Am I the only one who hates Christmas time? (The Holidays in general)

[Softhearted]

For years, I have disliked Christmas and that time of the year. It is always a source of stress and frustrations... I was never able to get into the "spirit of the holidays" and actually, I have never put any decorations up for the moment I've left home...

Am I that much of a Scrooge? Am I the only one feeling this way?

Soft

[DapperButch]

This is the first year that I am not looking forward to it. I know it will be tough due to losing my father and maternal grandmother this year.

I am in the process of trying to figure out how to change things up this year for mom, starting a new tradition, or something. We are such a ritual type family...same meal on Christmas Eve, same Christmas breakfast every year, same rituals of opening gifts, singing Christmas Caroles in front of the video camera like a bunch of dorks, etc, for as long as I can remember. So, this year it will be sad and kind of sucky. Especially b/c my sister and her family won't be here.

There are a lot of people who struggle with the Holidays for one reason or another....or just simply get annoyed by the whole thing.... So no, you are not alone!

[katsarecool]

You are not alone!!! It is frustrating especially if a person is financially strapped for money or not a Christian. I never remember happy holidays as a child. And when I was a young mother I would start worrying about buying for my kids in Sept. They on the other hand remember Christmas as a very happy time.

I now do what I can for my grandkids and hope for the best.

[MysticOceansFL]

I don't like or dislike christmas it's just another day to me but if I were in a relationship I would give gift's to my partner.

[Soon]

You're not the only one.

I have managed to avoid immediate *family* gatherings for years thanks to people with whom I would rather spend my time.

[AtLast]

I don't hate the holiday "season" per se, but, it isn't all that happy of a time for me. Since the deaths of key family, it just has a sad edge to it for me. Although, I do enjoy getting together with the family I have left and especially the kid and his kids!

I don't have a Christian-based take on Christmas, really anymore (have a hodgepodge of personal spiritual beliefs). That left me long ago. I do have some spiritual feelings and rituals around it (I do decorate but, view this from a more Pagan interpretation), however, but not Christian. Although, I will attend midnight Mass with family members that this has meaning for, especially elders. It isn't about me, it is about them.

I know people that have horrible and painful family of origin issues that the holidays make even harder for them. This makes me sad (and angry) and also more aware of how much I have to be grateful for in the family I do have.

Our community probably has many members that don't have a great time with the cluster of mainly Christian holidays this time of year.

[Rockinonahigh]

I really dont dislike the hollidays,I do celebrate them with my son,my chosen family ect.But,for some reason I feel a bit like the kid looking from outside wishing he was inside.Many key family have passed over he years so the family isnt all that big anymore,we use to have some fun times before.I do decorate but am more pegan than christian,I have ceramic christmas trees mom and my aunt made that light up..they are put on the top of the intertainment center with other christmas decos,cards and stockings.This year im planting a blue spruce in the yard in memorie of my lost family.at the moment its in a huge pot till my son can dig a hole for it.Then I will plant it,pray over it for blessing for a new year with better health and happyness for everyone.

[Glenn]

No temporary holiday really taught me to love , worship, and adore, my God, The Holy Mother, and Jesus like I do. They only taught me about temporary appearances, materialism, and traditions of men. I've always tried to hide from them, but I do not hate them. I like to see folks enjoying themselves... I did too when I was a stupid kid...

[Blade]

I don't hate the holidays. I do hate the hustle and bustle of it all and I hate that it is so commercialized. I mean as soon as the labor day stuff comes down you start seeing Christmas stuff in the stores. As Halloween passes, then the full blown Christmas department is erected. We have a radio station in Charlotte that starts playing ONLY Christmas music on Nov 1 and that is all it plays until after Christmas.

[DomnNC]

Originally Posted by Blade

I don't hate the holidays. I do hate the hustle and bustle of it all and I hate that it is so commercialized. I mean as soon as the labor day stuff comes down you start seeing Christmas stuff in the stores. As Halloween passes, then the full blown Christmas department is erected. We have a radio station in Charlotte that starts playing ONLY Christmas music on Nov 1 and that is all it plays until after Christmas.

Omg, I hate that station!!! lol ... I'd like to find their tower and kinda cripple it ya know.

I'm with you, I can't stand seeing Christmas stuff out right after Halloween, even the day after Thanksgiving, geez, let's celebrate one holiday fully and savor it a bit before rushing to the next. When I was a kid, we'd all pile onto the trailer hooked to the tractor or in the back of my Daddy's pickup and we'd go thru the woods searching for a tree, cut it down, bring it home and put it up 2 that's TWO weeks before Christmas. Hmm, maybe cuz Mama couldn't stand us being that all that hyper excited more than 2 weeks before Christmas. Do you think us asking every morning (afternoon and night) if this was the night Santa was coming had anything to do with it?

[Gabriella]

When I was 12 yrs. old I had a Christmas program at school, I was singing a solo in Latin (Catholic girl here). My father was usually not in the same country as we were during the holidays, however that particular holiday we were all in Germany. I remember looking out into the 1st row and seeing my daddy smiling at me, and I could feel his love, the next evening he was dead car accident it was December 10th. That Christmas obviously was very hard for my family. That Christmas I learned alot about loss, pain, etc, but I also learned about the magic of Christmas and the kindness of strangers. I hope I didn't throw the thread off, wasn't my intention..

[iamkeri1]

Oh Man I hate that constant Christmas carol crap. Sets my teeth on edge The station I always listened to does that. This year I have found a different station that I like. I hope they don't have the same policy.

Starting on my late hubby's b'day in late November through the anniversary of his death near the end of December is a really hard time for me even though it has been seven years now since his death. This last year, after all this time, I have finally started to feel "like myself" again, though kind of a "new myself." Christmas card sending bit the dust along the way, so I try to send out some kind of letter in the spring to let family members know how I am doing. I do some decorating, but not like I used to, and if it weren't for my kids, I would probably have stopped doing that. For the last little while, I have been dating someone who loves the holidays, so I will try to not be sad for hys sake, but we are long distance and will not be spending this time together. Hopefully by next year at this time we will be together, and I will be able to share hys excitement.

I used to really love the Holidays, and miss that feeling of excitement and anticipation that went with it.

You do the best you can is all I can say.
Smooches,
Keri

Originally Posted by Blade

I don't hate the holidays. I do hate the hustle and bustle of it all and I hate that it is so commercialized. I mean as soon as the labor day stuff comes down you start seeing Christmas stuff in the stores. As Halloween passes, then the full blown Christmas department is erected. We have a radio station in Charlotte that starts playing ONLY Christmas music on Nov 1 and that is all it plays until after Christmas.

[Tcountry]

*sly grinning*
I LOVE the "holidays" ...it is not about Buying things or Decorating...
It is supposed to be about the Spirit of Giving...
Giving time, giving a hand, helping out, ...whatever giving of yourself more than you normally do on any other day...
So if you are bah-humbugging the holidays...go volunteer your time at a shelter/soup kitchen/hospital for one day/evening/meal.
Throw away the negative energy and memories and Create positive experiences...

[ravfem]

*glaring at Tcountry* Bah hum to the bug!

i really could hibernate from about now til January 1 or so with no issues what-so-ever.

It has nothing to do with commercialization, etc. i just don't care for the holidays. At all.

i was with someone for 5 years that LOVES the holidays. She baked for weeks, decorated, gift wrapped, listened to the music, etc. i barely tolerated them during that time and tried hard to hide my grumpiness so that she could enjoy the season. Yuck.



Besides, why not volunteer exactly the same the rest of the year as during Dec? Why not take some new toys to a shelter through-out the year, for birthdays? And goodness knows they would appreciate the extra canned food in summer as much as winter, right?

[Tcountry]

Good Spirit rav...giving all year round...Now you're on the page!! *GRIN*

[Daddy Raven]

I actually love Christmas but there are many things about it that I hate, like the crazy crowds and the hollow commercialism. Seeing my family around the Holidays can be very difficult because they are homophobic and abusive. I just try to make the best of it by allowing myself to enjoy the things I do like about Christmas, like the food, being with my friends, and seeing all of the pretty lights and decorations.

[cuddlyfemme]

I like parts of Christmas like the decorations and the lights. What I don't like about Christmas is having a day where you have to give a gift...I'd much rather give a gift during the year to someone just because I see something they'd like and for the reason of "just because". I'm also financially strapped this year so this will make it a bit difficult. Spending the holidays with my family is never something I look forward to as they treat me like a 2nd class citizen.

[girl_dee]

NO you are not alone.!! i don't get it, I don't understand it.. I don't wanna be near it.

Do people even know what Christmas is supposed to actually BE? Being raised Catholic I always thought Easter was MUCH more important.. I mean anyone can be born (well not to a Virgin I suppose) but rising from the dead is wow, now that is impressive.

I can't stand the whole thing! If you want a day to present each other with gifts that most can't afford, or to exchange gift cards, to give credit to a fat guy in a red suit who broke into your home and leaves stuff under a dead tree, and have family who don't even like each other gather around to do what they feel is obligation then do it, just don't do it in the name of religion!

/rant

[diamondrose]

This time of year is myfavorite time of year. From Halloween thru New years. I just love the cooler weather, the leaves changing, and the smell of burning wood in fireplaces.

[Ebon]

I don't like most Christian holidays because they were stolen from Pagans and Christianized (if that's a word lol). I don't like the pressure to buy people stuff, it all seems like people are tricked into this "spirit of giving" and companies profit from it. This spirit of giving should be all of the time. I do like the time that people get to spend together and hang out with their families. Even though the Native people on this continent got screwed after Thanksgiving I prefer it over Christmas any day.