Ba Humbug - Christmas

[FP]

Am I alone in not really liking Christmas?  I don't like the period leading up to it  by the time it arrives I am bored to death with it.  I feel elated when 1st January arrives!   I don't remember feeling so badly about it years ago when it started in December instead of September, and, of course, it's magic for children - but  I just don't like it at all any more.

 

[georgit79]

You're not alone. I hate the fact that the whole thing has turned into a commercial money-making scam.

[Quizmonster]

It's not so much that I "don't really like" it as that I utterly "detest" it!

[unnamed]

I love it! they can't put the xmas lights on early enough for me. Infact the run up is the best bit. I love december and shall put my decorations up on the 1st dec. i feel depressed on 1st jan because its all over.

[georgit79]

I feel relief!

[FP]

I would like it more if, as years ago, Christmas started on about 20th December, with people rushing about buying their gifts and putting up trees and decorations. Christmas food shopping was done on Christmas eve and then there were two days of just enjoying yourself with the family (and the Sales didn't start on Boxing Day)  People didn't overspend and nobody expected expensive presents.

 

Nowadays, if you take any notice of the adverts you are even expected to freshly decorate your house (not Christmas decorations - but paint and paper, etc), and even buy a new DFS sofa!!  Magazines are full of articles about how to have a stress free Christmas and how you should start preparing now.  And you can't buy any clothes in the shops except for Christmas party wear!!

 

Even Christmas decorations change fashion every year.  We get the same box down that we have had since getting married and with decorations that our parents had before us!

 

I told you I was an Old Fogey!  I am off to join Quizmonster on a far away desert island, if he agrees.

 

As Georgit says, its all turned into a commercial money-making scame.

[FP]

or scam even!

[BigDogsWang]

As a total atheist, I agree. But you have to go along with it. A bit like when I got married, I had to go to church for 6 weeks as I was never christened. I had no choice as my wife's family are believers, and I would never have lived it down if we went the registry office route. Why do half of the country who are atheists celebrate xmas? The whole thing smacks of hipocrisy.
Also, every year my family get together at xmas, and EVERY year we all end up arguing.

[BigDogsWang]

As a total atheist, I agree. But you have to go along with it. A bit like when I got married, I had to go to church for 6 weeks as I was never christened. I had no choice as my wife's family are believers, and I would never have lived it down if we went the registry office route. Why do half of the country who are atheists celebrate xmas? The whole thing smacks of hypocrisy.
Every year my family get together at xmas, and EVERY year we all end up arguing.

[BigDogsWang]

Just like to get my point across twice!

[FP]

That's the other thing, BigDogsWang, we all go along with it, myself included.  Relations come over and everybody gets on everybody else's nerves, the house gets overheated 'cos it is traditional to have a real fire, and I always get a migraine!

 

 

[Bangkok]

Christmas in Thailand is pretty good.  You only get Christmas day off, it's hot, everywhere is open, you can usually find someone daft enough to cook the full monty for lunch (for old times sake) and you can sit around drinking cocktails.

The downside is that you get to listen to bootleg carols in the shops ('Jigger Ben'!), and sometimes being cold is good, briefly.

 

The Christmas experience of my youth can never be reclaimed, but hopefully can be replicated for my kid(s). 

[Quizmonster]

Yep...let's go, FP!

[FP]

Sounds good Bangkok.

 

And the other things I hate are Christmas Carols being played from October onwards in all the Supermarkets, and  all those animated Christmas Decorations such as Santa Claus wiggling about and saying ho ho ho! every 2 minutes.

[andy hughes]

I'm with the majority here - I loathe the overkill that starts in September, and the fact that it' supposed to be a time of joy and giving, and it's turned into the exact opposite. I dipped out last year, I was too ill to go out, and I enjoyed myself at home alone, except the TV was rubbish!

[FP]

Perhaps we better have an AB excursion to that Desert Island.  Lots of good food and drink and no mention of Christmas?  

[Wraith]

I find christmas very depressing. I know the children love the lights and everything else so I make the effort. Being an atheist I don't celebrate it as the birth of christ, but as a time of peace and goodwill to all. This is where it gets depressing, watching everyone spend spend spend with no thought for anyone else. No one seems to be thankful for what they've got any more. Christmas has lost its true meaning and turned into a commercial nightmare.

How can I feel happy at christmas when I turn the telly on and see war and famine? Children suffering whilst I have fun. If only people could spend this time of year helping others and sharing a little of their wealth with those that truly need it.

[nicola_red]

I don't like it either. It seems to be all about kids and if you're not one and don't have any then you're kinda left out. I am religious and don't have anyone to go to church with anymore as my mum has stopped, and I kinda miss it, but daren't go to a new one alone. My Nana who I was really close to died at xmas a few years ago and I always get sad thinking about her too. I find that when I go visit my family over the hols I turn into an unpleasant brat, even worse if I have a drink, and can't wait to get back to normality. I have tried telling people I want to just spend the day alone, but nobody will have it.

[cheyenne]

thats one of the best posts ive ever read WRAITH.but i do like xmas .ive got fond memories when i was a kid.we had very little but we loved the tree and the food which we wouldnt have a lot of normerly.i would get as my main present a book which i would read a thousand times over under the bed covers with my traffic light torch.  but now i just try to block out whats around me untill xmas eve then really enjoy.playing old xmas music.yes a lovely log fire and relax.i think its the time of year when we all can take stock of our lifes and yes think about and help people who are worse of than are selfs.even if its just given money.theres still some magic with the twinkling of the xmas lights a log fire and a nice glass of brandy.

[FP]

Nicola_red, I'm sure you would find plenty of people going alone to Church.  I think you should try and go along as you are a religious person.  You might feel very close to your Nan there.  Would your lovely boyfriend go with you, just as support to you?

 

I am not religious, but it didn't stop me going along to all the Nativity services when my son was little.  It certainly brought out more of the true meaning of Christmas that Wraith has put so well.

[FP]

There are so many people, too, who must find Christmas the loneliest time of the year - the homeless and the elderly with no relations or friends who will visit them.