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Christmas ruins everything

Here's C, looking all Santa-is-magic. Which is fine and good and heartwarming (even if the inflatable reindeer is a bit sad). And this is what Christmas should be -- a kid's holiday, centred around the idea of giving. (And let's not even pretend with the whole Jesus thing because I don't know any kids who have the faintest idea who Jesus is. They don't even do the play anymore in school, do they?)

It's all the rest of it that makes me wish Christmas didn't exist. The relentless marketing, the endless heaps of crap in the stores, the tinned music, the forced cheer and obligatory social events. Who has not been late and crowded and half sick with cold or flu or stress on a plane, train or automobile at some point during the Christmas season and wished that they were dead?

There was a story on the radio this morning about a poll showing that Canadians intended to spend less this Christmas. What a load of horseshit. The same people will always go grinning into the gunfire of chintziness and debt and taking grandma out of the home for the day so we can all see her used kleenex collection and watch her talk to herself.

Someone just herd me out back with the other malcontents and shoot me now.

Comments

  1. While I admit to hating the amount of money I spend, I have to say that it's grown me. That might be because I never celebrated it growing up, though.

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  2. I was spared the notion of Christmas as a child due to my parents belonging to an odd, nearly cult-like religion. I've never had any problems with it (Christmas). I guess I just ignore the disgusting behavior because it hasn't been ruined for me first hand. I actually love Christmas...or at least how I dream it is in my head.

    Hmmm...just noticed the other comment is from someone who didn't celebrate as a kid. I think that makes a pretty big difference.

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  3. I don't spend a ton on presents, but I do throw a huge (super huge) party for all my family and friends. Everyone brings a little something, for the most part, so it doesn't get too out of hand.

    But that is what Christmas is to me. Everyone I love in one place.

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  4. Thank goodness I married someone who feels the same way I do about Xmas. I like a tree and lights on the house, but only because they look fun in the depths of winter. And I remember that inflatable reindeer. I thought it was awesome.

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  5. Christmas almost killed Brian and I last year, I was paralyzed by the end of it. We ended up making gifts for most of our friends and stressing out over buying for cousins and kids. What do kids want these days that is under $30?

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  6. I remember Christmas feeling magic when I was kid, and it had nothing to do with "stuff." I liked the coziness and the carols and the TV specials that *were* special because Tuesday night at 7 was the only chance you had for a whole year to see Gone with the Wind or The Sound of Music or A Charlie Brown Christmas. And things *smelled* different: a tree inside the house (!), baking, cinnamon, bacon, hot chocolate. And it was all for such a short period time--it did *not* start the day after Halloween. I am trying to ignore Christmas as much as possible, trying to let the special, fleetingness come back. And if it doesn't, then I will just be glad it was special when I was a kid and hope other kids, including Oona, think it's special, at least for a few years.

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  7. ack! i had a blow reindeer like that one! i loved it, but even as a kid, hated christmas-sorry parents. to me, it meant everyone was stuck at home and just yelling at each other so i was stuck outside with my donkey rosebud which was fine but sometimes it was just so freaking cold. i gave up christmas for a good long time until my nephews came a long and now i do it for them and i am bad because i can't say that i feel all the "magic" and "happy" through their eyes. i just want them to have some good gifts and make them art for their "art galleries" that they each have in their room.

    and, i have to laugh because my twin and have tried really hard not to be cynical and we talk about santa and baby jesus and all the other holidays, but those boys never have believed in santa! the 4 year old recently told me, "jesus has a gun and he is using it!". oh dear, it just doesn't get anymore precious than that! i still can't convince him that jesus isn't packing heat-he's probably right. he also said that buddha was going to be born on christmas this year and that he can't wait to see that baby because it is going to be a little girl from egypt. awe, a whole new generation of guns, jesus and egyptian baby girl buddhas-good times.

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  8. ha! i meant "blow up" reindeer. let's just leave the "blow reindeer" out of this. i have already offended to many people!

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  9. How I love to read your posts... :-P Very commercialized indeed, it's a sad thing. Christian & I are not buying for each other this year and we're going to serve hot chocolate and apple cider at the community centre again on Christmas Eve. Although, I do like the season, it creates much stress on people.

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  10. my bloggy friend Mrs Moon just wrote a hilarious post about this same thing. although i love christmas and all it's trappings, i think it's hilariously true that they are also annoying and ridiculous.

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  11. There's already a poor old Santa sitting in a shopping mall in Honolulu.

    It's warm, and I pity the poor guy. In fact, this Santa has his own portable air conditioning unit that's pointed right at him.

    Bet the kids with longer hair look a little windblown in their pics.

    Santa in November? Insane!

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