Holiday Addon pack announced

[Assmitten]

About the pack itself:  this one holds zero appeal for me.  I'm Jewish, and all I see in this "holiday" pack are a bunch of Christmas decorations, Christmas skins, Christmas objects, etc.  (Plus the token menorah which has been available for download from the official site for nearly a year.)  I'm not saying there's anything wrong with Christmas-themed objects etc., it's just that I see very little if anything in this pack that will be of interest to non-Christians. 

Karen

I am not Jewish, but I did notice the "token" menorah, for sure. That is a pet peeve of mine. I think this pack will be of interest to people who like Christmas. I am not Christian, but my family celebrates Christmas (gift-giving, eating like fools). A pack like this could also be very popular in Japan, when Christmas is very popular and embraced as a commercial holiday, while less than 1% of the population identifies as Christian.

[Hook]

The only religious themed object I saw in the pics was the menorah.  Everything else was secular.  There doesn't appear to be a single relgious themed Christian object there.  Those who don't believe me are invited to speak to any Jehovah's Witness on the subject.   (Don't try this at home, kids;  find neutral ground.  You'll never get them to leave.)

I have a Jewish friend who puts up a "Hannukah bush" every December.  I'm not convinced this is a common Jewish custom tho.

Hook

[ZephyrZodiac]

I believe that quite a lot of Jewish families in the UK do sort of do Christmas things - after all it was a festival long before christianity, and really, most people in the world have some kind of celebration at the winter solstice, just to make the winter more bearable!

[aussieone]

I believe that quite a lot of Jewish families in the UK do sort of do Christmas things - after all it was a festival long before christianity, and really, most people in the world have some kind of celebration at the winter solstice, just to make the winter more bearable!

Well, seeing as we in Australia celebrate Christmas in the summer months (and believe me it gets bloody hot here during this time), our usual celebration for the coming 'winter solstice' is usually a rain dance to the gods and a huge collective sigh of relief followed by the usual greeting of "thanks god winter's here" Woohoo 

[ZephyrZodiac]

Well, I'm afraid I was thinking Northern Hemisphere!  Yours is obviously the summer solstice, which used to be celebrated in pagan times!  And of course, still is by druids etc.  since you don't have proper winters, I don't suppose you feel the need for festivities at the winter solstice!

[aussieone]

Well, I'm afraid I was thinking Northern Hemisphere!  Yours is obviously the summer solstice, which used to be celebrated in pagan times!  And of course, still is by druids etc.  since you don't have proper winters, I don't suppose you feel the need for festivities at the winter solstice!

Only those mentioned above ZZ 

[Hook]

Well, seeing as we in Australia celebrate Christmas in the summer months

Oooo, Aussieone!  Very few people in the northern hemisphere have any idea about how Australians celebrate Christmas.  You should describe it a bit.

I've heard Santa arrives wearing shorts and carrying a beer, sometimes in a limo.  And something about white kangaroos, which I think is from a song there.

Hook

[aussieone]

Well, seeing as we in Australia celebrate Christmas in the summer months

Oooo, Aussieone!  Very few people in the northern hemisphere have any idea about how Australians celebrate Christmas.  You should describe it a bit.

I've heard Santa arrives wearing shorts and carrying a beer, sometimes in a limo.  And something about white kangaroos, which I think is from a song there.

Hook

Funnily enough Hook, you've almost hit the nail on the head with some of your comments/questions.

In some areas, Santa will indeed arrive wearing running shorts (or stubbies as they are called here, but that's a story in itself) and thongs ( the flip flop shoe type not the thong where your butt hangs out type), carrying a beer or three and usually arrives in the back of a ute (2 seater car with tray attached for the uninitiated) on Christmas Eve.

He will usually be intoxicated (we Aussies do love our beer, especially in Summer) and he will attempt to slur "Merry Christmas" to all of the kids that have run up to aforementioned ute and throw presents to the children that gather around (lollies (candy) in plastic bags and cheap small toys seem to be a favourite of Aussie Santa).

On Christmas day itself, we have the traditional lunch of Turkey, Ham, Pork and all the trimmings that I'm sure our Northern counterparts are familiar with...however in doing this, we usually make up for having a hot roast dinner on a 40 degree celsius day by plying ourselves with more beer, wine and alcoholic soft drinks than should be safely consumed on any given day. Thus resulting in the odd family fight or two, usually between Aunty Mary and Uncle Tom over who gets to finish off the last beer left in the fridge/ last piece of pork crackling left on the tray etc.

After the 'family fun and friendly banter' is over and all and every last drop of alcohol and food is consumed, we then contentedly flop into the nearest armchair/sofa and watch whatever sport might be on until we fall into a contented slumber.....only to arise a few hours later and do it all again for dinner 

P.S: Yes we do see the white Kangaroo after Christmas lunch, but I think it's akin to your pink elephants 

[vecki]

Well, seeing as we in Australia celebrate Christmas in the summer months

Oooo, Aussieone!  Very few people in the northern hemisphere have any idea about how Australians celebrate Christmas.  You should describe it a bit.

I've heard Santa arrives wearing shorts and carrying a beer, sometimes in a limo.  And something about white kangaroos, which I think is from a song there.

Hook

Funnily enough Hook, you've almost hit the nail on the head with some of your comments/questions.

In some areas, Santa will indeed arrive wearing running shorts (or stubbies as they are called here, but that's a story in itself) and thongs ( the flip flop shoe type not the thong where your butt hangs out type), carrying a beer or three and usually arrives in the back of a ute (2 seater car with tray attached for the uninitiated) on Christmas Eve.

He will usually be intoxicated (we Aussies do love our beer, especially in Summer) and he will attempt to slur "Merry Christmas" to all of the kids that have run up to aforementioned ute and throw presents to the children that gather around (lollies (candy) in plastic bags and cheap small toys seem to be a favourite of Aussie Santa).

On Christmas day itself, we have the traditional lunch of Turkey, Ham, Pork and all the trimmings that I'm sure our Northern counterparts are familiar with...however in doing this, we usually make up for having a hot roast dinner on a 40 degree celsius day by plying ourselves with more beer, wine and alcoholic soft drinks than should be safely consumed on any given day. Thus resulting in the odd family fight or two, usually between Aunty Mary and Uncle Tom over who gets to finish off the last beer left in the fridge/ last piece of pork crackling left on the tray etc.

After the 'family fun and friendly banter' is over and all and every last drop of alcohol and food is consumed, we then contentedly flop into the nearest armchair/sofa and watch whatever sport might be on until we fall into a contented slumber.....only to arise a few hours later and do it all again for dinner 

P.S: Yes we do see the white Kangaroo after Christmas lunch, but I think it's akin to your pink elephants 

We also of course combine the Christmas roast with that other great Aussie tradition... the backyard barbie! (barbecue)

Turkey/chicken/pork/lamb, we'll throw em all in the webber - or multiple webbers... No Australian home is complete without at least one Webber (brand of barbecue).

Lunch begins at approximately 4am, an hour after rolling out of bed to check out what has been chucked under the plastic christmas tree with all the trimmings.  We swim out from under the pile of wrapping paper that has mysteriously appeared from nowhere, and consume a healthy breakfast of chip sandwiches (potato crisps?).  Meat is safely in the bbq, cooking away, while we finish frying rice, baking potatoes, making coleslaw, potato salad, tuna mornay, and trifle.

Then, the family arrives, with their presents and contributions to the food effort.  We could feed a small village for a week on what we serve up.  Oh who am I kidding?  My family by itself is a small village.

Snacks consumed while waiting for the main course to be served include more chips, nuts, stuffing sandwiches, party pies and pasties and anything else we can get our grubby mitts on.

Main course is served, buffet-style, with beer, wine and soft drinks.  Want anything else, get it yerself.

Presents brought by family members are distributed as we all adjust our clothing in the vain hope they will fit better.

We plop into a chair in front of the TV and hope for something other than the Queen's Message or the Prime Minister's Message or That Bloke Down the Road's Message.

Pass out.

[Trubble]

Thanks a lot, I'll get it when I have the spare cash!  (I never buy in the shops now, for the same reason.  When I got the original sims2 from Amazon, it wss miles cheaper than the shops!  and even with the free delivery (2nd class) it only took 2 days to arrive (one really, as I ordered it on a sunday and it arrived on the Tuesday!

I just wish supermarket ordering was cheaper, instead of that £5 delivery charge!  Then I might use that too!

I used free delivery and got it and NL on the day it was released, university one day later. I was very impressed, and I do like Amazon a lot. I've had to quit though, I get too click happy in the books section

[cabelle]

On Christmas day itself, we have the traditional lunch of Turkey, Ham, Pork and all the trimmings that I'm sure our Northern counterparts are familiar with...however in doing this, we usually make up for having a hot roast dinner on a 40 degree celsius day by plying ourselves with more beer, wine and alcoholic soft drinks than should be safely consumed on any given day. Thus resulting in the odd family fight or two, usually between Aunty Mary and Uncle Tom over who gets to finish off the last beer left in the fridge/ last piece of pork crackling left on the tray etc.

After the 'family fun and friendly banter' is over and all and every last drop of alcohol and food is consumed, we then contentedly flop into the nearest armchair/sofa and watch whatever sport might be on until we fall into a contented slumber.....only to arise a few hours later and do it all again for dinner 

P.S: Yes we do see the white Kangaroo after Christmas lunch, but I think it's akin to your pink elephants 

Sounds a great deal like my holiday family dinners here in Northern California, except for the weather of course! Toss in a few card games (to which "Uncle Tom" and "Aunt Mary" will get into shouting matches because someone's cheating) and you get the general idea. Lather, rinse and repeat for Easter, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, etc. It's quite entertaining. 

As for the holiday pack, I'm still thinking about it. $15 is not too bad an asking price but I have quite a few non-sims items on my wish list this year.  I can get click happy with books at Amazon too, and my wish list there is pretty huge. Mind you, we already have three huge bookcases filled (two in the upper hall and one in the family room) and will need to buy another before we buy more books. I can't seem to read enough books, hubby and daughters are much the same. 

[KellyQ]

Thanks a lot, I'll get it when I have the spare cash!  (I never buy in the shops now, for the same reason.  When I got the original sims2 from Amazon, it wss miles cheaper than the shops!  and even with the free delivery (2nd class) it only took 2 days to arrive (one really, as I ordered it on a sunday and it arrived on the Tuesday!

I just wish supermarket ordering was cheaper, instead of that £5 delivery charge!  Then I might use that too!

I used free delivery and got it and NL on the day it was released, university one day later. I was very impressed, and I do like Amazon a lot. I've had to quit though, I get too click happy in the books section

I love Amazon, the majority of my Christmas shopping is done there (why hassle with cranky crowds and lines?). The book section of Amazon is almost impossible for me to resist....I'm trying though since my husband "commented" (nice way of saying he was totally bent) that Amazon packages show up at our house almost as often as the daily mail.

[laeshanin]

Love Amazon... Spend WAY too much, goddamn it! My loft is filled with books, and I have two bookcases full in my bedroom, and one in the sitting room. But still, I keep buying. What's wrong with me?  Oh well.

Christmas? Bah... What really gets my goat is the relentless advertising aimed at the kids who become convinced they NEED the latest piece of plastic junk from *Matel (delete and add company name as wished), and that to deny them would be tantamount to abuse. I'm not certain who has the most psychological damage from it all anymore? Parents? Kids?

Point of distress: I took some of the youngsters I work with bowling about 3 weeks ago and the bowling alley had Xmas Trees (pagan symbolism  ) everywhere. Tacky, cheap and nasty. Plus it had the effect of making all the kids go instantly into "how long to Xmas?" and giving me greivous harm to the earhole! Sigh...

[jrd]

Bet the "Holiday Pack" version of TS2 will have the blur disabled from the start, to appease the Republinazis...

[Trubble]

I have no bookcases, so all my books are in piles all over my room The first time I went to my university library last week, I flipped out at all the books. I could quite easily live in it!

[skandelouslala]

I have no interest in the holiday add ons. Maybe in the future but the idea does nothing for me at the moment. Maybe if it was $10..I'd consider...but $15 or $20..nah that's getting to much for some add ons and new interactions.  Could possibly be different if it wasn't a holiday pack...however I really have no interest in creating little holiday moments for my sims at this point.

[Brynne]

Bet the "Holiday Pack" version of TS2 will have the blur disabled from the start, to appease the Republinazis...

Hey, now, not all republicans are nazis. Just the extreme religious right. I'm a conservative and the blur drives me nuts (of course, thanks to Quaxi, it's gone.) .In fact,  I would consider paying money for a pseudo-expansion thingy if it was something that adultified the game a bit. Marketed toward the adult players with an M rating. And I don't mean porn, but you know, barbie-nudity? Sheesh. If I'm an adult, I most likely have seen real naked people before, so it would be nice to add that touch of realism to the game, as well. Won't happen though. The children would feel left out. And it is all about the kids, isn't it?

[Hook]

Hey, now, not all republicans are nazis. Just the extreme religious right.

Liberal/Conservative Left/Right isn't the problem.  There's another dimension that should be added describing how much personal freedom you're willing to allow OTHER people.  At the bottom are the totalitarians, at the top are the anarchists.  Not all extreme religious right groups fit into the bottom right corner of that graph along with the Taliban and various TV evangelists.

Hook

[witch]

I gave up xmas about a decade ago. No withdrawals, no pain. I organise to spend the day on my own, buy some yummie treats, make sure I have a wad of good books and my computer games and I'm happy. I say a little prayer for all the women in kitchens all over the world as I recline my laziboy and sip my iced drink. mmmmmm

I did do xmas when my son was small, then he started spending xmas with his father when he was about 10 onwards. His dad happy, him happy, me happy.

I buy people presents when I want to, when I can afford them and when I see something that just suits someone perfectly. 'Just because' presents. Just because I love them and not because bloody hallmark or coca cola tell me to. (Coca cola pretty much invented the modern santa though he's not as fat now as he was initially).

I enjoy the irony of celebrating a pagan midwinter festival which has been appropriated by christians, but it is ludicrous here in New Zealand. 30 degree (86 fahrenheit) heat and people spend the day making roast dinners! (Not the blokes of course - they're usually outside drinking beer and playing with fire on the bar-b-ques). Poor santa is most often seen purplefaced and streaming with sweat. 

[Brynne]

Hey, now, not all republicans are nazis. Just the extreme religious right.

Liberal/Conservative Left/Right isn't the problem.  There's another dimension that should be added describing how much personal freedom you're willing to allow OTHER people.  At the bottom are the totalitarians, at the top are the anarchists.  Not all extreme religious right groups fit into the bottom right corner of that graph along with the Taliban and various TV evangelists.

Hook

You're right. I stand corrected.

[laeshanin]

I buy people presents when I want to, when I can afford them and when I see something that just suits someone perfectly. 'Just because' presents. Just because I love them and not because bloody hallmark or coca cola tell me to. (Coca cola pretty much invented the modern santa though he's not as fat now as he was initially).

That'll be because of the DIET cola we are so lucky to have now, eh? And I utterly agree with your sentiment.

[sonofajoiner]

I gave up xmas about a decade ago. No withdrawals, no pain. I organise to spend the day on my own, buy some yummie treats, make sure I have a wad of good books and my computer games and I'm happy. I say a little prayer for all the women in kitchens all over the world as I recline my laziboy and sip my iced drink. mmmmmm

You just described my perfect xmas! I could really do without the family element of it all really. Too much stress!

[witch]

I realised after I'd posted, that the xmas rant seems a bit off topic - I was thinking 'no way am I going to put my sims through the xmas ordeal'!

So, no, won't be buying a holiday add-on pack.
I'd buy a magic one though, with broomsticks and pointy hats. ;P

[ElviraGoth]

I am wit' you, witch!

Why an xmas (or "Holiday") pack?  Why not a Hallowe'en pack?  I got the Christmas tree for TS1  and I think I got the one for TS2, but it was so worthless in TS1 that I never used it in TS2.

Would rather get to send my little sim kids trick or treating and have them come back with a huge bag of goodies that they eat until sick.  (Realistic, anyway.)  Would be cute to have little witch and ghost costumes, huh?  And have TOTers come to your sims' door, hand out goodies, maybe actually have the option to ask the little ones to do a trick for the treat?

And the parents could have their own costume parties.  Drink also until sick with hangover next day.  Maybe costume contests.  (Yeah, I know, I'm dreaming.)

[laeshanin]

Not really into all those holiday extras either, though I know they are popular with lots of other simmers. But, a Samhein EP? Now that would be really cool... 

I have no bookcases, so all my books are in piles all over my room The first time I went to my university library last week, I flipped out at all the books. I could quite easily live in it!

I could too. Libraries, book shops, particularly the second hand variety, are places I haunt on a regular basis. I'm very fond of Waterstones where I can grab a pile of books and spend ages sitting on the floor going through 'em. Books and shoes are the two best things in whole wide world!