I don't hate Christmas, but it's way over-hyped.

[Yavin4]

First of all, it's not the most wonderful time of the year. I live in the N.E., and the most wonderful time of the year is from late May to late September. The weather is beautiful. You can go outside. Everybody is relaxed. People take vacations. It's just great.

Second, the music is too much. Every where you go, you hear Christmas songs by artists whose record labels are looking for cheap sales.

Finally, people stress themselves out over the holidays with the parties, the shopping, eating, etc. Why? Once New Year's day rolls around, we go back to being normal, like nothing happened.

[democratisphere]

1. Agree with most of your points.

It is a good time to get together with family and friends (that you hopefully like and vice versa). It is way to much about material items in this country. Winter sucks after a few weeks of snow and cold. Like most things American, it is way over done.

[shraby]

2. Problem is...Christmas is for kids. By the time you get the kids grown and out of the house,

you have most of what you need or want. Sooo Christmas becomes a time for getting stuff you don't want from people who really don't want to shop in the freezing cold.

The tree becomes something to put up just to take back down after it's over and store someplace in a crowded house for another year. One family around here got smart and have Christmas in the summertime, outside and have a cookout and enjoy the day. They did it one year because one of the members had to go away and wouldn't be around in December and liked it so much they kept doing it.
Sounds good to me. Winter is not a good time anymore for Christmas because families live miles apart and sometimes miles and miles and miles. To get together they either fly (expensive) or drive (icy and expensive) in often times inclement weather just to turn around in about 2 days and go back home.

I agree May to September is a much better time of year. I hate winters and the accompanying ice and cold. Snow is pretty on postcards.
Bah Humbug!

[Adrahil]

12. Honestly, around here, presents are almost incidental....

Don't get me wrong, we give and receive them, and we enjoy them. But the emphasis is on spending time with friends, parties, food, etc. I really enjoy it. It brightens an otherwise dreary time of the year (which is, of course, the purpose of historical solstice celebrations).

[shraby]

14. We get together too. We miss having little ones around to watch open presents.

It's just not the same.

[msongs]

3. my fave day is Dec 26 when the xmas crowd goes back to its normal self nt

[applegrove]

4. I love it. The snow is so pretty. Good times with family. Then again

I can afford a taxi, can afford to shop and love it and I come from a big family. I am only cooking one dinner. I am a lucky, lucky person in so many ways. So I bought 12 chickens for women in Africa as one gift.

[Angry Dragon]

7. They have no chickens ib Africa??

Just kidding............that is very nice of you

I am more at peace this year than I have been for many years
I am sitting back and watching the con man destroy this country with his hand picked flunkies.
And wondering if there enough decent people to stop this madness before the tipping point is reached before this country slides down the into the Bowels of Hell

[applegrove]

10. When we win you will be wise and solid like the greatest generation were.

Through pain and fight you gain wisdom. It will be wisdom you one day share with the world, not Trump.

[lunamagica]

5. Never too much for me...If I could have a Christmas like Clark Griswold I would.

And the season feels too short for me.

Though I will admit it has become bittersweet. So much has changed, so many people gone...still, for me it is a distraction from so many harsh realities...I can sort of escape, even if for a little while...

I bought a flock of chickens too. If you want to buy livestock and seeds to help people in developing countries, you can do it here.

https://www.heifer.org/

[applegrove]

6. 3 chickens buys a family 1000 eggs a year. That sold me.

[murielm99]

9. I don't have any chickens,

but I agree with you about Christmas. I love Christmas, even though it has changed for us over the years. Our children are scattered across the country and we do not have a traditional Christmas with family any more. We try to give to some of the people we know in the community and to remember the people we interact with on a regular basis.

[JNelson6563]

8. I agree with so much of this thread.

We have no religious beliefs and here in northern Michigan we get plenty of winter (yeah that shit gets old!). My grown kids (&son in law) and my ex get together to eat, drink and be merry. We all live within an hour's drive or less so not too hard. Send some Jacques Torres chocolate to those few I buy for who are far away (if I don't make cookies). We do presents at our gathering but it's not a stressful thing, we're not very materialistic.

I don't have TV and have earbuds in at work, rarely go shopping so am lucky to avoid much of what's not fun about the holiday. Fortunately our days of stressful travel, shopping, long gift lists & tiny budgets are behind us. So freeing to just not participate in all that crap. Makes it rather enjoyable.

I hope you all manage to enjoy some part of it.

[alarimer]

11. Yep. I made the mistake of going to the mall on Saturday.

I'm sure how I am not currently in jail.

So many people (terrible parents and their terrible, whiny bratty kids, mostly) I wanted to clobber. Stores (I'm looking at YOU, UnderArmor) with absolutely stupid layouts around the registers and so people just kind of stood in a sort of mosh-pit like clump.

Last year, I ordered everything online. Think I'm going to do that next year.

[IrishEyes]

13. I wouldn't mind Christmas if it lasted only a week.

I mean all of it. The songs, decorations, etc. I can only stand it for so long. Some of it is nice. Some people are just too into Christmas. I really hate the people who try to force Christmas on you. I was on a bus and this group tried to get everyone to sing Christmas songs. I said no and continued to read my book. I was accused of being a scrooge. I was just a woman who wanted to go home from a hard day of work. I don't want to be cheery. I do like being with my family, shopping for gifts, eating good food and pretty lights.