How much do YOU fucking hate Christmas? ... and why?

[Natalia Evans]

I have always loved it. Why? I got new toys and that was all I cared about. I also liked the songs and the trees and all the decorations. I also loved looking at Christmas lights. Then it started to get stressful as I got older because my brothers got older, so their interests changed and mine changed, so we were harder to shop for. We wanted more expensive items such as video games.


If I don't have the money, I don't buy anything. I call my parents on the phone asking what do they like and what do my brothers like. I bought my brother a redneck calendar twice and I got my boyfriend a bunch of stuff last year. He felt guilty alright because he had like 11 gifts from me and I only had like three from him. I told him not to worry about it and I did it because I love him. So I sat and watched him open those gifts like parents do with their children. Then it was his turn to watch me open mine when my parents came out with my brothers.


If buying gifts is too stressful for you, don't buy anything. You can't afford it anyway so that be your excuse for not getting your family anything.

My boyfriend and I won't be getting any gifts from them this year. We didn't last year either because they were broke. They're poor is why. Being garnished and live on social security because they are disabled. They are hardly making it.

[Tesla]

I hate how Christmas gets earlier every year.  Before Halloween I went into the local big-box hardware store, and they were selling Christmas trees.

I like presents though.  And, I like giving them. 

I sing Happy Birthday to Jesus every year.

[garmonbozia]

I don't like it.  It's got to be one of the biggest loads of bullshit I've ever known.  Where to start...

The Santa Claus myth.  It's a big tradition to fool little kids into believing some big fat-ass old man in a red suit is going to climb down the chimney and leave presents under the tree.  That's right, start the gullibility tests when they're real young, and laugh at them later.  I had it figured out as bullshit pretty early (around age six or seven), considering we didn't have a chimney, he'd have to visit millions of houses in one night, reindeer and sleighs don't fly (If they do, I want some of that anti-gravity technology for my special interests.), and why the fuck would he want to go to the trouble anyway?  And then, anyone who dares burst the Santa Claus myth or refuse to dump it on their own kids is regarded as an asshole.  From what I've heard, the red-suited Santa Claus character was made up by the Coca-Cola corporation for the purposes of advertising, and bears little or no resemblance to the actual Saint Nicholas.

Then there's the matter of how the institution now known as the Church picked a day other than Jesus of Nazareth's actual birthday on which to celebrate, just to displace a Pagan holiday and trick everyone into celebrating Christmas instead of Yule.  I accept that it's human instinct to have a holiday at the start of winter so everyone can get drunk and happy, starting the winter off with a bang instead of getting all depressed, but let's please do it without the bullshit.  (Now, the getting drunk part I like.)

Then there are the compulsory visits with as many relatives as possible, regardless of whether you even like them or not.  Some relatives, I want nothing to do with and hope to never see again.  (Like, for example, my horrible aunt and uncle who once tried to exorcise Satan from my cousin.)  Now, those relatives who just use it as an excuse to get drunk, I don't mind seeing.  (Pass the fucking eggnog, would you.)

And let's not forget the driving force that keeps the tradition going.  That would be to boost sales of useless crap.  You get guilt-tripped into buying a bunch of attic fodder for your relatives, blowing all your spare money in the process.  They still use Christmas lists in my family, no matter how old you are.  So, it's either ignore the call for a Christmas list, and get a bunch of junk you don't want.  (Smile and pretend you like it, so you don't hurt anybody's feelings and get branded an asshole.)  Or, like a greedy little schmuck, submit the list and let everyone see what a materialistic little shit you are.  I'm not saying shit to anyone about my Amazon.com wish list until someone specifically asks for it.  (I'll have to make sure it specifies lots of hentai and materials for other religions, like maybe some Voodoo manuals, some SubGenius books, and the Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.  And in the comments box, a remark in which I mention that I am an agnostic, to let the truth be known and to give the older Christian generations in the family a good shock.)

[renaeden]

I have heard about Santa-Claus being changed by Coca-Cola as well, that he used to wear green before they changed it.

GA suggested that I give his family a list of things I want for Christmas. There is no way I can do that! I would rather have nothing at all. Going there will be enough stress as it is.

[Parts]

You give list and then get nothing on them anyway I never saw the point.  If I want something I get it when I can no wish list for me

[renaeden]

Similar to what I said to GA about it, that if I really wanted something, I would save up the money myself to buy it.

It feels wrong to give a list of things I want to people.

[klox]

garmonbozia, I enjoyed the light hearted passion of that post. 

[garmonbozia]

Glad you liked the post.

I should emphasize that I don't much care for lists, either.  I made the Amazon list just as an exercise to keep my own greed under control.  It's merely incidental that others can view the list if I set it on "public".  It's like this... The relatives are going to buy shit no matter what, and they're going to wrap it up in sheets of dead trees splattered with colorful ink and present it to me whether I want them to or not.

I'm all for just cut the bullshit and everyone save up their own money and buy their own shit.  For example, that HDTV I want but can't really afford... I'll figure out some way to make myself afford it.  (Next tax return, find a better-paying job, get a generic 26" model instead of a state-of-the-art 70" model, I'll figure something out.)  All the Christmas list does for me is improve the chances of getting a couple of Blu-Ray disks for that HDTV when I finally can afford it, instead of an ugly sweater the color of vomit.  So, it's either movies or sweaters, but no gift at all simply isn't an option.  And of course, I've got to give a gift in exchange so the relatives don't talk shit about me after I leave.  (I don't wear sweaters.  For cold weather, it's a black trenchcoat for me, and besides I've already got one.)  Get me a sweater and come the following month, that sweater will make some bum at the Salvation Army very happy.

[Phlexor]

From what I've heard, the red-suited Santa Claus character was made up by the Coca-Cola corporation for the purposes of advertising, and bears little or no resemblance to the actual Saint Nicholas.

Not true:

http://www.snopes.com/cokelore/santa.asp

[Callaway]

From what I've heard, the red-suited Santa Claus character was made up by the Coca-Cola corporation for the purposes of advertising, and bears little or no resemblance to the actual Saint Nicholas.

Not true:

http://www.snopes.com/cokelore/santa.asp

Thanks for the information, Phlexor.  That was very interesting.

[renaeden]

I should emphasize that I don't much care for lists, either.  I made the Amazon list just as an exercise to keep my own greed under control.  It's merely incidental that others can view the list if I set it on "public".  It's like this... The relatives are going to buy shit no matter what, and they're going to wrap it up in sheets of dead trees splattered with colorful ink and present it to me whether I want them to or not.

If I used Amazon, I would probably do the same to keep track of what I want. I don't see anything wrong with making that sort of list. 

But I meant GA wanted me to write out a list specifically to give to his family. 

[ALLDAYGLOWRANDY]

Social crap is fine, I like giving, and the finding of a gift is difficult.

I can't give if I can't help myself first.

[garmonbozia]

Not true:

http://www.snopes.com/cokelore/santa.asp

Thanks for the info.  That certainly clears that matter up.

Since Coca-Cola was originally made with cocaine (hence the name), the mental image flashed in my mind of Santa Claus snorting cocaine.  (Imagine that on a Christmas card.  )  I did read some news a while back about how Coca-Cola has had recent interest in Chinese herbal medicine, for possible use in future products.  Perhaps they could include a hallucinogen.  That way, you could really see Santa Claus, in a flying sleigh pulled by pink elephants.

[renaeden]

:lol:

[Phlexor]

Not true:

http://www.snopes.com/cokelore/santa.asp

Thanks for the info.  That certainly clears that matter up.

Since Coca-Cola was originally made with cocaine (hence the name), the mental image flashed in my mind of Santa Claus snorting cocaine.  (Imagine that on a Christmas card.  )  I did read some news a while back about how Coca-Cola has had recent interest in Chinese herbal medicine, for possible use in future products.  Perhaps they could include a hallucinogen.  That way, you could really see Santa Claus, in a flying sleigh pulled by pink elephants.

Fuck, I'd buy that drink for sure.