That it's ok to have no strong feelings about christmas

[BumDNC]

I don't begrudge anyone who loves and adores xmas and gets excited about it - whatever floats your boat but it doesn't me and I am very tired of comments that make me feel like I am Scrooge McScrooge face with some sinister defective personality trait for having no strong feelings about it. It's ok. I'm not very excited and neither are my kids. If I didn't put a tree up I don't think they would care - I do but usually the few days before xmas and they aren't much fussed about helping.
I appreciate there are nice elements to Christmas and we do join in but the look of horror from people when I explain about lack of decorations in my house (why do I have to explain this???!) and non plussed non excitement to go look at lights shining or freezing outside looking at glittery things on stalls makes me feel like some kind of freak. 'Do you hate it?' No... 'are you religious?' So what if I was?
It's like asking people how many times a week they have sex. This year is worse as it's my exes turn to have kids and I will SHOCK HORROR - be alone with wine and telly on xmas day. Head tilts a plenty

Probably need some good one liners for these occasions, Amy suggestions?

*any

we don't celebrate christmas, no presents etc, as we are pagan and celebrate the winter solstice with family, food and drink - hic!!

Not everyone celebrates Christmas I don't think you should worry

explain you are Muslim????

Stop giving a shit?

Enjoy it your way!

testify

pipsqueak25 Christmas gift-giving is actually from a pagan tradition isn't it?

Basically all the good bits* about Christmas pre-date Christianity, but the name and the Jesus stuff was just tacked on to the existing solstice celebrations?

*obviously gift giving has gone a bit crazy

bum as least like us, you won't get the credit card bills for christmas excess arriving in jan / feb, that is a great feeling .

I don't celebrate Christmas and spend Christmas Day alone. I have a friend round to dinner on Christmas Eve. On Christmas Day I lie in, then slob around eating junk food and watching crap telly. Suits me.

sybys yes you are right, christmas, easter etc all are pagan based, christianity latched onto the ideas whilst converting the pagans in the process, pagans didn't gift as such, i believe they shared food and slaughtered animals for winter survival, they feasted a lot too, no tinsels or fairy lights though .

I had a lovely conversation with a woman apropos of nothing, about why Easter keeps moving. It's about lunar cycles, and nothing remotely about Christianity, which amuses me no end. She had no idea.

I do love tinkly sparkly shit though. And maybe your dc might like the whole xmas thing more than you think.

fast but easter orignally had nothing to do with christainity though, it is pagan in origins and refers to the growing year for crops and birth of new life, the church picked it up as they were trying to convert pagans. that is why yew trees are planted in churchyards - pagans revere the yew and it was a way to get them into a church. [sorry op am hijacking your thread]

pipsqeak

Gift giving is definitely pagan too - en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Christmas_Gift_Giving

Although obviously 'pagan' is an umbrella term, and gift-giving seems fairly Roman-specific, but that's where it comes from :)

And whilst tinsel and fairy lights are fairly modern decorations, having a decorated tree is definitely a pagan thing too.

(sorry for the off-topic everyone else)

Just explain that you're extremely content with everyday life all year round, and don't require a festival of forced joy to be happy.

sybs thanks for that one, they were lucky though they didn't get endless smellies and dodgy stuff though .still it's a great chance to do what ever makes you happy and helps the dreary days along with colour.

And maybe your dc might like the whole xmas thing more than you think

or maybe the OP knows her own kids and what they enjoy?
This kind of comment is exactly what the OP is talking about, people who cant fathom that some people really just dont care that much. my kids like presents (cos they are kids who doesn't like getting things?) but the rest they really aren't fussed about. my 13 year old asked if we could have burger king for christmas dinner this year and my 12 year old couldn't give less of a shit about trees and decorations if he tried.

I'm with you, OP. I like a low-key Christmas. That is our family tradition.

My DD isn't overly bothered either. Which is great... no early morning wake up in this house. One year presents weren't opened until 2pm. She just wasn't interested.

I am with you OP. When people say, "OH no decorations" I am so tempted to say, "OH no overpriced, vulgar, tinselly shit cluttering up landfill" I restrain myself because that we soooooooo rude and judgemental..

I would quite happily not bother with any of it TBH. I find it all v stressful. The expectations, the build up etc.

"Explain you are Muslim"

YANBU. I like Christmas, but that's it - I like it. I also like spring, summer and autumn :) I'm more into seasons changing than anything else.

Don't mind the off topic debates, it's very interesting! Kids like presents obviously but have little interest in a lot of the rest of it and seem to be same as me, it's just a time of year that happens. They don't much like Christmas dinner either - taking packed lunch of their own choosing next week and would happily eat a Burger King instead too!

I just asked my kids these questions (12 and 14)
Shall we put the tree up?
Them: you can if you want to

Will you help?
Them: it's boring!

Fancy going down the garden centre to look at the xmas stuff?
Them: not really but if you want to

Do you like Christmas?
Them: it's ok

I conclude they also have my personality defect of no strong Christmas feelings

We are having an alternative Christmas this year...kids and me are going away...we aren't putting a Christmas tree up, no Christmas cards,Christmas presents for family etc have been cut to a bare minimum ( cheese,crackers and homemade chutney baskets for everyone), kids have been given advent calendars but we arent doing presents ( they are getting money to spend on what they want when we are away) ....we are going to McDs on Christmas Day when we are away.....it will either be fab or a disaster but right now I'm enjoying not running around making myself exhausted looking after everyone else.....My Mum hated Christmas and the fuss that went with it so we are having our alternative Christmas as nod to her ( she died this year)
Stuff commercialism and what anyone else thinks...

My family didn't celebrate Xmas when I was growing up n i'm really not fussed about it now esp cause I work in the health service so still need to work over the season.

I like winter and snuggly days off but hate the commercialisation and commodity fetishism. Also hate seeing ppl wishing thier lives away for what is essentially just another day.

I used to LOVE Christmas but this year I'm not so fussed. Part of it is that my brother has gone abroad for a few months and my parents are going to be on their own for the second year running (I have asked them repeatedly to come to us but they have refused). So I do feel some guilt (although they don't want us to go there either - they just don't like / care about Christmas all that much).

A lot of Christmas these days is very different from those when I was a child so, although a festival, it doesn't feel all that much like Christmas.