I work in education. Christmas time is so much better with kids. It feels empty without some 9-y-o bouncing off the walls and telling you all the things he wants for Christmas.

Christmas Eve with my family and the following two days visiting other family are nice. The whole buildup though December always pisses me off.

Stress.

Stress about all the money spent on a midnight feast that we’re too sleepy and tired to enjoy (our Christmas meal here is at 12mn, it cannot start earlier), the gifts and decorations, and the electricity of all the RGB lights strung around to make our family to be “with the community spirit”. Stress about not having the energy to be able to smile and be cheerful all the time, or else you’d be the subject of dinner conversations, how you’re not “making an effort to spread the holiday spirit”. And worst of all, the stress of not being able to sleep and rest due to all the merrymaking, singing, and overall noisemaking (fireworks tend to be fired at random here, and increasing in frequency as it draws closer to the end of December).

I used to look forward to the food, the seasonal food, and the feasting. But now that I’ve got to prepare all that food, taste it, make adjustments based on who is going to be coming for the Christmas dinner, it’s just draining.

What is supposed to be a season to be merry, to be hopeful, and all that good cheer, has become the very cause of all the sorry hopelessness and drear.

I like the time off from work, but actual Xmas doesn’t mean anything. I think it’s cosy with Xmas decorations and Xmas trees through. I enjoy it in that way, but it has no spiritual meaning to me.

Also every single person seems to feel horrible and lonely around Xmas since it’s so much pressure. Before I met my girl, I was always lonely on xmas too.

It’s half materialism and half cult ritual.

Most of the music is annoying, with a strong exception to Transiberian Orchestra.

The seasonal junk food is usually pretty good. The seasonal food-food is just a wanna be Thanksgiving, but still good.

The lights can be pretty, but most of the other decorations look like cheesey tailor-trash shit.

I’d give it a 20-80 like to dislike ratio

Yes, Christmas means finding time to celebrate with friends. It means getting to know people better and giving gifts that they’ll actually enjoy. It means baking cookies, burning a few and trying new recipes so you can surprise the neighbors. Christmas, like most of life, is exactly what you choose to make of it. If you hate your family, or Christmas carols or office parties or whatever, then fuck that noise and host a drunken gingerbread house building party with your boys.

Christmas is just commercialized Winter Solstice. Happy fucking holidays.

Im surprised to see that many people disliking christmas, seems like 50/50 in the comments, i would have expected something like 30/70

I find it stressful, i dont like feeling judged about how i give and receive gifts, having to be nice around my extended family even when they are mean or boring, the elaborate cooking, etc.

Im much more comfortable with new year’s night : no fixed traditions, usually with friends rather than family, overall simpler and just focused on being with people i like.

Nope. Just like valentines, fathers/mother’s day, or any of the other “hallmark holidays”. July 4th (US) too. And Thanksgiving, like ugh. “we stole land and murdered the people who were there, let’s celebrate” is just vomit-worthy.

Birthdays aren’t much for me but I make it a point to say hi when it’s a friend’s. “one year closer to death!”, as me and a friend say.

I’ve not-jokingly told people to wait until Feb 15th/Dec 26th/etc if they are hell-bent on buying me something. Thrifty and affectionate? Be still my heart.

I won’t lie, usually Christmas is my favorite time of year. Something about the music, getting to see all my family, and trying to find inventive ways to make friends and family happy through gifts always cheers me up. Never really had the money to go all out, but the spirit was there.

This year I just do not care. Usually I listen to dozens of hours of Christmas music and this year it is less than 2 hours so far. I’m not looking forward to giving or receiving gifts; it just feels so formulaic and rabidly consumerist. My usual comfort movies hold no interest for me. I’d skip it if I could. And all of that was before my grandmother died this past Saturday.

It means that I will be harassed for not being happy enough and wrong for not wanting to participate.

It means seeing my grandma the one (maybe two) times a year that I see her. I probably don’t have too many more of them so I want to make them count. It’s also one of the few (getting fewer) times a year I see my parents who are also aging. I think it’s good for me to remember what’s important.

There may be something in your life that is important to you that you can try to hold on to at Christmas, like your health or your pets.

No.

Growing up, I always dreaded holidays. I mean, sure the time off from school was great, that’s a given. But getting excited about Xmas just wasn’t my thing. Several years ago I finally realized why: The excitement is manufactured. It’s just an ever-increasing buildup frenzy of the holiday. Gotta do your shopping, and more shopping, and more shopping. Then you gotta cook and clean. Then go visit family that you really don’t care to see.

Finally, the big day! Open presents! Then…. Nothing. Just another day, except it’s more boring because your friends have to do stuff with their families.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad others get enjoyment out of it. Great for them. Just don’t expect me to to excited too.

I take time off of work to spend with loved ones. It’s great!