So, Scrooge...

Remove all ads!

Allrighty then, Christmas is up, and no matter who you are, you notice the hype all around you, right? So here is your chance to voice your opinion on this particular season. What are your feelings about Christmas? Vote if you wish.

 

I love Christmas . Being around my family around this time of year makes me fell all warm, fuzzy and comfortable. I have a great family though, I guess for others it's nowhere near the same...

 

I get a bit irritated at the consumerism at times, although I'm not Christian either, so there's no pull on me in that direction.
It is the holiday with the best decorations, however. Getting to decorate for the season keeps me out of complete Scrooge land.

 

Well, my motto for this month is "Baah, humbug!!!!!!" with a few extra (allright, a lot!) exclamationmarks. I´ve always threatened to buy my family giftcertificates to the local gasstation, if they start telling me what presents they want for Christmas. I can´t stand Christmas. Dunno why. Maybe it´s the whole "Yeay, now there´s one day a year where we have to treat each other nicely, so we don´t have to feel guilty about the fact that we treat each other like cr*p the remaining 364 days a year"-thing. Or something like that.

 

I have mixed feelings about Xmas.

On one hand, I love the vacation time, the presents, the food and the general feeling you get knowing that pretty much everything is closed, so you *have* to just take it easy. I like how in some neighborhoods, every house is expertly lit and decorated, and how a fresh Xmas tree makes the house smell...but the best part is, grabbing the last <insert popular gift here> off the shelf right before the guy behind you does, and then gloating about it.

On the other hand, I'm sick of hearing the same old crappy songs every year, the same old bible verses repeated in lame plays, spending time with my wife's family, eating my mother-in-law's food, and the fact that the entire holiday is based on a person who I just don’t believe in...that’s JC by the way...everyone knows Santa is real.

 

i think its pretty cool. although i myself am not a very christmassy person and i've never "felt" the season, I like that my friends and family enjoy it even though I can't really relate to it on the same level.

i hate all the hypocrites who start preaching during christmas season (basically Dec 24-25) then resume being [snip] the other 363 days of the year. well, they're still [snip] during the 2 days but take pains to try and hide it.

 

It's okay.

And no, we can't do better than that.

 

Oh my... you've hit a sensitive spot there.

I hate Xmas. Reunions in my family are a ticking time bomb and sooner or later, everybody is at each other's throat.

I survived last year by leaving the room, cozily install myself in the room in the attic (my favorite sanctuary), playing D2 and browing the web on my faithful laptop. I'm not making the same mistake twice -- I'm staying right at home this year. I have a beautiful unopened bottle of Golden Mexican Tequila, and I plan on drinking myself stupid.

F*** Xmas.

/me prepares a glass of Tequila for Dfly's imminent post in this thread

 

I too have mixed feelings though I suppose I fall out on the joyous end if I have to choose - which I did.
Jackson Browne's "Rebel Jesus" kind of sums it up for me.
I compromise by observing Advent rather strictly and then trying to experience Christmas as the days between Dec. 25 and Jan. 6. THAT'S interesting around here, with most people asking, Epiphany what?
For me, ideally, it would be a religious observance, period. But in the US it has always been first and foremost a secular holiday. The History Channel has a fascinating documentary called "Christmas Unwrapped" that really clarifies that secular history of the "holiday."
Oh, well. Best to look for the tidings of great joy wherever they can be found, probably not in the malls or online storefronts.

 

Same as Barmy!

 

Presents! Family! Food! A bearded dude with a burlap sack and an unhealthy obsession in kids!

The following weeks are good too, lots of good bargains in shops. The food is excellent and glögi or 'mulled wine' is one of the best drinks I know.

 

Meh. Used to love Christmas, but lately it kinda sucks. No big get-togethers on either side of the family, mostly because even when we do it doesn't feel the same anymore. With Grandma dead on Dad's side, and Mom dead, it just never feels right.

 

I strongly dislike the present Christmas for socio-political reasons (that Marxist portion of by brain hasn't died off yet). I tend to find any religious motivations for Christmas dead in most practices of the holiday.

Am I the only one who looks at Christmas ornaments and can't but think of the bodies that where hung from trees in Uppsala in honor of Odin?

 

Quite probably, yes.

 

This is one of those situations where i'd advise you to seek help from some sort of professional therapist

As for Christmas? Well, I can't say I love it. I've gotten past the age where it's awesome, now it's just expensive. Still, it's an excuse to drink lots, get stuff you want off people, give people other stuff, eat good food, and generally screw around.

I can't really knock it, i'm afraid. It's a bit of fun, so stop being so damn grumpy people

 

From my understanding, both mistletoe and the Christmas tree have their roots rather sinister Germanic symbolism involving the death of gods (Christmas tree is symbolic of Odin hanging himself from Yggdrasil to gain the knowledge of death and mistletoe has it's significance in the death of Balder and the onset of Ragnarök). On that note I wonder how mistletoe became something to kiss under as I imagine under it's original religious symbolism it didn't emote such a response. I know the hanging of "objects" of trees has its symbolism in the hanging of Odin.

 

Bah! Humbug!

Christmas is for kids. You can enjoy it vicariously through them, but otherwise it's just an expensive disappointment. Two years working retail definitely killed off most of my Christmas spirit - the whole thing seems horribly over-blown and over-commercialised now. Terrible, terrible Christmas movies, throngs of people in the shops meandering around looking depressed... best to stay in, stay warm, and order all the presents off Amazon (the SP link, natch ).

 

I love christmas kinda, it's fun being with the family and enjoying good food and present. But at the same time, it's just meh. Crappy song, crappy commercials on TV, crappy movies, people becoming mad in shopping mail.

I love the actual day, just not the week or so before and after it, when people go mad.

 

It's a blast! I love both the religious and secular aspects. Right down to the cheesiest display of lights!