You know it's Christmas when you go to the store and hear holiday music over and over again... I swear some of that stuff just puts me in a spin, it's like the music was created to make you move faster so you buy more stuff, well I'm not falling for it! I won't get into it, but one particular holiday song makes me want to break wooden chairs and bash in store windows....but enough about that... You know it's Christmas when you're sitting innocently trying to relax or do some daily task and you notice....there's tape in your hair, hmmmm, when was the last time I wrapped a gift? You know it's Christmas when you're up at all hours of the night trying to bake some pies that you need to bring to tomorrows Christmas celebration, the first of many... you know you should have baked the damn pie sooner, but you know what? You were too busy getting tape all over your body and trying your hardest to hold yourself back from screaming cause you're sick of those damn Christmas carols! You know its Christmas when no one seems to be happy with how you've fit them into your holiday plan... lets not go there! You know it's Christmas when people all around you are saying "Happy Holidays" and "Merry Christmas!" or my personal favorite of the day "It wouldn't offend you if I said Merry Christmas to you would it?" Hahaha! What the hell is this world coming to?! "No, no, not at all, Merry Christmas to you too my friend!"
Just thought I'd share.... holidays tend to be an issue for me, and I'm a woman, just thought others could relate. Guess its just a general human issue, but whatever.
i can't stand christmas carols either. they'd be okay if people started to play them the week of christmas. but a whole month of that shit drives me crazy. they even play them at school in between classes. and isn't that illegal or something? they can't associate christmas with school. grr. there's a lot of stuff about the holidays that really pisses me off. the stress of the season wouldn't be so bad if i didn't have to deal with that music everywhere i turn. there's really only like 5 christmas songs, but every freakin artist who ever was sings them in their own way and then those get played and it's the same songs just sung by someone different! gah! i'll stop there. i don't need to rant anymore. bleh.
oh hell, I've been in stores BEFORE Halloween and the damn store has Christmas music going? Definitely commericialism all the way there!
People need rituals. Rituals make us feel secure. That's why so many of us drag out those fake skeletons and pumpkins for two weeks, come the middle of October. Same for Christmas. When I was a little boy (some time ago) and had semi-religious parents and fundamentalist Christian grandparents, Christmas and a Christmas Eve dinner at the grandparents' place were major events. Those days are gone. Rituals provide predictability and security in the midst of universal crises such as ageing. Without them we are like the zen buddhist who found himself "without one square foot of roof overhead, or one square foot of solid ground under foot." Whether or not the Christian myths have any truth behind them is beside the point.
Bleh, I'm not a fan of the whole X-mas music either. That's precisely why, I only went shopping once(which was 2 days ago) knew what I was going to get and was in and out of stores asap. But in better knews, our big Chirstmas dinner thingy is over with last night! Woot!
I love Christmas, I love Christmas carols, I love the entire thing. Neve mind the rest of my rant. MY personal pet peeve is when people complain about the "commercialization" of Christmas and STILL DO IT. Make your gifts if it is that awful. Or don't do any of it at all. Can you IMAGINE if someone started a thread about how much they HATED Ramadaan? LOL! Then buy NOTHING. Or make presents. Or go to your holiday parties without a gift for those you love and watch people squirm at how embarrassed they are for you. I don't care. My dh and I spend over 3,0000 this year. WHY? Because we wanted to. If you hate the stores, stay AWAY from them (because, I would be happier if the stores weren't filled withj peopel who are just shopping "because they have to." STAY HOME and leve more room for me. And either don't participate, or make stuff. For the most, Christmas is a SECULAR holiday. I know Jewish people who celebrate it, I know agnostics and athiests who celebrate it. I HATE when someone says "Happy Holidays" to me. Just say whatever it is YOU celebrate and if you don't celebrate anything that means anything to you or your children, I think it's sad. People who have issues with something that brings Joy to so many really need to concentrate on something else. Volenteer at a soup kitchen. Give away sandwiches on the street on Christmas. Or sit there and piss and moan about something that has been around for thousands of years and is not going to stop. I was in Target at 1:45 last night LOVING EVERY MINUTE of my last minute shopping. There were freaking carols on the store system, and everyone was being NICE to each other. I had a nice conversation with a boy who worked there, and laughed with the man in line behind me. The day before, I stood in line at Borders and made freinds with and old Hippy dude while we waited. I LOVE I LOVE IT I LOVE IT I LOVE IT!!!! I gotta go, I got a Baby Jesus Birthday cake to make for my children and my neices and nephews. It makes absolutely NO DIFFERNCE TO ME what other people celebrate, but I am thankful MY life isn't empty at this time of year. It's dark, it's cold, it could be a pathetic time of year. The old Druids decided we needed a great holiday and the Christians co-opted it. SO WHAT? If you don't like it, find something you DO like. I like it, but I don't expect anyone else to. I am NOT "offended" if someone says "Blessed Ramadaan" "Blessed Soltice" "Happy Hannukah" or anything else. WHY be offended if someone says a few words like "Merry Chirstmas"? Realy. one's life must be pretty empty to have to concentrate on this, when so many are happy at this holiday, whether it means anything Religious to them or not. I say Merry Christmas to anyone I fucking well please, and if they are so fucked up that they are "offended" ("I'm sorry, I was somehow supposed to know that your parents forced you to go to Catholic School and thus hate anything to do with Christmas. HEY wear a pin next year, and I won't say ANYTHING to you. I was just trying to be fucking NICE!!!!" RANT OVER. I gotta bake and cook and make sure my kids are clean and sweet for the Holiday WE CHOOSE to celebrate. Find one you like. It ain't a Woym's issue, either.
Well, Frieden (German for peace, as you well know), if you have a family, stay with them. They won't be around forever. Same applies to the man in your life, if any. I'm sure JC would have a good laugh if he could see our annual ritual. "Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes, but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgement." -- Ecclesiastes 11.9
haha im feeling just like you,i think christmas is so much more then buying gifts for everyone and trying everyone would be so very happy cuz in the end you just wish all this would be over soon and you could go back to you'r normal life..i dont know i think like that..the good thing is you dont let all this pisses you off to much enyoy you'r holiday in a way you want it dont worry the important thing is you have you'r familly and all you love around you,and you can show them you're love even without spending for gifts..happy holidayz!
Thank you, Aristartle, for the "Buy nothing" link. I think that one of the things I hate the MOST is when people feel "OBLIGATED." If you hate Christmas, don't celebrate it. My cousin's wife refuses to come to our annual Christmas Party. Her kids are always disappointed, because every one else's mom is there. But, she is doing what she wants on that day. If you hate it, DON'T DO IT! I don't see the reason for getting upset. If you stay home and listen to something of your choosing, you won't have to listen to all the Christmas carols you hate. It isn't mandatory to celebrate.
