Author Topic: Does anyone else hate Christmas? If so, have you figured out why?  (Read 12276 times)

Metalcat

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 17381
Re: Does anyone else hate Christmas? If so, have you figured out why?
« Reply #50 on: December 29, 2019, 07:00:57 AM »
I am in fact taking two weeks of unpaid leave from my job right now. But most people in the USA can't afford to do that.

Me too, every year.

Monocle Money Mouth

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 719
Re: Does anyone else hate Christmas? If so, have you figured out why?
« Reply #51 on: December 30, 2019, 08:29:30 AM »
I'm not that crazy about Christmas anymore either. I enjoyed it more as a kid, since that was usually when I would get all the toys I was lusting after, a couple of weeks off from school, and some food you wouldn't normally get to eat. As an adult, I've come to dislike it.

I'm not crazy about the wastefulness of the season. Christmas cards are ridiculous. Nobody reads them. They are only sent out of a sense of obligation. They are a waste of the paper used to make them and the fuel used to send them. I don't like Christmas lights. People leave them on all night for nobody to see. They're pumping CO2 in the atmosphere for nothing. If you are going to do lights, at least put them on a timer to turn off at midnight. Nobody cares at 3am. People always make too much food for the crowd they actually have and try to send you home with leftovers. Sometimes I'll eat the leftovers, but usually, I just compost them. A lot of people give shitty gifts because they feel obligated to give something. I would rather not get a gift than get a piece of junk that is going to clutter up my life. I also don't want people wasting their hard earned money on what amounts to beads and baubles.

I don't care for the forced family time either. My parents aren't the type of people I would voluntarily spend time with if they weren't my parents. My mom is a drama queen and my dad is always needling me on politics when I've repeatedly asked him to not bring up the subject. My brother in law sucks too. He's always bitching about how he hates his job and life but never does anything to improve it. It's always the union or some politician's fault that he can't get ahead. His cynicism drains my energy. He's also a cheapskate, constantly buying shitty used cars and cheap electronics that need to be replaced every couple of years. He's a union electrician and makes a good wage, but he's never made the connection that if he does some research and spends slightly more on quality products, he won't have to replace them as frequently. I like my wife's parents, but since my brother in law is usually around taking a shit in the punch bowl, it makes spending time with them less pleasant.

I'm not happy about having my routine thrown off either. I usually buy food in specific quantities since I know what will last me for the week. When the holidays are in the middle of the week, it throws off my groove. I either need to figure out how much less I need to buy or eat the excess at a time I wouldn't normally eat it. There's also the pressure to eat the junk food that is ubiquitous this time of year. I like most of that food and have a hard time saying no. I usually end up putting on 5-10 lbs. I can drop it in a few weeks once I get back on my normal routine, but the waist on my pants will be tight until close to February.
« Last Edit: December 31, 2019, 02:31:05 AM by mies »

freya

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 476
Re: Does anyone else hate Christmas? If so, have you figured out why?
« Reply #52 on: December 30, 2019, 11:06:55 AM »
Very ambivalent about Christmas....I love the quiet family time with a fireplace playing on Youtube (I don't have a real one :-), a pine scented candle burning somewhere cat-safe, the tiny little Charlie Brown Christmas tree and garland that I put up for a hint of decoration, Handel's Messiah sing-alongs, and businesses/schools being in low productivity mode with a sharp reduction in stupid mass emails.

The rest of it, namely the required holiday staff tipping, required pointless gifts, required-attendance holiday parties at work (be seen by the dept chair and the other high-ups with a glass in your hand, then put it down and escape as soon as possible), and the crazed shopping extravaganzas that you have to work hard to ignore, drive me insane.  At least in my family we decided on a no gifts for adults rule.  I also practice regifting (as discreetly as possible).  Still, the Christmas tab is reflected in a $175/month line item budget, so I'm reminded of this horror throughout the year.

Khaetra

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 719
Re: Does anyone else hate Christmas? If so, have you figured out why?
« Reply #53 on: December 30, 2019, 01:36:43 PM »
I don't 'hate' Christmas, but I do think there's too much of it too early.  I dislike seeing the season start in August and I dislike the rampant consumerism that goes with it.

I do believe however that it's all in how you make it, either following in everyone else's footsteps (holiday overload) or picking the things you like and discarding the rest.  I like the trees/lights/decorations, just spending quiet time with my son doing things and making a special dinner I wouldn't make other times of the year.  No hustle and bustle here.

Evgenia

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 202
  • Location: California
    • Evgenia Got FI
Re: Does anyone else hate Christmas? If so, have you figured out why?
« Reply #54 on: December 30, 2019, 01:48:02 PM »
I'm not a fan because consumerism. It seems, in the U.S. anyway, that the last six weeks of the year show off the worst of our gluttonous, wasteful, CO2-emitting behavior. I do, however, like the feeling of slowness in the week between Christmas and the New Year (fewer people on roads, more people out of town, folks not working).

iris lily

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5671
Re: Does anyone else hate Christmas? If so, have you figured out why?
« Reply #55 on: December 30, 2019, 01:51:20 PM »
I dislike Xmas because of all the hurry craziness that sweeps our population. From November on, any request for goods or services is likely to be met with "You don't want this before Xmas do you?" Everyone gets stressed, drives badly and generally goes over the top with consumptive wastefulness. People you dislike at work give you gifts and then you feel compiled to return the favour. And then the country nearly closes down for most of January.

So much waste and so much fuss for just 1 day of the year.

Work processes pretty much slow to a crawl from the last week in November to first week in January. Now that I no longer punch a time clock, it doesn’t bother me. But back in the day when I worked I was always resentful of the enormous amount of time it took to get anything done, because in any chain of work with several people involved, it would  invariably be that someone was on vacation for a week.

This year I ordered a new custom sofa, normally an eight week event. The dropdead date I they gave was December 15. Oops they are delivering it the first week in January. I didn’t think at the time that I would be competing with other families who need to get their new sofa for the family gathering at Christmas. That is really OK I don’t mind it, but I should not forget that during the holiday season nothing gets done. Although in this case it’s more likely that the furniture factory was overwhelmed with work.
« Last Edit: December 30, 2019, 07:49:01 PM by iris lily »

UnleashHell

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8881
  • Age: 56
  • Location: Florida
  • Chapter IV - A New ... er.. something
Re: Does anyone else hate Christmas? If so, have you figured out why?
« Reply #56 on: December 30, 2019, 01:56:19 PM »
My folks were in the restaurant trade. Xmas started in mid november when the booking for xmas parties started to materialize. Every night a new group of people drinking on the company account , pulling crackers and filling the air with the sound of forced fun. plus the normal xmas dinner/lunches served everyday to the background noise of the 3 or 4 different tapes played in the background. Cleaning up more plate while listening to "I wish it could be christmas everyday". Oh the joy. try that for 5 weeks or more.
and dinner? a plate grabbed of leftovers. mostly turkey and veg. again.

Then came xmas day. a few presents, exhaustion and no way are we eating a xmas dinner. did open the restaurant a few times (for us) with the instruction that "you can have anything but turkey".

Towards the end of that particular spell in my life we then hit the period where the elderly relatives start dying. As luck would have it in our small family they all died around xmas. including one very special xmas day when we got an early phone call of "be here now".
I was left with my teenage sister to enjoy xmas day on our own while my folks went to hospital to see granny for the last time. followed by another funeral, this time in a blizzard, a few weeks later.  Be kinda nice to have a funeral in the summer for once. 

My other grandma - I got to be the last one to speak to her on one xmas day. And the last one ever. She died later that day. or the next day. Why was she at home on her own? Because she decided to not go on holiday with my parents and look after her elderly dog instead. I'm sure the mutt appreciated that. We didn't and I'm guessing she didn't either.

Have a merry christmas? Fuck that. 

ChpBstrd

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 6658
  • Location: A poor and backward Southern state known as minimum wage country
Re: Does anyone else hate Christmas? If so, have you figured out why?
« Reply #57 on: December 30, 2019, 02:48:15 PM »
A lot of people above have suggested a “take what you like and leave the rest” approach, but here’s the issue with that; we are not allowed not to participate.

You can tell people in November not to give you presents and they’ll do it anyway. And then you haven’t reciprocated, so you’re the asshole.

You cannot let anyone know you’re taking all these gifts to Goodwill. That’s disrespectful. They must be hoarded or else you don’t love anybody.

You cannot buy anything- even groceries- without being blasted by seasonal music that is proven to spur overconsumption.

Efforts to eat healthily are thwarted by coworkers and relatives who are out to spread Christmas cheer by ensuring you consume at least 5 cups of cane sugar per week.

You are supposed to be excited about an annual orgy of waste and pollution which celebrates the core values of greed and gluttony and which is based on a lie (see discussion of Saturanalia and other co-opted pagan solstice holidays above). Point any of this out to anyone and you are labeled “a grinch” or “a Scrooge” as if trapped in some Orwellian dystopia.

You will also be labeled a “grinch” if you point out that Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” features a character named Ebbezer Scrooge, who resembles several medieval anti-Semitic tropes (e.g. the money changer, stubbornness, blindness to the truth of the Messiah...). His transformation is a story of conversion to Christianity. Only Joseph Goebbels made more effective anti-Semitic propaganda.

You cannot speak of the fact that although everyone is talking about charity, what they are actually spending their money on is plastic futuretrash.

Regarding my childhood, I remember being showered with toys in December and greedily looking for more after all had been unwrapped. Then in January I would help my dad dig through other people’s trash piles looking for anything that could be sold. All we ever talked about were things.

AnnaGrowsAMustache

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1941
  • Location: Noo Zilind
Re: Does anyone else hate Christmas? If so, have you figured out why?
« Reply #58 on: December 30, 2019, 03:06:44 PM »
A lot of people above have suggested a “take what you like and leave the rest” approach, but here’s the issue with that; we are not allowed not to participate.

You can tell people in November not to give you presents and they’ll do it anyway. And then you haven’t reciprocated, so you’re the asshole.

You cannot let anyone know you’re taking all these gifts to Goodwill. That’s disrespectful. They must be hoarded or else you don’t love anybody.

You cannot buy anything- even groceries- without being blasted by seasonal music that is proven to spur overconsumption.

Efforts to eat healthily are thwarted by coworkers and relatives who are out to spread Christmas cheer by ensuring you consume at least 5 cups of cane sugar per week.

You are supposed to be excited about an annual orgy of waste and pollution which celebrates the core values of greed and gluttony and which is based on a lie (see discussion of Saturanalia and other co-opted pagan solstice holidays above). Point any of this out to anyone and you are labeled “a grinch” or “a Scrooge” as if trapped in some Orwellian dystopia.

You will also be labeled a “grinch” if you point out that Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” features a character named Ebbezer Scrooge, who resembles several medieval anti-Semitic tropes (e.g. the money changer, stubbornness, blindness to the truth of the Messiah...). His transformation is a story of conversion to Christianity. Only Joseph Goebbels made more effective anti-Semitic propaganda.

You cannot speak of the fact that although everyone is talking about charity, what they are actually spending their money on is plastic futuretrash.

Regarding my childhood, I remember being showered with toys in December and greedily looking for more after all had been unwrapped. Then in January I would help my dad dig through other people’s trash piles looking for anything that could be sold. All we ever talked about were things.

Of course you have to participate! It's one of the strongest social norms we have in western culture. I sometimes choose to participate as the grinch. That's a predefined and acceptable xmas role, so why not take it up? When the idiots in my office insist everyone wear santa hats, I wear my green grinch hat.

Regarding presents, send a xmas card (participating!) to everyone in early November stating in writing that you would prefer no gifts or a donation to a charity in your name (acceptable social more at xmas time). Then state that gifts received will be donated to a charity. That covers all bases.

Regarding xmas food forced on you, tell them you're on medication. They won't ask any more questions.

I have no solution to xmas music. Some grocery store in this country have a quiet hour, for people with sensory issues. Maybe do your shopping then? Oh hey hey, buy online!

Daley

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4825
  • Location: Cow country. Moo.
  • Still kickin', I guess.
Re: Does anyone else hate Christmas? If so, have you figured out why?
« Reply #59 on: December 30, 2019, 04:36:22 PM »
A lot of people above have suggested a “take what you like and leave the rest” approach, but here’s the issue with that; we are not allowed not to participate.

I know it's tough, man. And that's the thing, and perhaps where I myself missed the mark a bit with my initial response, even as I tried to offer better, and more truthful alternatives.

All of us, and I mean ALL OF US who want out of the yule, need to have compassion on others when dealing with this in truth by showing a deep love and concern in the process. Speak the truth, but in love, gently, with alternatives. Don't just bludgeon people over the head and tell them they're doing it wrong, that's the quickest way to shut someone down and continue the cycle of pain. Many of them genuinely have a heart that wants to be generous, but they've never really been shown how to best express that, nor are they frequently aware of the reams of intensely selfish and spiteful cultural baggage that comes along with this date.

We have to lead by example and take the focus away from the materialism.

MrThatsDifferent

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2317
Re: Does anyone else hate Christmas? If so, have you figured out why?
« Reply #60 on: December 31, 2019, 05:03:39 AM »
There’s so much to hate about it, especially if you don’t have kids or family around. I spent years on a I Hate Christmas rant, while being generous with presents. This year I was just, it’s Tuesday and I’m not working so what’s there to complain about? I fortunately get virtually two weeks paid off, so it’s really about the quiet and peace. So this year, for some reason I felt like I had a healthy view,,not carrying hatred or resentment, just focusing on the good parts. I’d rather use my energy for other things than hating a holiday.

afterthedark

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 30
Re: Does anyone else hate Christmas? If so, have you figured out why?
« Reply #61 on: December 31, 2019, 06:28:35 AM »
This was the least stressful Christmas I think I’ve ever had. When I realised I was getting stressed about getting presents for people, I sent an email to all usual recipients saying I was getting stressed about it, so I wasn’t going to get anyone anything. I encouraged them to not get me anything, but I know I can only control my own actions so I accepted the presents I got with grace.

I realised that while I don’t care about Christmas at all, I like the fact the shortest day has passed, so opened the presents on that day instead (where I live sunrise is 9am and sunset 3.30pm at that time of year, so worth marking it’s now getting lighter.

Christmas Day I spent working (self employed). I don’t watch much tv so didn’t see the usual ads and I get my food delivered by the supermarket so avoided the excess sales tactics and Christmas music playing, and just got my usual food order so no tight belts from ‘treats’.

I’ve set my gold standard for future christmases.


pbkmaine

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8927
  • Age: 67
  • Location: The Villages, Florida
Re: Does anyone else hate Christmas? If so, have you figured out why?
« Reply #62 on: December 31, 2019, 07:08:21 AM »
Other than stocking stuffers for immediate family, We write checks. My BFF and I write checks to charity in each other’s names.

ketchup

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4323
  • Age: 33
Re: Does anyone else hate Christmas? If so, have you figured out why?
« Reply #63 on: December 31, 2019, 09:07:01 AM »
A lot of people above have suggested a “take what you like and leave the rest” approach, but here’s the issue with that; we are not allowed not to participate.

You can tell people in November not to give you presents and they’ll do it anyway. And then you haven’t reciprocated, so you’re the asshole.

You cannot let anyone know you’re taking all these gifts to Goodwill. That’s disrespectful. They must be hoarded or else you don’t love anybody.

You cannot buy anything- even groceries- without being blasted by seasonal music that is proven to spur overconsumption.

Efforts to eat healthily are thwarted by coworkers and relatives who are out to spread Christmas cheer by ensuring you consume at least 5 cups of cane sugar per week.

You are supposed to be excited about an annual orgy of waste and pollution which celebrates the core values of greed and gluttony and which is based on a lie (see discussion of Saturanalia and other co-opted pagan solstice holidays above). Point any of this out to anyone and you are labeled “a grinch” or “a Scrooge” as if trapped in some Orwellian dystopia.

You will also be labeled a “grinch” if you point out that Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” features a character named Ebbezer Scrooge, who resembles several medieval anti-Semitic tropes (e.g. the money changer, stubbornness, blindness to the truth of the Messiah...). His transformation is a story of conversion to Christianity. Only Joseph Goebbels made more effective anti-Semitic propaganda.

You cannot speak of the fact that although everyone is talking about charity, what they are actually spending their money on is plastic futuretrash.

Regarding my childhood, I remember being showered with toys in December and greedily looking for more after all had been unwrapped. Then in January I would help my dad dig through other people’s trash piles looking for anything that could be sold. All we ever talked about were things.
Your main point is the key reason why I'm still convinced that Halloween is the best holiday.  Any level of effort, including zero, all the way up to insane elaborate planned-way-in-advance stuff, is socially acceptable.

This is not the case with Christmas.  It's exhausting.

As others have mentioned, Christmas music in stores is one of the worst unavoidable pieces.  It turns all my grocery store trips into lightning-speed get-in-GTFO missions.  It wouldn't be nearly as bad if it was only for a week or so, but it starts up WAY too early.  My mom's office once shared a wall with one of those awful temporary Christmas stores so she had to deal with 14-hours-a-day blaring Christmas music multiple months out of the year.  Pretty sure that was a big thing that drove her to retirement.
« Last Edit: December 31, 2019, 09:10:02 AM by ketchup »

freya

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 476
Re: Does anyone else hate Christmas? If so, have you figured out why?
« Reply #64 on: December 31, 2019, 09:27:16 AM »
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday!  A 4 day weekend, barring particularly nasty employers who try to make you come to work on Friday, an excuse to enjoy a major foodfest with family & friends (and the cold weather that somehow makes it just SO much better), and NO gifts or in your face consumerism. You have to forget that it kicks off the Christmas season though, and of course you have to love cooking as much as I do.

Christmas is much more tolerable if you can carve out some quiet time during the 2 weeks that cover the Christmas and New Year's holidays.   It's been a battle every year to avoid the obligatory nastiness as much as possible, but I've been getting better at it.  Except last year, I ended up taking a 4 hour train ride on Christmas to visit my sister - I wasn't too pleased about that, but decided to take a bottle of Bailey's on the train with me.  THAT was awesomeness!  (I guess some would say that I'm easily amused, but that's ok with me.)  It was actually quite a nice visit as it turned out, except that my sister and I wiped out the rest of the bottle before the train trip back.

OtherJen

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5267
  • Location: Metro Detroit
Re: Does anyone else hate Christmas? If so, have you figured out why?
« Reply #65 on: December 31, 2019, 10:09:43 AM »
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday!  A 4 day weekend, barring particularly nasty employers who try to make you come to work on Friday, an excuse to enjoy a major foodfest with family & friends (and the cold weather that somehow makes it just SO much better), and NO gifts or in your face consumerism. You have to forget that it kicks off the Christmas season though, and of course you have to love cooking as much as I do.

Yes. Thanksgiving is an excuse for me to host a big dinner party for my family, make bread stuffing, and feed everyone large quantities of pie for dessert. Plus, cranberries. Mmm.

Someone above mentioned Halloween. I will always prefer Christmas over Halloween (which I associate with various bad experiences since early teen years).

roomtempmayo

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1142
Re: Does anyone else hate Christmas? If so, have you figured out why?
« Reply #66 on: January 01, 2020, 05:28:19 PM »
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday!  A 4 day weekend, barring particularly nasty employers who try to make you come to work on Friday, an excuse to enjoy a major foodfest with family & friends (and the cold weather that somehow makes it just SO much better), and NO gifts or in your face consumerism. You have to forget that it kicks off the Christmas season though, and of course you have to love cooking as much as I do.

Yes. Thanksgiving is an excuse for me to host a big dinner party for my family, make bread stuffing, and feed everyone large quantities of pie for dessert. Plus, cranberries. Mmm.

Count me in as another big Thanksgiving fan.  You get to see whoever you see, and it's no big deal if you don't see someone.  Maybe next year.  And when it's over, it's over.  No sane person tries to do a make-up Thanksgiving a week later if the real one didn't work out.

Last night we were doing NYE with two other couples, all in our mid to late 30s.  We found ourselves commiserating about dealing with family over the holidays, and all agreed that our parents have become more obstinate and demanding about holidays over the past decade.  Partly we thought it might be competitive sharenting of adult children taking hold, and maybe it's also just a different phase of life for all of us: maybe we're all less willing to be flexible than we used to be.  And, I do think this year has been particularly bad since all of the major holidays are in the middle of the week, so people aren't even playing at going to work.  Regardless, I'm very much looking forward to everyone going back to the routine next week.
« Last Edit: January 01, 2020, 05:29:51 PM by caleb »

Schaefer Light

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1328
Re: Does anyone else hate Christmas? If so, have you figured out why?
« Reply #67 on: January 02, 2020, 02:17:35 PM »
I enjoyed the holidays up until my divorce happened, so I think the reason I now hate them is simply that I feel really lonely.  My birthday is between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and that doesn't help matters any.  It's just another day that makes me feel really lonely during the holiday season.  I'm glad the holidays are over.  Now I can go back to my normal level of depression.

KBecks

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2350
Re: Does anyone else hate Christmas? If so, have you figured out why?
« Reply #68 on: January 02, 2020, 02:47:48 PM »
The Christmas bell ringers also come out way too early, IMO.  I know how grinchy this sounds.

Halloween is fast becoming as commercialized as Christmas, however.  It seems to be more around adult drinking though, which is why people might like it more.

YttriumNitrate

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1836
  • Location: Northwest Indiana
Re: Does anyone else hate Christmas? If so, have you figured out why?
« Reply #69 on: January 02, 2020, 04:02:57 PM »
I don’t hate Christmas! Especially now that I have a child, I look forward to inventing cozy family traditions and continuing current ones like exchanging handmade gifts.

But I did find this essay on “why Christmas hurts” to be interesting: https://siderea.dreamwidth.org/1569973.html

That's a great essay. While I don't think I ever got to point of hating Christmas, my varying level of holiday enjoyment over the years has been dependent far more on internal factors than external ones.

I'm a bit surprised the author didn't mention Valentine's Day, since that's the holiday that seems to have the most vocal hate group for many of the same reasons as Christmas.

APowers

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1772
  • Location: Colorado
Re: Does anyone else hate Christmas? If so, have you figured out why?
« Reply #70 on: January 02, 2020, 06:06:02 PM »
The Christmas bell ringers also come out way too early, IMO.  I know how grinchy this sounds.

With signs like "Need knows no season", I don't feel like it's grinchy to be bothered that they only come out for christmas....

roomtempmayo

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1142
Re: Does anyone else hate Christmas? If so, have you figured out why?
« Reply #71 on: January 05, 2020, 06:45:29 PM »
We made it, y'all!  Tomorrow is Three Kings Day, and I for one am ready for Epiphany.

MayDay

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4953
Re: Does anyone else hate Christmas? If so, have you figured out why?
« Reply #72 on: January 05, 2020, 07:43:07 PM »
I don’t hate Christmas! Especially now that I have a child, I look forward to inventing cozy family traditions and continuing current ones like exchanging handmade gifts.

But I did find this essay on “why Christmas hurts” to be interesting: https://siderea.dreamwidth.org/1569973.html

That's a great essay. While I don't think I ever got to point of hating Christmas, my varying level of holiday enjoyment over the years has been dependent far more on internal factors than external ones.

I'm a bit surprised the author didn't mention Valentine's Day, since that's the holiday that seems to have the most vocal hate group for many of the same reasons as Christmas.

I don't get the vday hate.

Who even celebrates it?

ketchup

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4323
  • Age: 33
Re: Does anyone else hate Christmas? If so, have you figured out why?
« Reply #73 on: January 06, 2020, 08:41:28 AM »
I don’t hate Christmas! Especially now that I have a child, I look forward to inventing cozy family traditions and continuing current ones like exchanging handmade gifts.

But I did find this essay on “why Christmas hurts” to be interesting: https://siderea.dreamwidth.org/1569973.html

That's a great essay. While I don't think I ever got to point of hating Christmas, my varying level of holiday enjoyment over the years has been dependent far more on internal factors than external ones.

I'm a bit surprised the author didn't mention Valentine's Day, since that's the holiday that seems to have the most vocal hate group for many of the same reasons as Christmas.

I don't get the vday hate.

Who even celebrates it?
Only children and people in sitcoms, from what I can tell.  I only notice because of all the cheesy chocolate and pink stuff in grocery stores, but it's mostly inoffensive.  Nothing at all like Christmas on that front.

OtherJen

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5267
  • Location: Metro Detroit
Re: Does anyone else hate Christmas? If so, have you figured out why?
« Reply #74 on: January 06, 2020, 08:58:10 AM »
I don’t hate Christmas! Especially now that I have a child, I look forward to inventing cozy family traditions and continuing current ones like exchanging handmade gifts.

But I did find this essay on “why Christmas hurts” to be interesting: https://siderea.dreamwidth.org/1569973.html

That's a great essay. While I don't think I ever got to point of hating Christmas, my varying level of holiday enjoyment over the years has been dependent far more on internal factors than external ones.

I'm a bit surprised the author didn't mention Valentine's Day, since that's the holiday that seems to have the most vocal hate group for many of the same reasons as Christmas.

I don't get the vday hate.

Who even celebrates it?
Only children and people in sitcoms, from what I can tell.  I only notice because of all the cheesy chocolate and pink stuff in grocery stores, but it's mostly inoffensive.  Nothing at all like Christmas on that front.

I don't remember celebrating it at all after high school, and even then it was more of a popularity contest than anything else.

mtn

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1343
Re: Does anyone else hate Christmas? If so, have you figured out why?
« Reply #75 on: January 06, 2020, 09:36:07 AM »
I don’t hate Christmas! Especially now that I have a child, I look forward to inventing cozy family traditions and continuing current ones like exchanging handmade gifts.

But I did find this essay on “why Christmas hurts” to be interesting: https://siderea.dreamwidth.org/1569973.html

That's a great essay. While I don't think I ever got to point of hating Christmas, my varying level of holiday enjoyment over the years has been dependent far more on internal factors than external ones.

I'm a bit surprised the author didn't mention Valentine's Day, since that's the holiday that seems to have the most vocal hate group for many of the same reasons as Christmas.

I don't get the vday hate.

Who even celebrates it?

If my wife and I are able to get reservations at White Castle we celebrate it.

iris lily

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5671
Re: Does anyone else hate Christmas? If so, have you figured out why?
« Reply #76 on: January 06, 2020, 09:54:24 AM »
I don’t hate Christmas! Especially now that I have a child, I look forward to inventing cozy family traditions and continuing current ones like exchanging handmade gifts.

But I did find this essay on “why Christmas hurts” to be interesting: https://siderea.dreamwidth.org/1569973.html

That's a great essay. While I don't think I ever got to point of hating Christmas, my varying level of holiday enjoyment over the years has been dependent far more on internal factors than external ones.

I'm a bit surprised the author didn't mention Valentine's Day, since that's the holiday that seems to have the most vocal hate group for many of the same reasons as Christmas.

I don't get the vday hate.

Who even celebrates it?
Only children and people in sitcoms, from what I can tell.  I only notice because of all the cheesy chocolate and pink stuff in grocery stores, but it's mostly inoffensive.  Nothing at all like Christmas on that front.
I always like Valentine’s Day, I think because it is one day. One. It follows the holiday hell of weeks of excess.

I also I’m very attracted to the colors of pink and red so I like that. Some years I made cookies pink and red cookies and took them to work. Some years I made creative meals for DH that include red food coloring. Most years we do nothing. Except there is a card and chocolates going both ways.

My friend who is single said she didn’t like it because it is supposed to be for paired up people. I never really thought of it as being exclusively  for paired up people but she is more conservative in her holiday celebration than I, and she does these mainstream American holidays in  the way that we are “supposed to “.
Me, I am indifferent to celebrating July 4 and memorial day with a barbecue and etc.
« Last Edit: January 06, 2020, 01:32:48 PM by iris lily »

DadJokes

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2360
Re: Does anyone else hate Christmas? If so, have you figured out why?
« Reply #77 on: January 06, 2020, 10:19:30 AM »
I dislike family gatherings.
I dislike consumerism.
I dislike being pressured into giving money more than usual.
I dislike giving and receiving presents.
I dislike being asked to pitch in for a meal that I would never buy for myself.
I dislike not having anything to do at work and therefore feeling obligated to take vacation time.
I dislike cold weather. On a related note, I also dislike hot, humid weather.

I think the reason I hate Christmas is because I'm a grumpy asshole who dislikes most people.

I do, however, enjoy taking a New Year's trip to the beach.

OtherJen

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5267
  • Location: Metro Detroit
Re: Does anyone else hate Christmas? If so, have you figured out why?
« Reply #78 on: January 06, 2020, 10:29:56 AM »
I don’t hate Christmas! Especially now that I have a child, I look forward to inventing cozy family traditions and continuing current ones like exchanging handmade gifts.

But I did find this essay on “why Christmas hurts” to be interesting: https://siderea.dreamwidth.org/1569973.html

That's a great essay. While I don't think I ever got to point of hating Christmas, my varying level of holiday enjoyment over the years has been dependent far more on internal factors than external ones.

I'm a bit surprised the author didn't mention Valentine's Day, since that's the holiday that seems to have the most vocal hate group for many of the same reasons as Christmas.

I don't get the vday hate.

Who even celebrates it?
Only children and people in sitcoms, from what I can tell.  I only notice because of all the cheesy chocolate and pink stuff in grocery stores, but it's mostly inoffensive.  Nothing at all like Christmas on that front.
I always like Valentine’s Day, I think because it is one day. One. It follows the holiday hell of weeks of access.

I also I’m very attracted to the colors of pink and red so I like that. Some years I made cookies pink and red cookies and took them to work. Some years I made creative meals for the age. Most years we do nothing. Except there is a card and chocolates going both ways.

My friend who is single said she didn’t like it because it is supposed to be for paired up people. I never really thought of it as being exclusively  for paired up people but she is more conservative in her holiday celebration than I, and she does these mainstream American holidays in  the way that we are “supposed to “.
Me, I am indifferent to celebrating July 4 and memorial day with a barbecue and etc.

I'm not much for conventional celebration either. I'm more likely to send cute valentine's cards to my young niece and nephew than to buy one for my husband, although I did make him a fancy seafood dinner last year.

It was such a fun holiday when I was little. In school, everyone in class would give silly little cards to everyone else in the class, followed by cookies and punch. Maybe I'll take the excuse to bake heart-shaped cut-out cookies this year.

KBecks

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2350
Re: Does anyone else hate Christmas? If so, have you figured out why?
« Reply #79 on: January 12, 2020, 02:01:41 PM »
I dislike family gatherings.
I dislike consumerism.
I dislike being pressured into giving money more than usual.
I dislike giving and receiving presents.
I dislike being asked to pitch in for a meal that I would never buy for myself.
I dislike not having anything to do at work and therefore feeling obligated to take vacation time.
I dislike cold weather. On a related note, I also dislike hot, humid weather.

I think the reason I hate Christmas is because I'm a grumpy asshole who dislikes most people.

I do, however, enjoy taking a New Year's trip to the beach.

Scrooge and The Grinch have basis in reality.  I'm sure there have always been people who hate Christmas and it's become part of the stories of Christmas.

DadJokes

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2360
Re: Does anyone else hate Christmas? If so, have you figured out why?
« Reply #80 on: January 13, 2020, 06:00:47 AM »
I dislike family gatherings.
I dislike consumerism.
I dislike being pressured into giving money more than usual.
I dislike giving and receiving presents.
I dislike being asked to pitch in for a meal that I would never buy for myself.
I dislike not having anything to do at work and therefore feeling obligated to take vacation time.
I dislike cold weather. On a related note, I also dislike hot, humid weather.

I think the reason I hate Christmas is because I'm a grumpy asshole who dislikes most people.

I do, however, enjoy taking a New Year's trip to the beach.

Scrooge and The Grinch have basis in reality.  I'm sure there have always been people who hate Christmas and it's become part of the stories of Christmas.

I'll defer to my spirit animal here.

APowers

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1772
  • Location: Colorado
Re: Does anyone else hate Christmas? If so, have you figured out why?
« Reply #81 on: January 13, 2020, 07:18:27 AM »
How to Hate Christmas: A Step-by-Step Guide.

Step 1: Work retail.
Step 2: Repeat step 1 until you feel the rage start to build at the sound of any PA system playing "Jingle Bells".

fixie

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 146
Re: Does anyone else hate Christmas? If so, have you figured out why?
« Reply #82 on: January 17, 2020, 03:20:07 PM »
I have my own pagan traditions which are tuned to the celestial happenings marked by the shortest day of the year and the longest day of the year.  They align with important happenings central to life like the planting of the garden and the subsequent harvest and celebrations, plus the equinoxes and such.  It's too bad the xtians stole our important happenings and tried to appropriate our symbols but I try not to be mad about it since they're just ignorant.  I sort of like the fact that they use our symbols and iconography and don't even realize where they came from or how ancient they are...

Since there's no historical evidence of their god on earth I do not feel threatened by it.  I DO, however, have disdain for the rampant consumerism and the stress these believers put on me and my kin to conform to their silly goings-on.  I reject it, but only when asked about it.  I do not partake in their traditions and I won't lie to my kiddo about Santa.

All this, apparently, makes me a scroogy-grinch in their eyes but I welcome it.
-fixie

dodojojo

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 806
Re: Does anyone else hate Christmas? If so, have you figured out why?
« Reply #83 on: January 17, 2020, 07:58:11 PM »
Christmas is the one time my manager is overtly okay with vacation usage. All of the sudden he's totally onboard with my vacation plans.  Other times of the year, he doesn't say no but you can tell he's much more begrudging.  For that alone, I love Christmas time.

Retire-Canada

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8681
Re: Does anyone else hate Christmas? If so, have you figured out why?
« Reply #84 on: January 18, 2020, 06:37:01 AM »
So - does anyone else have this affliction?  If so, have you been able to figure out why?   And what are your coping strategies?

I hate a lot of shit that goes with Christmas. Not having had a TV with cable for 20 years plus and not going to malls or other retail therapy outlets means I have limited exposure to the parts I don't like. Time off work doesn't bother me. Social events with friends doesn't bother me. I can eliminate/mitigate most of the rest of the consumer/religious nonsense.

ReadySetMillionaire

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1688
  • Location: The Buckeye State
Re: Does anyone else hate Christmas? If so, have you figured out why?
« Reply #85 on: January 18, 2020, 07:33:55 AM »
A lot of people above have suggested a “take what you like and leave the rest” approach, but here’s the issue with that; we are not allowed not to participate.

I have a whole thread about dealing with my family on the holidays; you may want to check it out -- https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/mini-money-mustaches/holding-firm-on-the-holidays-after-having-a-kid/

To summarize -- my parents are divorced, makes scheduling impossible, tried to change it up this year and it was better, but still not ideal.

One thing we absolutely did stick to was that we were not doing any gifts.  I'm not sure if my parents thought we were bluffing but we did not have anything.  Our parents got us stuff, but the brothers did not.  I think it was a good first step to "hey we are done with the gift" bullshit.

And honestly, it was great.  The money for gifts does not stress me out.  It's the constant thinking of, "What should I get this person," and "I'm spending X on this person, so I need to spend X for this person as well, and that person."  I had no idea how much time I was thinking about gifts -- and physically getting them -- until I removed it from my life.

I'm on the slow march to what I think would be "ideal" holidays.  Minimizing family gatherings and schlepping around; not doing gifts anymore; etc.  It's a process, but you honestly just have to hold firm, do your thing, and not let other's perception of you bother you.  That last part is still a work in progress for me.