I find it pretty stressful. I always feel like there’s enough in my plate already. At the same time I do enjoy it when it arrives. x-mas is best when your kids still believe. so for you that still have youngsters, suck up these magical moments. Decorations- yes, varies from year to year. Never get too crazy 'cuz you just have to put it all away soon. Pressure from family- no more than usual, which is plenty. Cards- wife takes care of that or it would never happen. Spend loads- see answer #2 Eat loads- oh yeah! TV rubbish- isn’t that a given? Now that you brought it up, my daughter introduced me to Neg’s Urban Sports on youtube. I see you have some “quality” programming in the UK too. lol Everyone have a great x-mas!, or holiday season if you don’t celebrate x-mas.
@Asherael Good tidings that, on your invitation! Do you put decorations up or not? Not Do you feel pressure from family? No longer. Took awhile but they finally got the idea Do you send cards just because you got one ? Nope Do you spend loads, or not much? Same old month to month Do you eat loads, or not? Not Is your TV rubbish? Of course it is! I’m in North America, when isn’t it rubbish! Better a spirit of goodwill all the year long then on occasion as societally dictated…
Bah, humbug
We like to get together and sing xmas songs. We might not be in tune but we still rock!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ubem25WyN8
haha, now that is funny,PP!! Fire baaAAADDD!
Bah, humbug
Do you put decorations up or not? Oh yeah, have to do that. We always get a real tree and put lights on the house. Somehow it’s an unwritten law the lights always go up after dark, and usually also ends up being the coldest and windiest night. Don’t know how that works but I’ve yet to put up a single bulb in daylight. Do you feel pressure from family? This can be rough, not so much because family pressures me so much as watching them drive themselves nuts. When I was a kid, my mom would go plumb loco trying to get everything together, and now I see my wife doing the same thing. I’ve always said, I’d gladly take the tree, the lights, the cookies and cakes and cards and set them all on fire if it means people would just relax and enjoy themselves. It has been getting better though… Do you send cards just because you got one? I never sent cards, but now I’ve a family so my wife does the card-writing. My penmanship is horrible; even my signature is illegible. Do you spend loads, or not much? I used to; if I had it to give I gave it. Money’s a little more snug these days, so I have to be more careful. Do you eat loads, or not? Hehehe, I don’t have to wait until Christmastime to do that! But yes. Traditionally we eat pierogi and kielbasa at Christmas, and hell, I challenge anybody not to eat loads o’ that! Is your TV rubbish Heck, I don’t have time to watch TV right now. I’ve got DVR, though, so I reckon I can record what’s good and ignore what’s not…
Went to India several years back specifically to escape Christmas. (Fortunately the BA strike has been called off this Christmas thus allowing others to flee as I did in 2006). No cold weather, no commercial razzmatazz, no blaring Christmas music, no Queen droning on about another Annus Horribilis, no cheap tinsel, vulgar lights, drunken relatives, unpleasant brats, soggy brussel sprouts and no Santa Claus. Bliss.
We still break our oplatek on Wigilia (Polish tradition) and I just plain love Christmas. I’m not much of a religious guy anymore but I still love the tradition of Christmas. Now that I have 2 little girls it has renewed my passion for this time of the year. I went off of it for a while but I’m back on board now. I say “Merry Christmas” to people I meet and I have to note so far only 2 people have said it back to me. Most say “Happy Holidays” or just a plain “you too” . Ugh. We put lights up and a tree and my wife likes the indoor decorations, for me I think seven Santa dolls is more than enough but I have given up trying to fight that battle. No pressure. I love to have the day at my house because I love cooking a huge meal for as many people as I can fit. Usually do a massive turkey on the grill and outside of frying it in peanut oil, grilling is the bomb-diggedy. Takes forever, but it’s well worth it. Spent nearly seventy dollars on postage this year. Down a bit from last but I’ve noticed that people are starting to do e-cards more. I think I’ll do that next year because cards just get thrown away anyhow, even though I like displaying them over an archway bet/ our kitchen and dining room. Don’t spend much on gifts. I eat a good bit on those days but it’s been getting more sensible as I get older. Is your TV rubbish??? TV is always rubbish.
Ah, Wesołych Świąt, wickedkitchen! For us it wouldn’t be Christmas without some pickled herring and a shot of Sobieski vodka. But of course, we always like Sobieski vodka at our house, hehehe…
My wife and her family still laugh when I put a boiled egg in my borscht. I just fart at them later.
I hate Christmas but because I have a 6 year old daughter who still believes that Father Christmas is real we make the effort anyway. To me the whole festival feels like the harvesting of a cash crop. People are seperated from their money the same way sheep are shorn of their wool. I find the whole thing a bit sinister to tell the truth.
Midnight, I agree 100%
I guess Christmas can be as commercial as you make it. I know what you’re saying, MM. When you tell your children of Santa, do you teach them by doing this that you can’t always believe your parents OR that they should believe there is some things in life to hope for, random kindness, etc? That’s one to think about! I don’t know the answer…
Do you put decorations up or not? I went old=old-school last year and put it up Eve of. Do you feel pressure from family? No, they’re richer than me. Do you send cards just because you got one ? I shake the people’s hand next time I see them. Do you spend loads, or not much? One go this year, although a surprise box from Swords of Might helped, so I guess two go’s but one delivered. Just at budget. Do you eat loads, or not? I found some organic eggnog this year. A tall skinny box every year. To the dome. Is your TV rubbish My set up in the room is laughable, but works. 17" lcd PC monitor for the 360, a digital box converter for a 5-1/2" tube for Jimmy Kimmel.
@wickedkitchen: Oh yes, but nothing beats a big bowl of zurek wielkanocny (that’s Polish easter soup to all of you out there in TV-Land). That’ll produce enough natural gas to run the furnace for 3 days…
@ James…now thats funny!
@ Bart- The way I see it it’s important to preserve the sense of wonder that children have. There’s little magic left in the world but, when I see things through my daughter’s eyes, that sense of wonder returns to me for just a little while. We have enough time to regret our loss of innocence when we get older.
Well said, MM
Christmas stinks!! It’s a time to go to parties with people I normally would not hang out with and participate in forced conversations with these people I share no interests with. I always end up gaining 5-10 lbs during the holiday and end up spending hundreds of dollars that I normally would save! Oh well…the things that get me through are the beautiful tree, special snus & snuff, eggnog w/ lots of rum, my son’s smile while he rips open presents and the vacation from work and I love watching cheesy Christmas movies on TV! Oh and my parents visit for a week…I guess I’ll add that to the ‘benefits’ of Christmas. 