That was us. Although, after Craig got tossed, there seemed to be less of this. It was probably because there were less people!. The numbers got so small that the big holiday get-togethers with Wayfer songs, etc. went by the way side. (No pun intended) Any "Holiday" function was likely to be some half-a**ed witnessing event.
Even with the goofy songs, etc, at least the holidays were still fun when I got in during the late 80s. We did gift exchanges, sang, had hot chocolate, etc. The final few parties were dull no one wanted to be there. We had "coffee houses", for example. It was supposed to be just a fun evening for "new people." The LC gets inspired to do yet another 90 minute (really) teaching. I would NEVER invite anyone to these lame parties that I didn't want to hate me on Monday.
Whoever said there was no observance of Christmas at HQ and the root locations, obviously never lived at one.
It was called Household Holiday and we were forced to endure one of the cruelest, inhumane experiences that twi every dreamed up:
THE HOLIDAY PARTY
Gawd it was awful, beginning with my first one in 1982 thru my last one in 1993, I was forced to dress up in a formal, get a date and then sit through the most ridiculous parties ever held.
We were tortured with songs such as SPEAK IN TONGUES, SPEAK IN TONGUES, DO IT EVERY DAY, sung to jingle bells, and occasionally events such as LCM doing his rendition of Tom Petty's I won't back down, while Debra Olthouse, Claudette Royal, etc swayed in the background, crooning "I won't back down."
One year, right after POP, John Kish was responsible for the holiday party and hq decorations. He did the entire thing in PEACH AND EMERALD decorations. Oh boy, was that weird.
I believe it was in 1987, I told one of Mrs. Wierwille's sons that he just HAD TO BEG HIS MOTHER TO CANCEL THE HOLIDAY PARTY. He looked at me and said "Then both of parents would be ....ed off at me!" Just a wry little joke about POP.
Radar
Jane Wilder----I see you in the blue box. What are your favorite Holiday party memories? What about you Exxie?
Mrs. Owens even mentions fondly the times at hq when they did celebrate Christmas like normal people. If you know Mrs. Owens you can tell that she didn't agree with the way they took all the fun out of it.
OMG - Radar, I was reading this thread trying to remember what it was exactly I hated about the "household holidays" at HQ, and you remembered. When did they start doing them?
I had to endure two of them in '82 and '83. The formal, the date, etc. And you really had to be there because Mrs. Weirwille kept tabs. Even though she was a nice lady, you didn't want her miffed at you. One year, I lied, and said I had a previous engagement and left H.Q that weekend and decided to visit my father in Columbus that weekend, where I hung out with some of my old high school pals.
The next year Dotsie personally asked me if I was going (she remembered I hadn't been there the year before), I said I had other plans but that year, that didn't cut it - she told me she wanted to see me there. Still desparate to get out of it, I told her I didn't have a date, they were all taken, I wasn't going alone - that would be humiliating. She told me I'd have a wonderful time, see you there. I had decided I would go visit my father and buddies again, but then one of my co-workers asked me to go, so I took it as a sign I should be there and avoid Mrs. Wierwille's anger.
The best thing about those parties was the trips to the punch bowl so you could get a nice buzz and "float" through the proceedings.
And how many New Years Eves did I spend in prayer or setting up and cleaning up when all I really wanted to do was go out!
New Years wasted too. :-( Rrr... Well, on the other hand, I probably shouldn't view time praying as wasted. When they passed out those prayers lists, I usually just held them in front of me and prayed for whatever I wanted anyway. I thought it was my time with God anyway.
My experience of Christmas in The Way (never in the Corps or on staff) was of a confusing mish-mosh of traditional observances and self-righteous "accuracy".
Most people I knew decorated trees, opened presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning and put up lights and other outside decorations. Some would get together with non-Way relatives.
On the other hand just saying the word "Christmas" would get you a lecture on how Christmas came from "Christ-mass"; the mass celebrates Christ's death (it doesn't) so therefore saying "Merry Christmas" was equivalent to rejoicing in death -->
We did the carolling with the stupid "accurate" lyrics as well, and I even wrote Way lyrics to a lot of the traditional carols myself :o-->
It was my observation that TWI couldn't make up it's collective mind what it wanted to do, they railed about the pagan origins of many Christmas traditions, yet celebrated them anyway.
And the name change to "Household Holiday" --> - other than the convenient abbreviation to "Ho Ho" - what was it about December 25th that made it a HOUSEHOLD holiday? -->
quote:Mrs. Owens even mentions fondly the times at hq when they did celebrate Christmas like normal people.
Well, (kaff kaff), them's were the days that were the days, by cracky! Peabody, the Wayback machine! Crank it up!
Back in the 70's, early on when corn was still corn and you could get one of the worst cup o' coffees on the planet at Adolf's, Christmas (the Holidays!) was kind of fun at the Way Nash. The Way Corps had vacations, think it was a week or two. We could go home for the holidays, or stay. We went home a couple times (once straight from 2 weeks at TFI in southern Cal, where we hopped on a Greyhound and went home a week early. Since we were already on the west coast it only made sense. No problem with that at the time).
The times we stayed were fun. Since a lot of people shipped out it was pretty casual around the grounds, small meal times, hanging out, getting to visit with staff people that you didn't normally get to spend time with. Do stuff, buzz around the area a little. One year we house-set for a staff couple that had a farm house. We stayed and did some stuff for them while they were gone. Had steak and crab for Christmas dinner, "California style" (although the crab wasn't fresh of course). Visited some folks. One year we had a dinner at our place for some local folks, around the holidays.
I remember going to one staff holiday party where huge, non-stop, massive amounts of beer were consumed, even by staffer levels. :D--> I'm not a beer drinker, I think it was Jack Daniels and cokes at my end of the couch. Great time. There were some really good people on staff over the years. Bob *, Bob Ed, Steve *, Mike *, Larry *, many many good folks.
Couple years there, Unc'a Harry dressed up as Santa Claus and did gifts for the kids. He filled that red suit out pretty well. Don't remember when he stopped doing that.
New Years were spent in the BRC if you were there. It was a "pray in the New Year" event. Early ones were kind of nice. We went out to the Way Woods after midnight where there was a big fire and hot chocolate and stuff. Everyone did the Way version of New Year's resolutions where we wrote down things we wanted to see happen in the next year, or do, or get over, "believe for", whatever. Then we tossed them in the fire, "gave them to God" symbolism. It was kind of neat. Not exactly party time but had some personal significance if you were in to it.
Well, that was when dogs were dogs and I was knee high to a knit. *kaff kawwwwgh* Gotta get along now li'l dawgeez. :D-->
Christmas time for twi was a mutated and deformed celebration. They took a perfectly good holiday and turned it into another way function. The mog that stole Christmas? Wierwille deserved a lump of coal in his stocking, Martinfail deserves a lump of coal somewhere else.
I feel sorry for the kids. Think of how much fun they missed out on and how hard it must be going to school and hearing all the excitement & buzz about the holidays, family time, presents & SANTA CLAUS coming. Even if they were told the truth they were envious of the kids who didn't and had so much fun believing in Santa.
I also feel sorry for the kids who had their belief in Santa ruined by some smart a$$ "I know more than you" TWIt setting them straight on the Santa lie.
Christmas is such a magical time and Martinfail took all the fun, emotion and love out of it. He made it clinical, sterile and boring.
I can't wait to put up the Christmas tree (phallic symbol) this weekend after Thanksgiving! There's going to be a big angel (debbil spurt) on the top and lots of presents (bribery) below. We're going to set up one of those manger scenes (more debbil spurts & wrongly divided Word) and play Christmas music (debbil spurt inspired music). Our favorite song is, "The Little Drummer Boy" (LCM's least favorite).
I'm going to hang mistletoe (full o' debbil spurts) in the kitchen doorway and make up a big vat of wassale (more than 2 glasses will let more debbil spurts in). The rug rat & I will bake and decorate cookies to look like stars (phallic symbol), Christmas trees (phallic symbols) and reindeer (animal worship).
Next weekend, the kiddo is going to have his picture taken with Santa Clause (big debbil spurt) and give his list to Santa (bribery, greed, lust).
My outside decorations are already up - nevermind the fact that it is raining like a "mother." The tree and decorations are in the garage.....and the pug had his picture taken with Santa last weekend.
I HEAR YA SISTER!!!!! Wish we could go to Starbucks together!!!
On Christmas day, I plan on showing up at twi hdqrts...I will be wearing a Santa costume and carrying a baseball bat. As I run into one building after another screaming "Merry Christmas you bastards", I will be smashing windows, chairs, tables, computers, and every other thing I see with the baseball bat. When they all watch me climb onto my sleigh...and then watch me and my reindeer take off into the night sky...they will finally believe.
Uncle Hairy -- as you leave, toss some red and green dye into the Fountain of Living Waters. Might help them get in the "spirit" of the season, eh? :)-->
lol, my first TWI xmas my wife and I told my mom we were telling the kids there was no santa and no one was getting presents. I think what she heard was, "I'm killing santa and burying his sack of goodies". not something you wanna tell a sacilian mother from new orleans. she set us straight, thanks mom.
In 1990 or 1991, I can't remember, maybe even '92, we were living in NC and one of Don Wierwille's daughters was WOW in our general vicinity. At Happy Household Holiday time Don, Wanda and Mrs. came to visit, and they had a big whoopdedoo for them at the BL's house (McFadden's I think). Now, I've been around a while, since 1973, so I'm a slightly familiar face but not name. So what do I do in this present day and age (early 90's) when Martinfail (I like that so much) has been ranting and raving and I think someone had even taught on the evils of the holidays the "world" celebrates, but march right up to Mrs. Wierwille and say "MERRY CHRISTMAS, MRS. WIERWILLE!" then clap my hands over my mouth, turn red as a beet, and try to mumble an apology. Mrs. Wierwille just busted out laughing, and said "Oh, that's okay, you can say that if you want to!"
I think she might have just enjoyed that, and not as a joke at my expense, either!
our last year in residence--- we started at Gunnison in Aug -- and finally limped (crawled) into HQs near the Christmas holidays.
Oh my God-- I was so thankful to be there! Gunnison had been HELL for us -------
At Hqs we shared a trailer with two couples from earlier corps ( Flemmings and Santines .. sorry about the spelling ..Its hard to remember.. THEY WERE WONDERFUL!!)
It was such a RELIEF to be ANWHERE other than Gunnison............ ANYWHERE!
IT was Christmas-- it snowed. It felt familiar. The Wierwilles-- and Allens-- it just felt so settled-- so comfortable....... I remember quite a few parties (oh hell-- they might just have been normal stuff-- after gunninson-- EVERYTHING felt like a party!) I remember lots of holiday food and gifts and.....
We then went home for Christmas-- that was nice.
ONe glitch was that to get back to Hqs we had to return all our Gifts from family for the money.
Hey WG--- I remember some nice Christmas's in SC. Actually-- I think I have a picture of Mr. and Mrs. WG in togas!!
Hairy, I volunteer to help with sleigh duty. I will be an elf (naughty variety). I can gift wrap the toilets with glad or saran wrap. When they try to catch me, I will blink my eyes and disappear.
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JustThinking
That was us. Although, after Craig got tossed, there seemed to be less of this. It was probably because there were less people!. The numbers got so small that the big holiday get-togethers with Wayfer songs, etc. went by the way side. (No pun intended) Any "Holiday" function was likely to be some half-a**ed witnessing event.
Even with the goofy songs, etc, at least the holidays were still fun when I got in during the late 80s. We did gift exchanges, sang, had hot chocolate, etc. The final few parties were dull no one wanted to be there. We had "coffee houses", for example. It was supposed to be just a fun evening for "new people." The LC gets inspired to do yet another 90 minute (really) teaching. I would NEVER invite anyone to these lame parties that I didn't want to hate me on Monday.
JT
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Ham
I think they tried to outlaw Christmas after receiving so many lumps of coal in the mail.
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Radar OReilly
Whoever said there was no observance of Christmas at HQ and the root locations, obviously never lived at one.
It was called Household Holiday and we were forced to endure one of the cruelest, inhumane experiences that twi every dreamed up:
THE HOLIDAY PARTY
Gawd it was awful, beginning with my first one in 1982 thru my last one in 1993, I was forced to dress up in a formal, get a date and then sit through the most ridiculous parties ever held.
We were tortured with songs such as SPEAK IN TONGUES, SPEAK IN TONGUES, DO IT EVERY DAY, sung to jingle bells, and occasionally events such as LCM doing his rendition of Tom Petty's I won't back down, while Debra Olthouse, Claudette Royal, etc swayed in the background, crooning "I won't back down."
One year, right after POP, John Kish was responsible for the holiday party and hq decorations. He did the entire thing in PEACH AND EMERALD decorations. Oh boy, was that weird.
I believe it was in 1987, I told one of Mrs. Wierwille's sons that he just HAD TO BEG HIS MOTHER TO CANCEL THE HOLIDAY PARTY. He looked at me and said "Then both of parents would be ....ed off at me!" Just a wry little joke about POP.
Radar
Jane Wilder----I see you in the blue box. What are your favorite Holiday party memories? What about you Exxie?
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JustThinking
Radar,
"You will come, you will have fun?" ;-)
JT
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Belle
Mrs. Owens even mentions fondly the times at hq when they did celebrate Christmas like normal people. If you know Mrs. Owens you can tell that she didn't agree with the way they took all the fun out of it.
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Sunesis
OMG - Radar, I was reading this thread trying to remember what it was exactly I hated about the "household holidays" at HQ, and you remembered. When did they start doing them?
I had to endure two of them in '82 and '83. The formal, the date, etc. And you really had to be there because Mrs. Weirwille kept tabs. Even though she was a nice lady, you didn't want her miffed at you. One year, I lied, and said I had a previous engagement and left H.Q that weekend and decided to visit my father in Columbus that weekend, where I hung out with some of my old high school pals.
The next year Dotsie personally asked me if I was going (she remembered I hadn't been there the year before), I said I had other plans but that year, that didn't cut it - she told me she wanted to see me there. Still desparate to get out of it, I told her I didn't have a date, they were all taken, I wasn't going alone - that would be humiliating. She told me I'd have a wonderful time, see you there. I had decided I would go visit my father and buddies again, but then one of my co-workers asked me to go, so I took it as a sign I should be there and avoid Mrs. Wierwille's anger.
The best thing about those parties was the trips to the punch bowl so you could get a nice buzz and "float" through the proceedings.
And how many New Years Eves did I spend in prayer or setting up and cleaning up when all I really wanted to do was go out!
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JustThinking
Sunesis,
New Years wasted too. :-( Rrr... Well, on the other hand, I probably shouldn't view time praying as wasted. When they passed out those prayers lists, I usually just held them in front of me and prayed for whatever I wanted anyway. I thought it was my time with God anyway.
JT
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Oakspear
My experience of Christmas in The Way (never in the Corps or on staff) was of a confusing mish-mosh of traditional observances and self-righteous "accuracy".
Most people I knew decorated trees, opened presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning and put up lights and other outside decorations. Some would get together with non-Way relatives.
On the other hand just saying the word "Christmas" would get you a lecture on how Christmas came from "Christ-mass"; the mass celebrates Christ's death (it doesn't) so therefore saying "Merry Christmas" was equivalent to rejoicing in death
-->
We did the carolling with the stupid "accurate" lyrics as well, and I even wrote Way lyrics to a lot of the traditional carols myself
:o-->
It was my observation that TWI couldn't make up it's collective mind what it wanted to do, they railed about the pagan origins of many Christmas traditions, yet celebrated them anyway.
And the name change to "Household Holiday"
--> - other than the convenient abbreviation to "Ho Ho" - what was it about December 25th that made it a HOUSEHOLD holiday? 
-->
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JustThinking
Oak,
Amen! Even groups like Jehovah's Witnesses are more consistent. I believe they treat it like any other day.
JT
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socks
Well, (kaff kaff), them's were the days that were the days, by cracky! Peabody, the Wayback machine! Crank it up!
Back in the 70's, early on when corn was still corn and you could get one of the worst cup o' coffees on the planet at Adolf's, Christmas (the Holidays!) was kind of fun at the Way Nash. The Way Corps had vacations, think it was a week or two. We could go home for the holidays, or stay. We went home a couple times (once straight from 2 weeks at TFI in southern Cal, where we hopped on a Greyhound and went home a week early. Since we were already on the west coast it only made sense. No problem with that at the time).
The times we stayed were fun. Since a lot of people shipped out it was pretty casual around the grounds, small meal times, hanging out, getting to visit with staff people that you didn't normally get to spend time with. Do stuff, buzz around the area a little. One year we house-set for a staff couple that had a farm house. We stayed and did some stuff for them while they were gone. Had steak and crab for Christmas dinner, "California style" (although the crab wasn't fresh of course). Visited some folks. One year we had a dinner at our place for some local folks, around the holidays.
I remember going to one staff holiday party where huge, non-stop, massive amounts of beer were consumed, even by staffer levels.
:D--> I'm not a beer drinker, I think it was Jack Daniels and cokes at my end of the couch. Great time. There were some really good people on staff over the years. Bob *, Bob Ed, Steve *, Mike *, Larry *, many many good folks.
Couple years there, Unc'a Harry dressed up as Santa Claus and did gifts for the kids. He filled that red suit out pretty well. Don't remember when he stopped doing that.
New Years were spent in the BRC if you were there. It was a "pray in the New Year" event. Early ones were kind of nice. We went out to the Way Woods after midnight where there was a big fire and hot chocolate and stuff. Everyone did the Way version of New Year's resolutions where we wrote down things we wanted to see happen in the next year, or do, or get over, "believe for", whatever. Then we tossed them in the fire, "gave them to God" symbolism. It was kind of neat. Not exactly party time but had some personal significance if you were in to it.
Well, that was when dogs were dogs and I was knee high to a knit. *kaff kawwwwgh* Gotta get along now li'l dawgeez.
:D-->
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Knuckles
Christmas time for twi was a mutated and deformed celebration. They took a perfectly good holiday and turned it into another way function. The mog that stole Christmas? Wierwille deserved a lump of coal in his stocking, Martinfail deserves a lump of coal somewhere else.
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A la prochaine
Knuckles,
Funny!
Martinfail...hee hee hee hee hee!!
Ya Christmas and New Years in TWI = BORING!!!
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Belle
I feel sorry for the kids. Think of how much fun they missed out on and how hard it must be going to school and hearing all the excitement & buzz about the holidays, family time, presents & SANTA CLAUS coming. Even if they were told the truth they were envious of the kids who didn't and had so much fun believing in Santa.
I also feel sorry for the kids who had their belief in Santa ruined by some smart a$$ "I know more than you" TWIt setting them straight on the Santa lie.
Christmas is such a magical time and Martinfail took all the fun, emotion and love out of it. He made it clinical, sterile and boring.
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ChasUFarley
You know something?
I can't wait to put up the Christmas tree (phallic symbol) this weekend after Thanksgiving! There's going to be a big angel (debbil spurt) on the top and lots of presents (bribery) below. We're going to set up one of those manger scenes (more debbil spurts & wrongly divided Word) and play Christmas music (debbil spurt inspired music). Our favorite song is, "The Little Drummer Boy" (LCM's least favorite).
I'm going to hang mistletoe (full o' debbil spurts) in the kitchen doorway and make up a big vat of wassale (more than 2 glasses will let more debbil spurts in). The rug rat & I will bake and decorate cookies to look like stars (phallic symbol), Christmas trees (phallic symbols) and reindeer (animal worship).
Next weekend, the kiddo is going to have his picture taken with Santa Clause (big debbil spurt) and give his list to Santa (bribery, greed, lust).
I can't wait!
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Radar OReilly
Chas,
Have a waissal for me!
My outside decorations are already up - nevermind the fact that it is raining like a "mother." The tree and decorations are in the garage.....and the pug had his picture taken with Santa last weekend.
I HEAR YA SISTER!!!!! Wish we could go to Starbucks together!!!
ror
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GrouchoMarxJr
On Christmas day, I plan on showing up at twi hdqrts...I will be wearing a Santa costume and carrying a baseball bat. As I run into one building after another screaming "Merry Christmas you bastards", I will be smashing windows, chairs, tables, computers, and every other thing I see with the baseball bat. When they all watch me climb onto my sleigh...and then watch me and my reindeer take off into the night sky...they will finally believe.
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dmiller
Uncle Hairy -- as you leave, toss some red and green dye into the Fountain of Living Waters. Might help them get in the "spirit" of the season, eh?
:)-->
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papajohn
lol, my first TWI xmas my wife and I told my mom we were telling the kids there was no santa and no one was getting presents. I think what she heard was, "I'm killing santa and burying his sack of goodies". not something you wanna tell a sacilian mother from new orleans. she set us straight, thanks mom.
and a merry christmas to you all
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Ham
Mr. Hairy, don't forget a couple of bottles of dish soap to add to the dye..
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Ham
and, please give them a couple lumps of coal for me.
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Ham
But coal is too expensive. Forget the coal,just a couple of lumps would suffice.
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Watered Garden
In 1990 or 1991, I can't remember, maybe even '92, we were living in NC and one of Don Wierwille's daughters was WOW in our general vicinity. At Happy Household Holiday time Don, Wanda and Mrs. came to visit, and they had a big whoopdedoo for them at the BL's house (McFadden's I think). Now, I've been around a while, since 1973, so I'm a slightly familiar face but not name. So what do I do in this present day and age (early 90's) when Martinfail (I like that so much) has been ranting and raving and I think someone had even taught on the evils of the holidays the "world" celebrates, but march right up to Mrs. Wierwille and say "MERRY CHRISTMAS, MRS. WIERWILLE!" then clap my hands over my mouth, turn red as a beet, and try to mumble an apology. Mrs. Wierwille just busted out laughing, and said "Oh, that's okay, you can say that if you want to!"
I think she might have just enjoyed that, and not as a joke at my expense, either!
WG
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2life
our last year in residence--- we started at Gunnison in Aug -- and finally limped (crawled) into HQs near the Christmas holidays.
Oh my God-- I was so thankful to be there! Gunnison had been HELL for us -------
At Hqs we shared a trailer with two couples from earlier corps ( Flemmings and Santines .. sorry about the spelling ..Its hard to remember.. THEY WERE WONDERFUL!!)
It was such a RELIEF to be ANWHERE other than Gunnison............ ANYWHERE!
IT was Christmas-- it snowed. It felt familiar. The Wierwilles-- and Allens-- it just felt so settled-- so comfortable....... I remember quite a few parties (oh hell-- they might just have been normal stuff-- after gunninson-- EVERYTHING felt like a party!) I remember lots of holiday food and gifts and.....
We then went home for Christmas-- that was nice.
ONe glitch was that to get back to Hqs we had to return all our Gifts from family for the money.
Hey WG--- I remember some nice Christmas's in SC. Actually-- I think I have a picture of Mr. and Mrs. WG in togas!!
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Ham
Hairy, I volunteer to help with sleigh duty. I will be an elf (naughty variety). I can gift wrap the toilets with glad or saran wrap. When they try to catch me, I will blink my eyes and disappear.
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