Happy Bl**dy Christmas

[wizer]

I'm with you matt, I'd love to see what would happen if there was no such things as Christmas and just the usual end of year celebration (which seems more 'festive' to me).

But then I'd like to win the lottery and spend nov-march in Oz. Some things are highly unlikely.

 

[Mike.C]

I find it quite sad that at this time of year there are so many who are not looking forward to Christmas

If I am perfectly honest I know that I look forward to it so much because when we were children it is the only time that we knew our mum and dad would be happy, with no arguments or violence. And so Christmas has always been a happy time for me, and I cannot wait to start putting the lights up on December 1st. But sadly I have noticed that each year chrimbo seems to mean a bit less to others, with fewer and fewer decorations around town and in peoples homes.

I just cannot imagine that in the future adults will not have the joy of seeing the real excitement in childrens eyes when they are sitting around the tree opening their presents.

Alright we all know that it has become to commercialized, and that the real meaning behind it has been lost. We also know that when making the christian calender someone messed up big time, and Jesus was actually born between 2 and 6 years BC, and probably sometime in April. But it used to mean for that day there was peace on earth, or if not earth, in our house at least.

Yes :roll: I am probably a bit mad, strange and stupid, but the child in me wants to hang onto Christmas.

Cheers

Mike

 

[woodbloke]

I find it quite sad that at this time of year there are so many who are not looking forward to Christmas

If I am perfectly honest I know that I look forward to it so much because when we were children it is the only time that we knew our mum and dad would be happy, with no arguments or violence. And so Christmas has always been a happy time for me, and I cannot wait to start putting the lights up on December 1st. But sadly I have noticed that each year chrimbo seems to mean a bit less to others, with fewer and fewer decorations around town and in peoples homes.

I just cannot imagine that in the future adults will not have the joy of seeing the real excitement in childrens eyes when they are sitting around the tree opening their presents.

Alright we all know that it has become to commercialized, and that the real meaning behind it has been lost. We also know that when making the christian calender someone messed up big time, and Jesus was actually born between 2 and 6 years BC, and probably sometime in April. But it used to mean for that day there was peace on earth, or if not earth, in our house at least.

Yes :roll: I am probably a bit mad, strange and stupid, but the child in me wants to hang onto Christmas.

Cheers

Mike

Mike - I agree with much in this post. Christmas has always been a happy time for me and long may it continue to be so. Even though my children are grown up now, there is still a delight in seeing them open their gifts on Christmas Day morning, not forgetting of course the obligatory stocking. It's then off for a brisk walk round the cathedral in town and back for the g&t's and roast goose...can't be beaten :wink: - Rob

 

[wizer]

Mike the general feeling I got from this thread is that the day it self is ok, but it's the 'season' of Christmas which get up people's noses.

I like to do what Mike did and experience it in another country (hot) and see how other cultures do it.

The whole shopping, annoying music, cards, cold weather, poor tv, etc is what I don't like. Spending a day with my family and showing off my culinary skills is what I do like.

 

[big soft moose]

If I am perfectly honest I know that I look forward to it so much because when we were children it is the only time that we knew our mum and dad would be happy, with no arguments or violence. And so Christmas has always been a happy time for me,

see its the other way round for me - when i was a kid christmas meant dad going out drinking most of the day and not being arround to play with or even acknowledge me or my presents - on more than one occasion he also came in drunk and stepped on and broke something

it also meant often not getting the shiny thing i wanted , and that other kids in my class would get on account of there being not much cash due to dad drinking most of it, but having to pretend to be excited by whatever i did get for mums sake as she had scraped up the cash from the house keeping to get it ( As i got older i didnt even ask for expensive things cos i knew it wasnt fair to mum)

My wife on the other hand always gets super excited about xmas ( having always had the propper nuclear family chrimble - in more ways than one as her dad works at heysham b) and I have to pretend to be up for it too so as not to bring her down - every year we go and spend xmas with her parents who are lovely but i always get that tug that "this" is what xmas , and families are supposed to be about and feel even more acutely what i missed out on.

so this is why i dont look forwards to xmas and would cheerfully not celebrate it at all given the choice.

 

[dedee]

well if we get through the channel tunnel on Thursday Christmas will be as it should with the family.

Try as I might I cannot find any instances of the french TGV services failing in the same spectacular fashion as those eurostar trains - I guess it is because there are no tunnels on the TGV lines?

Andy

 

[Dibs-h]

....and families are supposed to be about and feel even more acutely what i missed out on.

Yeah that moment of looking in from the outside, but from past - bit of a **** isn't it! Bloody hard to shake even when more years have passed than you care to remember. I think sometimes there are more of us dysfunctional folk than there are functional.

Ain't her fault - if you haven't got youngs ones, do what MikG did - do Xmas in some other part of the world! Perhaps somewhere other than the 1st world.

 

[Dibs-h]

I am utterly sick and tired of the shopping and excess, and trivia, that comes with christmas UK-style. I loath christmas lists, and pointless cards from people who don't communicate for the rest of the year. I really resent the waste that comes of thoughtless token presents..........and would rather have no present than a silly token that I don't need.

I do, however, enjoy getting the family together, and village friends together.......particularly for the ad-hoc socials. That, for me, is the real joy of the christmas season.

Mike

I'm with Him - MikeG for World President!!!

 

[Mike.C]

If I am perfectly honest I know that I look forward to it so much because when we were children it is the only time that we knew our mum and dad would be happy, with no arguments or violence. And so Christmas has always been a happy time for me,

see its the other way round for me - when i was a kid christmas meant dad going out drinking most of the day and not being around to play with or even acknowledge me or my presents - on more than one occasion he also came in drunk and stepped on and broke something

it also meant often not getting the shiny thing i wanted , and that other kids in my class would get on account of there being not much cash due to dad drinking most of it, but having to pretend to be excited by whatever i did get for mums sake as she had scraped up the cash from the house keeping to get it ( As i got older i didn't even ask for expensive things cos i knew it wasn't fair to mum)

My wife on the other hand always gets super excited about xmas ( having always had the proper nuclear family chrimble - in more ways than one as her dad works at heysham b) and I have to pretend to be up for it too so as not to bring her down - every year we go and spend xmas with her parents who are lovely but i always get that tug that "this" is what xmas , and families are supposed to be about and feel even more acutely what i missed out on.

so this is why i dont look forwards to xmas and would cheerfully not celebrate it at all given the choice.

Yes I know the not having enough money situation, but it was not because it was all spent on drink, they just did not earn it. Yet even though he could be a savage man during the year, for some reason at Christmas he went out of his way to be nice. For instance one year they gave me a present that had me shaking with excitement. It was a 2 stroke (I think) sit in toy car, exactly the same as Noddys, and although it was secondhand (god knows how much a new one would cost :shock: ) I still think it is the best present I have ever had. It went all of about 5mph, but to me I was competing with Michael Schumacher, or at the time it would have been Stirling Moss. So even though they did not have much money, they did somehow manage to give us a good Christmas.

Now like your wifes family, my wife always had a good Christmas. In fact the first year after meeting her, her parents took us both to the Lake District (Windermere) for Christmas, and Edingburgh for New Year, and pulled out all the stops. But apparently that was normal for her.

I can see why it is not much fun for you, if your memories are of a drunk.

Cheers

Mike

 

[big soft moose]

MikeG for World President!!!

nah turners would become a persecuted minority , only able to furtively make round things underground with a constant fear of discovery by the flat world craft police

 

[woodbloke]

I'm with Him - MikeG for World President!!!

LN, Veritas and Cliffie would be out of business instantly - Rob

 

[promhandicam]

I like to do what Mike did and experience it in another country (hot) and see how other cultures do it.

Having only spent 3 of the last 20 Christmases in the UK I have to say that I much prefer them in Africa. Even though I'm a Christian - my first 10 years in Africa were as a missionary - I loathe Christmas in the UK :shock: It has become a purely commercial exercise starting in September - by the 25th December I'm sick of it!

What I liked most about Christmas overseas was that it was just one or two days and for those two days people made an effort to do something special. Whilst in Cameroon for several years we celebrated the 25th at a small orphanage for disabled children on the outskirts of Yaoundé. Our contribution was to supply the ingredients for the meal and the drinks - the centre prepared all the food. Our two kids decided they wanted to chose presents for each of the children there and then went to the market and bought them. For some of them at the centre, they were the first presents that they had ever received. I think that in part, through those experiences our kids have come to really appreciate what they have and are content with their lot. They were some of the best Christmases I've had and hopefully in the future we will be able to go back and be able to experience what Christmas should be like.

Steve

 

[johnjin]

It seems to me that there are a lot of miserable people on this forum. I love Christmas, the whole thing. The Carols, the lights, and to see the kids faces wherever you go, the Christmas music in the shops the lights outside the houses that seem to be getting more and more popular and even the Christmas cards that let people know that you are still alive. And yes I am an atheist but this for me is the best time of the year and if we have snow so much the better.

Best wishes

John

 

[wizer]

nowt as queer as folk!

 

[Argee]

It seems to me that there are a lot of miserable people on this forum.

Really? How many? Based on what? This is one of the friendliest forums you're likely to find.

If you think that "not liking Christmas" equates with "being miserable," that's untrue, stereotypical and juvenile - evidence your point of view or withdraw it.

Here's some of what I don't like about Christmas:

1) The blatant and rampant commercialisation of what is alleged to have started as a religious festival.

2) The total lack of relevance of food and its alleged importance to the success of the whole "event."

3) The ridiculous amounts of debt people place themselves under to pander to peer pressure, particularly peer pressure from their childrens' friends.

4) The false bonhomie of it all, from people who would otherwise not give you the time of day.

5) Christmas light are up (why?), but no gritters within miles - good local service choices there - based on what - certainly not public service.

I'm not religious at all, but that's got nothing to do with the above.

Ray

 

[big soft moose]

5) Christmas light are up (why?), but no gritters within miles - good local service choices there - based on what - certainly not public service.

too right , councils across the country are having to make efficiency savings , and in some case lay staff off , and there is a public sector pay freeze - but they still have the money for the fugly monstrosity that is the xmas lights and paying some nonentity to turn them on.

not to mention the total waste of energy at a time when we are being encouraged to use less electricity in order to meet the kyoto targets

or the effect that the needless light polution has on the local wildlife

 

[big soft moose]

the lights outside the houses that seem to be getting more and more popular

our neighbour across the road has a grotesque lit up sleigh and four reindeer on his front lawn that is so bright that it stops my dog, and consequently us, from sleeping

I am sorely tempted to get the air rifle out and plink his bulbs - and i wouldnt be miserable while doing it either - the crackle, fizz pop of the shattering bulbs and shorting electrics would put a huge grin on my face. :lol:

Tho i'd point out for legal reasons that i dont actually intend to do any such thing

 

[johnjin]

Well Argee
It would seem that you can go to the top of the list. First of all it was just a light hearted poke at the people that are knocking Christmas. But of course that is my opinion but you seem to have read a lot more into my post than I put into it. This is the friendliest forum that I know of and is why I have been a contributor to it for over six years. I never said that not liking Christmas equates to being miserable. So I can't see that there is anything to withdraw. As for your reasons for not liking Christmas that is fine. Congratulations I hope you have a happy life. I personally like to live mine a little more lightheartedly, A smile now and again always goes down well. However everyone to their own. It would be a dull life if we were all the same.

Merry Christmas

John

 

[RogerS]

Lighten up, chaps!

 

[MikeG.]

MikeG for World President!!!

You shouldn't have to wait long, if all my plans fall into place.........mwa ha ha ha (with echo machine on).

Mike