Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Am I the only one that experiences Christmas as a non-event?
- Thread starter DewGuy1999
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
We put up a tree but don't exchange gifts on any particular day. I could get an awesome gift in September and it would be considered an early xmas gift. There are no gifts under my tree. My parents have never wrapped a gift in their lives.
I gave that up years ago. My brother and sister and their families still get together and celebrate. I just spend the day watching movies or TV shows.
The feeling of not having to go to crowded malls and worry about spending money that I don't have is priceless.
The feeling of not having to go to crowded malls and worry about spending money that I don't have is priceless.
I don't know what isolation has to do with it. I just don't know anyone, nor have I ever met anyone who did nothing for Christmas (except those of other religions and many of them celebrate it in some fashion).
It is a big event in my close family. It always used to be, but just parents and kid(s). Nobody else. We decorate(ed) and give/gave gifts. It has/had more of a historical and at the same time a religious value.
I see Christmas as a day for children and enjoy it through them.
I think it is a lovely time of year for children and its the one childhood event where they are excited and enthusiastic because of a magical belief. Its true innocence and something we parents can help deliver in order for them to grow up with happy memories. I loved it back then and want my own children to enjoy it. Life goes too quickly and we get old and grumpy before we know it.
I do feel very sorry for the people who find themselves on their own at Christmas time and don't have families to share it with. I could see why someone could become disillusioned by it all in those circumstances.
I must add there is no religious meaning related to Christmas in my family, its purely about spending time with loved ones.
I think it is a lovely time of year for children and its the one childhood event where they are excited and enthusiastic because of a magical belief. Its true innocence and something we parents can help deliver in order for them to grow up with happy memories. I loved it back then and want my own children to enjoy it. Life goes too quickly and we get old and grumpy before we know it.
I do feel very sorry for the people who find themselves on their own at Christmas time and don't have families to share it with. I could see why someone could become disillusioned by it all in those circumstances.
I must add there is no religious meaning related to Christmas in my family, its purely about spending time with loved ones.
I'm not religious but I do put up a tree and enjoy the seasonal music. I don't exchange gifts on Christmas.
The Women in my family are very much in the traditional spirit of Christmas. The men in my family just want to get the gift out the way, eat, and watch some games on the TV.
I think you're heading in the right direction. Have you ever met a Jew, a Sikh, a Muslim, a Buddhist, an Atheist, etc.? That might be a place to start looking.
Have you considered that most people who you see on the street don't discuss which holidays they celebrate with you?
Have you considered that you will only ever encounter an extremely small proportion of all people on the globe?
It's not that I'm necessarily looking for people that don't celebrate Christmas, it's that just with all the constant bombardment with it in the U.S. (and starting earlier and earlier every year) it acts as a near constant reminder of what I'm no longer experiencing. I live in a primarily Christian area and seemingly everybody celebrates Christmas. It's hard on a person to be inundated with it.
Seriously, why is it hard? I see all the houses decorated each year and hear all the TV and radio ads. It's no different than anything else that you aren't interested in that you see or hear every day.
Ignore it then. If that Christmas is not a holiday you celebrate, your only option is to ignore all the trappings that occur at this time of year.
You're right retailers continue to push the envelope on this, and I've seen Christmas decorations occur before Halloween even came. My point is that there's nothing you can do to avoid it, so your only option is to let those who want to celebrate it, do so. You just do what's important to you and don't let what others do impact you.
I guess I'm not doing a very good job at explaining my feelings about this. It's easy to ignore things that you're not interested in or have never been interested in, I do that with sports. Christmas is something that I was interested in that I used to love celebrating. I absolutely love gift giving, especially when I can surprise someone with something they really want. As time has moved on there have become less and less possibilities to do that. About 10 or so years ago the reasons/occasions became zero and now it's basically a non-event. I spend months of constantly being reminded by the media and others of what it used to be for me and what it should be. Once December comes it gets worse with "Are you ready for Christmas?" and "Have you got all your shopping done?", you know these people don't want to hear the real answer (just like they don't really care how you are) so I lie to them. I miss what it used to be for me. I miss the people that I used to celebrate it with.
We have a great time
We dont overbuy, dont go to malls, but enjoy the downtime from work, eating plenty of good food, decorating, we travel some to see family (and usually get to see some snow), read Elf-on-the-Shelf with the little one and *really* enjoy how magical Christmas is for her.
We dont overbuy, dont go to malls, but enjoy the downtime from work, eating plenty of good food, decorating, we travel some to see family (and usually get to see some snow), read Elf-on-the-Shelf with the little one and *really* enjoy how magical Christmas is for her.
I live in the 4th largest city in the US as have met all those people and they all celebrate this time of year. Now they don't all call it Christmas, but they do celebrate. I'm sore there are other people here who don't celebrate, but I have yet to meet one in real life.
Christmas really has gotten to the point where it doesn't have any religious significance for a lot of people.
I never claimed everyone who identified as I listed didn't celebrate Christmas. However there are plenty who don't.
I guess I'm not doing a very good job at explaining my feelings about this. It's easy to ignore things that you're not interested in or have never been interested in, I do that with sports. Christmas is something that I was interested in that I used to love celebrating. I absolutely love gift giving, especially when I can surprise someone with something they really want. As time has moved on there have become less and less possibilities to do that. About 10 or so years ago the reasons/occasions became zero and now it's basically a non-event. I spend months of constantly being reminded by the media and others of what it used to be for me and what it should be. Once December comes it gets worse with "Are you ready for Christmas?" and "Have you got all your shopping done?", you know these people don't want to hear the real answer (just like they don't really care how you are) so I lie to them. I miss what it used to be for me. I miss the people that I used to celebrate it with.
Then find new people to celebrate it with. Gifts of time and kind words are much more meaningful than something found on a shelf.
I greatly enjoy christmas and the season, although not in a religious way.
i think for many people it has transcended the original religious meaning (if not as a historical/tradition value) and has acquired the meaning of a family holiday when you show that you care for each other. and it is a great time to form family memories, especially with kids.
i have a tree, Santa-based decoration in the apartment, gifts under the tree. etc. without the religious aspects (except to explain its origin and stories to my kids)
i know tons of people of other religions or atheists (like myself) who celebrate christmas under some fashion.
i think for many people it has transcended the original religious meaning (if not as a historical/tradition value) and has acquired the meaning of a family holiday when you show that you care for each other. and it is a great time to form family memories, especially with kids.
i have a tree, Santa-based decoration in the apartment, gifts under the tree. etc. without the religious aspects (except to explain its origin and stories to my kids)
i know tons of people of other religions or atheists (like myself) who celebrate christmas under some fashion.
I don't watch pro football, but I feel like I'm "inundated" with Super Bowl commercials, promotions, etc. far more than I am with Christmas. And it's still easy enough to not let it get to me. I'm not really sure what the OP's problem is, if there's one at all.
I feel as it's a stress event, a HUGE one that I usually can't wait for to be over.
Not only do I not have cash flowing to spend on all my family members but I get put in a very tight spot financially around Christmas because things like yearly car insurance, yearly renters insurance, etc are all due all at once.
Add to that the family members who want you to visit and do this and that and forget that they're all dual incomes where as you're a single income.
Which leads to the next problem, relationship questions. The holidays are depressing enough for single people but even worse when you have relatives hounding on "why haven't you found a girl yet?", "When will I have grandkids?", "Your sister's married and she's younger why aren't you married?"
If that's not bad enough some of us are gay and aren't out to our insanely bigoted and racist relatives so that is just a giant pile of stress that doesn't need to be there.
Not to mention it's the busiest time at work too and it shouldn't be because I'm a software developer, I don't work retail but people like to set all kinds of goals for the end of the year which happens to be the most stressful time for the reasons listed above.
So to me, it's more of a stress even than a non-event.
Not only do I not have cash flowing to spend on all my family members but I get put in a very tight spot financially around Christmas because things like yearly car insurance, yearly renters insurance, etc are all due all at once.
Add to that the family members who want you to visit and do this and that and forget that they're all dual incomes where as you're a single income.
Which leads to the next problem, relationship questions. The holidays are depressing enough for single people but even worse when you have relatives hounding on "why haven't you found a girl yet?", "When will I have grandkids?", "Your sister's married and she's younger why aren't you married?"
If that's not bad enough some of us are gay and aren't out to our insanely bigoted and racist relatives so that is just a giant pile of stress that doesn't need to be there.
Not to mention it's the busiest time at work too and it shouldn't be because I'm a software developer, I don't work retail but people like to set all kinds of goals for the end of the year which happens to be the most stressful time for the reasons listed above.
So to me, it's more of a stress even than a non-event.
Christmas is for children. With that thought I wish Christmas was a non-event for me but I have family that send me Christmas cards etc. every year even though they know my views on the Christmas holiday.
If I don't respond in kind I feel like I'm being a grinch.
If I don't respond in kind I feel like I'm being a grinch.