Does anyone care about Christmas anymore?

[John Picard]

Christmas is for little children who believe in Santy Claus. Me? I hate it -- specifically, the whole "it's Christmas be good to your fellow man blah, blah, blah, blah". Why not do that year round?

That's my feelings in general. Were it not for our son, we wouldn't be celebrating this year.

My thing with Christmas isn't the religion or the whole commercialization (I heard one more x-mas song, I'm going to snap....one more toy commercial...~loads rifle~), it's the hypocrisy and the out and out two faced nature of it.

People you can't stand, and who can't stand you, all of the sudden thinking "hey it's Christmas, we have to be friendly".

My ex-wife's family is a bunch of materialistic pigs. Her mother buys the grandkids everything they want for Christmas, all of which gets destroyed within days. She just shrugs it off and says, "It's what they wanted and it made them happy". This same woman is perpetually broke and bitches when the price of *ANYTHING* goes up.

One year, we did a gift exchange in her family. I had to get something for one of my wife's sisters. After some consideration, when it came time to give her the gift, I looked at her and said, "Your car is in dire need of mechanical repair. Your brakes are shot and if they aren't replaced soon, you'll get killed or kill someone. Give me your car on Saturday and I'll replace everything." That was a gift worth giving and served a far better purpose than a gift certificate to eat or trendy clothes.

 

[Captain X]

I like summer best, personally - it's warm.

 

[thestrangequark]

I felt the same way a few years ago. The 'Christmas present feeding frenzy' was over, I was staring at a pile of stuff I didn't need, and I said, "I hate this. This isn't right. This isn't what it's about." And I vowed the next year would be different.

The following Christmas, my wife and I decided we would not buy any gifts for each other. Instead, we worked with a local charity to 'adopt' a family in need. We've done this the last three years. We contact the assigned family, find out their specific needs, and deliver the gifts (already wrapped) so they can enjoy Christmas morning.

And you know what? It's completely 'rebooted' my feelings about Christmas. I genuinely look forward to the honor of sharing the holiday with others in this way. I don't miss the piles of gifts for myself at all. And I'm reminded each year that this holiday really is about giving and sacrifice, going back to the original Christmas and what it means for humanity.

This is absolutely wonderful. There were several years when I was little that my family was too poor for gifts or feasting. I remember one year a family did for us what you are doing now. I remember we got wonderful gifts: a doll each for me and my sisters, mittens (we'd been wearing socks on our hands), and food. It was wonderful. We even painted a cardboard box brick and made it into a fake fireplace.

I love Christmas. I love the music, the lights, the Christmas episodes of my favorite shows. I love shopping, even this year when things are tight -- I enjoy giving even more than I enjoy getting. So yes, even though I'm an Atheist, I care about Christmas.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I love Christmas, because of:

- Celebrating Christ's birth
- Family
- Food
- More food
- Still more food
- Mannheim Steamroller
- Days where it doesn't snow

 

[Capn Flukie]

I could take it or leave it really. It's just been getting too sad for me the past few years, and this year is proving to be no exception.

 

[benny]

Add me to the hate list. Maybe hate is a strong word, but I could really do without the entire Thanksgiving to Christmas stretch. Having the BF's parents, sisters and their husbands in the house for any length of time brings out the worst in the whole bunch of us. His mom can barely do anything in the kitchen (stroke) yet insists on getting all the food. Which is fine, but we already have stuffing and corn and biscuits and that stuff. She gets it anyway, leaving the extras with us.

Which is nice and all, but we don't use it during the year. Guess what I dug out of the cabinet yesterday? Three jars of cherries, two boxes of stuffing and more peas than I care to think about. Guess what mom also has already? Stuffing, peas and cherries. We fight over that, of course.

Add to that Jim doing nothing to assist in the cooking or the cleaning or the shopping...the race we have to eat dinner, dessert and then open presents. He annoyed me to high heaven on Thanksgiving by insisting on digging into dessert while everyone was still eating the meal. He then made a mess of my oreo cheesecake and the pumpkin cheesecake... I swear I wanted to strangle him in front of 6 witnesses.

Then there's my family issues, which the bf has yet to assist in trying to resolve. So I genuinely dislike the family bullshit every song and special wants to shove down my f'ing throat. Be realistic and let's portray some people who can't get their heads out of their rear ends for more than three seconds. Seriously, I hate Christmas most of all.

 

[Rÿcher]

I love making people happy by getting them stuff they want or need. So yes, I care about christmas though I prefer to spell is x-mas being a card-carrying atheist.

 

[Cutter John]

I'm another addition to the 'I really don't feel like bothering' list.

Apart from all the things going wrong in my life, all this 'War on Christmas' crap has really gotten to me. I'm sick of all the 'Happy Holidays vs Merry Christmas' crap. People picketing because someone hung decorations that don't reflect their belief system. Or suing the local government because they used a decoration that somehow 'offended' them. And OMG, we're not being inclusive enough!
Then the real star on top is that recently someone actually DIED because a bunch of assholes were desperate to save a few dollars on christmas presents.
Really, it seems like the holidays have turned into just another excuse for people to hate each other rather than a season that brings people together.

So this year, Jan 2nd can't come soon enough.

 

[Captain X]

I love making people happy by getting them stuff they want or need. So yes, I care about christmas though I prefer to spell is x-mas being a card-carrying atheist.

Does it have that cool A with the electron paths on it?

 

[Maestro]

One year, we did a gift exchange in her family. I had to get something for one of my wife's sisters. After some consideration, when it came time to give her the gift, I looked at her and said, "Your car is in dire need of mechanical repair. Your brakes are shot and if they aren't replaced soon, you'll get killed or kill someone. Give me your car on Saturday and I'll replace everything." That was a gift worth giving and served a far better purpose than a gift certificate to eat or trendy clothes.

So, how'd your gift go over?

 

[Warped9]

I always hear that Christmas is only for kids. I've never really bought into that because I see that how you perceive Christmas and what you make of it is the distinction. For kids they more easily grasp the receiving of presents aspect, but as I've gotten older I've realized other things about.

The spirit of Christmas lives in your heart and not your wallet. It's a mindset that resides with you basically all year round, but is more alive and apparent around this time of year. It's how you perceive things. It's also partly the ability to see some magic and wonder and genuine hope beyond the cold cynicism and harshness of everyday life. The most genuine gifts you can give are acts of sincerity and kindness, not only to those you know and cherish yet also to strangers, and it can cost you little to no money.

When I do give something I try to personalize it as much as possible in that the gift reflects an effort of thought for that particular person. A lady friend I know and care about helped make my Santa's bag and sash even though she is very busy as a waitress and mother with little time for herself. I'm going to try to make a hand drawn portrait of an old-fashioned Santa Claus for her something along the lines I did for my mother one Christmas about 25 years ago.

Paraphrasing lines from How The Grinch Stole Christmas: Christmas doesn't come from a store. Christmas means something more.

 

[Seven of Five]

I like Christmas, but for 3 years it was always a homecoming for me. I was away at uni and Christmas would be like the second time I'd seen the family in four months. So it was really good to spend time with the family and all that jazz. As time went on, young children came into the family when my dad got together with my stepmum - my stepsister has a couple who are 8 and 5 now, and my stepbrother has a 4 year old. So now that I'm back in my hometown, Christmas is still a bit special.

This year's different as I moved into my own place, and I haven't had much money to put towards presents. I think I've spent what I spent on presents when I first had a part time job when I was 16, so eight years ago! I've felt sort of bad, and everybody's been telling me not to worry about it. I suppose its been a blessing, as the Christmas shopping has more than halved, which is definately good!

This year will be my ninth Christmas in retail, my third at a supermarket. It's always mental in the runup, but at the supermarket, the last three or four days are packed. There are hour long queues for tills, and you just can't move for people. I like being busy in my work I guess! Makes up for being a lazybum at home.

 

[Hermiod]

I only look forward to Christmas time because I finally get to use up my holiday days. I've got two weeks off this year.

Some mixture of me never going anywhere, hating hot weather in the summer and other people taking holidays and thus needing cover means that I always end up with most of my holiday left over by the end of the year.

So, no, Christmas doesn't matter to me anymore, only the three Bank Holidays we get in Britain that I can use to pad out my holiday.

 

[Rÿcher]

I love making people happy by getting them stuff they want or need. So yes, I care about christmas though I prefer to spell is x-mas being a card-carrying atheist.

Does it have that cool A with the electron paths on it?

no, something nice and traditional with a nice wintry scene or some birds dancing in a row or my daughter dressed in her x-mas best.

 

[Kestra]

I love Christmas. I love listening to all sorts of Christmas music on the radio and singing along at the top of my lungs. I love buying presents for people I know and care for. I love setting up the tree with my husband and then sitting down to watch Elf while drinking hot cocoa afterwards. And I love spending Christmas with my in-laws, opening presents and telling silly jokes and playing games.

This is actually one time of the year I don't do as much donation/service wise. I tend to focus more on the people I know around this time, and try to space out donations for the rest of the year.

 

[John Picard]

One year, we did a gift exchange in her family. I had to get something for one of my wife's sisters. After some consideration, when it came time to give her the gift, I looked at her and said, "Your car is in dire need of mechanical repair. Your brakes are shot and if they aren't replaced soon, you'll get killed or kill someone. Give me your car on Saturday and I'll replace everything." That was a gift worth giving and served a far better purpose than a gift certificate to eat or trendy clothes.

So, how'd your gift go over?

She was very appreciative. The former MIL was pleased as she'd been getting on her to get her car repaired for weeks.

 

[freak]

Personally, I love Christmas..but it's really about the children I think. I love seeing their eyes gleam whenever they get a present they really wanted from Santa. For me, I don't really care about the presents-it's the family and what we can give to others who are in worse shape than we are. Here I am sometimes complaning about family life and everything, and there's a child who doesn't even have the luxury of having parents anymore. They've either died, been on drugs their whole lives and not cared about them, or just abandoned them. I feel so bad about those kids. And I agree about "being good to fellow men when it's Christmas". Why not do that year round instead?
What I don't like about christmas is all the parents fighting over the one toy they want to get their kids and people competing for the best lights show or the best toy for their children. It's rather annoying IMO.

 

[Goliath]

Christmas is pretty meaningless to me.

It has no religious significance--though I'm no "Christmas warrior". I still call it Christmas, because that's the way I was raised, and because the suggested alternatives are lame.

To make matters worse, my whole family lives on the other side of the country.

I don't put up a tree, or decorate, or send cards. I give gifts to my parents, and draw names each year to select a sibling to buy a gift for.

I may make myself something a little extra special for dinner. But that's about the extent of my celebrations.

For the most part, it'll be just another Thursday.

 

[Warp Coil]

Christmas has certainly lost its luster. I'm grown up now, but have no family of my own. I live by myself and feel no reason to decorate my condo with trees or lights or anything - there's no one to enjoy them with. I think children definitely gives the holiday season something different. While I enjoy spending time with my family and eating good food, it seems like Christmas just becomes a big chore. Trying to figure out what gifts to buy everyone, then running out to the stores to buy them and then wrap them... it can be a hassle as well as a drain on the wallet. I guess my problem is that I don't feel any "magic" at Christmas anymore.

 

[John Picard]

Christmas has certainly lost its luster. I'm grown up now, but have no family of my own. I live by myself and feel no reason to decorate my condo with trees or lights or anything - there's no one to enjoy them with. I think children definitely gives the holiday season something different. While I enjoy spending time with my family and eating good food, it seems like Christmas just becomes a big chore. Trying to figure out what gifts to buy everyone, then running out to the stores to buy them and then wrap them... it can be a hassle as well as a drain on the wallet. I guess my problem is that I don't feel any "magic" at Christmas anymore.

I wised up years ago to having a real tree in my house. I'd grown up with that all my life and continued the tradition after I got married. After the divorce, I bought my real tree from Lowes for a couple of years and then got fed up with the mess and the hassle of setting it up. Artificial trees were ridiculous expensive and looked like crap. Three years ago (maybe four), I'm in Wal Mart late night ~ December 20 and I find that the fiber optic trees were discounted from $69 to $29!! I couldn't load that think into the cart quick enough. It comes with two color wheels that throw the colors either "fast" or "slow". I love to let it run while the lights are out, watching TV and listening to the little motor whir as the colors change.

Other than that, I could care less about Christmas.