On the radio i heard the US secretary of state for Agriculture say that she would be having Beef for christmas dinner, well that is weird to me as it is always Turkey in Britain, never have i known anyone to eat anything else.

So was it a publicity thing to convince the public that US beef is okay to eat after the BSE case or do you eat Beef or another meat as that is just abnormal for me.

I usually have chinese food :)

The US secretary of state for Agriculture probably owns a cattle ranch somewhere.

There has been several reports of madcow in the US over the last 10+ years. Rarely do they ever reach the general public because the US government pretty much controls the news media. Whenever a tiny bit of madcow is found in any other country, the US makes a big deal about it. But when its on its own soil, they hide it as fast as possible. Remember not to long ago the US news made a huge deal over the madcow found in canada?. The US stopped allowing canadian beef into the US for many months. It was always on the news. After some research we found out the cow was infected in the US. That was on CNN for about 2minutes and was never talked about again.

I would agree that it was publicity to convince the US people that the beef is fine. Usually people do eat Turkey on christmas. I don't think someone would go out the way to say they will eat beef on christmas. It just doesn't make much sense. It would be different if someone said they would eat Turkey and a bunch of turkey's were found with a disease.

RMF

Sounds like a beef promo. :)

Lots of folks do ham instead of turkey though.

I'm having ham AND turkey this year, had turkey last year...

Tomorrow's turkey day, xmas is ham day, fwiw...

-David

I'm gonna have a hamburgar or hotdog or maybe even nothing. Then again, I don't celebrate christmas and will be in the Bahamas.

Originally posted by RMF
There has been several reports of madcow in the US over the last 10+ years. Rarely do they ever reach the general public because the US government pretty much controls the news media. Whenever a tiny bit of madcow is found in any other country, the US makes a big deal about it. But when its on its own soil, they hide it as fast as possible. Remember not to long ago the US news made a huge deal over the madcow found in canada?. The US stopped allowing canadian beef into the US for many months. It was always on the news. After some research we found out the cow was infected in the US. That was on CNN for about 2minutes and was never talked about again.

I would agree that it was publicity to convince the US people that the beef is fine. Usually people do eat Turkey on christmas. I don't think someone would go out the way to say they will eat beef on christmas. It just doesn't make much sense. It would be different if someone said they would eat Turkey and a bunch of turkey's were found with a disease.

RMF

I've searched for both of your claims extensively, and I could not find anything on either. If it is true, do you know of somewhere that would back them?

My family has turkey at Thanksgiving.
For Christmas we have Prime rib of beef, Spirel ham, and turkey, buffet style.

We're having Turkey and Duck apparently this year.

I'm not in the states though, i'm in Canada

You see in the UK it is Turkey by default on Christmas Day with Christmas Pudding for dessert [i don't like christmas pudding but when it is on fire it does brighten up the last course :D], then on Boxing Day it is it is a kind of turkey buffet normally.

Xshare they go large as they say on the Bahamas at Christmas, on Boxing Day in Nassau you will have the Junkanoo Parade, supposed to be pretty good.

You don't really have Boxing Day in the states do you or am i wrong on that?

We do have Beef, in fact we are famous for it, it is a native English dish known as the Sunday Roast or Lunch [Roast Beef, Yourkshire Pudding, Roast Potatoes, veg, gravy, you know] also lamb is done with it but that stays as Sunday Lunch not to my knowledge ever on Christmas Day or Boxing Day.

lol... we eat everything :D

No we open our present's on XMAS not BD.

BoA, who doesn't open their presents on Christmas Day?

Oh RMF, if you are interested and this goes for anyone else in the BSE case in Washington State, you should probably take a look at this and pst here>> http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=219234&perpage=15&pagenumber=1

UK peeps ?
I thought people in the Uk open theres on the 26'th ?

Originally posted by BoA
UK peeps ?
I thought people in the Uk open theres on the 26'th ?
I'm not sure what gave you that impression, but it's very untrue. :laugh:

No, not at all, Christmas Morning or when the family arrives is when the presents are opened. Speaking from the UK i know that much, the 26th [more commonly known as Boxing Day] is a massive sporting day in modern times, Christmas Day and Boxind Day are de facto bank holidays, everyone has the day off pretty much unless you need to be there, businesses close down etc...

If you had some holiday leave you would take Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday off and that would be the whole week.

Christmas is our main holiday of the year where as i would guess that thanksgiving is the main one in the US.

I wouldn't like to guess how big "Canada Day isn't it" is in Canada compared to Christmas, IHSL since you are in Nova Scotia maybe you can explain that one...

We always have Turkey here.

And no, there's no Boxing Day in the States. I wish there were.

Canada Day is more like Indepedance day in the states, than a holiday per se.

I would liken Canada Day to Saint Patrick's day, only less alcohol, and less noise. :laugh:

and less noise.

ah, i'm not sure about less noisy though, i've heard that Canadians or at least in Montreal love their firework concerts with music and everything, quite a few each year and very popular.

St Patricks Day is what it is like then, ok; i wish we made a bigger deal out of St Georges day over here personally but we don't, atleast a bak holiday like how we have May Day as one, that one goes back centureies, oh well.

I wonder why the americans don't have Boxing Day, maybe that would be one holiday too far for the calendar.

Originally posted by Critic
ah, i'm not sure about less noisy though, i've heard that Canadians or at least in Montreal love their firework concerts with music and everything, quite a few each year and very popular.


That's very true.

The closest City to here, Halifax, has quite a nice display on Canada Day, and a few bands are brought in for entertainment, and the "Molson" is flowing rather rapidly too :laugh:

inogenius, As I said before "But when its on its own soil (USA), they hide it (news) as fast as possible."

I could take a look online, but I don't really have the time right now. Maybe I'll get around to it later.

RMF

Originally posted by RMF
inogenius, As I said before "But when its on its own soil (USA), they hide it (news) as fast as possible."

I could take a look online, but I don't really have the time right now. Maybe I'll get around to it later.

RMF

I was searching online. I searched through 27 pages of yahoo results to be exact. Yes, I was bored.

In Greece the tradition is to have lamb, although lately turkey pops its ugly head as well :D

Oh and "Christmas" presents are opened the night of New Year's Eve :D That's because by tradition St. Basil ("Santa") is celebrated on January 1st.

Originally posted by SoftWareRevue

Lots of folks do ham instead of turkey though.


DIRTY

pork :crazy:

timechange.com, lamb hmm well i like that but not on Christmas Day; it isn't unusual for countries in eastern parts of Europe and other countries to celebrate Christmas or open the presents on the 1st of January, i am pretty sure that it is the 6th of January in Russia or it might be the 1st, i'm 80% certain it is the 6th. That might have something to do with how the Greek Orthordox and Russian Orthordox church read into it.

GO TURKEY, :santa2:

For more info on why it's January 1st, read here:

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02330b.htm

timechange.com

The article was quite long but i've read it, so the 1st of January in the Orthordox church is the day of a feast to celebrate the memory of a pioneer of the Christian church in its infancy and sturggled against much hardship on the religious politcial scene for a better church.

I might not agree with his beliefs entirely but i have to admire his [St Basil] conviction. I wonder if anything remains of is original monestary at Pontis, doubtful unfortunately, i have a great interst in Greece but more the ancient/classical kind first and Byzantium second.

Understanding and knowledge is good :)

Roast beef with yorkshire puddings here. I think its just that my mum cant be bothered cooking a turkey.

Originally posted by Critic
Christmas is our main holiday of the year where as i would guess that thanksgiving is the main one in the US. Not at all. Christmas is certainly "bigger" than Thanksgiving in the US.

While turkey is the traditional Thanksgiving meal here (some people, of course, have other things), there seems to be much more divergence for the Christmas meal. Maybe just because the two are only a month apart -- people don't want to have the same meal for both holiday celebrations.

Turkey for us here, although of course traditionally in the UK it used to be Goose (Assuming you could afford it) or Chicken otherwise.

Originally posted by Critic
timechange.com

The article was quite long but i've read it, so the 1st of January in the Orthordox church is the day of a feast to celebrate the memory of a pioneer of the Christian church in its infancy and sturggled against much hardship on the religious politcial scene for a better church.

I might not agree with his beliefs entirely but i have to admire his [St Basil] conviction. I wonder if anything remains of is original monestary at Pontis, doubtful unfortunately, i have a great interst in Greece but more the ancient/classical kind first and Byzantium second.

Understanding and knowledge is good :)

Very good statement, that last one ;)

The monastery in Pontis is unfortunate that it won't be in place after one and a half millennia have passed, plus the area is now modern Turkey.

The reason why St. Basil is celebrated as "Santa" in Greece is that according to tradition, he returned to the people of Caesaria their jewelry that was taken away by the local governor as taxes (damn feudal system). Because he could not identify who'd get what and to be fair, he had small pies baked and stuffed a piece of jewelry in each. That's why to this day, we bake a large (cheese or cake) pie and put a coin inside. Then at the family dinner on New Year's Eve the pie is divided into pieces, naming them as follows: one for Jesus, Mother Mary, St. Basil, for the house, the father, mother etc. Whoever finds the coin in their piece will be the lucky person for the whole year :D In older times, when tradition was stronger and economy was different, the coin was made of gold, usually a gold Guinney!

I'll eat anything that tastes good. I don't follow any holiday traditions. Christmas and any hoiday is just another day for me. If McDonalds were open I'd have no problem eating there on christmas day or for thanksgiving, etc. It makes no difference to me if the desire hits me I'll eat whatever I'm craving regaurdless of the day..

Going back to the day that certain nations/groups open presents i have just heard that in France that they open theirs on Christmas Eve, now i'm sure i heard something about that before and they open them in the evening on the day to be more exact.

Turkey for us here, although of course traditionally in the UK it used to be Goose (Assuming you could afford it) or Chicken otherwise.

True but then Swan used to be quite a delicasy [Well I’ve heard that some immigrants were still eating it but that could just be a myth], how times change, Turkey is the tradition now.

The monastery in Pontis is unfortunate that it won't be in place after one and a half millennia have passed, plus the area is now modern Turkey.

I would say that the fact the site is now in modern Turkey and all of the border changes and skirmishes through time is more of a factor than decay through time. I'd like to think that if it [Pontis Monastery site] was still there that it would share the pull factor to Orthodox Christians that the Vatican provides for Roman Catholics.

There is a town called Sparta in the Laconian region of Greece which I plan to make many a pilgrimage to, just haven't found the time or money yet.

Prime Rib, Turkey and/or Ham are normally what's on the menu for Christmas Eve and Day!

I'm hoping for Ham today, I think I'll travel to my Uncles house tomorrow, they normally have Prime Rib.

(That is if my wife will let me)

:)

Originally posted by Critic


I would say that the fact the site is now in modern Turkey and all of the border changes and skirmishes through time is more of a factor than decay through time. I'd like to think that if it [Pontis Monastery site] was still there that it would share the pull factor to Orthodox Christians that the Vatican provides for Roman Catholics.

There is a town called Sparta in the Laconian region of Greece which I plan to make many a pilgrimage to, just haven't found the time or money yet.

Hagia Sophia (St. Sophia) in Istanbul (old Constantinople) still attracts several faithful each year, despite the fact that its former glory has been diminished by time, religious fanatism and pure neglect. It's now a museum since the late 50's, however there was a documentary made by a Turkish journalist depicting the neglect and decay of old Byzantine art and artifacts in the said museum.

Sparta (modern: Sparti) is indeed the ancient Laconian area where the Spartans lived and trained for war. It has picturesque (and rugged) terrain & beaches - not far from the city of Kalamata and its tasty olives :)

It's funny, but at school I always perceived military ruled Sparta to be the old USSR while the democratic Athens was the US. I am not so sure if that still stands nowadays ;)