Does Christmas mean anything to you?

Not much. Didn’t grow up with it, and trying to celebrate it when I’m older without kids or parents is weird. It’s time off work for me and not much more.

I love Christmas, and Thanksgiving. Opportunities to spend quality time with family are hard to come by these days, but it's just as important as ever. I also like the core message of "the holiday spirit", but not the gross consumerism it has been turned into. Love your brethren, peace on earth, and all that good old fashioned shit. Fuck yeah!

Of course it's a very hard time of year for people without family or loved ones, and for people with emotional issues. I sympathize with those people. I've been one of those people at various points of my life. My mom gets super depressed every Christmas because it reminds her of a bunch of shit I don't want to share on Lemmy. So I'm sorry that it's hard for you. You do matter. Merry Christmas.

I still enjoy Christmas but there is a bittersweet element now due to loss, experience and outgrowing the magic. The values of cherishing family, friends and community are still important but I don't make myself a wreck for the season.

I do what feels good and reasonable. That varies each year with my situation. It's normal and not something to worry about. I'm a real person. I don't exist in an advert so I don't try to live like that.

As long as I can sit at the table with my loved ones and share the traditional meals then it is enough. I don't need gifts or lavish parties. I also only give gifts when it feels right to me.

My country is small and we have Boxing Day so I don't suffer the travel stress that Americans do. Maybe I would give up on Christmas if I had to deal with that. (Boxing Day should be a human right... ha ha)

Unlike another poster, I like that most stores are closed. I like the idea of everyone having time off together. I do get the poster's sentiment though. I once felt that way. It can be really inconvenient if an unexpected need pops up.

I don't like how commercialised Christmas has become but I mostly don't let that influence me. A pet peeve of mine is Christmas advertising starting months early. It makes the season stale so I avoid the ads as much as I can and I don't start listening to Christmas music until the weekend before the big day.

None of these holidays have any meaning.

Capitalist holiday preserved by corporate to sell shit

I very much hate christmas. Having a specific day to give everyone something is stupid. We already have everything we want (that's not too expensive to be a gift), and even if there's something special, christmas ruins it by being expected. In my family we finally managed to drop the charade after grandma died. Sadly, gonna be celebrating christmas with my GF's family, and so far I've been unsuccessful in making them understand that I don't want shit from them.

Christmas is just a giant collection of obligations that leaves us all worse off. Like getting and advent calendar, everyone gets mad when I skip days, just because I don't care about Christmas. In my country we also have 3 days where all stores are closed for it. Great shit...

I'm not religious so it's just a cultural holiday. It used to be a time for family gatherings. Grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, etc. Most times I felt it was a pain in the ass. Now they are all dead and gone. In retrospect I wish I had taken more time to enjoy those family get togethers.

I don't really enjoy the holidays. It's too much stress, too many conflicting family obligations, too much effort dodging the religious aspects, too much forced cheer, and it all just makes me sad. Marginally I like putting up a tree, but after a couple of weeks I get tired of remembering to water it. I skip as much of the holidays as I can, and try to enjoy the small parts that don't annoy me.

christmas to me means moving on to become a better and happier person, spending time with family that visits town, realizing i still have time left to turn my life around. good feelings but also very nostalgic, thank you for the question!!!

No, I hate Christmas with a passion. Despite having pagan roots, the modern version is a BS Christo-capitalist holiday. All it does is remind me (and others like me) how much our families hate us and how much this country sucks. This year is especially bad, since we're a month out from a fascist takeover that threatens to genocide us.

Fake Christmas cheer is sickening

Stress.

Stress about all the money spent on a midnight feast that we're too sleepy and tired to enjoy (our Christmas meal here is at 12mn, it cannot start earlier), the gifts and decorations, and the electricity of all the RGB lights strung around to make our family to be "with the community spirit". Stress about not having the energy to be able to smile and be cheerful all the time, or else you'd be the subject of dinner conversations, how you're not "making an effort to spread the holiday spirit". And worst of all, the stress of not being able to sleep and rest due to all the merrymaking, singing, and overall noisemaking (fireworks tend to be fired at random here, and increasing in frequency as it draws closer to the end of December).

I used to look forward to the food, the seasonal food, and the feasting. But now that I've got to prepare all that food, taste it, make adjustments based on who is going to be coming for the Christmas dinner, it's just draining.

What is supposed to be a season to be merry, to be hopeful, and all that good cheer, has become the very cause of all the sorry hopelessness and drear.

Time off work with holiday pay, If you're lucky.

Otherwise it's a capitalism thing to buy stuff to make companies money.

Christmas is just commercialized Winter Solstice. Happy fucking holidays.

I won't lie, usually Christmas is my favorite time of year. Something about the music, getting to see all my family, and trying to find inventive ways to make friends and family happy through gifts always cheers me up. Never really had the money to go all out, but the spirit was there.

This year I just do not care. Usually I listen to dozens of hours of Christmas music and this year it is less than 2 hours so far. I'm not looking forward to giving or receiving gifts; it just feels so formulaic and rabidly consumerist. My usual comfort movies hold no interest for me. I'd skip it if I could. And all of that was before my grandmother died this past Saturday.

It means that I will be harassed for not being happy enough and wrong for not wanting to participate.

I work in education. Christmas time is so much better with kids. It feels empty without some 9-y-o bouncing off the walls and telling you all the things he wants for Christmas.

It means seeing my grandma the one (maybe two) times a year that I see her. I probably don’t have too many more of them so I want to make them count. It’s also one of the few (getting fewer) times a year I see my parents who are also aging. I think it’s good for me to remember what’s important.

There may be something in your life that is important to you that you can try to hold on to at Christmas, like your health or your pets.

Im surprised to see that many people disliking christmas, seems like 50/50 in the comments, i would have expected something like 30/70

I find it stressful, i dont like feeling judged about how i give and receive gifts, having to be nice around my extended family even when they are mean or boring, the elaborate cooking, etc.

Im much more comfortable with new year's night : no fixed traditions, usually with friends rather than family, overall simpler and just focused on being with people i like.

No. My mom has always worked holidays, and so have I (once I was old enough). We would celebrate around it, but pulled back as I got older. I'm at a job that's just closed this holiday, and it's just a day off for me. 🤷🏿‍♀️

I think as far as holidays go, it's pretty decent:

• I get some work free time.
• It's a distraction from the fact that there's no fucking daylight which makes me miserable.
• I get some gifts and give some gifts. It's not about their material worth but it's cool that people actively try make someone else happy. We don't do that everyday.
• There is a lot of colorful lights. I love colorful lights.
• I get a lot of time to hyperfixate on some kind of programming / linuxing computer stuff. Maybe gaming.

I feel like a lot negatives of Christmas don't affect me because: I don't watch TV or ads, don't go much to shops or any public places for that matter, I don't really use social media outside of Lemmy. Also, I don't have a big extended family.

Do not measure your life by the holidays, any of them. No one is a failure because a holiday is not perfect. And being alone is not always a bad thing. Be thankful that you are not in a toxic or violent relationship. And single people are not losers. Every individual gets to decide how, when and if they participate in social rituals, and holidays are one of them. It's ok to hate them or love them. But it's never ok to make others, or yourself, feel bad for having and making your own choices about social rituals. I personally left holidays in the past many years ago. I'm done, I'm full thanks. And I won't feel bad because someone wants or expects me to participate. And I won't make others feel bad because they don't hold my views. We are all Human, and we all get to decide whats best for our self.

Christmas Eve with my family and the following two days visiting other family are nice. The whole buildup though December always pisses me off.

Nope. Just like valentines, fathers/mother's day, or any of the other "hallmark holidays". July 4th (US) too. And Thanksgiving, like ugh. "we stole land and murdered the people who were there, let's celebrate" is just vomit-worthy.

Birthdays aren't much for me but I make it a point to say hi when it's a friend's. "one year closer to death!", as me and a friend say.

I've not-jokingly told people to wait until Feb 15th/Dec 26th/etc if they are hell-bent on buying me something. Thrifty and affectionate? Be still my heart.

No. Society has shown me that I mean nothing. I'm tired of trying be fit in with whatever this all is.

I used to has Xmas after becoming an adult because what it stood for, for me, was a bunch of shit : capitalism, using a fake demi god to discipline your kids, and a zombie demi god it's supposed to be dedicated to when we decorate trees which come from the religions that were stomped into hiding.

But I started to realize that winter fucking sucks. It's depressing as fuck. It made me realize that we need holidays in the winter to help us get through it. There is joy in company if you can look past minor shit and flaws of family, and if you can't then there is the company of friends. Holidays are a reminder that we thrive best in communities and it's a chance to reconnect.

So whether you decide to celebrate that gathering by decorating a plastic tree or by having a hedonistic feast or even an orgy, do something for the holidays that mean something to you.

It's half materialism and half cult ritual.

Most of the music is annoying, with a strong exception to Transiberian Orchestra.

The seasonal junk food is usually pretty good. The seasonal food-food is just a wanna be Thanksgiving, but still good.

The lights can be pretty, but most of the other decorations look like cheesey tailor-trash shit.

I'd give it a 20-80 like to dislike ratio

No.

Sure, it's how I get my nieces and nephews who live on the other side of the country to remember who I am. I'm a good gift giver.

Loneliness

Growing up, I always dreaded holidays. I mean, sure the time off from school was great, that’s a given. But getting excited about Xmas just wasn’t my thing. Several years ago I finally realized why: The excitement is manufactured. It’s just an ever-increasing buildup frenzy of the holiday. Gotta do your shopping, and more shopping, and more shopping. Then you gotta cook and clean. Then go visit family that you really don’t care to see.

Finally, the big day! Open presents! Then…. Nothing. Just another day, except it’s more boring because your friends have to do stuff with their families.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad others get enjoyment out of it. Great for them. Just don’t expect me to to excited too.

To me it means a wave of seasonal content and not much else. I'll watch Christmas movies and shows but I don't have the space or time to go all out with Christmas just for me to enjoy

I take time off of work to spend with loved ones. It's great!

I'm a Baha'i, so I just celebrate Ayyam I Ha. It's at the end of Feb so I can take advantage of the after Christmas sales. The Ayyam I Ha Camel can apparently carry more loot than Santa's Sleigh

It doesn't.

I'm really against the expected gift giving and the commercialisation of it all. I don't really want things so I'm not really keen on receiving gifts either, I honestly struggle to get excited about it.

I'm not keen on spending Christmas with my family because it's basically "back in the closet" day, and it makes me want to die. If it's Christmas without the grandparents it's a lot better. That said I've gotten out of most of it this year, just a lunch and then back home to Naarm to put on a community dinner which I am legitimately looking forward to.

I'm not religious either so it also literally has no meaning to me.

I don't like winter in general but Christmas is ok. I try not to put any demands on anyone, and only do what I can, but have worked at a place that closes for a week at Christmas, and that has made it a lot easier, getting an actual holiday for the holiday instead of scrambling to put it together.

You have not failed, you are alive, you are successful at living by definition. If someone at the holidays is making you feel unsuccessful, that's mean. If it's just you feeling it, though, they may not feel the same way. My kids LOVE unmarried aunts & uncles and I loved mine too. You are free to love them without responsibility, more like a friend and that is something kids can really use.

In the end, it's just a holiday - most of us aren't religious, it's a get together time, some presents, a meal. When my kids were up northish, they said winter really was depressing because of the lack of sunlight, they had not realized that was a real phenomenon and were startled by how it made them feel. So be aware you may be feeling worse than usual just because of that, not seeing clearly or objectively.

I like the time off from work, but actual Xmas doesn't mean anything. I think it's cosy with Xmas decorations and Xmas trees through. I enjoy it in that way, but it has no spiritual meaning to me.

Also every single person seems to feel horrible and lonely around Xmas since it's so much pressure. Before I met my girl, I was always lonely on xmas too.

Divorced parents. A latter childhood of "equal time" over the holidays. Hoopla so forced and weird, it was a caricature of itself.

No, I really avoid a lot of the hoopla I Christmas and everything else. And I like quiet celebrations at home. My best Christmas was my first year H1Bing in Jersey and my gf came to visit all the way from home. No money, with her tuition and schooling so high, we sat around and watched TV and journeyed over the PATH to see the sights. It was magical (because she is).

Stress.

But every now and then I get a little whiff of the magic dust that other people seem to love. Like watching my partner dress a tree while listening to Frank Sinatra.

I don't have any of the nostalgia for the effects, but I can put on a jovial kind of tolerance.

I'm building a new nostalgia, so that in a couple decades maybe I'll really feel it.

Fuck Christmas.

I think the holidays are like most things, for better or worse they mostly enhance whatever mindset you're in. (With exceptions etc)

Unhappy about life? Holidays probably not awesome in general.

Happy about it? Absolute blast.

That being said, if you want to work towards making things better, the holidays do offer a lot of opportunities!

Yes, Christmas means finding time to celebrate with friends. It means getting to know people better and giving gifts that they'll actually enjoy. It means baking cookies, burning a few and trying new recipes so you can surprise the neighbors. Christmas, like most of life, is exactly what you choose to make of it. If you hate your family, or Christmas carols or office parties or whatever, then fuck that noise and host a drunken gingerbread house building party with your boys.

Just an excuse for Turkey with fam

Sorry to hear, try doing something small and festive, like making egg nog every year as a tradition

A reason to have fun, just cuz

To me it's essentially just the time we all ("we all" as in my friends and family) agree to set aside for each other. We'll make a fuss over spending time together, and the specifics of why it's at that time of year or why we call it Christmas or anything else don't matter so much to us. Most of us aren't Christians anyway.

The new year is arguably a bigger event in my area, but to be honest it's all just kind of the festive season. Do as little work as you can manage, see the people you like to see. That's what it's about.

If you don't have anyone that you would like to spend it with, you're perfectly allowed to cook yourself something nice, take the day easy, settle in with a good movie, some snacks, and something good to drink if you like alcohol. I normally spend Christmas with my family, but the one year when circumstances did compel me to spend it alone I did this and I had a lovely day.

Maybe if you feel up for it and want to get involved somehow, you could do some volunteering on the day - at least in my personal experience, it tends to be pretty easy going and have a pleasant atmosphere, and you can feel good about what you've done with the time too. Most places need a bit of help during Christmas, because the normal crew's schedules will be a bit off kilter. I've done a good few Christmas mornings.

If you are Christian, maybe you can engage with the religious side of it. Churches obviously have special services on the day, and they're usually the busiest of the year too. This is obviously only useful if you do follow some kind of Christianity or at least have some interest, but if you do fall into one of those groups then don't let nerves or a lack of other attendance stop you.

If you're not religious but live in a Christian (or culturally Christian-influenced) area, you can maybe even take advantage of the fact that everyone is busy. My Jewish ex and her family have a tradition of going out for Chinese food on Christmas day. Everything else is closed anyway, and the Jewish and Chinese communities are the largest non-Christian groups in their area, so they'd go to each other's businesses for the day

And at the end of the day, if what you personally feel you need most is to ignore it and make it as normal a day as possible, that's totally fine.

Family, decorations, giving, and drama