Topic: Christmas Time!

So it's past midnight where I live, on (American) Thanksgiving. I'll allow it.

Christmas. What're you doing/want to do/don't want to do/whatever. If it's Christmas, talk about it here.

Here in Japan people spend the Christmas holiday with their significant other and it's all about money, I know it's getting that way everywhere but since Japanese culture is not based on Judeo-christian tradition it is a really materialistic time so I try to stay home and not go out for any reason whatsoever as it really makes me sad. Then when the new year roles around families get together and people usually don't go out. Totally backwards!  I really hate the holidays now.

Christmas is about money everywhere and has been for a long time. We had Christmas stuff out in stores almost before the Halloween stuff.

Christmas is another holiday that working retail destroyed for me. So as you make your way through the grocery store on Christmas Eve and you see the worker with no light in her eyes... know that you are the reason.

...not to mention listening to the same Christmas songs two or three times a day and they're all the worst ones they could get, is horrible. Yeah, you shop for a half hour, you hear a few of the songs once. I work 8-9 hours a day, every day, I hear these songs over. And over. And over. And over. I go insane. There's usually only one or two that are actually good and the other 5-8 are bad. Like they could only afford people who think they can sing and decide to make a Christmas song their own by rewriting it. Sing it the way it's supposed to be sung! At least in the last few years they've started playing regular music inbetween the Christmas songs. That alone saves my sanity. I don't know how I made it through the years before that.

Christmas itself isn't so bad. I like our Christmas tree. It's comforting somehow. I like the decorations, as long as they're not loud or bright or overdone. I love saying "Merry Christmas" to people who insist on saying, "Happy Holidays".

I also read my bible around Christmas, usually Christmas Eve. And usually it's the Luke's version of Jesus's birth, because that's the one that has the most, I think, and the one that usually everyone reads. Yes, I do get into presents and stuff, but I don't forget about Jesus either.

And another thing that kinda bothers me. Around this time of year everyone focuses on homeless people, on starving people, on feeding those without. Everyone gets in on it. Let's give them one day's worth of meals. And after Christmas is over let's stuff them back in the closet till next Christmas and throughout summer we'll simply overlook them and pretend they're not there. Oh, during Thanksgiving and Christmas we can donate 10 dollars to help buy a turkey for them to eat, but come July we can't even give them a dollar. I admit I don't get in on any of it, I keep my money to myself. I don't donate anything to anyone because once my money leaves my hands I don't know where it goes. Maybe it goes into the pocket of the fat, rich person who owns the company, who knows. Maybe it really does occasionally get where it's intended to go, or at least a fraction of it does. But I just don't do it. I don't have a whole lot of money myself. A lot more than some maybe, but the problem is, who needs it and who doesn't. Beggar at the corner by Wal-Mart takes his money and buys beer to drink with the tv dinner he bought on foodstamps. (and there really is a guy here like that, working at a grocery store you see these things, though I haven't seen this particular one in a long while he stood out in memory because of what he did) He doesn't need my help. So who does? Who really does? And I can't decide that, I'm just not good at that sort of thing. Which is why I stick to other things like reusable bags and recycling pop cans. So maybe I am no better than the people who give money right and left during the winter but disregard them come summer. But at least when I do find someone who truly needs help I'll know it matters more, and that I'll have the money to help... and help at any point during the year. As the bible says, not a direct quote, but close enough, "Take care of the plank in your own eye before you worry about the splinter in your brother's eye."

Even though it's thanksgiving Merry Christmas! You got me in a Christmasy mood Miba. Oh so sorry about the Christmas music killing you. Yah we usualy read outa Luke too. ;) I got a mug that's a replica of Boba's helmet for a reeeeaaaly early present.

So you don't read from the Gospel or Book or whatever of Luke just because he and Skywalker have the same name?

It is unfair that people only care about poor people this time of year. That said, a lot of orginizations tend to embellish how much they really need (although I suppose it might be the best way to get how much they need), but still, I don't think a lot of it goes where it's supposed to.

I'm kind of holding a grudge against homeless people right now anyways. Last week on the bus, at the bus station downtown one of them ATTACKED MY WINDOW! And for no reason! I'm just minding my own business on my DS and the next thing I know a bag is hitting my window....

Perhaps its time to stand up and have a talk about the true meaning of Christmas ala Charlie Brown Christmas.

Also, I think the reason the wrost Christmas songs are the ones on the radio all the time is because they're the ones approved not to be potentially offensive.

No, it realy does have the most discrptive angle of the first Christmas

but you know luke skywalker does flash through my head when i hear "luke"

Bleh, reading Miba's reply to these kind of threads always depresses me.

And yet the poor girl married me.  Year round Christmas with me.  Nothing overboard that I can tell, but I'm almost always wearing some combination of red and green, or a flatout Christmas shirt.  I listen to Xmas music every Sunday, and I REVEL in the commercialism of Christmas.

So many religions have their celebrations at or near the Winter Solstice it's impossible not to love the general merrymaking.  Even new religions like Wicca get in on it

BONUS SIDE RANT! 

And yes, Wicca is new.. it's just a whole sort of general mishmash of older religions; the term itself didn't even exist before the 1950's.  No, it does not derive from the Welsh word "Wicce"; at least, not how you think it does.  If you call a college professor coining the term in 1951 and saying he got the idea from that other word, keen, you're right... but it was not a "real" religion before then.  And don't you dare call it Druidism.  Any real Druids would gut you and then sacrifice you for mocking their religion.  Don't call yourself a "Witch" either, because that term was INVENTED by the Catholic Church.  It means exactly what they say it means because they invented the word.

RANT ENDS

Heck Christianity even MOVED the birth of Jesus to December and overtook the tales of Mithra's birth to get in on the action in the early 300's or so.  Everyone wants to get in on it, and what better way then crass commercialism mixed with genuine love and togetherness?

it honestly creeps me out that people try to decry the commercialism as if it's oh so horrid.  Some businesses operate in the red from April until the day after Thanksgiving; that's why it's called Black Friday.  Commercialism stimulates the economy, and it's just a good way to play clever games.  My wife won Christmas last year over me, but I beat my brother with a GI Joe Nightraven.  This year... well frankly Miba's hard to shop for, lol, so she may win Christmas yet AGAIN... but that's part of the fun.

I don;t like people who make it all about the money, and all about the presents, as if it's a REAL competition... but I also don't like the people who effectively crap themselves about commercialism.  They're trying to cling to a holiday that NEVER EVER EXISTED.  There have been writings over three thousand years old complaining about how Saturnalia (and the celebration of Marduk, for another culture.. BOTH parts of our modern Christmas) is no longer "like it used to be" since people concentrate too much on buying and selling things.

However, I greatly agree on one point.  People treat retail workers like CRAP this time of year.  People are just.. rushrushrush OMG you're out of this well screw you you retail peon!

Furthermore, if you're out on Christmas Eve shopping for Christmas dinner, you are, by default, by your mere presence treating them like crap.  You needed to think of this a week ago, instead of coming in run run running around the store when not a single one of the workers wants to be there, much less putting up with you complaining that items are out of stock.

Wow I...I had no idea so many people here don't like/don't want to talk about Christmas. I don't care what it's not about, what it should be about, I just...I just want my family to get along for just one day out of the entire year. And I just want to relax and have fun and I guess...be happy.

Welcome to my world. ;)

Our store has gone all Christmas music and no regular. By the end of day 1 I was ready to bash my head into a wall. By the end of day 2 I had a headache so bad sounds and motion made me want to throw up. Most songs I hear about 4-6 times a day, sometimes more or less. It depends on what random play does. For example on Day 1 I heard Frosty the Snowman six times. But on Day 2 I only heard it two or three times. By the end of Day 3 Carol of the Bells was playing as I left and usually it's the last song I hear when leaving that gets stuck in my head so I was happy cause I love Carol of the Bells. It's the one Christmas song I could listen to over and over.

And, yeah, the birth of Jesus was moved from sometime in March or April to December, but whatever, I'll go with it.

And as for which book to read the birth from, it's not that Luke is associated with Luke Skywalker, it's that it has the best telling. Each of the four first books, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, have their own version of things because of different perspective. For example one of them (Luke or John I forget which) was a doctor and therefore had a more doctor-ish feel in his writing, he focused on different things. Like, Matthew has chapters 5-7 that focus on one of Jesus's bigger speeches. And Luke just so happens to focus on the birth better than some of the others did.

I do enjoy Christmas some. Last year I started to get into it quite a bit actually. I liked having our tree up, and I liked my window clings. I love my yearly poinsettia, I used to be able to keep them alive up till, like, May. July was my longest living one. Last year I think mine died sometime in April or May. I even like the snow sometimes. I love the feeling of curling under a blanket with hot chocolate and a book. I need one of those snuggies, but all the cheap ones are UGLY. Who wants leopard or zebra print or bright blue or pink?

---Ahhh, Christmas, the busiest time of the year. Christmas time involves a lot things. First things first: Football: The New Orleans Saints are off to their best start in team history and are Going to the playoffs. The Vikings are walking tall with No. 4 leading them to the playoffs. Next, the Colts are winning the close games, and are still unbeaten. The once great Giants are still trying to go the distance, and the Cowboys hope to avoid another December choke. Vince Young is back and the Titans are looking at an 8-8 season. While the Steelers and Cardinals, look to still be hung-over. The Jets lose Mark Sanchez but still can glide into the playoffs.
---Now to College football. With the close win over Auburn, Alabama learned more about each other. Today they going to face Tim Tebow, and the Number 1 Florida Gators, who are miss a pass rusher...uh-oh. The SEC championship game is a rematch that I think will spurt a rivalry. IF Texas loses the Big 12 Championship, Texas Christain University will probably go on to face the SEC Champs. The Bowls and championships will be decided today.
---In the South, food is just as important as football. For me and my Family its like another Thanksgiving. As soon as you get done opening presents you head into the kitchen for FOOD.
---Next, the cold. One of the things that makes Christmas so fun is the fact that you get to sit around a fire. Hot Chocolate, and other things like that.
---Lastly, the music makes one feel full of joy

I love Christmas! It's the ONE time that I get to see most of my family in the same room. I never see them. So knowing that I'll have 3/4 of my family at my house to celebrate something is a spirit lifter.

The music is also wonderful (the good ones anyway). It always makes me feel happy and gets me into the Christmas spirit.

Lastly, it gets most of my friends together. I ususally see friends in intervals, never all at the same time. For Christmas we all get together to have our own Christmas party and we just have fun with eachother.

So yes. I personally love Christmas. It's one of my favorite Holidays.

I love Christmas too. I love getting together with the family, both mine and Jawa's. This year will be Cael's first Christmas and I know he'll probably be more interested in the paper than the actual presents.

There's such cute baby clothes for Christmas. He's got two Santa's Little Helper suits (not as in the Simpson's dog :P )

I just hate going to the shops at Christmas, for once I don't have my present shopping done. So I'll try and finish it ASAP... I need a clone trooper to barge through the other shoppers and led the way to the goodies :P

MEERY XMAS  to all have a safe and Healthy Time
See you all next Year.
   Bats

Merry Christmas from Russians & Ukrainians to you, people!!!! Wish you all to have the best x-mas ever ! :)

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Happy Holidays !!
to Cecilia, Miba and all the other friends I got here that care enough to read this.
An even warmer wish and a big virtual hug to those who care enough to reply!
:D:D:D

Sorry about what you have to put up with, Miba, your job is a hell around each holiday apparently. Sucks. Ever seriously considered doing something else?

I hope everyone had a good Christmas. I know I did! =D Hopefully everyone had fun and got everything they wanted/needed.

I had a Christmas picture planned that would've been for every place I regularly visit (including here), but it got ruined and I didn't have time to make a new one. =/ Oh well.

Glad to hear you had a good time. :)
I did too. We weren't many but it was fun!

My Christmas was good, I mainly got SW books. I also got a rotary cutter and mat for my sewing. And I got candy!

As for my job, yes, it is hell around just about every holiday. And yes I would love to do something else, but the way things are right now can ANYONE find a job? Let alone one that would give me the 40 hours a week plus the 13.40 I currently have?

I've appreciated this Christmas, since I won't be in the country(UK) with my family next year. I've just spent a lot of time with them as possible. Every weekend or holiday I get, I go home. Christmas for me equals family.