read Hank's post and looked at what your question exactly was, so... We have generally the good old Coca-Cola-branded Santa Claus in here, but - at least when I was a kid - he was giving presents on the 6th December, then on 24th we'd get another presents for the Christmas Eve - usually for most kids one of these being just some random sweets and the other being proper larger gifts. In my family, we usually gave the "larger" gifts on the Christmas Eve, always seemed more appropriate for me as well, since there was more time to enjoy them. Now I'm usually giving gifts to e.g. my godkid and his brother "from Santa Claus", so on 6th December.

Also we used to have "Dziadek Mróz" which Brullov and LakiSoft already mentioned, I'd translate the name to "Grandpa Frost". IIRC it was a soviet response for the Coca-Cola Santa Claus and so was popularized over the whole eastern block.

Can relate to what Brullov said about the kids going door to door singing carols around the Christmas, it happens here as well - for me it's usually like "shhhh the kids are at the door, do not open to these little pests!"

And as for the TV tradition, here the main Christmas movie is "Home Alone" with Macaulay Culkin, it's on TV multiple times during the Christmas break, usually on various channels.

[Šneček]

Aleks, on 19 December 2022 - 11:07 AM, said:

Hahaha, that was my first thought, but then I read Hank's post and looked at what your question exactly was, so... We have generally the good old Coca-Cola-branded Santa Claus in here, but - at least when I was a kid - he was giving presents on the 6th December, then on 24th we'd get another presents for the Christmas Eve - usually for most kids one of these being just some random sweets and the other being proper larger gifts. In my family, we usually gave the "larger" gifts on the Christmas Eve, always seemed more appropriate for me as well, since there was more time to enjoy them. Now I'm usually giving gifts to e.g. my godkid and his brother "from Santa Claus", so on 6th December.

Also we used to have "Dziadek Mróz" which Brullov and LakiSoft already mentioned, I'd translate the name to "Grandpa Frost". IIRC it was a soviet response for the Coca-Cola Santa Claus and so was popularized over the whole eastern block.

Can relate to what Brullov said about the kids going door to door singing carols around the Christmas, it happens here as well - for me it's usually like "shhhh the kids are at the door, do not open to these little pests!"

And as for the TV tradition, here the main Christmas movie is "Home Alone" with Macaulay Culkin, it's on TV multiple times during the Christmas break, usually on various channels.

Yeah, there's also a Home Alone with Culkin series every Christmas. Also on the Christmas programme every Christmas is our film Pelíšky, which is about how two feuding neighbouring families (one with a communist father and one with a father who is an opponent of the regime) celebrate Christmas in the Czech communist era. (if I don't count the fairy tales)

[Fantinaikos]

Nationality
Italy.

General customs
Simply spend the day as you want and then eat with family, friends or relatives and then exchange each other gifts.

On the religious point, happens the basic stuff you would expect: Church mass, Christmas chants, Pope talking from balcony... The only true point of contact between the church and the folklore of Babbo Natale (Santa Claus) would be, like in other countries, is to associate him with the bishop San Nicola. Even though people usually does not did it that much, he's basically the "Old magic guy with the sled who bring gifts to everyone good and coal to those who have been bad".

Speaking of the little traditions few are truly unified, they are manifold, going from pagan to christian, and change from region to region. The origin of a bunch of them might raise some eyebrows.

But among those celebrated by almost everyone there is the very last trawl of Christmas after the New Year's Eve: The Epiphany of the 5th and 6th Janury, where a good witch with a sack full of toys and a flying broom, the Befana, does the same things as Santa to a lesser extent. Not casually in many versions is indicated as the Santa's wife or at least a close relative of his. If you've been bad, you may find garlic with the charcoal.

Artificial or live tree?
Definitely synthetic, the big tree chosen/previosly planted in the square by the local municipality, if there is, it's probably the only authentic one. Can be accompanied with a Christmas crib of the nativity.

Festivities
Could start with the dinner of the 24th eve and continue the 25h with the Christmas lunch or being focused mainly on the 25th. Generally you open/receive gifts only the 25th and the following days until New Year's Eve.

Launch and Dinner
Mixing a little between North, Center and South:

-Rind with Lentils, Veal with with tuna sauce, Baked Roe Deer or Lamb, Stuffed Capon, various cold cuts.

-Clams, Mussels, Shrimp, Prawns, Scallops, Octopus. With lemon juice and sauces or in rice or in short/long pasta.

-Fish based appetizers and dishes where the mostly used are Salmon and Sea Bream. Sometimes even raw.

-Roasted Eel with bay leaf.

-Bottarga Roe.

-Broccoli, Cardoon Soup, Russian Salad, Potatoes Parmigiana (a winter variant of the eggplant one), Sautéed Mushrooms, Fried Artichokes.

-Ravioli/Tortellini with or without broth and Lasagnas of various kinds.

-Fruits and Dried Fruit, various themed pastries, Panettone, Pandoro, Hazelnuts or Almonds Nougat, Apple Strudel, Alcolic/Analcolic Eggnog, Panforte, Struffoli, Vin brulé (mulled wine). Sometimes a Yule log cake (bûche de Noël) despite is more a french thing.

-"And pizza?" Not really Christmas related, but can totally be in the menu. It won't be one of the first meals served however. Most likely at New Year's Eve launch/dinner

[Morpheus Kitami]

Nationality: American
FESTIVE DINNER DATE AND SPECIFICATION: The evening of the 25th. A lovely dish of lamb or duck, along with cheesy mashed potatoes and some sort of vegetable. For desert, it depends, its been everything from fruitcake to cheesecake and some kind of regular cake. One year I tried making a fruitcake cheesecake, and I don't really remember how it went.
XMAS CANDY SPECIFICATION:
Well, since you mentioned cookies rather than candy, I'll go with that, since candy at Christmas time is more or less candy at any other time, except there are some more mint flavored things around.
Jam cookies, the filled kind and the kind where the jam is in a little hole in the center.
Plain cut sugar cookies, where they're all cut into various Christmas shapes like Santa, stars, and so forth. Usually covered with frosting or other things. Less these days after one year when one year things got really out of hand with coverings.
Round chocolate ball cookies, covered in powdered sugar, kind of like a donut hole except baked.
XMAS CUSTOMS:
Does sending our loved ones Christmas cards count?
DATE&DAYTIME OF GIVING GIFTS:
Maybe one present on Christmas Eve, but otherwise you shan't be opening anything until Christmas.
WHO DOES YOUR NATION BELIEVE IN?:
Santa Claus, though I guess believe is a strong word.
AN ARTIFICIAL OR A LIVE TREE?:
Artificial, because we like keeping the same tree for a while. And I wouldn't know where to begin with caring for a real one.
DO YOU VISIT ANY CHRISTMAS EVENTS OR MARKETS?:
I don't think there are many around here beyond a generic lighting of the tree event, and not something anyone in my family has had much desire to go see. Its usually to cold for us to feel all that comfortable outside for any length of time too.

[Šneček]

Topic related: I attended a workshop at town library 4 days ago, we learned how to make candles from bee´s wax and now i have my gift for momma prepared. In addition it cost me nothing and I finally created something myself. I was initially afraid of my own clumsiness, but it turned out well with a little help from the manageress and it wasn't even difficult.
(I originally thought about a carnivorous flower as an original gift, we don't have one yet. Now no longer needed.)
(I was thinking between The Post Thread, but why not mention it directly in this own special discussion)
P. S. You can't see it in the picture, but it also has a wick, but maybe it shouldn't be a wick, but rather a string for hanging. Hard to say. As for some of the mess in the photos, I note that it was photographed at the place of production.

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[jkas789]

NATIONALITY: Mexican
FESTIVE DINNER DATE AND SPECIFICATION: We usually prepare either a roasted turkey or duck. With we I really mean my dad because I can't cook shit however I do help to prepare the ingredients.
XMAS CANDY SPECIFICATION:

• Cherry pie
  
• Some cake my sister bakes
  
• Caramelized nuts
  
• Root beer (does it count?)
  
• champurrado
  
• bacanora ( i mean it's sweet)

XMAS CUSTOMS:

• Go to mass on the 25th
  
• Porcelain nativity scene
  
• We put up a lot of christmas decorations (not sure if this will happen this year because we all have been pretty busy)
  
• The day of the 24th is basically spent cooking the dinner
  
• Make champurrado
  
• Pass quality time with family and hosting guests. This does not mean that we celebrate the 24th outside of home or make a party. This is pretty much a personal family celebration. At most we have our grandparents grand uncles or a priest dine with us.
  
• We (me and my dad + some guests, Father Sergio likes himself a shot of chartreuse) do drink some delicious high end bacanora and other liquors. Not to the point of getting drunk though.

DATE&DAYTIME OF GIVING GIFTS: Presents are opened after the dinner of the 24th or in the morning of the 25th
WHO DOES YOUR NATION BELIEVE IN?: Santa. We also celebrate the 3 wizards/sages coming to see Jesus by making it a gift giving day but that is later in January.
AN ARTIFICIAL OR A LIVE TREE?: We have an artificial one. We like live trees better but we live in the middle of a fucking desert and outside from the cold mountain regions of my state getting a pine tree at a reasonable price is practically impossible. We sometimes go cut a live mezquite tree.
DO YOU VISIT ANY CHRISTMAS EVENTS OR MARKETS?: Nah

[Mark]

In the past my family did most of the usual US customs for meals, gifts, church, party with relatives afterwards etc. Lots of great times and memories. But as the years went by parents are gone, brothers and friends started their own families, moved out of town or out of state. Lost contact with relatives as we all got old and live quieter lives. So its just a quiet night with my cat. No decorations on the house. I'll heat up a smoked pork steak, mashed potatoes and peas, cranberry sauce. Cookies and milk for dessert. I listen to rebroadcasts of "Its a wonderful life" "A christmas carol" and "A miracle on 34th street from the 30's and 40's on one of my antique radios from the same era. Give thanks for what I have and crawl into bed. Sounds boring compared to the old days but I'm fine with it. No wallowing in loneliness or depression.

[Šneček]

Mark, on 06 December 2023 - 10:05 AM, said:

No wallowing in loneliness or depression.

So at least you´re taking it cheerfully, that´s important:)

[Šneček]

I´m sad. I've probably ruined my own mood for the rest of the evening and feel the need to relieve myself with a confession. It'll be hidden in a spoiler, so don't go there anyone who doesn't care about other people's problems.

Spoiler

Today I went to the library to see the Christmas gingerbread decorating event, of course with the intention of participating in the event in person. It later turned out that this was a very bad idea. The gingerbreads are decorated with egg white glaze, which is sprayed with a smaller special transparent cone shaped plastic bag with very thin peak. After all, I had a good reason to participate, given my training in confectionery in my secondary school, especially since I excelled in exactly this activity and received some occassional recognition in this activity from the master teacher. Beforehand, I took a photo of decorated gingerbreads from the webpages for inspiration, because I always have problems coming up with motifs myself. I arrived early, exactly at the appointed time when the event was supposed to start, and found that there was almost no one in the smaller room where the event was taking place, except for its "organizer", who was already decorating the gingerbread. It should be noted that this was a "creative workshop" which was not run by an elderly confectioner, but on the contrary by a graduate of the art department of a basic art school. The very fact that it's hosted by an attractive "female peer in my age category" I realized after a while of stomping around the open doors of the workshop that this would be one of the main reasons why I couldn't bring myself to step inside. However, I still had a chance to take courage at that moment, because I knew that the moment other interested people started to appear there in larger numbers = more people, I wouldn't be able to do it at all. The young director of the library, who spent a few moments fixing a broken fluorescent lamp in the room in question, bringing in more chairs for potential event visitors and constantly walking along the corridor, asked me directly after a while if she could help me with something. I flat out told her that I just couldn't decide whether to enter the room and she just laughed. After about half an hour of walking around the place and constantly corresponding with my mother, to whom I revealed my problem, that I could not bring myself to participate in the event, exactly what happened that destroyed all my hopes for a better and more interesting evening, thus, more people were coming to the workshop, again exclusively in my age category, which was much more stressful for me than if seniors or some mothers with their children wanted to decorate gingerbread. I was starting to feel more and more awkward there, partly because I had to look really weird when the door was open and "the staff inside" could see me, partly because the young girl who was organizing it would occasionally come out in the corridor and speaked to her girlfriend if she doesn't know me. The only thing i managed to ask her was if people could take the decorated gingerbreads home. After another hour, I knew all was lost, as the number of people interested in decorating was slowly increasing, the time allotted for the event was definitely dwindling (or the amount of undecorated gingerbread could certainly be decreasing), and all attempts to gain the bravery to enter the room with people via sms messages with my mother that I have a problem with the entrance certainly did not appear to be effective.

I have always had a terrible phobia of people. As I get older, I start to feel more and more sadness, anger and frustration with my own person, with my own inability not only to establish any contact with the opposite sex, but also with the situation described above, when due to some indescribable inhibitions of psychological origin, I simply cannot participate in an event that would attracted me, ONLY BASED ON THE FACT that there was either a large number of people in the place, or a single person of the opposite sex of a same age as me. They are what cause me indescribable stress. I'm sure that my own inability to communicate with a stranger girl (or group of people) will never change my very boring life as a loner. I am not and cannot be normal. I was diagnosed with autism. Perhaps my social isolation of the highest caliber will stem from the diagnosis, which will always ruin my life energy. I'm afraid that as I get older, I could start to begin my depressive states, in which I don't feel like doing any of my favorite activities, to solve with alcohol or some calming medications. I'm sorry for pouring my heart out on an anonymous discussion, maybe the certain anonymity and distance of our regions gives me the courage to go out with it. I read that an honest confession can supposedly ease the soul. So, I´ll see.

[Šneček]

Merry Christmas (I had too much free time)

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[jkas789]

MERRY CHRISTMAS!