Does anyone besides me hate the holidays?

For me to love Christmas my father would have to be alive, the main celebration would be the Christmas Eve service, gifts and trees and decorations would be secondary and not go up until after Thanksgiving, and the big thing would be the family dinner.  With JUST family,  My family.  And I would be married and have kids/grandkids and not feel like an unpartnered freak. 

I understand the unpartnered freak thing NativeMainer.  Not related to this thread, but I'll never forget my father's obit -- siblings and their partners listed, Jane and Joe, Jack and Jill, and Elizabeth.  Just hanging there all alone.  It was unintentional since the kids were listed from oldest to youngest but there I was in my singlehood.

A non-disfunctional family would make Christmas good. I liked it as a kid -- all the decorations and anticipation.  I still like the decorations, the rich colours, smells of spices, lights on houses...  My favourite songs -- Away in a Manger, Good Kind Wenselaus, Silver Bells.  The history is interesting -- Christian and pagan.  The connection to the distant past.  Even though I waver between agnostism and atheism, I still would love to go to Christmas Midnight Mass sometime -- for the music, tradition, community.  I need to find someone to go with.  Still, ba-humbug!

 Someone shared this video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVqqj1v-ZBU

from www.adventconspiracy.org

It does speak to the over commercialization. I do enjoy the holiday as there are many small children in my family. I get on well with my family, and I do not have to host the get together. Growing up, my family's tradition was to watch Bing Crosby movies, It's a Wonderful Life,etc. The year my mom died (she had BC for two years), we watched "Die Hard." Which tho it takes place at Xmas is hardly Family Classic fare. Glad to say we did all bounce back eventually. 

My favorite holiday video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_t3WDtnblV8 

Although my DH died 6 1/2 years ago, I still feel like the unpartneerd freak. My son and wife, her sis and husb and baby, mom and dad in laws, neighbor couple, other neighbor couple, then me - alone.  It gets easier over the years, but I am expected to be there, all glittery and joyous and happy.   The first 2 years after my DH died I went to Vegas.  All the glitz and lights did not "force" Christmas or holiday spirit on me -   it was just a festive place and amazingly NOT crowded.   I had a deluxe room with spa tub and only $ 59 per night.   Flew back on the Red Eye and slept most of the trip.   

Not that I want to be stingy, but I get One gift from X & Y, but do I give one to them or one to each?   And I do NOT need anything or want anything.   Living alone I get what I want when I want, know what I mean?   I am not rich, but I am comfortable and the stress of finding the right gift gives me a headache.   And if I get one more set of dish towels, I will have to open an outlet store... LOL...!!!!  

When money is tight, I get a "house gift" that is nice for the whole family...a game, a video whatever. That way it's not picky little individual gifts. Too much pressure.

LOL I know what you mean

Welcome to the club.  In 2001 I had chest pains and other problems around this time of year.  I did an echochardiogram, something nuclear? stress tests the whole nine yards.  My PCP gave a bottle of nitroglycerin just in case because the test results wouldn't be back anytime time soon.  Did I mention I spent Xmas Eve having another echo done?  I spent Xmas in bed, too scared to go out because I was sure I would keel over in the street.  It was awful.  I couldn't get results until after New Years and all the holiday stuff made me want to scream.  Long story short it was mostly stress related and with some meds for depression and anxiety I'm OK.  Now they suspect something is wrong with my breasts.  Its the same time of year as before.  The biopsy is being done on Dec 30th so no results until after the new year.  So while everyone else is gearing up for the festivities I just want to crawl into a hole.  Not this AGAIN!   I want this over, please make it be over. All I want for Xmas is a B9 report.

Zazy (((((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))).

My best Christmas was when I was about 16.  My family were renting an old Victorian  house.  There was a fireplace in the living room and the dining room.  We had a nice fire going, it had snowed and looking out the bay window (sitting on the window seat) the entire world looked a shiny blue.  I don't remember the tree or the presents - just looking out that window with the fire in back of me and Christmas carols on the radio.

I know what you mean about being an unpartnered freak.  On the other hand, being a self proclaimed hermit, I mostly kinda like it.  There are times, however, especially at the holidays, that I kinda wished I had married, had children and now have grandchildren.

LOL Catering is a beautiful thing

Great idea

Add me to the holiday haters club. (Thanksgiving and Christmas) I was raised without the holidays and while alot of people think that is sad, I have to tell you it wasn't bad or tramatic for me. I did do all the holiday things for my daughter when she was growing up, but since then I find them to be nothing more than a pain in the a**. Now, it is just me and my partner, so I don't feel the need or want to have anything to do with all the hooplah and added stress. Is it me, or do you think alot of people are even more rude and obnoxious around the holidays? Having to go near a store this time of year is pure torture. So I guess all I have to say is BAHUMBUG! LOL

Happy NO holidays to you all!

Dee~

For 30+ years, I get the xmas blues. Every xmas, its one thing or another that just puts a damper on the whole scene. I hide it well from everyone. Many of my xmas's were big to-do's with my 12' xmas tree, tons of presents, 20-30 people for my hosted xmas dinners. Yessir. I've spent xams's alone on a pier in South Carolina all alone just looking out at the ocean.

But I do a couple of things, just for me.

One is, I buy myself my own xmas present. I've even wrapped it & put it under the tree. Sometimes it's just something small that I want, like a nice writing pen ($4.00). Sometimes it falls in the more expensive category - leather motorcycle jacket. One year it was a nice bottle of shampo (other than suave). One year, I bought myself a Tickle-Me-Elmo. He's really cute & funny!

The second thing I do,all by myself & just for me... I take one evening and the newspaper xmas light map and toodle around looking at the light displays. Sometimes I cruise all over town, sometimes, it's just around my neighborhood. I do my own thing when I want to.

So what's this do for my xmas blues? It gives me a present so that I am never disappointed. It give me a present to remind myself that I am a good person. It gives me time away from my crazy family members. It give me a break in time from keeping a smile on my face when I don't feel like it.

As I get older, I find myself wanting a more simple xmas holiday. Less decorations, smaller tree, less presents (just more meaningful ones), smaller dinners. I look for ways to enjoy the cool weather. Look at the xmas lights when I'm in my truck. Avoid big shopping crowds.

And when it gets just too much, a nice bottle of Irish Cream or a bottle of Champagne just for me because my DH is a recovering alcoholic.

I grew up with lousy xmas's. Violent, alcoholic dad, little money. So I guess mine xmas blues are the missed good times children should have.

So paint the toenails & fingernails BRIGHT RED and remember, you never know when you might need to slap a Santa Clause !

bonny