The anti Christmas thread

C

Caveat

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I might be in the minority here but since it's now December and the other Christmas threads will undoubtedly start, so will I.

First what I do like about Christmas - time off work, bright crisp days. That's it.

What's not to like then?

Enforced 'jollity' - I'll be happy when I'm happy thanks very much not because you're wearing a silly hat and jigging your elbows up and down. Surely the amount of pleasure a human being can derive from blowing a feathery thing from a cracker is limited?

Chaos - nobody knows what day it is, nothing that you would normally rely on can be relied upon e.g. "are the shops open today?" "Are the bins being collected or not?"

At least I can shut out the world and watch xyz on television because it's Tuesday and it's 10 O'clock - WRONG - it's Chrissaamass!!! There's some weird crap on that nobody in their right mind would normally watch otherwise.

Music - As a music lover it's the worst time of year. The handful of good Christmas songs are either played to death (e.g. Fairlytale of New York) or never played e.g. (Father Christmas Eyes). Every single shop, pub, restaurant you go into the same awful crap - you know those horror movies when to depict someone going mad that play a kind of merry go round echoey music? That's me.

Food/drink - Boring. All the same. Especially after the 25th. And it's forced into you - you can't call to anyone without being offered turkey or some bloody weird drink: "have you ever, ever seen me drinking Baileys/Peach Schnapps? So why the hell do you think I'm going to start now?"

Plenty more to grumble about but I'll stop there.

:(
 
I hate the waste. People who give you presents that you just want to chuck in the bin immediately, and you know they spent good money on this rubbish. Presents for the sake of presents - I dont like it.

A lot of food waste as well, people cooking bucketfuls of food in case they have visitors, and half it going in the bin after a few days staking a claim in the fridge.

The big let down on Stephens Day when its all over and the decorations look cheap and wilted.

People who get all gooey eyed about christmas and harp on about how much the love the magic of it all.

What I do like about it.
Time off work.
An excuse to watch Harry Potter and Indiana Jones movies.
The thoughtful presents like books or CDs Ive had my eye on.
A reason to cook mince pies (I do love them!).
 
In fairness, what other day of the year would you drop in to visit the neighbours at 11am and be offered a glass of wine :).
 
VOR said:
Festivus is the one for you then. A non-denominational holiday to be celebrated by those frustrated or jaded with the commercialism and pressure surrounding the Christmas/Hanukkah season. This year will be the biggest Festivus yet!!
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I'll get the pole.
 
I never grew up so I still like Christmas even the tacky and the gaudy. Even the annoying stalls on Mary Street and how they block the entire street. Even the rubbish presents. Even the out of date beer and spirits at elderly relatives' house left over from Christmas past. Even the complete brain ache trying to think of presents and maintain my position as the cool uncle. It's all good.

Ok, there's been a dip in the quality of tv during the period, the big premier of films doesn't have the same impact considering you probably bought the dvd 3 years ago. And there's never the same effort put into the Christmas specials. But I still look forward to the whole thing even if it's just for the food and ability to do absolutely nothing and not feel even remotely guilty for such lethargy.

The only down side is New Years, that's always an anti-climax and it sparks the return to work mode. The bit before that though is all good.
 
i like the time off work aspect and even the weather sometimes, crisp sharp mornings with the frost still in place. the big eat on the 25th is delightful (after that then its back to 'normal'). getting time to spend it with friends (more than usual), lots of sports on tele.

now the bad things.....

The music - the same crap pumped out over and over and over and over and over and over again!!!!:D:D there are no good christmas song EVER.

sunday drivers seem to take over the week, new years turns into an almighty anti climax and can usually end up with arguements with people over the little things. having to make appeareances at party invitations just show your face for an hour or two (when the party hosts can be pushy that you should attend) when all you really want is to go home and do nothing. christmas sales adds on st. stpehens days (BT hang their head in shame). the frantic buying of little nick nacks leading up to the crimbo day thinking that if we dont have it then the day will not be the same, and then when you look at it the day after you think 'meh didnt need that in the end' and thats about the small of it.

on the whole when you think about it, is it worth it? and the effort?
 
truthseeker said:
Presents for the sake of presents - I dont like it.
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This is the worst. We just suggest a box of sweets or bottle of wine if the person feels that they have to give something.

We also gave up on the visits to relatives who have absolutely no interest in you during the rest of the year, not even a phone call.

Taking down the Christmas decorations from the attic. Every year I lament the fact that I never got a Stira put in. (Maybe a nice Christmas pressie now that I think about it).

I like when my sons all come back and stay for a couple of nights. Great to see the unused bedrooms being used again.

Re living the Santa experience through my grandaughters eyes.
 
Christmas Day 'swim' in Salthill - horrific at the time but mighty craic afterwards watching others do it!!
 
liaconn said:
In fairness, what other day of the year would you drop in to visit the neighbours at 11am and be offered a glass of wine :).
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Im starting to see a pattern here Liaconn, wine in the handbag, wine in the neighbours at 11am xmas morning......;)
 
I love practically everything about Christmas. The two things I hate are

having to locate people's addresses to send cards and trying to remember if so and so usually sends you one etc

Coming back to work after Christmas. The decorations always look really sad and tatty and there's usually a half eaten box of roses sitting morosely on someone's desk. It just screams JANUARY to me.
 
Agree about the music. The one song I used to love hearing though was "Driving Home for Christmas" by Chris Rea when belting down the N7 from Dublin to my beloved P's R of Cork!
 
Someone mentioned anticlimaxes? I almost forgot - anticlimaxes are bad enough anyway whether they are disappointing movies or less than impressive restaurants but Christmas itself is, at the end of the day, the biggest anticlimax of them all.

The bleakness of those days between 26th and 30th is awful - I plan to stock up with food and drink and stay under the duvet with a portable toilet for the full 120 hours this year.
 
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