My Christmas: Kim Huynh

John Moulis said :

John Moulis said :

I note Westfield Woden doesn’t have a Nativity scene this year, the first time they haven’t had one. It is usually next to Santa Claus in the old Palm Court, this year there is nothing.

I returned to Westfield Woden today, two days after posting the above comment and the Nativity scene is now back there in its usual position next to Santa Claus. Oh, the power of RiotACT!

I hope you have sought forgiveness, John.

Kim Huynh said :

Anne Treasure said :

This has to be the most cerebral meditation on Christmas seen by The RiotACT ever. Bravo, sir.

Agree on your thoughts about ‘Happy Holidays’ over ‘Merry Christmas’, which I’ve only really begun to consider since sending my daughter to a Jewish daycare. Perhaps taking present tips from the Jewish celebration could help your present-opening dilemma though – one every day for 8 days might help?

Thanks heaps AT (Pedal Power and Cycling Canberra supremo). Looking forward to knowing more about your Christmas/festive season/summer/festivus… celebrations. I’d quite like to read more Christmas from an outsider’s or newcomer’s perspective too. FYI my thoughts on cycling are even more cerebral/wanky. KH

Even more cerebral/wanky?! I cannot wait to read them.

John Moulis said :

John Moulis said :

I note Westfield Woden doesn’t have a Nativity scene this year, the first time they haven’t had one. It is usually next to Santa Claus in the old Palm Court, this year there is nothing.

I returned to Westfield Woden today, two days after posting the above comment and the Nativity scene is now back there in its usual position next to Santa Claus. Oh, the power of RiotACT!

Notwithstanding the power of the RiotACT and John Moulis, surely twas the spirit of Christmas that erected that nativity scene.

Here’s a poignant recollection of the Huynh Christmas of 1979 from Dennis Ryle who was the minister at the Ainslie Church of Christ at the time. I was only two-years-old at the time, but from all accounts it was surely my best Christmas ever….

“I’ve long come to the conclusion that the Christmas season – or any holiday season – is what we make of it. We certainly had to build it from scratch that time in 1979. Jenny & I were newlyweds, each away from our home cities for the first time at Christmas. We had to begin to build our own Christmas traditions. Many living in Canberra that week who had not joined the annual exodus back home for Christmas with their families sought to do their own thing. Hence we ended up at Tidbinbilla with 10 million flies, two Australian families and this newly arrived Vietnamese family who were valiantly trying to make sense of a strange tongue, strange food, and strange ways. As I recall the barbecue chops were burnt, the salad limp, and we ended up seeking refuge from the heat in the space tracking station. We remember it fondly and there have not been many Christmas Days since that stand out like that one!”

John Moulis said :

I note Westfield Woden doesn’t have a Nativity scene this year, the first time they haven’t had one. It is usually next to Santa Claus in the old Palm Court, this year there is nothing.

I returned to Westfield Woden today, two days after posting the above comment and the Nativity scene is now back there in its usual position next to Santa Claus. Oh, the power of RiotACT!

Everyone, including pets that can relate, taking turns to open presents works,
Expecting kids to say thanks, not so much.

I note Westfield Woden doesn’t have a Nativity scene this year, the first time they haven’t had one. It is usually next to Santa Claus in the old Palm Court, this year there is nothing.

Some good observations, Kim. I fully agree with your observation about the annual attempts to make christian XMAS celebrations “generic”. Sadly, its even happening in some schools and shopping centres here. Sadly, it seems to be an annual controversy here now.

Many people are being left behind in Canberra now at an increasingly rapid rate. Housing affordability, Increases in Annual Rates (including on units 20% this year and 15% next year !), vehicle Rego and most if not all other ACT Govt charges are rapidly increasing the cost of living here beyond what many including the elderly, the homeless, the disabled, low income earners, self funded retirees, pensioners, etc, have previously been able to afford. Sadly for so many in Canberra, XMAS may not be so jolly nowdays.

So, for a decade or more now, each XMAS I purchase a gift for a young boy and a young girl and donate it to a charity to distribute. It’s not much but hopefully it will brighten up someones XMAS a little.

In the city with the highest average wage in Australia but also the 2nd highest rate of homelessness, I would encourage all Canberrian’s to do something similar this and every XMAS.

It’s all in the name. I celebrate Christmas.

Anne Treasure said :

This has to be the most cerebral meditation on Christmas seen by The RiotACT ever. Bravo, sir.

Agree on your thoughts about ‘Happy Holidays’ over ‘Merry Christmas’, which I’ve only really begun to consider since sending my daughter to a Jewish daycare. Perhaps taking present tips from the Jewish celebration could help your present-opening dilemma though – one every day for 8 days might help?

Thanks heaps AT (Pedal Power and Cycling Canberra supremo). Looking forward to knowing more about your Christmas/festive season/summer/festivus… celebrations. I’d quite like to read more Christmas from an outsider’s or newcomer’s perspective too. FYI my thoughts on cycling are even more cerebral/wanky. KH

‘Die Hard’ as a Christmas movie? yikes!

‘Love Actually’ is a guilty pleasure at our place at Christmas)