Why I Dislike Christmas

[Brookswood]

It's easy to get Christmas fatigue. Marketing is so sophisticated and makes you feel like you must have "things", and give " things", and display "things". I fall for it every year but I'm getting better. 🕊

The cure for the hype, sales pressure, gift pressure, etc, is to celebrate the real Christmas. It is a celebration of the birth of the Christian savior. Anything else is what some people call "cultural appropriation".

The local shopping mall near me is decorated to the hilt with fancy trees, garlands, ornaments, fake snow, fake trees, etc. The only thing you can't find is anything acknowledging the birth of the Christ. No wonder Christmas is hard for some people.

Also remember that the Christmas season traditionally began on 12/25 and end just before the feast of the Epiphany in January. That's were we get the 12 Days of Christmas from. Thanksgiving through 12/24 is Advent, though the stores will have us think it's the Christmas season. By celebrating all 12 days you have plenty of extra time to visit friends and relatives. And if you do want to give gifts, you can them on sale.

Not a Christian? That's OK also. Just skip retailers Christmas excess if you like. Spend December 25 relaxing and reading an improving book. The lights and decorations are pretty to look at even for non-believers. Relax.

 

[OneEyedDiva]

Christmas is so much more enjoyable when you cut out the unnecessary gift giving. I just enjoy the decorations around town and in stores knowing that I don’t have to buy any or find a place to store them. I make some monetary donations to local charities that helps me enjoy the season more.
I look forward to listening to Christmas music every year, especially the traditional hymns. I especially enjoy Mannheim Steamroller Christmas music.

I'm sick of Christmas music, except a Christmas medley my good friend recorded with some of her talented friends. It has a very interesting arrangement. I also enjoy the songs from Vince Guaraldi's A Charlie Brown's Christmas album. I don't necessarily wait for Christmas to listen to any of those songs. Like you, I really enjoy seeing the decorations, especially the Christmas lights. I can look out across our courtyard and see the ones my neighbors put up but I also like riding through different areas and seeing them.

 

[Warrigal]

I'm alone on Christmas. I'm single, everyone in my birth family is dead (save for me), and the only Christmas celebration I have
are the two Christmas Eve services at church, when I volunteer as an usher so the usual December team have the option of being
with their families.
I'm OK with all of that.

Volunteering is a wonderful thing to do and is an appropriate gift for the Christmas season.

My denomination has a church that has established a ministry known as the Loaves and Fishes restaurant. It serves the poor and the lonely by providing a hot meal sitting down in the church hall. That is not the whole picture. They also provide free dentistry for street people and learn to read programs for children struggling with literacy.

On Christmas Day the meal is served by volunteers who are members of the Sydney Jewish community. I consider that to be a very noble service. It means that no-one misses out on a festive meal and no-one has to choose between being with family or bringing cheer to lonely souls.

 

[Knight]

I don't dislike anything about Christmas. It's just another day at this stage of life. With our "kids" at ages 60 & 58 the change over the years of gift exchange is welcome. For friends a call is all that is needed.

No need to decorate but do enjoy seeing what others do.Then there is seeing the excitement very young children express at the store decorations when shopping with their parents. The capitalist in me likes that merchants can hopefully sell enough to have a profitable year.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I don't get it Aunt Bea. Rules about gifts? Did you have to spend a certain amount or something?

All of my immediate family decided to only give and receive gifts within their nuclear family. My parents decided to give gifts only to the small grands and great grands.

When you are single that pretty much leaves you on the outside looking in.

I was ok with it until people started guestioning me about what I received for Christmas, I actually thought that was a bit cruel or perhaps thoughtless.

No worries, you adapt and you get stronger.

 

[PeppermintPatty]

I don't dislike Christmas. In fact, I love it!

DH & I throw a few big parties from mid to end December. Our kids and grands come to all, so the whole family gets to see old friends, many of whom none of us have seen since one of our Christmas parties the previous year. Some guests adjust travel plans so they're sure to be in town to join in. We eat pizza and cookies, drink (but nobody to excess) decorate cookies, laugh, catch-up and have a rollicking good time. All combined, including repeats, we'll host over 120 at various parties.

Gifts? I mail out 35 boxes of cookies each year, and all party guests leave with a big box of cookies that DH & I prepack.

Christmas Eve is at our house with our entire family and a few close friends - usually about 20, all told. There's a stealing wrapped grab bag that night. $15-ish for consumables. Can be regional food, candy, liquor, birdseed, etc. As long as it's something that'll get used up, it's eligible. Always a hoot.

Early Christmas morning we go to DD's house. We watch them open their gifts and exchange small gifts with them.

Christmas afternoon/evening is back at our house. Just us, all our kids and grands, and a couple of close family friends. The 4 grands (niece and nephews) get gifts from everyone. Adults don't exchange other than DH & I giving everyone a nice check and several traditional gifts I pull together each year.

That afternoon everyone opens from our secret Santas - this year's theme: Silly (or not so silly) slippers. Approx $15.

After dinner and shortly before calling it a night, we have the final gift exchange. A stealing grab bag. This year's theme is fidgets. Most of us are ADD/ADHD so we enjoy and use fidgety gadgets are. $10-$15.

The holidays are expensive, chaotic (in a delightful way) and a lot of work for DH & me, won't pretend otherwise. But these are labors of love and the funds come from being semi rather than fully retired. This big annual splurge reminds a couple of hundred people that they're remembered, loved and important to us.

I can't imagine a better way to celebrate the season of joy and love.

Wow! You really go all out. 35 boxes of cookies sent out. That in itself is amazing. I wish I was friends with you. or maybe a family member. lol

 

[Dr.Colosso]

No need to decorate but do enjoy seeing what others do.

Oh that reminds me. My aunt had a small artificial Christmas tree with lights and ornaments in it and when Christmas was over she just threw a blanket over it and then used it again the next year, just like that.