Kind of a follow up from my question from a few days ago, for me just depresses me and usually I’m working or worried about stuff anyways so I don’t know how to enjoy festivities, plus being eternally alone without a partner makes things even sadder. Xmas is more of a post it of how much my life has failed.
Capitalist holiday preserved by corporate to sell shit
I don’t like winter in general but Christmas is ok. I try not to put any demands on anyone, and only do what I can, but have worked at a place that closes for a week at Christmas, and that has made it a lot easier, getting an actual holiday for the holiday instead of scrambling to put it together.
You have not failed, you are alive, you are successful at living by definition. If someone at the holidays is making you feel unsuccessful, that’s mean. If it’s just you feeling it, though, they may not feel the same way. My kids LOVE unmarried aunts & uncles and I loved mine too. You are free to love them without responsibility, more like a friend and that is something kids can really use.
In the end, it’s just a holiday - most of us aren’t religious, it’s a get together time, some presents, a meal. When my kids were up northish, they said winter really was depressing because of the lack of sunlight, they had not realized that was a real phenomenon and were startled by how it made them feel. So be aware you may be feeling worse than usual just because of that, not seeing clearly or objectively.
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.
Christmas is just commercialized Winter Solstice. Happy fucking holidays.
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
Most of the music is annoying
How can you not like Kaliki Kaliki waka is the thing to say? Seriously though, I’m not very interested in the new stuff, but Nat King Cole and Favorite Things is a time honored classic in our household.
Its so American to make your own-brand Christmas a month early then call Christmas food a knock off of that!
I don’t care which one is the knock off of the other, but rather which one is better. Thanksgiving wins the race when it comes to food.
You’re just eating Christmas food early though
Fuck Christmas.
Loneliness
I’m not religious so it’s just a cultural holiday. It used to be a time for family gatherings. Grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, etc. Most times I felt it was a pain in the ass. Now they are all dead and gone. In retrospect I wish I had taken more time to enjoy those family get togethers.
Thanks for sharing that. My family has been a bunch of loners as soon as the kids went their separate ways, but recently we’re experimenting with getting together for the holidays.
It doesn’t exactly come naturally to any of us, but I’m going to try to appreciate the moments while we have them.
Sorry to hear, try doing something small and festive, like making egg nog every year as a tradition
Christmas Eve with my family and the following two days visiting other family are nice. The whole buildup though December always pisses me off.
I love the buildup through December! I hate that it starts in fucking July now.
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.
Do not measure your life by the holidays, any of them. No one is a failure because a holiday is not perfect. And being alone is not always a bad thing. Be thankful that you are not in a toxic or violent relationship. And single people are not losers. Every individual gets to decide how, when and if they participate in social rituals, and holidays are one of them. It’s ok to hate them or love them. But it’s never ok to make others, or yourself, feel bad for having and making your own choices about social rituals. I personally left holidays in the past many years ago. I’m done, I’m full thanks. And I won’t feel bad because someone wants or expects me to participate. And I won’t make others feel bad because they don’t hold my views. We are all Human, and we all get to decide whats best for our self.
***And I won’t make others feel bad because they don’t hold my views. We are all Human, and we all get to decide whats best for our self.
Refreshing comment. Totally agree. If you want to enjoy life never think that you have all the right answers and that you have to impose what you think on others
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.
It means that I will be harassed for not being happy enough and wrong for not wanting to participate.
Time off work with holiday pay, If you’re lucky.
Otherwise it’s a capitalism thing to buy stuff to make companies money.
