Do you dislike Christmas? Why? Pls share.

Pepper said:
My husband's family was so poor at various times. He remembered getting an orange for Christmas
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My mom was a kid during the Depression, in a house with 7 brothers & sisters. My mom would put an orange in our Xmas stockings. She seemed to think that was a big deal. For a long time, I couldn't figure out what was so special about an orange you could buy in any grocery store.
 

I am always very glad all the fuss is over.It is all far too commercial. I wish no presents or cards were exchanged, as it causes so much debt and obligations .
For me it is far more about lovely special food and being in the company of those who you truly want to be with.
 

It was fun when my kids were little, fun when g'kids were little, but now everybody's grown, and I kinda wish we'd just forget about the gift part and enjoy the day eating "Christmas" food like we do with "Thanksgiving" food on Thanksgiving day. It would be easier on the pocketbook and easier on the nerves.
 
Rose65 said:
I am always very glad all the fuss is over.It is all far too commercial. I wish no presents or cards were exchanged, as it causes so much debt and obligations .
For me it is far more about lovely special food and being in the company of those who you truly want to be with.
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its not over...it's not started yet for this year....Also I have never got into debt for Christmas... ..
 
Christmas (and all holidays) used to be a good excuse to get good and drunk. My body can no longer tolerate alcohol, so I don't look forward to holidays any more. It was one of the few pleasures I had in my life, so naturally, it was taken away.

My inability to tolerate alcohol is probably nature's way of telling me that I was going to destroy my liver if I kept it up. I just wish there was something that could take its place.
 
We didn't have Christmas growing up and I can remember times my mother wanted to make that day as miserable as possible.

I like the lights, some decor. I don't like the waste. All that paper, boxes, ribbon, trees will go in the trash. I do find the bags and bows sell at the thrift stores so that's good I guess.

Drove by a tree lot this AM, lots of trees. Probably most have bought their trees. Those will all be thrown out I guess. All the water to grow them. End up just trash.
 
astralcat said:
I donā€™t care for the Christmas season. As already stated previously, it is way too long. By the time Christmas actually comes, everyone is burned out. I donā€™t like the insincerity of Christmas ā€“ everyone coerced into donating this and that. Giving should come from the heart and because we genuinely want to make someoneā€™s life better. Once Christmas is over, all the charitable agencies fade into the woodwork never to be seen until next Christmas season.

If you want to visit an old age home, do it because you want to, not because it's Christmas. These same people experience the loneliness all year long, not just during the Christmas season. Same with organizations providing Christmas dinners - again, people need to eat all year long, not only once a year.

I would love Christmas if it was genuine, but to me, sadly, itā€™s not ā€“ just organizations preying on your guilt. My best wishes to all who enjoy and love it.
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Your post is about right. I only donate to cat rescues anyway. And Raptor rescue.
 
Not all of us grew up in pleasantness. So I understand how those might feel. But some of us have always loved at least parts of the holiday.

I love the religious Christmas Holiday of my 1950s and 1960s, but dislike the dominant gift giving commercialization that was much less so when I grew up. I come from a large middle class family that had very joyful Christmas seasons. In that era, religious Christmas music was everywhere with much less of the pop one now hears. There were no retail stores open on Christmas day, no football games, no caustic news on the only 3 broadcast TV channels most of us might watch.

Yes, my parents did buy wonderfully wrapped toys and games and each Christmas we would have ritualistic gift opening fun after attending an early morning mass. Our Christmas trees and homes were delightful places of colorful lights and wonderful cookie, desert, and scented candle aromas. Since I lived in middle class suburban neighborhoods with lots of grade school aged children, kids all over were excited about the day.

We always had a large dinner a notch below that of Thanksgiving. My beloved mother was a typical housewife that loved cooking like many other women of that era. In the afternoons, adults would move about the neighborhood to their friends, delivering personal gifts and enjoying seeing what others had brought for their families while consuming some spiked eggnogs.

As a single adult living far from other relatives, those family Christmas's waned over the decades to just a few modest travel get-togethers. And now my parents and 2 siblings are missing from my own family leaving hollow memories. As an 8 to5 m-f workweek, long time Tahoe snow skier, I wasn't one to spend my fall and winter weekends watching football games on tv but rather usually was outdoors in visceral bliss.

This Sunday morning with the holiday now 10 days away, I much enjoyed a well attended early mass with our parish school's choir of small children singing. And midweek, yes, will get a couple days skiing in after yesterday's wonderful new snow...thank you Jesus for this white Christmas present!
 
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I very much like Christmas. From the Christmas music to the gingerbread cookies. I love how colorful Christmas is. The decorated houses all lit up, the Christmas trees, the Christmas cards, stockings hung by the fireplace , presents under the tree; itā€™s ALL good. Sure there are some parts I donā€™t like about Christmas but I try and focus on the parts I DO like. Just like life itself, nothing is ALL good. Christmas is what you make it, just like life. If you think it sucks, it probably does.

Here are some Christmas decorations we just put up and gingerbread cookies I make each year. The cookies get sent to family and friends. Itā€™s a tradition Iā€™ve been doing since 1981. ( 43 years ).

IMG_7049.jpeg

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Fred's reply to Scrooge in A Christmas Carol:

ā€œā€˜There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited, I dare say,ā€™ returned the nephew. ā€˜Christmas among the rest. . . . And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!ā€˜ā€
 
I love everything about Christmas - and embrace the example of someone who taught us to love our neighbors and to search out the best in others and to encourage it along. I no longer attend church, not because of Him, but because His lessons have become lost in over-the-top, self-aggrandizing preachers busily feathering their own nest.

Since early childhood Christmas has been my best loved holiday by a country mile. My parents had their faults, but not when it came to Christmas. They always made it beyond special. Christmas Eve was spent with relatives - and my aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents were my favorite people in the world.

Fast forward to what I love about Christmas now: Stores and neighborhoods are dolled up, my house is decorated to the nines, I get to bake to my heart's content, I see friends I don't otherwise run into, and I'm able to gift friends and family - near and far - with beautiful cards and homemade cookies, spreading small bits of joy their way.

DH & I love hosting parties for friends and family and our holiday parties always draw a big crowd. Our Christmas Eve evening pulls our kids, grands and a lot of "strays" with no family nearby, or whose families don't have a special celebration that evening, or (as in one case) has a family of origin so annoying that he, his wife and their two kids spend a fun, happy, stress-free Christmas Eve evening with us.

That evening we have a hilarious Christmas Steal grab bag (consumables costing $10-$15), a nice dinner and dessert, and a great time just laughing, visiting and enjoying one another.

Next day we get ready for the Christmas afternoon/evening crowd. Usually just us, our kids and GKs, and a close family friend who comes to visit from up north. Dinner, a different Christmas Steal grab bag, gifts for the children from us and aunts & uncles, DH & I give checks to our kids & GKS, and I hand out my traditional gifts to everyone. (Relatively inexpensive items - fun or practical items that'll be used up within a year.)

What's not to love?

PeppermintPatty said:
Just like life itself, nothing is ALL good. Christmas is what you make it, just like life. If you think it sucks, it probably does.
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Exactly so, PP. Also, I've never gone into debt buying gifts and it's been decades since I was swept into over-the-top Christmas consumerism.

In my car I listen to ad-free satellite radio. When I want to listen to music at home I flip on my iPod that's heavily loaded with my favorite music, and I virtually never watch regular TV, so I'm well shielded from the money grab commercialism.

I'll say it again - I love everything about Christmas!
 
I like to give gifts in the days / weeks leading up to Xmas. Terrible at wrapping stuff.
Stuff stuffed into Xmas bags usually. Think it was putting stuff together / cleaning up used up most all of Xmas days.
Uh I avoid that mostly now.

Have you noticed most of the stores are so stuffed with impulse buying boxes sitting everywhere. Have to move
them just to get thru, pick out stuff on shelves and search for where they have now moved them. Its dificult to
even get to the self-checkout.
 
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Today am sitting here looking at Christmas cards and not wanting to take effort to write them out and mail them.
We have received two so far, though. One from the Salvation Army and one from St Judes. LOL.

Will likely get one each from the car dealer and Discount Tire, too!

Also am sitting here today wondering if I can find something for the three youngest grand kiddos.
Perhaps they are all old enough to just send a check to each. Let them decide what they really could use the money for?
Just seems kind of impersonal.
 
CooCooforCoCoPuffs said:
Today am sitting here looking at Christmas cards and not wanting to take effort to write them out and mail them.
We have received two so far, though. One from the Salvation Army and one from St Judes. LOL.

Will likely get one each from the car dealer and Discount Tire, too!

Also am sitting here today wondering if I can find something for the three youngest grand kiddos.
Perhaps they are all old enough to just send a check to each. Let them decide what they really could use the money for?
Just seems kind of impersonal.
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It may seem impersonal to you, but - kids love getting money, to spend on what they really want.
 
Remy said:
We didn't have Christmas growing up and I can remember times my mother wanted to make that day as miserable as possible.

I like the lights, some decor. I don't like the waste. All that paper, boxes, ribbon, trees will go in the trash. I do find the bags and bows sell at the thrift stores so that's good I guess.

Drove by a tree lot this AM, lots of trees. Probably most have bought their trees. Those will all be thrown out I guess. All the water to grow them. End up just trash.
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what happens to unsold Christmas trees ?
Here's what happens to unsold Christmas trees
 
CooCooforCoCoPuffs said:
Today am sitting here looking at Christmas cards and not wanting to take effort to write them out and mail them.
We have received two so far, though. One from the Salvation Army and one from St Judes. LOL.

Will likely get one each from the car dealer and Discount Tire, too!

Also am sitting here today wondering if I can find something for the three youngest grand kiddos.
Perhaps they are all old enough to just send a check to each. Let them decide what they really could use the money for?
Just seems kind of impersonal.
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I hate this money thing...I want to wrap gifts and give them like I did years ago .. but even in her 40's my daughter buys anything she needs for herself... so the only thing left is to give money... which she accepts very well..

I still don't like it..I'd much rather buy a gift .. but what's the point of it, if it's no going to be appreciated or of any use to them ...:)
 
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hollydolly said:
I hate this money thing...I want to wrap gifts and give them like I did years ago .. but even in her 40's my daughter buys anything she needs for herself... so the only thing left is too give money... which she accepts very well..

I still don't like it..I'd much rather buy a gift .. but what's the point of it, if it's no going to be appreciated or of any use to them ...:)
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HD, how fortunate we are that we and our children are in this position. ā¤ļø

The Christmas & birthday checks we give our grands will help in their futures. The smaller amounts of folding money we also give them are to spend on themselves now.

Our children and grands get generous checks from us because there were times when monetary gifts from my mom were a godsend to us. We honor and pay back her kind generosity by paying it forward.

Since we're still working some, the money we give them comes from that income, not from savings.
 
Interesting topic here! Me, I don't really like Christmas at all. The main reason is that I am so tired of the 2 months of massive advertising of buy, buy, and still buy more! It was OK when I was a kid on the farm and attended a 1 room school. When I had small kids it was special too.

Today I am sick and tired of the whole thing. That is why I am leaving for Florida and going on a 2 week cruise. While ya all be singing about "rockin' around the Christmas tree and having a holly golly new year" I'm be enjoying tropical breezes, a rum drink and maybe kicking up some sand. I booked my Florida time and my cruise time just to get away from this commercial madness.

Hey! If you love Christmas, I have no problem with that! However, I'm out of here. Never did believe in some fat guy coming down a chimney. Christ has been replaced by a fat man who lives at the North Pole! REALLY!
 

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hollydolly said:
what happens to unsold Christmas trees ?
Here's what happens to unsold Christmas trees
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During my childhood, Christmas trees could be brought to the parking lot of the baseball
park in my city and some civic organization sponsored a "12th Night Tree Burning" event after dark.

My dad took me one year to see it and that was a sight to remember. That huge pile of trees blazing away like the end of the world.

I can't imagine environmental protection laws allowing something like that nowadays.
 
HermitHogan said:
I hate Christmas. It's a day that I have to socialize and pretend I like people.

That said, it's good to have milestones during the year. Otherwise, it just turns into a big blur when you think back.
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Although I like Christmas for its original intent (birth of Christ) as I get older. I'm not into the commercialization and it was fun as kid. Living alone and knowing everyone will be busy. I know I will be guaranteed peace and quiet that day......Not one call or knock on the dooršŸ˜€
 

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