Christmas is Saudi Arabia is not necessarily illegal, but quite frankly feels like it.  They cannot sell anything related to Christmas in the shops, even as a foreigner, for fear of being shut down or even perhaps burnt down.  Is it Intolerance, maybe, or just behind?.Give them a few decades.  People in Jordan had trees up and wished up a Merry Christmas. But it seems even in the States a touchy issue to say,’ Merry Christmas’ because you could be Jewish, Atheist, Agnostic…and it is just unacceptable, to many Scrooges around.

I need to mention that I was very disappointed about not being about to construct our own Christmas tree. I tried to make a tree and had several ideas but none of them would work.  One day at work Spencer sent me a text telling me he had a surprise for me when I got home.  I was so excited, I guess what he had done. When I got home, I went into the TV/Living room to find Spencer had bought and decorated a tree, with a skirt and everything.  He made my day!  I have such a great husband.

I was lucky enough to be on the schedule which gave me Christmas Eve and Day off, but in turn I worked New Year’s Eve and Day.  Even so I was never a huge fan of New Year’s Eve, mainly just another reason for people to party and get exceptionally drunk. 

Spencer and I have some friends with 5 children whom invited us, a few single sisters, and a Taiwanese woman with her kids to their house on Christmas Eve.  Celebrating is always better with children, and it wasn’t quite as hard being away from our families, and yet that also has something to do with the fact that Spencer is my family and having him is really all that I need. 

I spent the day cooking up a storm, I even prepared our dishes for the next day so I wouldn’t have to be in the kitchen cooking on Christmas.  I made French bread, Yummy Potatoes, Vegetable Pot Pie, Cranberry Apple Braid, Corn Squash & Sweet Potato Chowder, and a Lentil Sheppard’s Pie.  Yes, I was overwhelmed. But since Spencer doesn’t eat meat I wanted him to have something to eat.  We also bought Ben & Jerry’s, and the Traditional Christmas  ***.  (If you think about it for a few minutes you may figure out what *** is)

We headed over to the Wacaser’s mid-day, with a loaded SUV.  It was a nice day playing games, chatting, piecing, and finally enjoying the big dinner feast.  We later acted out the Nativity, with only one girl it was easy who would be Mary, there was no fighting over that. We had Shepherd’s and Wise Men dressed in Thobes, and Mary in an Abaya.  It was quite a scene. 

One thing I was touched by and I like this tradition that the Wacaser’s shared with us is gift giving.  Brent talked about one of the reasons we give gifts to one another is because the Wise Men brought gifts to Jesus, and they had a little something for all of us there.  It was very thoughtful and thought provoking, I just never thought about a good and spiritual reason that gifts were passed about but that is a good way of teaching Children.  The girls got lotion and chocolate, and the boys got nerf guns, which a nerf fight insued.