To wish people would drop that annoying question are you ready for Christmas?

This.
I agree with you OP. I don't really understand what the question means!

There is a world of possibilities, yes.

But nobody owes you anything more than a casual, topical remark.

It seems people are just increasingly intolerant of any attempt to make friendly chit-chat, and incapable of engaging with strangers. Then we wonder why society seems unfriendly and more harsh than it used to.

I saw the old bloke over the road earlier. We had a chat about the weather and all the leaves on the pavement. I don’t give a monkeys about either of those things but we both passed the time of day, I felt connected to another human being, he probably felt the same. It took literally 3-4 minutes.

I really don’t see the problem.

Whatever you say or ask, someone will be offended. That's why most people stick with the most common questions, including "are you ready for Christmas" which can start an actual conversation, or make a polite 1mn small talk.

If you really hate it and have better things to ask, why don't you do it then? instead of waiting for the other person to come up with a random question?

The easy fix is too obvious it seems.

I don't really see the issue, unless Christmas holds traumatic memories.
Otherwise be honest, whether you love it or loathe it, ready or not. It's just an ice breaker.

I hate it as well OP.

I work serving people all day and after weeks of being asked it 25 times a day, I dread it. It's so boring and awkward.

If people don't give a shiny shite about the answer then just don't bother saying it?
I'm honestly not miserable, I'm actually quite friendly I do chat with customers but I don't know why I just really hate that kind of pointless small talk where nobody cares about the answer. Just order your stuff, say thanks and go enjoy it.

I like conversations where they ask about the local area or say "I know it's a bit early for a drink but it's my birthday!"
"This is an interesting building isn't it? What was it before?"

As a customer I always go for the self service checkouts because I equally hate the "Have you been up to much today?" When I know they don't give a shit and have to say it it.

I'd be a lot happier engaging with a person who used a harmless cliché to be friendly than to feel I had to come up with something sufficiently novel and interesting lest a person dismissed me as 'boring'.
If you think people are boring based on their opening gambit, then move along and keep looking for the witty and origional, and hope they find your conversation passes muster.

Sorry. I say it, but I’m not great at small talk and always thought it was a safe question. I’ll work on expanding my repertoire.

Small talk is an art form and I find it so difficult. Someone in Aldi asked me that today and I launched into a brag about the fact that I paid off the remainder of my council tax , today freeing up January - that's how ready I am 😳.
Probably not the response he was looking for, but thems the breaks.

People are massively overthinking and personalising this. Small talk is just to facilitate a brief moment of connection with basically a stranger over an experience in common. It makes life feel a bit nicer. Or apparently not if you’re a typical MN-er.

It's small talk, I get that. But what I actually want to scream is no I'm not!!!! My dad just died Christmas will never be the same again, we will have an incredibly empty chair this year. To rub salt into the wound I have a very big birthday in a couple of days, everyone is asking about my party plans. There aren't any.

Small talk is so tedious

This is trite nonsense spouted by people who think they’re superior but have no idea of the sociological importance of small talk.

It's just chat, @Netcurtainnelly. I got it today at the checkout in Aldi from an ex-colleague I hadn't seen for ages.

Since you didn't ask and don't want to know, I have everything bar the baguettes flown to Melbourne at ruinous air miles expense, and the fresh produce to be bought on Christmas Eve.

I admit, when I worked in retail and got asked this 65 times a day I got a little bit tired of it.

Now I don't mind so much because I only hear it a few times and I know it's just small talk.

I don't think folk mean any malice by it, it's just small talk and I appreciate that, however, I also hate the question. I'm not even ready for today, let alone tomorrow or a week from now or Christmas! It always reminds me how absolutely shit I am at organising, planning and preparing!

It is a demented piece of small talk.

Are you ready for Christmas? No, because I don’t make grand preparations. I buy my teens things they need or want, I will put the tree up the week before and I’ll just walk into Tesco/coop and buy a chicken off the shelf and some vegetables two or three days beforehand. What’s to fucking prepare? To turn your house into a free hotel and restaurant? No fucking thanks.

It's just conversation. They don't give a shit about Christmas any more than you do. It's just an accepted conversational starter, keeps the wheels of social intercourse oiled.

Guess it’s back to talking about the weather then! 🤣

I work with the bereaved. Many individuals I speak to wish the question “are you spending Christmas was your son/husband/mum? etc.” would F off!

I’m with posters above, I answer the question with a very generic answer. Maybe practice like this guy

Well, are you?

Well this will do, surely.

But are you ready though? 😆

Also, Christmas = time of mourning for many people. It’s the first thing I think of when people ask the question. Yes, I’ll be ready for Christmas, I mean, what choice do you have? It’s an autistic person’s nightmare question.

I never know how to answer that question or why they would be interested 🤷‍♀️. Then when I answer honestly 'yes, all sorted' I've been told I'm being smug and making others feel bad. Wtf I just like to be organised okay.

I'm never ready for Christmas and I don't understand how anyone could be so I also detest this question because it feels like a dig at my personal failings