# The Office | Moroccan Christmas | 12/11/09



## markymark_ctown (Oct 11, 2004)

kind of a bummer episode theme for a christmas show.

edit: 12/11/08 

damn 2009 budgets are throwing me off


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## woolybugger (Nov 12, 2004)

yeah, but the opening with Dwight's desk was awesome!


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## gossamer88 (Jul 27, 2005)

Went downhill from there.


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## wprager (Feb 19, 2006)

gossamer88 said:


> Went downhill from there.


I thoroughly enjoyed it.

_Unicorn Princess:
Someone who is overly proud of small accomplishments.
A braggart, but generally a great person who just likes to boast.

Also, could be considered a slang term for something so outrageous, silly, and/or trivial all you can do is chant:
"UNIcorn PRIN-CESS!!!!" and raise the roof.
"Can you believe I got that working in-game before you did? I can, booyah! It's cause I'm a UNICORN PRINCESS!!!" _​
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=unicorn princess


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## newsposter (Aug 18, 2002)

markymark_ctown said:


> kind of a bummer episode theme for a christmas show.


in the spirit of the show it was one of the best. If i had to go to a party like that yes it would be a bummer.

This is why i dont go to parties!

So guess there will be a big elephant in the room and on the wedding day someone may say something to poor andy. I thought they would let meredith leave and she would go drive drunk or get hit or something but the dragging to rehab was pretty good. Too bad you cant lock someone up like that.


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## jgerry (Aug 29, 2001)

I thought it was really funny, I laughed a ton. I think I need to watch it again, because I can't seem to remember all the funny parts... Maybe I need more coffee.

Phyllis shoving half of Angela's plastic nativity scene into a drawer was funny!


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## SeanC (Dec 30, 2003)

Yeah, this was my favorite episode this year. I was LMAO the whole time.


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## jgerry (Aug 29, 2001)

OK, I had another cup of coffee... Dwight's gift-wrapped desk -- funny!


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## midas (Jun 1, 2000)

Any episode where Michael says, "It turns out..", is always a good one.


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## mpar1 (Feb 14, 2005)

Did anyone else lose the audio for several minutes? I have DirecTV and lost it from the commercial break prior to Michael dragging Meredith to rehab until Angela and Phyllis were talking.


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## Mr_Bester (Jan 27, 2007)

I have DirecTV and had no audio issues. It could have been a local channel issue.


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## Sirius Black (Dec 26, 2001)

Enjoyed the beginning. The rest was funny but not memorable.


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## barbeedoll (Sep 26, 2005)

jgerry said:


> OK, I had another cup of coffee... Dwight's gift-wrapped desk -- funny!


Sorry to be dumb, but why did the chair and everything all collapse. 
Was it all constructed out of paper -- no real furniture?

Barbeedoll


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

Yes, the desk and chair were fake, which was why Jim said it took him so long to make, and why it was funny that Dwight thought he'd fix it in five minutes.

I thought the first half of the episode was funny, even the intervention was awkward-funny. But then when Michael tried to drag her to rehab, and Phyllis blurted out Angela's secret, it really kind of dampened the tone of the episode for me. 

I loved when Phyllis said what the desert was, and that it was some kind of Moroccan Christmas tradition, and then the camera pans to Angela, spitting it out.


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## Magnolia88 (Jul 1, 2005)

DevdogAZ said:


> I thought the first half of the episode was funny, even the intervention was awkward-funny. But then when Michael tried to drag her to rehab, and Phyllis blurted out Angela's secret, it really kind of dampened the tone of the episode for me.


I agree. I didn't really enjoy Michael dragging Meredith into rehab. Not funny.



> I loved when Phyllis said what the desert was, and that it was some kind of Moroccan Christmas tradition, and then the camera pans to Angela, spitting it out.


Phyllis said something like, "they eat this cookie during Ramadan," and that's when Angela spit it out.


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## newsposter (Aug 18, 2002)

mpar1 said:


> Did anyone else lose the audio for several minutes? I have DirecTV and lost it from the commercial break prior to Michael dragging Meredith to rehab until Angela and Phyllis were talking.


OTA was fine.

at least you got to hear the party planners


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

Magnolia88 said:


> Phyllis said something like, "they eat this cookie during Ramadan," and that's when Angela spit it out.


That's what it was. I knew it was something that offended her Christian side, but couldn't remember it.


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## TAsunder (Aug 6, 2003)

mpar1 said:


> Did anyone else lose the audio for several minutes? I have DirecTV and lost it from the commercial break prior to Michael dragging Meredith to rehab until Angela and Phyllis were talking.


Did you try closed captions?

We had a different problem here. I just got Dish last night and I was getting extremely POd because the office was SD letterboxed on the HD channel and I thought that NBC was doing something fishy with their content before sending on to dish. I put it on zoom to watch thinking I'd have to move all my SPs back to the Tivo OTA. Then I checked tivo and it was the same, and I had overlooked (due to zoom) an annoying holiday charity nag banner that was running constantly at the bottom for over an hour on the station. 



DevdogAZ said:


> I loved when Phyllis said what the desert was, and that it was some kind of Moroccan Christmas tradition, and then the camera pans to Angela, spitting it out.


I guess Top Chef was too fresh on my mind because I assumed she spit it out because she didn't like ethnic food. She did also refuse to eat anything, including bread, at an Indian feast.


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## mpar1 (Feb 14, 2005)

I didn't try closed captions. Does that work when playing a show back on a DVR?


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

mpar1 said:


> I didn't try closed captions. Does that work when playing a show back on a DVR?


Depends on the DVR and how you got the episode in the first place, but if you recorded it from the broadcast (didn't download it), it should work fine. We use them all the time.


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## VegasVic (Nov 22, 2002)

I've never seen a show with such a wide variety of opinions as The Office. Every week it's like that. Last week I didn't think it was very funny at all but most did. This week I thought it was a very good episode and many do not.


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## Ment (Mar 27, 2008)

Episode was bit of a downer for me as well but the desk and the guy coming into the office during the Angela intervention looking to buy a Princess Unicorn were funny.


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## VegasVic (Nov 22, 2002)

Toby getting the black Princess (for $400).


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## jradford (Dec 28, 2004)

gossamer88 said:


> Went downhill from there.


Without reading the rest of the thread, I'd say that it was one of the best of the season.


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## jradford (Dec 28, 2004)

DevdogAZ said:


> Yes, the desk and chair were fake, which was why Jim said it took him so long to make, and why it was funny that Dwight thought he'd fix it in five minutes.


I thought Jim said it only took him a few minutes? Either way, the banter between them was great. "I'm a blackbelt in giftwrapping."


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## markymark_ctown (Oct 11, 2004)

i thought this was funny, from alan sepinwall's blog



> Kevin's love of nicknaming other people -- and his lack of creativity in same -- goes on as he attempts to dub Meredith "Fire Girl" (in the grand tradition of Ryan as "Fire Guy," and then "Fired Guy," and then "Hired Guy"), only to realize that it might be too soon.


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## mpar1 (Feb 14, 2005)

DevdogAZ said:


> Depends on the DVR and how you got the episode in the first place, but if you recorded it from the broadcast (didn't download it), it should work fine. We use them all the time.


Thanks. I'll go back and see if that works.


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## USAFSSO (Aug 24, 2005)

VegasVic said:


> Toby getting the black Princess (for $400).


And hes the HR guy, so he can't say anything.


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## 5thcrewman (Sep 23, 2003)

Blazers Basketball game pre-empted most of NBC's Thursday night. Booo!:down:


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## newsposter (Aug 18, 2002)

Ment said:


> Episode was bit of a downer for me as well but the desk and the guy coming into the office during the Angela intervention looking to buy a Princess Unicorn were funny.


someone needs to post a screenshot of the 'secret handshake' he did on his forehead.


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## Alfer (Aug 7, 2003)

newsposter said:


> someone needs to post a screenshot of the 'secret handshake' he did on his forehead.


Just make and L out of your left or right hand and place it (thumb part) on your forehead....that be your Unicorn secret handshake.


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## jgerry (Aug 29, 2001)

Phyllis making Angela wear the hair net was just brilliant. Totally forgot about that one!


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

Ment said:


> Episode was bit of a downer for me as well but the desk and the guy coming into the office during the Angela intervention looking to buy a Princess Unicorn were funny.


I loved that he just made the Princess Unicorn signal and Dwight immediately knew what he was there for.


markymark_ctown said:


> i thought this was funny, from alan sepinwall's blog
> 
> 
> 
> > Kevin's love of nicknaming other people -- and his lack of creativity in same -- goes on as he attempts to dub Meredith "Fire Girl" (in the grand tradition of Ryan as "Fire Guy," and then "Fired Guy," and then "Hired Guy"), only to realize that it might be too soon.


I thought the reason the joke didn't go over well was because Merideth is a redhead and the typical nickname for redheads, not because it was too soon.


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## Bribo (Feb 17, 2003)

I thought it was interesting that Michael was the only one to see that Meredith does have a problem, and tried to help her, however misguided. Everyone else just blew it off as too much trouble.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

Bribo said:


> I thought it was interesting that Michael was the only one to see that Meredith does have a problem, and tried to help her, however misguided. Everyone else just blew it off as too much trouble.


I don't think that Michael was the only one that saw the problem. The others saw it too, but like Toby, they didn't feel it was an appropriate thing to discuss at work.

However, what it did show is how Micheal views these people not only as employees, but also as friends and even family. And since these really are his only friends, yet the only place he ever sees them is at work, he doesn't know any better that an intervention like this should happen in private among personal friends.


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## GadgetFreak (Jun 3, 2002)

Michael throwing the pen at Toby was pretty funny


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## Robin (Dec 6, 2001)

jradford said:


> I thought Jim said it only took him a few minutes? Either way, the banter between them was great. "I'm a blackbelt in giftwrapping."


"They don't give out black belts for stupid stuff"

*Jim reaction shot*


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## toddvj (Apr 22, 2004)

VegasVic said:


> Toby getting the black Princess (for $400).





USAFSSO said:


> And hes the HR guy, so he can't say anything.


It's even better than the one I really wanted.


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## FilmCritic3000 (Oct 29, 2004)

http://www.princessunicorndoll.com

Click on Testimonials, then read the first one and the third one.


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## USAFSSO (Aug 24, 2005)

FilmCritic3000 said:


> http://www.princessunicorndoll.com
> 
> Click on Testimonials, then read the first one and the third one.


At first glance I thought it was a real toy...but then...

Caution:

* Wash hands thoroughly after handling Princess Unicorn.
* Do not play with Princess Unicorn if you are allergic to lead based paint.
* The spike on Princess Unicorn is incredibly sharp, so Princess Unicorn can pierce the sky. It can also pierce your skin. Handle with care.


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## MickeS (Dec 26, 2002)

I liked it except for the Meredith plot.


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## EMoMoney (Oct 30, 2001)

Magnolia88 said:


> Phyllis said something like, "they eat this cookie during Ramadan," and that's when Angela spit it out.


Isn't Ramadan the Islamic month of fasting?


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## MickeS (Dec 26, 2002)

EMoMoney said:


> Isn't Ramadan the Islamic month of fasting?


Well yeah, that's why she spit it out, she didn't want to eat any food that was used in a Muslim holiday.


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## sushikitten (Jan 28, 2005)

Some funny, some awkward. In other words, a typical episode! :up:


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## ct1 (Jun 27, 2003)

EMoMoney said:


> Isn't Ramadan the Islamic month of fasting?


Fast during the day, eat after dark. Some actually gain weight during the month of fasting due to the weird eating schedule.


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## TampaThunder (Apr 8, 2003)

FilmCritic3000 said:


> http://www.princessunicorndoll.com
> 
> Click on Testimonials, then read the first one and the third one.


From page 2:
_If I had a daughter I would buy one for my daughter. Its such a good thing that Dwight is giving them to people._
- *Michael Scott*


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## newsposter (Aug 18, 2002)

Alfer2003 said:


> Just make and L out of your left or right hand and place it (thumb part) on your forehead....that be your Unicorn secret handshake.


oh i saw it but wanted it memorialized here for joy


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## FilmCritic3000 (Oct 29, 2004)

Hey everyone...apparently Jan loves to dance!


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## Fish Man (Mar 4, 2002)

I found it to be an "average" episode in terms of funniness and awkwardness. I enjoyed it. Dwight's desk was the highlight (as Jim's pranks on Dwight usually are). I laughed at the brief shot of Creed with a hookah. Did it contain tobacco, or something else? (In other words, should I have called it a "bong" rather than a "hookah"?  )

I think I only barely got the joke about Angela spitting out the cookie. Was the joke that she was so bigoted against Muslims that she refuses to eat any food associated with a Muslim holiday?


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

Fish Man said:


> I think I only barely got the joke about Angela spitting out the cookie. Was the joke that she was so bigoted against Muslims that she refuses to eat any food associated with a Muslim holiday?


Yes.


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## loubob57 (Mar 19, 2001)

DevdogAZ said:


> Yes.


That's how I took it too.


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## marrone (Oct 11, 2001)

Bribo said:


> I thought it was interesting that Michael was the only one to see that Meredith does have a problem, and tried to help her, however misguided.


I just finished watching an older episode...I believe it was Boys & Girls, and that had a scene where Meredith was telling Jan that one of her goals was to be sober for 5 years.

Guess that didn't happen!

-Mike


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## USAFSSO (Aug 24, 2005)

marrone said:


> I just finished watching an older episode...I believe it was Boys & Girls, and that had a scene where Meredith was telling Jan that one of her goals was to be sober for 5 years.
> 
> Guess that didn't happen!
> 
> -Mike


I thought it was "in" 5 years.


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## busyba (Feb 5, 2003)

Fish Man said:


> I think I only barely got the joke about Angela spitting out the cookie. Was the joke that she was so bigoted against Muslims that she refuses to eat any food associated with a Muslim holiday?


Yes.

To be fair though, it's not Muslims specifically so much as anything other than Christian. I'm sure she would have had the same reaction to hamentashen.


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## mizterd99 (Nov 22, 2002)

DevdogAZ said:


> I don't think that Michael was the only one that saw the problem. The others saw it too, but like Toby, they didn't feel it was an appropriate thing to discuss at work.
> 
> However, what it did show is how Micheal views these people not only as employees, but also as friends and even family. And since these really are his only friends, yet the only place he ever sees them is at work, he doesn't know any better that an intervention like this should happen in private among personal friends.


I think it's more selfish for Micheal than that. His whole mindset was basically how Meridith was ruining the party for _him_. There is usually some altruism behind his actions, but it's paired with selfishness.

I think that's where a lot of the humor comes from for his character. Without the underlying altruism he'd be a lot more monstrous. Come to think of it, I believe that characterizes Gervais in the British version.


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## Steeler Mike (May 5, 2005)

USAFSSO said:


> I thought it was "in" 5 years.


In five years, I'd like to be 5 years sober. . . four and a half.

:up:


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

Fish Man said:


> ....I laughed at the brief shot of Creed with a hookah. Did it contain tobacco, or something else? (In other words, should I have called it a "bong" rather than a "hookah"?  )


Hookahs and bongs are different...doesn't matter what you're smoking (well, it DOES....but what you're smoking doesn't determine whether it's a hookah or bong)......(yes, I was in HS and college in the 60s and early 70s)


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## USAFSSO (Aug 24, 2005)

busyba said:


> Yes.
> 
> To be fair though, it's not Muslims specifically so much as anything other than Christian. I'm sure she would have had the same reaction to hamentashen.


But Phillis said it was eaten during Ramadan, which is Muslim.


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## busyba (Feb 5, 2003)

USAFSSO said:


> But Phillis said it was eaten during Ramadan, which is Muslim.


Yes.

But my point was that we almost certainly would have seen the same reaction from Angela if Phylis has instead said, say, Yom Kippur.


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## Mr_Bester (Jan 27, 2007)

busyba said:


> Yes.
> 
> But my point was that we almost certainly would have seen the same reaction from Angela if Phylis has instead said, say, Yom Kippur.


I don't know, Jesus was Jewish, maybe she could look past that one


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## 59er (Mar 27, 2008)

FilmCritic3000 said:


> Hey everyone...apparently Jan loves to dance!


Yes, and she's about to star on Broadway in CHICAGO.


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## pigonthewing (May 6, 2002)

For Angela being as religious as she is, I thought it was odd that one of the figurines Phyllis shoved into the drawer was baby Jesus. Isn't that not supposed to be placed out until Christmas day? 

The opening prank with Jim wrapping Dwight's desk was hysterical, but as others have said, they always are. Jim is awesome.

I thought that Micheal led the intervention in a very uncharacteristically mature manner, actually. Ya know, if we put aside that the intervention never should've been happening at the office in the first place, I thought he was doing a pretty decent job.

Dragging her to rehab, though, and saying, "I'd like to make a deposit" was classic Michael, and hysterical.

I'm extremely curious to see how long Andy remains in the dark, now that _everyone_ knows but him.


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## JLucPicard (Jul 8, 2004)

I can't remember right now, but was Michael there ot hear that? If he was, Andy will surely be getting ribbed about it sooner than later. Otherwise, ya, it will be interesting to see how long it takes for Andy to find out.


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## USAFSSO (Aug 24, 2005)

pigonthewing said:


> .....
> 
> I thought that Micheal led the intervention in a very uncharacteristically mature manner, actually. Ya know, if we put aside that the intervention never should've been happening at the office in the first place, I thought he was doing a pretty decent job.
> 
> .....


He every so often ends up being a decent caring guy.


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## pigonthewing (May 6, 2002)

JLucPicard said:


> I can't remember right now, but was Michael there ot hear that? If he was, Andy will surely be getting ribbed about it sooner than later. Otherwise, ya, it will be interesting to see how long it takes for Andy to find out.


Michael was not in the office. He was at rehab, trying to make a deposit.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

pigonthewing said:


> For Angela being as religious as she is, I thought it was odd that one of the figurines Phyllis shoved into the drawer was baby Jesus. Isn't that not supposed to be placed out until Christmas day?


I've never seen a nativity scene prior to Christmas without the baby Jesus. I don't know what the point of it would be without the central figure. There may be some people for whom that is their tradition, but I've been a Christian all my life and I've never heard of that.


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## SeanC (Dec 30, 2003)

DevdogAZ said:


> I've never seen a nativity scene prior to Christmas without the baby Jesus. I don't know what the point of it would be without the central figure. There may be some people for whom that is their tradition, but I've been a Christian all my life and I've never heard of that.


I've always heard it/seen it done that baby Jesus only makes an appearance on the 25th.


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## Zevida (Nov 8, 2003)

SeanC said:


> I've always heard it/seen it done that baby Jesus only makes an appearance on the 25th.


That's how it was done at mass (grew up Catholic) but I think the nativity scenes around the house were always set-up with the full cast involved.


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## MickeS (Dec 26, 2002)

I didn't realize until now that the date is wrong in the thread subject line.


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## pigonthewing (May 6, 2002)

My grandmother and my mother have both always put out baby Jesus on the 25th and not before. I've never known it to be any other way.

That said, there's no nativity scene in my house, and likely never will be, so it's hardly a concern. Still, it's how I've always thought it was "supposed" to be. I guess, like many things, everyone does it differently.


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## Spire (Jun 6, 2001)

Magnolia88 said:


> I didn't really enjoy Michael dragging Meredith into rehab. Not funny.


Not everything is supposed to be funny.

This was an excellent episode. The last few minutes were particularly good.


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## Mr_Bester (Jan 27, 2007)

As Zevida said, I think "the baby Jesus not being out until the 25th thing" is a Catholic tradition.


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

pigonthewing said:


> ...there's no nativity scene in my house, and likely never will be...


Then why do you even bother celebrating *Christ*mas?


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## busyba (Feb 5, 2003)

Bierboy said:


> Then why do you even bother celebrating *Christ*mas?


Yeah, cause, you know, Christmas hasn't been secularized even in the slightest.


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## Robin (Dec 6, 2001)

Yeah, *Christ*mas doesn't borrow any traditions from anybody.

*cough*pagans*cough*


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## YCantAngieRead (Nov 5, 2003)

Yeah, my Dad's a minister, and my parents have lots of manger scenes. Jesus always goes out right after Thanksgiving with all the rest of the characters.


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## busyba (Feb 5, 2003)

Happy Saturnalia!


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## tewcewl (Dec 18, 2004)

Yeah, this episode did end on a down note, but that's part of the brilliance of the Office. It can mix comedy and pathos extremely well at times, taking you from belly laughs to winces to sheer uncomfortableness in a quick scene change. I thought this episode was one of the best that I've seen so far.


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## Oldandslow (Nov 8, 2002)

I agree--laugh out loud funny.


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## Mr_Bester (Jan 27, 2007)

Another line I forgot about, but love" I can just push her to rock bottom, I did it for Jan"(may not be exact, but you get the idea)


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## Bananfish (May 16, 2002)

Good thing they didn't use the names Christeaster or Christoween, or I guess I couldn't celebrate those holidays either.


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