Christmas - Love it or Hate it?

[JohnnyCNote]

What's your opinion of Christmas?

[JohnnyCNote]

I've had enough Xmas's to last the rest of my life....

[yoda313]

Hello,

Isn't this a little too religious????

Or are you referring to the commercialization of it????

Kevin

[Cobra]

I think Johnny is talking about the commercialisation of Christmas.

Personally, I don't mind Christmas too much. I don't like how early is starts in the UK though. I went to Homebase to get an office-type chair at the end of October. I'd seen them being sold in there, but when I arrived it had all apparently been replaced by Christmas decorations and trees. I went and asked at customer services where they'd moved their office furniture to, and they said it had been scrapped for their Christmas range.

In October.

[JohnnyCNote]

I think Johnny is talking about the commercialisation of Christmas.

I should have made it clearer. The present day "Christmas" has little to do with religion for most people, especially when a large segment of the economy depends on it every year (at least in the US)....

[Capmaster]

Hello,

Isn't this a little too religious????

Or are you referring to the commercialization of it????

Kevin

It's a holiday and for most people it has lost its religious significance long ago. For the kids it's a time to get presents ..and candy.

My wife and I tried to make sure the kids never lose touch with why we celebrate it. Every Christmas eve we had them read from books about the real story. They grew up going to bed with that meaning in their heads.

Every year starting about Dec. 12 or 13 the house turns into a Christmas shop with wall decorations, hanging garland and ornaments all over the house, manger scenes, hand-made ceramic trees, wreaths and churches with lights in them ....the house looks very cheery. And the outside, courtesy of me climbing on the roof, looks like Clark Griswold's house ....well not quite

Last year because of our trip to Egypt we blew off Christmas because we left on the 27th and nobody wanted to get everything set up just to take it down right away. We missed it last year so this year it ought to be quite a sight

[pacmania_2001]

As I've been getting older the less exciting it gets.

Like I said in the other thread I work in a retail store so I deal with Christmas starting in October and as it gets closer it gets worse. Constant playing of Christmas carols over the PA system start about mid November and so does working till 5am in the morning just so the store is ready for another day of selling crap.

[tgpo]

I love Christmas. I love the atmosphere of it, I love the feeling of it, I love everything about Christmas. In my late teens it became less than exciting, but it has again become something I look forward too. It all changed when I really got into buying cool presents for people. Now I get excited about them opening it.

[pacmania_2001]

Mr Pac Mania
PO Box 53
Logan City DC, 4127
Queensland, Australia

Send me a present.

[JohnnyCNote]

As I've been getting older the less exciting it gets.

Like I said in the other thread I work in a retail store so I deal with Christmas starting in October and as it gets closer it gets worse. Constant playing of Christmas carols over the PA system start about mid November and so does working till 5am in the morning just so the store is ready for another day of selling crap.

Do they talk about the "golden quarter" like they do here? What I get tired of is when I walk into stores like JC Penney's (not sure if they have it down under), and there are piles of useless junk they cart out every year. It's always the same stuff like tie racks, cheap tool sets in little cases, and other items for people who you feel you have to give something to but can't figure out what.

Then the way it dominates the advertising on TV gets really old. While I'm not one, more people get depressed and suicidal over the holidays than any other time of year. I certainly have nothing against people who like it, but I've had enough. The main problem is that it's inescapable. The only way to avoid it is to either go to a 3rd world country or live in a cave......

[CoasterCreator]

I hated it since I was 12 because too many people died/killed around that time ( 5 family, plus a few friends ) but I am starting a new outlook and a new mentality since the birth of my little one...so its off to the stores I go

[pacmania_2001]

Never heard of it referred to as the golden quarter, plenty of suckers buying crap that they otherwise wouldnt because its Christmas though.

[JohnnyCNote]

I worked at a computer store (later bought out by CompUSA) and the general manager said the last quarter of the year was the "golden quarter". He was a long time retail guy. But at least in the US all of retail revolves around it. In fact, many companies only really make a profit during that period....

[fritzi93]

The commercializing of Christmas gripes me, and the really odious music they always play is almost worse. I personally like to listen to Handel, Haydn's Seven Last Words of Christ, etc., that time of year. Anything classical, though.

Of course the wife has CDs of "Christmas with Roger Whittaker ", "Christmas with Andy Williams", "Frosty the (F-ing) Snowman", for pity's sake, etc. UGH.

[Rookie64]

All holidays depress me - I come from a big family, and it keeps expanding


Too hectic...and not any time in there to even give thought to what the occasion is. It's just pressure, too many people talking and tripping over each other and lots of headaches <sigh>

Not to mention big messes to clean up afterwards...since everyone else conveniently finds their exit without cleaning up first

Since there are so many in the family, there are birthdays every month which means even more gatherings...and well, I guess you can figure out why Christmas doesn't feel special

I even hate my own birthday

I like the Christmas/holiday season - the weeks before...not the week of or following

[Cobra]

I bet it is nice to have a big family, though. Lots of people you can turn to for help when you need it.

[Rookie64]

I bet it is nice to have a big family, though. Lots of people you can turn to for help when you need it.

A couple in there I feel I can turn to, if I need to, though unfortunately the others are the last ones I'd turn to


A lot of diversity in there, which clashes when you bring everyone together - that's when I wanna run in the opposite direction



Overall, I guess I should be grateful though...but can handle it better in doses.

[flaninacupboard]

The last three years have been great for me. Since i started eating meat the Turkey has been important, and i love the time away from work. it's also really the only time of year the TV is consistently off. sitting round the fire, drinking and eating mince pies for a week is pretty good in my book

[ViRaL1]

For those who have forgotten what the spirit of xmas is all about.

http://www.killfile.org/soxmas/

I can't remember all the figures (I'll have to do some more research) but I believe it's something like somwhere between a fifth and a third of all consumer spending occurs in the last 2 months of the year.

[jimmalenko]

I think it has become too commercial. In all honesty, I think a lot of things have become too commercial. Chronologically, first cab off the rank is Valentine's Day. Then Easter. Then Mother's Day. Then Father's Day. Then Christmas. Not to mention birthdays, anniversaries, etc etc. Every single time you are now "expected" to fork out for a present for all these momentus occasions and the true meaning of these special days is lost in a web of who can buy someone the best/most useful present, and then conjecture regarding certain peoples' choice of presents. It all becomes a bit much sometimes IMO.

Christmas to me is lunch with all my relatives. We take in turns between my parents and my 2 uncles & aunties' places as to who hosts it, and it's almost considered a crime amongst our family members if you miss it. We do a Cris Cringle with a $20 limit, so everyone only gets 1 present each. The focus is primarily on getting the families together.

[VideoTechMan]

I used to like Xmas alot when I was a boy, but nowadays it doesnt mean much to me anymore. Radio stations over-commercializing junk and crap songs that they play every five minutes.....makes me want to hurl a full tank of propane gas at them .

I dont expect anyone to give me anything for xmas, I buy my own gifts. Last year I bought myself a nice 27' TV set; it feels great when you can do for yourself. However, since I have a younger brother at age 14, I like to see him happy on Xmas morning, it makes me feel good.

The holiday season can also be a depressing time for many because they are alone, or have no siginificent other, or family to talk to and thus it would be the worst season ever. Sometimes its just nice for me to just hide away from society and seclude yourself to my own world.

VTM

[Sifaga]

I hate xmas with a passion

all i would like to do is to sit in my backyard with a beer and listen to abit of Jim Reeves and watch the kids run around but december is so busy.

we do a family kris kringle as well but thats gotten out of hand, theres a $20 limit but last year some people gave pressies like microwave, CD walkman, cameras, Golf Bag, but i got 2 Tshirts and gave a cookbook ($30)

now on the day you have to give your kris kringle their present in front of everyone. becomes a competition.

every weekend in december theres a bbq somewhere and on xmas day i have to do the inlaw thing so cant drink cause im driving around all day.



My main aim for xmas is to get through to january without maxing out my credit cards

[ChrisX]

Christmas day doesn't worry me at all and as such a different day of the year.

It is a time to be with the family and enjoy the fun of opening presents.

I am looking forward to a meal of the year at a local restaurant with my family.

It will be only a couple or three hours to enjoy and then go home or go somewhere else.

Anyway, I am not very religious and I know what Christmas Day is all about.

[Craig Tucker]

2 weeks of work, enough reason for me to like it. You stop getting excited about christmas when you become an adult. But some of the fun returns when you have kids of your own.

[JohnnyCNote]

The commercializing of Christmas gripes me, and the really odious music they always play is almost worse. I personally like to listen to Handel, Haydn's Seven Last Words of Christ, etc., that time of year. Anything classical, though.

Of course the wife has CDs of "Christmas with Roger Whittaker ", "Christmas with Andy Williams", "Frosty the (F-ing) Snowman", for pity's sake, etc. UGH.

That's what really gets me, too. I never did like Xmas music, even as a kid.

Another thing that happens during holidays is that there always seems to be a relative or two who has in her (in this case) mind how everyone is supposed to behave. Unfortunately, she never communicates this to anyone else because she thinks everyone should already know how to act. Therefore, when people don't follow this undisclosed script, she gets irritable and makes it hard on everyone else. It's not as if it gets unbearable, but it can be a deterrent to participating in family gatherings.

In other cases, if you're not at least pretending you're having fun, someone always comes up with the "bah humbug" BS, trying to make you feel guilty for not going along with the act. While it's not that big a deal with me, I think in some cases it leads to feelings of guilt and depression, which is another reason some people get depressed over the holiday season. I think people should be a little more sensitive to others' moods and try to understand that there may be a reason they're not filled with "holiday cheer".

For example, I knew a woman who would find a motel room and not tell anyone where she was during Xmas. It mostly had to do with the fact her daughter was killed in a car accident over the holidays and she got depressed. But she simply didn't want to deal with anyone over the period, even though she was a very popular person....

[Sifaga]

I need to find a way to enjoy christmas time starting with this one

[JohnnyCNote]

I've always imagined Australian society to be a lot like US society, given our common origins, etc.....

[pacmania_2001]

We're kind of a mix between Britain and US society, heading more towards US as time progresses.

[Tommyknocker]

I really don't care too much about the commercialization. I just hope I am able to always keep Christmas the way it was meant to be: a mass for the Christ.

[mrtristan]

I love Christmas for the religious and commercial reasons. I get all Christmassy about two weeks before the actual day. I love Christmas music and all that holiday cheer stuff.

I always had good Christmases when I was a kid. My parents didn't have tons of money, but my mom would save a Christmas fund throughout the year and always give my me and my brother fun presents. I learned a lot about giving, from my mother's example. She is the type of person to give to people, even though she may not have much.

As I grew older, I sort of lost that Christmas spirit for a while, until I had my son. Even though he was too young to really grasp the whole Christmas thing, there's no words to describe the joy that I felt, when he was opening his presents.

As for the true meaning of Christmas, I usually meditate on how meaningful Christ''s sacrifice for us is. I won't say any more, lest I break the "no religion" rule of the OT.