Why do you hate Christmas...

Nikon_Nick

Nikon_Nick

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...if you do, of course, hate Christmas?

Im not having a go at anyone with this, as I completely appreciate that peoples lives are different to mine, and that everyone has their own difficulties/problems, but ever since ive been a member of this forum, its become pretty apparent that there are quite a lot of people on here that really, genuinely dont like Christmas. Dont get me wrong, im not one of the people that puts decorations up 3 months in advance and has crappy Christmas songs playing on a continous loop in the house and in the car, and I dont particularly like the whole 'shopping' part. IIRC, I even participated in one of the Humbug threads for a bit of fun last year.

For me, Christmas is a holiday, a time to spend with loved ones, a time to sit in front of a roaring fire with my newly aquired slippers reflecting on the past year, and making plans for the new year etc etc. I dont celebrate the 'festival', and what it is supposed to represent as such, so, im genuinely interested to know why it is a time of year that a lot of people find so loathsome.

Is it the whole commercialisation aspect?
Is it hated mainly by people with no family (children)?
Do you hate it because society 'expects' everyone to love it?
Is it the fault of Slade/Wizard/Paul Mccartney/Band Aid etc?
Something else?
All of the above?

Cheers

Nick
 
Nikon_Nick said:
...if you do, of course, hate Christmas?

Im not having a go at anyone with this, as I completely appreciate that peoples lives are different to mine, and that everyone has their own difficulties/problems, but ever since ive been a member of this forum, its become pretty apparent that there are quite a lot of people on here that really, genuinely dont like Christmas. Dont get me wrong, im not one of the people that puts decorations up 3 months in advance and has crappy Christmas songs playing on a continous loop in the house and in the car, and I dont particularly like the whole 'shopping' part. IIRC, I even participated in one of the Humbug threads for a bit of fun last year.

For me, Christmas is a holiday, a time to spend with loved ones, a time to sit in front of a roaring fire with my newly aquired slippers reflecting on the past year, and making plans for the new year etc etc. I dont celebrate the 'festival', and what it is supposed to represent as such, so, im genuinely interested to know why it is a time of year that a lot of people find so loathsome.

Is it the whole commercialisation aspect?
Is it hated mainly by people with no family (children)?
Do you hate it because society 'expects' everyone to love it?
Is it the fault of Slade/Wizard/Paul Mccartney/Band Aid etc?
Something else?
All of the above?

Cheers

Nick
Click to expand...

You've pretty much covered it.
Sorted the shopping aspect of it now though...I simply don't do any.
I have volunteered to work over Christmas (except 24 / 25 - business is closed), and I genuinely don't mind doing it.
Oh....and if anything "tinselly" appears in my house before 20th....there are going to be some serious discussions.

Regardless of the month...If I want to go and see family members, I'll go.
If I want to buy them something, I'll do it.

I hope everyone who loves Christmas has a great time, I really do.....but I'm so sick and tired already, of having it shoved down my throat. (And yes...it is shoved. You can't enter a shop....drive along a street...listen to the radio...watch the TV...nothing, without it being in your face.)

AND to top it off, when you say you dislike it, you're instant labelled a Grinch....Scrooge....Humbug....blah blah.

Well....you did ask......
 
viv1969 said:
You've pretty much covered it.
Sorted the shopping aspect of it now though...I simply don't do any.
I have volunteered to work over Christmas (except 24 / 25 - business is closed), and I genuinely don't mind doing it.
Oh....and if anything "tinselly" appears in my house before 20th....there are going to be some serious discussions.

Regardless of the month...If I want to go and see family members, I'll go.
If I want to buy them something, I'll do it.

I hope everyone who loves Christmas has a great time, I really do.....but I'm so sick and tired already, of having it shoved down my throat. (And yes...it is shoved. You can't enter a shop....drive along a street...listen to the radio...watch the TV...nothing, without it being in your face.)

AND to top it off, when you say you dislike it, you're instant labelled a Grinch....Scrooge....Humbug....blah blah.

Well....you did ask......
Click to expand...

So......you are saying you DONT like Christmas? ;) :p

So is it mainly the whole 'expected to love it because how could anyone not love it' kind of reason?
 
viv1969 said:
....but I'm so sick and tired already, of having it shoved down my throat. (And yes...it is shoved. You can't enter a shop....drive along a street...listen to the radio...watch the TV...nothing, without it being in your face.)
.
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And that's the main point for me too.
I don't hate it per se, but when it starts Mid Oct.
with the adverts and "goods in shops"
I'm done with the whole thing by mid Nov.

Sure I'll have Christmas dinner with the family,
sure I'll watch my brothers Grand kids
rip open their assorted goodies and then spend hours
Playing with the boxes :D

Hell I may even have the odd drink here and there.

But TBH the run up has been totally screwed by commercialism
for me at least, over the last several years.

I did even hear someone mention religion
in the same sentence as Christmas, recently.
Is nothing sacred? :D
 
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Thanks for the comment so far. I have to say, im not surprised that your answers have all been pretty much the same. Its what I considered would probably be the main reason.
 
archangel said:
I just hate the commercialism and the expectation that other expect you to toe the line and be jolly
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Especially when you don't feel remotely bloody jolly.
But woebetide you should complain........
 
I think if people are generally just not a naturally 'jolly' person, then the Christmas thing just makes you feel worse. Especiially, as has been eluded to above, when you are expected to be grinning from ear to ear every time you hear Fairytale of New York, even if it is the 87th time youve heard it before youve even had your breakfast.

I totally get that, and if im honest, I used to be the biggest hater of Christmas you could imagine. I wont go into details, but I didnt particularly have what i would call a fun childhood (home life), and I have also experienced plenty of tragic events in my time, as well as PLENTY of personal rejections from (what I believed at the time were) my loved ones.

I dont think I can remember the actual moment, when I started to enjoy it again, but I do know that changes to my personal life over the last 10 years or so, and the positivity I get from that, has made it easier for me to not dwell on what I probably do still actually hate about Christmas.
 
Nikon_Nick said:
... I dont think I can remember the actual moment, when I started to enjoy it again, .
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Your own kids will do that Nick (y)
And TBH thats what its all about isn't it?
The smiles on their little faces :)

But its not the the same for us,
who's have long since grown out of it,
or those than don't have any.
 
Cobra said:
Your own kids will do that Nick (y)
And TBH thats what its all about isn't it?
The smiles on their little faces :)

But its not the the same for us,
who's have long since grown out of it,
or those than don't have any.
Click to expand...

But to be fair Chris, I started being a lot more positive about it way before Isobel came along. Yes, that obviously makes it that extra bit special now :) As I said before, I totally appreciate that peoples situations are different, and this isnt some halfa***d sales pitch on behalf of Santa (because he obviously exists), to cure people of their 'non-jollyness' :D
 
I am normally very jolly but as soon as you hear Slade or see xmas lights I get rather depressed about it all....I know its for the kids but and essentially a religious celebration but I feel that has now been removed by the corporations
 
Cobra said:
Yeah but I have yet to forgive him
You saw what he did to me a few years back in the
""what do you want for Christmas thread" :(
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/what-do-you-want-for-christmas.569799/#post-6602169
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And Chris was very disappointed that someone had removed the contents :p:D

Nick you daughter is at that magical age when christmas is a time of wonder for her, adverts on TV are soon forgotten and
peer pressure for the latest expensive fad toy hasn't set in.

As already said it's the sheer pressure of commercialism that ruins it for me and the amount of money wasted on thoughtless gifts that
will never be used, I was given a lavender wash set one year, I'm allergic to the stuff as they well knew, and the same person gave me a packet
of expensive tea, knowing I never drink tea.
 
As said, its not christmas most of us hate its all the commercial b****cks for months prior to it.
Building up pressure on people to spend and building up expectations leading to disappointments if everything isnt then "perfect" in the commercial marketing depts view of xmas.
 
To be honest for me it's a break from work and a chance for me and the missus to spend a bit of time together
 
Can anyone actually remember Christmas at a year old?
At one, the gifts given on Christmas day could be given on any other day and the reaction would be equally as cute.
I think a kid's anticipation of Christmas is the kicker, and at one that's not set in yet.
Sorry, but at that age it's still a grown-ups thing.
 
I feel the same as everyone seems to be expressing here - It's far too commercialised and all kicks off far too early. Apart from christmas eve, day, and boxing day, it's a waste of time.

My 23yo daughter no longer lives with me at home but we will have christmas lunch with my ex wife. This year I won't bother buying a christmas tree - Every little bit helps towards a new Canon L lens.

Every day is a holiday as far as I'm concerned and I don't have time to work!
 
I enjoy Christmas, and just ignore most of the commercial side of it, but I'm not really looking forward to this one. My wife lives in the UK (another story) and I'm spending it with her in Scotland. That's good, but it also means my kids and grandson will be thousands of miles away, which isn't so great. We'll have a Skype call, but it's obviously not the same.

I can't stand the endless darkness and cold/wet weather either. For me, Christmas is 30 C and a braai in the sun by a pool!
 
Many of the posts here encapsulate my thoughts about Christmas.

Christmas should be a Christian festival. I am not religious but many people are and I appreciate that Christmas is one of the most important events in their year.

The commercialism is appalling and has been for years - the only way to have a good Christmas is to buy shed loads of presents.

Seeing family and friends that you have not seen for a while is good but travel is much easier now than many years ago and it could be done at anytime and much cheaper, though I do understand that having a couple of Bank Holidays makes it easier.

The forced bonhomie is a pain; as mentioned above you are looked on as being odd if you don't really like Christmas.

Our son and girlfriend are coming to us for Christmas this year (daughter lives with us and Mum-in-law lives near so be there too). Mrs Tringa and I thought that rather than presents, everyone could bring/buy/make a food or drink item instead. Everyone was happy apart from Mum-in-law who had a hissy fit.

Oh, families and Christmas, don't you just love them?

Dave

BTW that Blair card is awful. Why do some folks do that? Why does Christmas give some people the excuse to send a photo of themselves to anyone, though most are not as bad as that one? OK, they feel the need to send Christmas cards to a lot of people so why not but loads of charity cards and send them?
 
As a divorced father of two from when my kids were very young, Christmas became a nightmare because it became political, where will the children spend Xmas day and it wasn't great not seeing them and having to negotiate an agreement.

They're pretty much grown up now but I'm still glad when it's all over.
 
Christmas should start on the evening of 24th Dec and end on the evening of Jan 6th..

This year Tesco had the Christmas aisles up before Halloween. It isn't anything special when it's dragged out over 10 weeks..
 
Nikon_Nick said:
You could have alwayd worn it on your head, and given others a laugh. Silver lining an' all that :D
Click to expand...
They kept my ears warm for months,
also double as ear (Noise) defenders, when stuffed with cotton wool :thumbs:
Gremlin said:
And Chris was very disappointed that someone had removed the contents :p:D.
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Gutted doesn't come close :(
 
As a single bloke with no kids and no family around me, christmas tends to be like my birthday, just a reminder of time passing. It's okay in the sense that I get to see some of my mates who are working the rest of the year - we generally have a "lads trip" away to the Lakes or something between christmas and new year, but other than that, there's little that appeals, and lots of things that remind me of what I haven't got in my life...

on the other hand, half a hour at my mates who do have "rich full family lives" leaves me wanting to slit my wrists, either from the shreiking kids or the shreiking wives... so, I count my blessings and enjoy the hand that I've been dealt.
 
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Don't hate it but could do without the commercialism of it. I fix retail equipment for a living and it gets very busy at the same time as supermarket car parks get very busy round christmas.
 
my father was an abusive alcoholic narcisistic f***wit , so xmas doesnt hold many happy memories for me

unfortunately my wife thinks xmas is the best thing since sliced bread and starts getting excited about it in about mid october - as i'm not my father and i love my wife I put up with and as far as possible pretend to enjoy all the rubbish that goes with the holiday season.

however my store of ho ho ho bonhomie is strictly finite so I keep it for times that matter (like buildiing her a wooden advent calender that i fill with small presents each year) which means that everyone else gets the full on grumpy bah humbug
 
Married, no kids, no religious affiliation or belief. Don't so much hate christmas as what it has become in relatively recent years. Quite like some aspects of the season but they're mainly food related with items only available at this time of year (Lidl mini stolen........... ;)) We'll have a christmas dinner but we're going out and taking the MiL with us. Far prefer the idea of celebrating the solstice since that at least has the benefit of meaning that the days will start getting longer!
 
I only hate it because if it and New years fall on weekdays, the gym will be shut and I have to move some of my workouts to the weekend when the gym is busier.
 
For me its simple, although I have a family and small child, I hate the fact that decorations have now been in the shops for over a month and radio have been playing the crap songs for the last couple of weeks. I hate the songs anyway but now and its all Ive heard for the last fortnight, and we still have the best part of a month to listen to them!!! :rage:
 
I don't hate Christmas, I only hate how it has lost its meaning and has become so commercialised.

Black Friday, cyber Monday, Boxing Day sales, decorations up since September.

Actually, come to think of it. I hate Christmas
 
I LOVE Christmas !!!

Love the smell of fresh pine from the Christmas tree, love cooking up a feast and giving food hampers out as presents, love the way that the lights and decorations brighten up an otherwise dull and miserable time of year, love the look on people's faces' when they open THE perfect present, love the chance to get together with friends and family.
(OK I could do some of that any time I like, but it's not often that everybody has time off work and can get together at the same time) :)

BUT wait for it . . . before I get forcibly ejected from this thread there was a point to my posting in here.

I LOATHE the incessant Christmas songs, the commercialism, the pushing and shoving in the shops and I have absolutely no religious connection with it.
All easy enough to avoid though. I do most of my shopping in little boutiques, local craftshops etc and when I can't get anything there - online. I don't watch ads, everything's Sky plused, I hate listening to the radio any time of year so I just never turn it on and I don't give room to any cards / decorations with religious symbolism.

Basically, I just avoid / ignore the bits that annoy me and embrace the bits that I do like :)
 
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But wouldn't the perfect gift mean so much more if it was given at some other time and was completely unexpected?
 
The commercialism is of no concern to me, I just ignore it, unless there is extra workload we get a weeks holiday plus the 3 days every Christmas anyway, I enjoy Christmas because I make it what I want not what others expect me to want.
 
viv1969 said:
But wouldn't the perfect gift mean so much more if it was given at some other time and was completely unexpected?
Click to expand...

In some ways perhaps.
I do give gifts outside of the Christmas period and yes, they mean that bit more to me when I see the look of surprise on somebody's face . . . but I also know that receiving something at Christmas is in itself very special to most of my family and some friends and they'd be deeply hurt not to receive something, no matter what they received from me during the year.
 
I can ignore the commercialisation of Christmas, but I hate the religionisation of Christmas.
 
ianp5a said:
I can ignore the commercialisation of Christmas, but I hate the religionisation of Christmas.
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Well to be fair that bit did come first.
I'd have more respect for it if that's all it was.
 
Tringa said:
Christmas should be a Christian festival. I am not religious but many people are and I appreciate that Christmas is one of the most important events in their year.
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It's not really a Christian festival though, is it?
The tree, feasting, gift-giving, decorating houses etc all come from a mish-mash of ancient European pagan festivals that were related to the winter solstice and the rebirth of the sun. Yule, Saturnalia, etc (it's still called Yule - or Jul - in some countries). This was all going on long before Christianity arrived.

The Christians came along later and threw in some of their own symbolism and rebranded it with a new name. They even tried to suppress and eliminate some of the old pagan traditions associated with the time of year (gifts, the tree, etc) but I guess they ended up thinking "if you can't beat 'em...".

Christmas, as most of northern Europe celebrates it, is not and has never been an exclusively Christian festival.
 
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