As I have got older I am less and less inclined to do the Christmas thing, my partner is pretty much of the same mind. We don't bother with a tree or decorations. I only buy her presents whereas she still does the whole family and friends. We don't do anything special Christmas Day, no turkey with all the trimmings. I personally find New Year more of a pain with it's false sentiments to all and sundry. Oddly I have always felt this way, when I was younger all it meant to me was more opportunities to score with obviously loads of parties. Now I am usually long asleep but midnight and now I try to see how many days I can go without wishing anyone other than my partner a Happy New Year. So apart from religious reasons anyone else really do not do Christmas and New Year?
We celebrate the Winter solstice of sorts. Otherwise Christmas/New Year is just a good opportunity to chill out and capitalise on the sales. And Aldi drops the price of its champagne to below a tenner. In Birmingham we also have the German Christmas Market --the biggest in Europe outside of Germany. The food and drink is good. My wife and I drink mulled wine and eat fresh, piping hot donuts on the steps outside the old library in the freezing cold, just looking at the fairy lights everywhere. It's a little bit of magic.
If it's an age thing I've gotten old before my time I got fed up with Christmas in my 30's Outside of religious reasons it seems like just another way to get people spending money.
I like Christmas as I get to go home to see the folks for a fortnight and walk the family dog every morning. As for New Year's, I like to use it as a time of introspect and mentally prepare for the year ahead. No loud parties for me!
I love it, it makes me feel nostalgic and I'm actually a lot happier. But here's the irony I'm Muslim hahaha! I grew up with Christmas and the Christmas songs and festivities
I posted this on 23rd December last year, and I fully expect to feel even stronger about it this year If it takes celebrating the birth of an ancient celebrity most people don't actually care about or understand to get people talking to their families, then it's a sad, sad world we've come to live in. Don't even get me started on the commercialisation. Respect to actual, practising Christians having their fill of religious holidays though
Christmas is like another Sunday to me the shops are shut and nothing but repeats on TV mind that applies to everyday if you have sky TV
I love Christmas and new year. I refuse to answer emails, I turn my phone off, I dotn look at facebook and the home phone gets unplugged. A week or so of absolute true bliss!!!!! As for the festive side.. BAH
Being pagan, both my wife and I celebrate the solstice more than anything and even then, that's a pretty low key affair as we mostly do our own little things, even separately from each other. With regards to the traditional side of the Christmas stuff, we do the whole family thing and pressies and stuff, just not a lot of them. We seem to have a pretty set routine of where we go and who we see, it's normally my parent's for dinner then out at some friend's place for an evening party then over to my sister's on boxing day. New years has always just been the two of us and the cat, sitting in bed and watching the fireworks with a drink and some nibbles. Neither of us are into the going out and loud party side of things, far too many idiots about.
Captured by the system, I'm afraid. Although, that'll change when the kids are older - I make the effort for their benefit. I do make a point of telling people not to get me anything but, if they insist, socks will be fine. We usually make the 250 mile trek north to spend the holiday with my parents, but I end up back at work in January totally knackered, because I've barely had any time to relax. This year, we're staying put. fuqemall.
Well...isn't this a thread of positive energy....... Anyhow, I love Christmas. I go all out, but try to remain as tasteful as I can. Decorations from John Lewis, pottery barn etc. I'm like Margo, from the Good Life, when it comes to Christmas.......
My wife and I have been married for almost six years. We've never had any money to do anything nice for each other. When my parents have given us money for Christmas, it's gone to debt or tuition. We haven't gotten each other anything nice for Christmas . . . ever. This year, I'm out of school, working, and we've been paying off my modest student loan debt at a blazing pace. I'm in a new city, which has been hard, so seeing Christmas stuff starting to pop up in stores is a little comforting, familiar actually, even though it's October and my favorite holiday (Halloween) hasn't even passed yet. My wife and I have also decided that we are going to do a Treat Yo Self in early November. We are going to go (most) of our Christmas shopping and actually spend more than $40 between the two of us. And this year it will be on some needs, but also on some frivolous stuff. She has some ideas of what I would want, and I have some ideas for her. For one day we will go shopping in the mall and online and get whatever we want for each other, for family, and for ourselves. I doubt we'll actually spend very much, but we're not going to ask questions. We're also Christians (Mormon) and will be doing the religious celebrations as well. We'll read from Luke 2, go to some music events at church, listen to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Broadcast, and spend time with family. We'll have a one month old new baby in our family too. So we'll keep that part of the festivities pretty low key. I don't think we do New Years the same in the US as you guys do it in the UK, though. The ball drops in NYC, but I've always been on the west coast, so I watch it happen three hours early and go to bed. I went to a few parties/dances when I was in high school, but they were just an excuse to stay up late and hang out with friends. I'm pretty sure that a somewhat near equivalent for the US would be Thanksgiving. You gather with your family to think of all the things you are grateful for, while you simultaneously make a list of all the stuff you wish you had so you can try and buy it the next day.
Love Christmas. Hate New Year. Hate it! Hate it! Hate it! Ideally have an early night and sleep through it but, these days, fireworks tend to thwart that from 8pm onwards!
