Ok, that's a lie, I do like Christmas. But its the fact of how it's being portrayed by today's society. At this point it's not even a religious thing anymore it's just... Capitalism. I took a marketing class in high school and I can't look at this holiday the same way ever again. The advertisements now are just more stupid than ever and it really gets me ticked off.
This holiday is about spending time with family and giving, not... Buying things for others that they, "Most definitely need." Persay the commercials.
Am I saying it's wrong to splurge on a gift for someone? No. I'm I saying it's bad to go overboard on the lights and decorations? ... Eh... Some cases.
What I'm trying to say is that people forget what this day is really meant to be, even my parents, who are VERY religious people. (You know, the story of the babie Jesus and the being born and the cross and the other things blah blah blah)
What I ask of you, people of RPR, is to remember what this holiday is all about. A time for peace and love. To spend time with family and friends, and giving gifts that mean something, that they will remember for a long time. I'm not saying you all don't do this, but I want to say it as a reminder. To remember how this holiday is meant to be celebrated.
This holiday is about spending time with family and giving, not... Buying things for others that they, "Most definitely need." Persay the commercials.
Am I saying it's wrong to splurge on a gift for someone? No. I'm I saying it's bad to go overboard on the lights and decorations? ... Eh... Some cases.
What I'm trying to say is that people forget what this day is really meant to be, even my parents, who are VERY religious people. (You know, the story of the babie Jesus and the being born and the cross and the other things blah blah blah)
What I ask of you, people of RPR, is to remember what this holiday is all about. A time for peace and love. To spend time with family and friends, and giving gifts that mean something, that they will remember for a long time. I'm not saying you all don't do this, but I want to say it as a reminder. To remember how this holiday is meant to be celebrated.
Wish I could like this post, man. Hard agree.
Yes, I agree with you. I am born in a Catholic family and we often go to plays and Midnight mass. They always gave us the entire lecture not to forget the true meaning of Christmas but then there is Black Friday where people literally almost get killed or injured just to make their kids happy with the latest toys and such. 
It is sad how society is going nowadays.
It is sad how society is going nowadays.
I agree with the sentiments that everyone just said. I love Christmas, I believe in the original reason, and marketing and commercials in general just kinda tick me off. It's annoying how it keeps starting earlier, knowing that the reason is because retailers want to sell more stuff. But the whole peace, joy, salvation, love, and "peace on earth, good will toward men" stuff?...I'm very much down with that. 
Oh man, the flood of ads before even Thanksgiving is over (at least for those of us in the USA) is what annoys me the most! And some of them are downright obnoxious and...ugh...
When I shop I get one thing for each person on my list, and I am thankful we always only have a small Christmas with family only.
When I shop I get one thing for each person on my list, and I am thankful we always only have a small Christmas with family only.
Setting aside actual history, since that's not really something to discuss here...
Yes, it'd be nice if folks focused more one getting along and being nice and helping each other out than on having the best decorations (though I will say that great decorations aren't inherently about showing off what you can do) or getting the newest stuff or panicking about what to get everyone. Its nice when people take time to focus on each other.
But I also appreciate having valid excuses not to get together with folks you'd rather not spend too much time with.
Seriously though, they aren't kidding when they say "Christmas season." Christmas freaking takes over everything for months. Like... chill out and just go hug someone. And if you want to extend Christmas celebrations, why are you pressing it over Thanksgiving and Halloween, when instead you could be acknowledging the already-existing Three Kings Day in January?
Yes, it'd be nice if folks focused more one getting along and being nice and helping each other out than on having the best decorations (though I will say that great decorations aren't inherently about showing off what you can do) or getting the newest stuff or panicking about what to get everyone. Its nice when people take time to focus on each other.
But I also appreciate having valid excuses not to get together with folks you'd rather not spend too much time with.
Seriously though, they aren't kidding when they say "Christmas season." Christmas freaking takes over everything for months. Like... chill out and just go hug someone. And if you want to extend Christmas celebrations, why are you pressing it over Thanksgiving and Halloween, when instead you could be acknowledging the already-existing Three Kings Day in January?
Novalyyn wrote:
Setting aside actual history, since that's not really something to discuss here...
Yes, it'd be nice if folks focused more one getting along and being nice and helping each other out than on having the best decorations (though I will say that great decorations aren't inherently about showing off what you can do) or getting the newest stuff or panicking about what to get everyone. Its nice when people take time to focus on each other.
But I also appreciate having valid excuses not to get together with folks you'd rather not spend too much time with.
Seriously though, they aren't kidding when they say "Christmas season." Christmas freaking takes over everything for months. Like... chill out and just go hug someone. And if you want to extend Christmas celebrations, why are you pressing it over Thanksgiving and Halloween, when instead you could be acknowledging the already-existing Three Kings Day in January?
Yes, it'd be nice if folks focused more one getting along and being nice and helping each other out than on having the best decorations (though I will say that great decorations aren't inherently about showing off what you can do) or getting the newest stuff or panicking about what to get everyone. Its nice when people take time to focus on each other.
But I also appreciate having valid excuses not to get together with folks you'd rather not spend too much time with.
Seriously though, they aren't kidding when they say "Christmas season." Christmas freaking takes over everything for months. Like... chill out and just go hug someone. And if you want to extend Christmas celebrations, why are you pressing it over Thanksgiving and Halloween, when instead you could be acknowledging the already-existing Three Kings Day in January?
Subtleknifewielder wrote:
Three Kings Day? Color me interested--tell me more?
Oh, that sounds awesome!
I just flat out hate this time of year. It's stressful, it's anxiety inducing. As a parent there's a massive amount of expectation piled onto you and there's no real reward for all of it, it's just work work stress work and it's thankless.
On top of that christmas is supposed to be about family, which is extremely depressing and isolating when 98% of your family are on the other side of the planet and you haven't seen them in a decade because you can't afford to fly out there.
I miss my sister, I miss my uncles and aunts, I miss my grandparents most of whom are now dead (and who's funerals I couldn't even attend) and I miss the family christmases of my childhood where everyone was gathered together under one roof.
These days we all traspe over to my step dad's and really, to be honest, feel like strangers at HIS family's christmas meal instead. He married my mother when I was in my 20s so while i've known him for years he's never really been a dad figure in my life and his family have never been MY family. (his mother flat out doesn't want to be) and his family's traditions are not my family's traditions either so it's always a bit foreign and alienating. Inevitably my mother gets grumpy and an argument breaks out, then we leave hastily.
It's just not that fun.
We don't even SEE my inlaws, they've got better things to do apparently.
We might if we're lucky get a brief phone call to brag about how delicious their turkey is or something and that'll be it. (and they're not that far away! they're just antisocial)
So every year I get horribly depressed, the home sickness sets in hard and I spend a lot of time just crying.
I absolutely HATE this time of year and sadly very few people seem to understand or care about how hard it all is for people in my position. No effort is ever made to make me feel loved or special or even thought of.
to be honest, there's a large part of me who'd rather like to just NOT celebrate at all and just ignore it all, but that's not so easy to do when you have children who expect and anticipate the full christmas experience.
The christmas adverts are doing my head in. So many of them are all "togetherness! family! love!" and i'm just feeling really alone.
I really miss my family and I still 20 years on resent my parents for emigrating unneccisarily and dragging me away from my entire life. I don't think i'll ever stop resenting them because it was a really cruel thing to do. They denied me so much, took me away from everything I had ever known and everyone I had ever loved. Because of them I have been denied goodbyes to 3 of my grandparents and will likely not get to say goodbye to the 4th. Because of them i've missed family weddings, births, my cousins to whom I was very close growing up. I've missed most of a lot of people's lives! I'm effectively a stranger to people who I helped NAME.
Christmas growing up was always so family oriented, toward the end we even started doing brunch with friends on christmas day so we'd have friends and neighbours come over for brunch and then go to lunch at my uncle and aunt's or something. Our "family" was so extended that even my half sister's father was invited, with his partner. Everyone was included, everyone was welcome and it was wonderful.
I miss it very very acutely and to be honest, it's a huge piece of my heart missing which this time of year becomes almost unbearable.
I'll likely spend time tomorrow just crying in the bathroom like I often do. The only positive is that after tomorrow it's OVER for a year and I don't have to deal with any more bloody present buying and organisation till next year.
On top of that christmas is supposed to be about family, which is extremely depressing and isolating when 98% of your family are on the other side of the planet and you haven't seen them in a decade because you can't afford to fly out there.
I miss my sister, I miss my uncles and aunts, I miss my grandparents most of whom are now dead (and who's funerals I couldn't even attend) and I miss the family christmases of my childhood where everyone was gathered together under one roof.
These days we all traspe over to my step dad's and really, to be honest, feel like strangers at HIS family's christmas meal instead. He married my mother when I was in my 20s so while i've known him for years he's never really been a dad figure in my life and his family have never been MY family. (his mother flat out doesn't want to be) and his family's traditions are not my family's traditions either so it's always a bit foreign and alienating. Inevitably my mother gets grumpy and an argument breaks out, then we leave hastily.
It's just not that fun.
We don't even SEE my inlaws, they've got better things to do apparently.
We might if we're lucky get a brief phone call to brag about how delicious their turkey is or something and that'll be it. (and they're not that far away! they're just antisocial)
So every year I get horribly depressed, the home sickness sets in hard and I spend a lot of time just crying.
I absolutely HATE this time of year and sadly very few people seem to understand or care about how hard it all is for people in my position. No effort is ever made to make me feel loved or special or even thought of.
to be honest, there's a large part of me who'd rather like to just NOT celebrate at all and just ignore it all, but that's not so easy to do when you have children who expect and anticipate the full christmas experience.
The christmas adverts are doing my head in. So many of them are all "togetherness! family! love!" and i'm just feeling really alone.
I really miss my family and I still 20 years on resent my parents for emigrating unneccisarily and dragging me away from my entire life. I don't think i'll ever stop resenting them because it was a really cruel thing to do. They denied me so much, took me away from everything I had ever known and everyone I had ever loved. Because of them I have been denied goodbyes to 3 of my grandparents and will likely not get to say goodbye to the 4th. Because of them i've missed family weddings, births, my cousins to whom I was very close growing up. I've missed most of a lot of people's lives! I'm effectively a stranger to people who I helped NAME.
Christmas growing up was always so family oriented, toward the end we even started doing brunch with friends on christmas day so we'd have friends and neighbours come over for brunch and then go to lunch at my uncle and aunt's or something. Our "family" was so extended that even my half sister's father was invited, with his partner. Everyone was included, everyone was welcome and it was wonderful.
I miss it very very acutely and to be honest, it's a huge piece of my heart missing which this time of year becomes almost unbearable.
I'll likely spend time tomorrow just crying in the bathroom like I often do. The only positive is that after tomorrow it's OVER for a year and I don't have to deal with any more bloody present buying and organisation till next year.
when i was younger i was always excited for Christmas cause yay toys! In my case to be honest art stuff. But honestly im just eh about the holiday now. I get asked on what i want but i just say "i dont need anything" and i really dont? im still very young and Christmas is not that big of a deal for me anymore , its just there.
And yea the ads are absolutely ridicules. Funny how we have thanksgiving that is supposed to be about being thankful for what you have and then the next minute December comes around its all buy buy buy! Its all just about getting stuff ya know?
if im honest i think i would want to celebrate it by myself by going to a play or something, a musical even...i really like those but i havent seen much cause money but also most was just me being on a school field trip
And yea the ads are absolutely ridicules. Funny how we have thanksgiving that is supposed to be about being thankful for what you have and then the next minute December comes around its all buy buy buy! Its all just about getting stuff ya know?
if im honest i think i would want to celebrate it by myself by going to a play or something, a musical even...i really like those but i havent seen much cause money but also most was just me being on a school field trip
When you post something and don't expect people to reply this much.
https://tenor.com/YZB3.gif
and still is.
https://tenor.com/YZB3.gif
and still is.
Hahah, perfect gif 
Well what can I say. It's like democracy
in theory the best system out there, in practice not so much.It can also be applied to Christmas in theory it should be time where you spend it with family or friends, how it works really you could see it.
in theory the best system out there, in practice not so much.It can also be applied to Christmas in theory it should be time where you spend it with family or friends, how it works really you could see it.
nevermind.
*blinks* I feel like I missed something...
Hey folks, just popping in a quick reminder that while it's perfectly okay to identify yourselves as part of a religion and talk about your experiences, we don't want religious debate on these forums. I only say it because I'm having to make some edits in this thread. If you haven't heard from me in PMs, your posting about your religious affiliation was fine.
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