Dec 31st – New Year’s Eve

Hello everyone!

Today’s comic is Family Circus. 

Comic Breakdown

“Mommy says we get to have midnight at 9 o’clock!” – Dolly to her brothers

What is midnight?

Midnight is also known as 12 o’clock at night or the 24^th hour of the day if you follow the 24 hour clock.  Midnight is the end of one day and the start of the next.  In this case, midnight is the end of one year and the start of the next.

What is going on?

The children are celebrating the New Year!  It is New Year’s Eve, the night before the New Year which starts at 12 midnight.  But because the children are young and need to sleep early they must celebrate earlier in the night at 9 o’clock instead of 12 o’clock. 

Today's images are from here, here, here, and here. 

Dec 28th – To be naughty or to be nice?

Hello everyone!

Today’s comic is Family Circus.

Comic Breakdown

“Mommy!  Can we start being naughty again or do we still need to be nice?”

– Dolly asking her mother if she can fight back against her brother

What is going on?

Santa Claus sees all and knows all.  He keeps a list of all the children in the world and of who was naughty (bad) or nice (good).  If you were nice you got a good gift for Christmas.  If you were naughty you got a bad gift, no gift, or traditionally a lump of coal.

Christmas is over now and Santa Claus has finished giving out the gifts to the children of the world.  There is no Naughty or Nice list to worry about for another year. 

Do the children still need to be good or can they be bad again? 

To read more about being good for Christmas, click here and here.

Today’s images are from here, here, here, and here.

Dec 27th – Turkey & Smother

Happy holidays everyone!  Christmas might be over but it is still the holiday season. 

Comic Breakdown

“Isn’t it true that you had plans to smother my client?” – Lawyer (who is a turkey) questioning the gravy (sauce) 

What is going on?

Christmas might be over but many Christmas and holiday events such as holiday gatherings, parties, and meals between friends and family take place during the entire month of December.  Companies may have holiday parties and dinners as early as December 1st and some people even have holiday meet ups, dinners, and gatherings after Christmas.

Why is the gravy on trial? 

Turkey is a popular holiday food to eat.  Other popular Christmas holiday foods include duck and ham or other special foods that are not eaten all the time.  People love to “smother” (cover) their food in gravy; especially turkey.

To read more turkey, click here.

The word "smother" is a synonym for the word "cover".  Both mean to put or place over something.  

Today’s images are from here, here, here, and here.

Dec 26th – Boxing Day

Happy Boxing Day everyone!

Comic Breakdown

“Hey look, it’s Boxing Day!  What do we get on Boxing Day?” – Child reads the calendar

“Boxes” – Child’s mother

Why is this funny?

The mother is being literal.  Boxing Day is the day after Christmas when many start their holiday clean up.  She gets empty gift boxes to clean up.  

What is Boxing Day?

Boxing Day is a secular holiday tradition that takes place on December 26th (the day after Christmas) in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and many Commonwealth countries and former parts of the British Empire.  This tradition is not observed in the United States. 

Boxing Day is a holiday for many so most people get the day off from work.  Also, it is like Black Friday when there are huge discounts and sales so a lot of people love to go shopping and buy things they want and did not get for Christmas.  To read more about Black Friday, click here.

Boxing Day sales now last for several days to a week after Christmas.  Many people now call the week after Christmas up to New Years, (December 26th to January 1st) Boxing Week.

A lot of people go shopping on Boxing Day but many more just stay home to relax or clean up now that Christmas is over.

Boxing Day traditions differ slightly by region, culture, and country. 

Where did the name Boxing Day come from?

The origins of Boxing Day are not clear and differ by country and location.  In Britain and the English speaking world, servants and tradespeople received gifts such as money or other nice things in a Christmas box on December 26th as a thank you from their employers (known as masters).   The masters also allowed their servants and workers to take December 26th off from work to relax and visit their families. 

Today’s images are from here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Dec 25th – Dilbert & the Perfect Gift

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Today is December 25th, Christmas!  Christmas was originally a Christian holiday and celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ.  Today, it is both a religious and cultural holiday for anyone that wishes to participate.  A common tradition on Christmas is the exchanging of gifts with your friends and family. 

The Christmas holiday season can be very stressful for many people because of gift giving.  Many people struggle to find a good gift for the ones they love and care about.   People also worry that their gift s to others will not be as good as the ones given to them which could make them look bad.  Also, gift giving can be very expensive and take a lot of time.

Today’s comic is Dilbert.  Dogbert, his pet dog, got him the perfect gift.  NOTHING!  For many people this is the best gift of all because many people do not enjoy giving or getting gifts.

Comic Breakdown

“Merry Christmas.  I got you the gift of absolutely nothing.” – Dogbert to Dilbert

“Nothing to unwrap, nothing to clutter the house, nothing to return, nothing to assemble, and not a single thing to feel guilty about.” – Dogbert explaining why the gift of nothing is perfect

“You totally get me.” – Dilbert being thankful and thanking Dogbert

“It was the least I could do.” – Dogbert to Dilbert

What has happened?

Firstly, the gift of nothing is perfect for Dilbert and perfect for many people.  They have nothing to stress out about.  Now they can just enjoy the holiday season with their friends and family.  Many people get gifts that they hate or feel bad if they do not have a gift or good gift to give in return. 

The double meaning of “least”

Dogbert and Dilbert have a love/hate relationship.  Dogbert says to get Dilbert nothing was the least that he could do.  This has two meanings.

1) Least – This is an expression that is used when someone wants to do something nice for someone else either as a thank you or as a gesture of care.  By getting Dilbert nothing, Dogbert put a lot of thought into why it was best for Dilbert because he knows Dilbert does not want anything.  When one does not want anything, no gift is the best gift.

2) Least – This means the littlest or nothing of something.  By getting Dilbert nothing, Dogbert did not have to do or buy anything.

To read more about Dilbert and gift giving, click here.

Today’s images are from here, here, here, here, and here.

Dec 24th – The Peanuts & Christmas Traditions

Hello everyone!

Today’s comic is Peanuts with an explanation on Anglo – American Christmas traditions.

Comic Breakdown

“Then on Christmas Eve he flies through the air in a sleigh with a bunch of reindeer, and brings all these kids the things they’ve asked for…why?  I don’t know…” – Lucy speaking to Snoopy

When is Christmas Eve?

December 24th, the day before Christmas (December 25th).

Who is Lucy talking about?

Lucy is talking about Santa Claus!  In English he also goes by the names Old Man Christmas, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle and Saint Nick (short for his formal Christian title Saint Nicholas).

Other names for Santa Claus in other languages and countries include:

Brazil – Papai Noel (Father Christmas)

Germany - Weihnachtsmann (Christmas Man)

France – Père Noël (Father Christmas)

Hungary – Mikulas (Saint Nicholas)

Italy – Babbo Natale (Father Christmas)

Spain – Papa Noel (Father Christmas)

Portugal – Pai Natal (Father Christmas)

Japan – Hoteiosho (Priest or God that brings gifts)

What is Lucy talking about?

Christmas traditions are different depending on the country and culture.  In the Anglo – American world, Santa Claus flies around the world in a flying sleigh full of toys pulled by reindeers on the night before Christmas. 

Santa goes down the chimney and leaves children gifts in their Christmas stockings or under the Christmas tree.

To read more about the Peanuts and their holiday beliefs, click here.

Today’ images are from here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Dec 23rd – Hi & Lois & the Christmas Senses

Hello everyone!

Today’s comic is Hi & Lois with a Christmas holiday season theme.

Comic Breakdown

Baby Trixie sees Dawg the dog dressed as a reindeer.  She sees her father dressed in a red hat with a big sack on his back like Santa Claus.  Trixie see’s Christmas lights going up on a pine tree which looks like a Christmas tree.  Trixie helps her sister Dot wrap gifts.  Trixie smells her mother’s baking.  Trixie hears her brother playing a holiday song.  Trixie’s brother Ditto gives her a Christmas cookie to eat.

“It’s beginning to feel, smell, sound, and taste a lot like Christmas!” – Trixie’s thoughts

What is happening?

By using her senses, Trixie has observed that it is Christmas time!

What are senses?

Senses refer to the things that your body and mind perceives or "senses".  It is how humans and animals judge things and know things.  We cannot live without our senses.  You can live without some senses but not all.

The five main senses are hearing, touching, seeing, smelling, and tasting

What is going on in this comic?

Trixie might be a baby but using her senses she knows that it is the Christmas holiday season.  She hears, tastes, smells, and sees things related to Christmas.  The conclusion is that it must be Christmas time! 

Also, this comic is referencing the holiday song, “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.”

Today's images are from here, here, here, and here.

Dec 22nd – Family Circus & Holiday Puns

Hello everyone!

Today’s comic is Family Circus featuring holiday puns.

What are puns?

A pun is a play on words.  Puns are when a word or phrase is funny due to a double or second meaning.  Puns are used for comedic or dramatic effect.  They work because many words are homonyms and thus share the same sound or spelling but not meaning which gives a phrase or title a double meaning. 

Puns are also funny because of malapropisms.  Malapropisms are when people mix up similar sounding words.  To learn more about malapropisms, click here.

Conversations become a lot more interesting and funny when one can understand and use puns.

Now to our comic:) 

Comic Breakdown

Knight before Christmas – The night before Christmas, December 24^th, is also known as Christmas Eve.  

A knight is a medieval soldier and night is the time of day when it is dark.

Stocking Stuffers – This refers to gifts and treats you put into a Christmas stocking. 

Stockings are another name for socks

A Christmas stocking are socks you hang at the fireplace mantle or your bedpost so that Santa Claus can put gifts in it.

Addressing his cods – The child misheard the phrase “addressing his flock”.  This was a malapropism because of the mix up between “cod” and “flock”.

Cod is a fish. 

A flock is a group of animals; usually sheep or goats.

The phrase “addressing his flock” refers to a Christian religious leader (a pastor, priest, reverend) as a shepherd and the people in his church as his flock of sheep.  The people follow their religious leader’s words and guidance the way sheep follow a shepherd.

Christmas Seals – Christmas seals are stickers, labels, and stamps with holiday images that decorate packages, letters, and gifts. 

The word “seal” is a homograph.  Seal has two meanings. 

The Arctic animal.

Something used to close something such as a package or letter.

Missile Toe – This is a malapropism.  The child mixed up “missile” with “mistle”.

A missile is a rocket launched bomb.

Mistletoe is a Christmas plant that people hang as a decoration. 

Beat Nick – The word “beat” is a homograph and has two meanings here.  Beat can mean to hit someone.  Or beat can mean tired.  Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nick (short for Nicholas), would be very tired after delivering gifts around the world in one night, December 24^th.

To read more about the meanings of "beat", click here.

SI-ENT NIGHT (NO EL) - This is referencing the Christmas songs "Silent Night" and "The First Noel".  Noel is another name for Christmas.  The double meaning of "NO - EL" is that many people do not pronounce the letter L in the song Silent Night do you do not get the L sound.  You get "No L".

Today’s images are from here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.