What do you not like about Xmas?

[WayneGM]

Dislikes.....crowded shopping malls, putting all the decorations up, taking all the decorations down, winter (i.e. snow!), and paying all the bills.

To be honest, now that the kids are older, and no grand kids to spoil yet, I have a hard time getting into it. I enjoyed it a lot more when the kids were younger.

 

[Marguerite53]

I love the holidays! The best thing I ever did for myself was to decide that I like sparkle and lights in the house. I string those inexpensive little lights all over the place. And I decorate with as many touches of crystal or glitter as I can to reflect all the colors and brightness. Here in Oregon, it is dark, dark, dark around the holidays so the multi-colored lights outside, too, on our deck banister brighten up from the outside.

I do all the decorating myself and cooking and cleaning, and most of the buying and wrapping (I LOVE to wrap gifts!) so it is exhausting. Maybe I would like a clone of me for the holiday season.....just for a little help!!

My favorite thing to look forward to nowadays since the kids are grown (but still come home) is the weekend my husband and I go downtown into Portland to shop. The city is so beautiful and lit up and bustling..... street performers, musicians.... we always go to the same restaurant and have comfort meal type, crisp chicken pot pie! It's a fairly new tradition, but I love it!

Dislike any part of Christmas?? I don't think so!!

Marguerite

 

[MikeHeim]

Ugh. I'm a complete Scrooge and hate almost everything about Christmas. In the past, I've had to travel 2000 miles, spend about $400 on a plane ticket that would normally cost $250, and shop nonstop for two days as soon as I arrived (since it is virtually impossible to travel with gifts). As far as the day itself went, I would spend most of it travelling to my parents' house from wherever I was staying, from my parents' to my wife's parents (about 90 minutes), and then from my wife's parents' back to wherever I was staying. For me, the entire season is usually the most stressful time of year, which is compounded by the fact that it seems like everyone I have to deal with is stressed out and crabby as well. I also intensely dislike Christmas music, which seems to be about eight overplayed songs that only change when somebody "new" decides to put out an album of the same eight songs.

I do like the snow, however.

And venting.

 

[Bina]

Mike, it sounds like you really need a Christmas holiday at home. Really. No travelling!!

 

[Christina L]

Well, I most certainly

Well, I most certainly

don't like wrapping gifts but like picking out special, pretty wrapping paper. I also don't like the overspending of money that I do at Christmas.

Pretty much I love Christmas, but what came to mind immediately about Christmas now (in the last 6 years) is that I don't like not having my parents (or Wayne's) here to share the season with - while hearing of big family gatherings going on all around us. I am a tad envious and find myself longing for the past.

Christina L

 

[Harrybaby666]

Two Things I Don't Like About Christmas:

Two Things I Don't Like About Christmas:

First, I don't like all the rude shoppers out there pushing his or her way past you and or giving you a rude glare because I cannot move around as fast as they do

The Second and Final thing I don't like is the fact that I am not going to have my Grandparents this year. Getting through Thanksgiving was hard, but Christmas is just going to be downright difficult. I am like Christina L. I love having family around especially at the holidays. Harrybaby

 

[aussie girl]

Ross,

Will Chris, Andrea and Carter be joining you this year for christmas? Having a littlie around at christmas can really make christmas. Often their excitement is contagious, I hope it is for you too.

Mary

 

[Gnusgal]

Mine is juggling the families. My husband's family and my family are VERY into Christmas (it's almost the only time of year my extended family all gets together, and his mom just plain loves the holiday). Neither of is is willing to give up spending time with our families, so we end up spending half a day at each (both on Christmas Eve AND Day)! It can be quite stressful!

This year, however, I've decided to have Christmas Eve at OUR house. That way we can have both families in one location and we don't have to drive back and forth! Now if I could just convince them to do Christmas Day here too, we'd be in business. This whole traveling back and forth thing is for the birds!

 

[debster913]

Here's my top ten list, in no particular order, except for #1:
10) Crowds at the mall. I already dislike the mall, but really!
9) Christmas commercials that begin Oct. 30.
8) Thanksgiving gets overlooked as an "in-between" holiday.
7) Black Friday sales. I never go.
6) Our local radio station plays Christmas music starting Nov. 1.
5) Cheesy "buy your wife/girlfriend diamonds if you really care" commercials.
4) The idea that the true meaning of Christmas gets muddled in consumerism.
3) The idea that we have to spend, spend, spend to show our loved ones we care at Christmastime.
2) Rude people at the stores.
and my #1....
My mom passed away this year, and Christmas will never be the same without her.

 

[Granbonny]

For 10 years..when my Hubby;s Swedish parents lived on our farm..retiring from Chicago..she always wanted to do the Xmas Eve dinner..with all the tradition.Swedish food, ect..Meatballs, ect..it was great..however, I had to do the tradition xmas day dinner.. Turkey, cornbread dressing, ect.......after being awaking with 2 young children looking for Santa Claus..at daybreak.. They lived in the small Farmhouse on same farm..so she was well rested. (M/I/law)......so it was very stressful for me..Xmas day...........Now, I tell my grown children..with their children..enjoy Xmas Eve..alone..and we will come down later for Xmas Day dinner. ..around 2 P.M after they have recouped from Santa Claus and the cleanup.. I take plenty of food so they (children) don't have to worry..Their other in-laws..have an early Xmas, too..Just too much stress..when you have young children...Parents should enjoy putting thier children to bed on Xmas Eve..Reading them the Night Before xmas..what I always did.. without the stress of thinking about cooking for other people on Xmas Day.. Bonnie

 

[marky]

I love the celebration of Christmas!
It is very personal for me because of my beliefs.

What I don't like is the way we are led to believe that we NEED to have so much.. the stores the stuff.. the commercials.. I hate all the stuff being shoved down my throat..and the need to be part of that.

I am a last minute shopper because I don't have much money and I don't want to be forced into thinking I need to buy stuff. We try to really enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the season!

I don't like living in a cold climate.. I love Christmas in the desert! lol!

All in all it is a beautiful time of year

 

[maka]

Christmas, actually the night of December 24th used to be a big day when my parents, brother and sister lived. We had a big family dinner that lasted for hours, the smell of the roasted pork lingering, the house decorated and
8ft high Christmas tree with hundreds of lights, ornaments that we collected from every place we visited on vacation and gifts beautifully wrapped under it that were open at midnight. .But then my sister and husband were killed in car accident about 6 weeks before a Xmas day , my parents passed away and then two years ago my brother. I still have dinner with my nephews and niece and their children but for me the day has lost the happiness and joy it used to have.
As to dislike, what I dislike most, is that we have lost the true meaning of the celebration and now we even have to be ?political correct? forgetting that the day is called CHRISTmas for a reason.

 

[aussigal]

I get really depressed and grumpy when confronted with all the commercialism of Christmas and how we are harrassed by those big shops into believing we must have everything, the best presents and best holidays and best food etc., etc., etc.,

Sadly, its all about the money nowadays...you are expected to be happy and excited about buying expensive presents for kids that dont need any more stuff.

Whatever happened to the family Christmas gatherings with simple gifts, midnight mass and a delicious home-cooked meal that we celebrated as kids ?...

 

[Turkey Hunter]

What gets me about CHRISTMAS......

What gets me about CHRISTMAS......

People seem to have forgotten the true meaning of it all.
Ridding us of the dreaded word Christmas and replacing it with Holiday. Because it has the letters CHRIST in it.

That is ridiculous.

A Holiday tree???????? Come one, it is a CHRISTMAS TREE.


Other than that; I love watching the kids open their gifts after reading the Christmas story in the Bible.

 

[Ross]

Now this is what I mean!

 

[Karlynn]

All the Christmas shopping hype - and it has me going the opposite way these last few years. I spend a lot of time trying to think of the almost-perfect gift for each of my immediate family, then buy a few little fun things and that's it. For extended family and "hostess gifts" I buy chicks and bunnies and goats...... from Heifer Project International. It's a terrific organization. You can print out cute gift cards with the animals picture on them. Check it out at www.Heifer.org.

 

[maka]

Thanks Ross....very good

 

[Lisa in Katy]

Christmas has been hard for the last several years now. In 1998, my parents got divorced after 40 years of marriage. Mom lives near us now so we celebrate Christmas with her, but it's not the same. We try to squeeze Dad and his new wife, who still live in my hometown, in the middle somewhere. I miss when we went to my parents' house, spent a few nights, did the Christmas light tour, went to church on Christmas Eve, my dad read the Christmas story from Luke, we opened gifts, and everyone went to bed to await Santa. Mom filled our stockings with candy and a toothbrush, even after I had children of my own.

I also hate that I'm a teacher and have been made to feel like I'm doing something wrong when I wish students "Merry Christmas". I still do it because they really can't do anything to me as long as I'm not teaching Christianity, but it's still the feeling!

 

[geebee]

I love everything about Christmas - shopping, wrapping, cards, carols, family, food, exhaustion, love. I only am upset about the "PC" stuff that seems to be growing day by day.

Why can't we just wish people according to how we celebrate. I celebrate Christmas so I say, "Merry Christmas". I would not be insulted if someone says, "Happy Hannukah" to me or any other celebration wishes. It is merely a niceness passed along to another. If that is insulting to someone, then they are the ones with the problem.

So - "Merry Christms to all".

 

[Ross]

For 10 years..when my Hubby;s Swedish parents lived on our farm..retiring from Chicago..she always wanted to do the Xmas Eve dinner..with all the tradition.Swedish food, ect..Meatballs, ect..it was great..however, I had to do the tradition xmas day dinner.. Turkey, cornbread dressing, ect.......after being awaking with 2 young children looking for Santa Claus..at daybreak.. They lived in the small Farmhouse on same farm..so she was well rested. (M/I/law)......so it was very stressful for me..Xmas day...........Now, I tell my grown children..with their children..enjoy Xmas Eve..alone..and we will come down later for Xmas Day dinner. ..around 2 P.M after they have recouped from Santa Claus and the cleanup.. I take plenty of food so they (children) don't have to worry..Their other in-laws..have an early Xmas, too..Just too much stress..when you have young children...Parents should enjoy putting thier children to bed on Xmas Eve..Reading them the Night Before xmas..what I always did.. without the stress of thinking about cooking for other people on Xmas Day.. Bonnie

You silly goose. You just took Christ out of Christmas with XMAS here.