Christmas; why I frigging hate it

[hitman]

A few more points, (tis the season of giving after all)

1 I love real Christmas trees and have no qualms about them why? They are grown in large patches for no other purpose. In fact the only problem I could possibly see with real Christmas trees is the mess as before stated and the fact that that same acreage could be used to grow hard woods witch actually do some good for the enviorment however as it is commercial ag land I doubt it.

2 Hawkyns if ya wanna I'd be glad to have you sit over at my house. got a big fireplace and lots of hand made gifts and no one here things its cheap (we be to d_ _ n broke )

3 Any time Bonnie anytime

[Patrick Hand]

and lots of hand made gifts and no one here things its cheap (we be to d_ _ n broke  )

I make gifts also.... somehow I'm also always broke around Christmass....... but luckly this year I only have to make very few...... Hey... I still have a week to make 'em in...........

[Fox]

Happy midwinter folks! (now there's a festival that means something...)

Longarm, I don't know of any churches closing for Christmas (sorry, should that be "Xmas"?) over here, but it does remind me of a similar incident which hit the headlines here a years or two ago. A local council ordered the head librarian of a small town library to remove small posters for a Christmas carol service as it was thought that overtly Christian celebrations advertised in a council run public amenity would upset the multi-cultural community. OK, it's a bit daft, but it's not too unreasonable. What really made it news though was that a few months later the same council ordered the same librarian to put up posters in the same library for local Divali celebrations. I'm neither Christian nor Hindu, but I know religio-political hypocrisy when I see it!

I'm spending Christmas this year with two female chefs, so I'd like to publicly recant the things I said about food in my original post...

[Pirate Petee]

Song

I love christmas, see the whole family that I havn't been able to see all year and getting hammered with all of them and eating good food. Watching somebody open a gift that you gave them that you know they really wanted. Man its awsome. Wish it would snow though, damn SO CAL.

[Patrick Hand]

Wish it would snow though, damn SO CAL.

It ain't snowing here yet.... but if it starts, I'm tell it to go to Southern California where it will be apricieated..... I HATE SNOW......

[Pirate Petee]

Thanks Patrick, although the reason I probably like it is cause I don't have to deal with it all the time.

[Diego Santana de la Vega]

I never was a Christmas fan. I liked being off from school two weeks and I liked getting presents but I don't remember much excitement about the getting together with the familly any more than the usual once a month birthday celebrations party at someones house. As the kids grew up I enjoyed their surprise when that one something they knew we couldn't afford found its way into their booty. Now they are all grown and it's the grandchildrens turn to be spoiled but I'm away from the family now and so I send them their gifts U P S and get a call telling me this and that about the gifts. I resolve and recognize my job and accept it: my job will be giving the best Christmas I can muster to my Rummy. Like Gomer Pyle said, Surprise Surprise Surprise!

Merry Christmas everybody be safe and warm.....

[Smashing Pirates]

Oh god how I hate spending time with my family, I dont fit in with anyone..

call me Long John Silver they do.. haha

I hope there is no festive music being played or i'll kill myself

no, all I want is to eat, drink & be merry

[Swifty Morgan]

Oh come on all ye Grinchs Christmas is not that bad.

The only problem I have is all the politicaly correct crap.

They are trying to take Christmas tree and rename it Holiday tree.

Merry Christmas is going to be illegal and if you are not careful ye can get sued for such words and if a teacher wears a cross around her neck she can get suspended from her teaching duty's or even fired. that is wrong and it just goes on and on lads and Lass's.

A toast to all ye who like or dis like Christmas regardless of any religion

or no religion at all, The thing we do know is we are all in the same friggen world together so best make the most of it ye can.

CHEERS!!! Swifty

Just let it be knowen I Like Christmas

and always will. :) Forgive me about the ramblen on Lad's & Lass's.

[oderlesseye]

Christmas is a lie ! mY pARENTS LIED ABOUT SANTA-

Society (western) Promotes the buying and selling of stuff so ya can "give the obligitory Gift ." But THats Secular in nature and harmful to the wallet. KInd words through-out the year to the person you say you love will go far more than giftwrap suprise; unless it's lot's of money. Twisted -maybe but not crazy as Eye See what others are doin as mention in previous post on this thread.

I bought My wife a printer for the occasion And said to her Merry Christmas- and the next was F- Christmas... I hate the lies..

Christmas is suposed to be Christ birthday,so why not buy him a gift..

but then again his birthday is in June or JUly last I heard on discovery channel.. So what the hell aree we celabrating... a lie? And Poeple get deppressed, drunk, take themselves out for a Lie? Man I gots to shake my head when I think about that one cause half the plannet don't share in this insanity anyhow.. I think I'll sit this one out in the quiet desert wit my wife and her brand new printer unplugged....

[Swifty Morgan]

oderlesseye,

Aye Mate so your parents lied to ye. I agree with ya

my parents lied to me as well, Said that santa was real as i was growin

up and it turned out that santa was really my parents. But I say to you

this "As your parents lied to you hows about the rest of our mates here

there parents more then likely lied to them as well when they were growen up. So sit down mate and have a drink.

Swifty

[Pirate Petee]

Its all about perspective and how you look at it. Yes you could CHOOSE to believe that you were lied to and be bitter about the whole thing. Or you could look at it that SANTA is an entity, a spirit if you will that all of us have the capability to become. Its your decision, its up to you choose. We all have the power decide to be positive or negative. This may sound silly, but anyway. Merry Christmas.

[Swifty Morgan]

Good way t put it mate. Pirate petee ye have a good additude about Christmas that is really great. Meself I will always like Christmas. Tis

the season for sharing. Merry Christmas...

Swifty

[Bonnie Red Weasel]

I finall got the tree assembled and up. It is, in fact, one of those wonderfully convenient prelit trees. So of course, I spent about two and a half days finding and replacing all the burned out bulbs, until I finally gave up and replaced an entire course of lights with a new strand. But all complaints aside, the tree is glorious: Weasel's Tree

Now, I want to share with you all a little bit about how I celebrate Christmas, so you might understand how it's not exactly the sort of holiday many of you have been writing about.

Our celebration begins at the appearance of the first star on Christmas Eve (or shortly after sundown, if it's too cloudy to see stars). The table is set with an extra place for the Christ Child, and I put straw or hay under the tablecloth, to remind us of Jesus's humble roots. The doors remain unlocked, both as a sign of hospitality (since no one was willing to take Joseph and Mary into their homes that night), and in rememberance of the scriptural reminder that one might be entertaining angels unawares. If anyone comes to visit that night, they are invited in, and welcomed as we would welcome Jesus himself into our home, and they are given his place at the table.

I prepare a symbolic feast, of seven or twelve courses (both are biblical numbers of completion/fulfillment), all of them meatless. We don't eat meat, in reverance to the animals who shared their home with Jesus and kept him warm on the night of his birth. Fish is okay, since, as I like to explain, if Jesus had slept with the fishes on the night of his birth, we would be celebrating an altogether different holiday. The first thing we eat is the Oplatke, a blessed, unleavened (to remind us of the Passover, and the fact that Jesus was born to be our sacrifice) bread. Each person breaks the oplatke (or oplatek) with each other person, wishing them good things for the new year. Beets are generally served as part of the meal, to remind us of Christ's blood spilt for our sins. The meal is concluded with the drinking of a special spiced cordial, a culmination of the fruits and prosperity of the previous year.

After the meal, we enjoy the visit from the Star Man (in previous years, my husband, but this year, I will be assuming Star Man honors). The Star Man, representing the magi and their quest for the newborn king, asks celebrants questions about His birth. If they answer the questions correctly, they are given a small gift. This all takes the form of a rather spirited version of Christmas Trivia. For the gifts, I like to either buy or make small and inexpensive gifts which very much capture the spirit of the person they are for.

If there is still time before midnight mass/services, we take turns sharing talents of storytelling or dance or drama or song. This part of the evening has become much more special since my daughters have become old enough to prepare little performances.

[Rumba Rue]

Nice tree Bonnie.

I've got 5 cats that will gladly take it apart for you....

(why I don't have a tree...)

[Red-Handed Jill]

Nice tree, Weasel!

Jack and I change the theme of our tree every year. Last year, we had a (surprise) pirate theme, with a pirate skull tree topper. This year, it's an over-the-top tree with lots of large decorations in blue, silver and aqua. However, the lights are a mixture of red and those flame bulbs, so during the day it looks elegant, icy and blue and at night it's red and firey. Makes for a nice contrast.

My parents didn't do the "Santa" thing. I knew my presents came from them and not some guy in a red suit. However, they told me that other folks believed in him and to just say, "Santa is love" when asked. I managed to make it through childhood without traumatizing any of my peers by debunking their Santa myth.

I've noticed that for most part, Christmas has become a season of obligation. We end up gathering with a bunch of family members that we normally wouldn't want to spend time with, much less buy presents for. It was that way for me as a child and it has become that way again in recent years. So my mum and I have decided that this year will be the last one for the big family Christmas Eve dinner. We'll spend the money we'll save towards more charitable giving, which seems to me more in keeping with the spirit of Christmas, at any rate.

[Pirate Petee]

Thats is flippin awesome Weasel.

And Rumba thats the main reason I get my tree, so I can laugh my ass off when my cat goes running full speed and makes a flying leap into the tree. Oh man that never gets old.

[Bonnie Red Weasel]

Actually, I've trained my cat, Khan, not to play with or in the tree.

Khan with Tree

[Diego Santana de la Vega]

Merry Christmas everybody be with safe and warm endeavors over this long weeks and holiday weeksend.

[Bonnie Red Weasel]

By the way - a little update. As soon as I got done taking Khan's picture with the tree, and making that last post, he got back under the tree and started batting at ornaments. He's now in "time out" again...

That's what I get for bragging about his good behavior!

[Longarm]

Maybe if more people could find away to spend christmas like Bonnie, and Hawkyns or some of the other ways mentioned here fewer people would dislike the holidays so much. I hate being called a Scrooge or a Grinch whenever I express my feelings on the suject. And how many times have us Scrooges and Grinches have to listen to those same holiday elves complain about how much work they have to do and how little time they have to do it in. Calling me names will not improve my attitude, or get me to help out.

Tonight we're going to take my future grand-daughter to see the feastival of lights at James Island County Park. This is a three and half mile drive thru some of the most amazing displays of lights I've ever seen. She is only four years old and driving thru all those lights with the top down should be something special. And if we're real lucky maybe her twin brothers will be born tonight so that she can have a early christmas present as well. They're due anyday now and I know her mom is sure ready for them, man is she beat. Now I know most of you are thinking What were you complainingt about christmas for with all that going for you? Maybe your right, but it still doesn't relieve alot of the stress and pressures and negative crap that comes with this time of year. I am secretely hopeing that by seeing chritsmas through their eyes I can regain some of that christmas spirit that everyone thinks I should have.

I do wish all of you and yours a Merry Christmas, and I hope it finds you safe and warm and celebrating on your own terms and in your own way.

[hitman]

Great tree Bonnie we are still working on mine as I'm only home on weekends and had to find all the ornaments. for the last few years we've had what we call the ghetto fab tree. We use all the old corny decorations we've gotten essintaily from inheritance of relatives and this year I was even able to break out the big 1970's style bulbs I bought for the top of the house. Hope everyone has a good time this Christmas.

[Rumba Rue]

By the way - a little update. As soon as I got done taking Khan's picture with the tree, and making that last post, he got back under the tree and started batting at ornaments. He's now in "time out" again...

That's what I get for bragging about his good behavior!

**Rumba snickers...**

[oderlesseye]

Merry Christmas to those who celebrate said Holiday..

Funny those whom prefer "holiday" don't seem to relize the Word refers to HOLY_DAYS... hhhhmm . So much fer political correctness arguments..

[Red-Handed Jill]

Well, Winter Solstice, Hannukah and Christmas are ALL holy days to some person or another. I figure saying Happy Holidays is a good way of generally wishing someone well during this time of year, whatever their religious views are (or not.) As a pragmatist, I'm a believer in trying to take life as it is and not being so ignorant as to wish someone who is obviously not a Christian a "Merry Christmas" or someone who is obviously not Jewish "Happy Hannukah." My extended family is a mixture of Catholics, Christians, Jews, Pagan (me) and agnostics. We've learned to celebrate what's important to all members - our celebration is a mixture of all faiths and non-faiths and it works very well.