People who pretend to hate Christmas

[MoaningMyrtle202]

Anyone else know one of these?

I know a couple of them. Say they hate Christmas for whatever reason, yet still kick off if they’re asked to work it, go all out with decorations and involve themselves in Christmas family dramas when they could just ignore the whole thing.

One Christmas hater I know, says they can’t stand it and doesn’t care a jot. Yet her house it lit up like Blackpool illuminations and has kicked up holy hell being asked to work Xmas eve. She has no kids or anything either so not for that.

Another Christmas hater I know says to him it’s just another day and it’s all capitalist bullshit, yet he’s just given his DP his Christmas list of what he wants.

Lastly a good friend of mine also claims she can’t stand Christmas yet today is the third time I’ve visited and she has Christmas films on. Not ones that just happened to be on the telly, but ones she’s purposely selected on Netflix.

Im starting to think it’s just people thinking it’s ‘cool’ to say they hate Christmas. I don’t get it. Why not just say you like it?

Anyone else know one of these? It’s bizarre!

[MoaningMyrtle202]

Also to balance it. I know one person who genuinely doesn’t care about Christmas. They have no decorations up and work it every year. They literally do not care either way. They don’t shout about hating it or anything, they just don’t mark it.

I’d assume that’s the normal thing to do if you don’t care for it?

[PacificallyRequested]

I hate all the fuss about Christmas, gifts, family get-togethers etc but still like decorating the house and eating the food. So YABU.

[MoaningMyrtle202]

@PacificallyRequested so you do like Christmas then?

[TheLightSideOfTheMoon]

I’m a bit like this.

I dread it. The expense, the kerfuffle, shops, the Christmas shit at work. I am vocal about my feelings towards this tinsel infested tediousness.

Am a Druid, so celebrate Yule and don’t mind working Christmas as it means other (Christian) staff can have it off.

But I get sucked in. Every time. The Christmas spirit takes me against my will.

I saw a clip of Bad Moms Christmas earlier today. That prompted me to watch the movie. Now my tree is up. Gah!

Now it’s up I love it.

So, yeah. I’m one of those people.

[GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing]

I guess there are many who just want to be / seem cool.

But maybe some people dislike a certain aspect of Christmas? Like the cooking or Christmas shopping but like other bits?

[MoaningMyrtle202]

@TheLightSideOfTheMoon whoo! I’m guessing this must be the case for the other pretend Christmas haters. Hate the thought but love the reality?

I love Christmas! My favourite time of year. I respect those who don’t but don’t understand the pretend hate of it. It can be lovely!

[1001Daffodils]

I hate Christmas but make all the effort you mentioned above because my family love Christmas and I'm not an arsehole.

The only thing I enjoy is a double bank holiday!

[5128gap]

I dislike Christmas after a shocking and painful bereavement on 25th December.
I do all the Christmas things because my family and friends get a lot of pleasure from Christmas and it would spoil it for them if I opted out.
I don't think I'm cool.

[MoaningMyrtle202]

@5128gap do you have young kids? If not then surely they’d understand why you’d opt out and not be upset?

If any of my loved ones went through something tragic bid fully support them to opt out with much love and understanding.

im so sorry for your loss xx

[Dazzledrop]

I hate Christmas and don’t in any way find it “cool” to dislike it… it would be much more enjoyable to be someone who enjoys this time of year given how inescapable it is in every shop/restaurant/social setting. Lots of people who don’t like Christmas end up doing things like decorating etc because of family pressures or just to try and join in a bit in an attempt to make it feel less bleak, given that you cant ignore it even if you want to!

[LadyFlumpalot]

I don't like Christmas for me. It's effort, faff, expensive, loud etc. I enjoy it for the kids however, they still have the Christmas magic and seeing them happy makes me happy. If it were just me living by myself I'd probably not bother.

[TheLightSideOfTheMoon]

I think I hate the earliness of it.

It seems to slide in the second Summer is over and it’s suddenly EVERYWHERE!

A week or so into December is fine. Or at least contained in December. But I feel like the jolly holly lunacy of it starts at the end of September and goes into January.

If we could contain it I think it would be better. Make it frowned upon to utter the words outside of December. Make it like saying ‘Macbeth’ in a theatre.

[JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn]

I hate Christmas, but stick a grin on my face for children and work colleagues. I fall into a dark mental hole from the first mention of Christmas and absolutely love January as it's all over!

[MoaningMyrtle202]

@TheLightSideOfTheMoon i actually do agree. I’d much rather a more Christmas intense December than a a wishy washy 3 months.

[JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn]

I'm not in the slightest bit cool.

[OverTheHillAndDownTotherSide]

I hate it and work it every year. I’m off from 20th -22nd and then I’m on call for the whole thing this year so that others can have the time off.

I love the solstice so have things (that the Christians stole) as part of that on 21st/22nd Dec. A nice meal - I don’t often indulge my love of cooking -, some sort of greenery and fairy lights in the house, a few small gifts for DD. We focus on spending time with people, not stuff.

Amazing how offended people get that I don’t have a Xmas jumper, or want to hear Slade 3 times an hour. I doubt I’d be called a grinch so often were I jewish or muslim, but apparently it’s fine when you just don’t want to do Xmas.

[Stressfordays]

I hate Christmas, my Dad passed away on Christmas day. I work the afternoon shift on Xmas day however I still decorate and make it nice for my dc. The Xmas after my Dad died, I refused to put any decs up, in the end my mum ended up taking me to a garden centre and buying me a full new set of decs just to get me to put something up for the kids so now my new decs are something I actually enjoy. Its a lot more complex then if you hate Xmas you just don't celebrate it.

[cobblers123]

The family member that never fails to remind us how she hates Christmas, strangely enough the one thing she's always been perfectly OK with is receiving gifts.

Obviously doesn't hate it that much then ...🙄

[VinoDino]

I love the thought of it but don't really like the reality.

I don't have a big close family with any kids in it and I'm single/no kids. I feel awkward in family situations due to various dynamics so more often than not come away from lunch at my parents thinking never again. But the alternative is sitting in alone (which is looking increasingly attractive this year!) and so much is put on family 'togetherness' and it's another reminder that I don't have anyone to sit in and 'do' Christmas with, which usually wouldn't bother me any other time, I like my own company. My Christmases as a child were happy ones.

BUT, I do love putting up and decorating my tree and making my house cosy. I don't mind a Christmas film drinking wine and using 'fuck it it's Christmas' to eat and drink whatever I want. It's nice to hear about friends and their plans with their kids, how excited they are for Santa etc.

So pros and cons for me!

[gettingolderandgrumpier]

I think for some it’s they hate the hype , the day itself they enjoy. Even someone I know who claims hates Christmas admits Christmas Day they enjoy.
i enjoy it but I do think the hype is too much you can’t move every time you see someone at work/friends / even at the bus stop it’s are you ready for Christmas? I must of been asked this 20 million times already . Also yes I enjoy Christmas but the need to recite what you’ve bought what you need to get to anyone who listens . There is really no need you buy a few presents you buy some food stick the tree up done what’s the need to go on about if for weeks.
i think that’s what people hate the constant drone of Christmas it’s like life goes on hold for 2 months and it’s just Christmas related .

[Hbh17]

I dislike Christmas. No tree, decorations, Xmas dinner, Xmas films etc etc. I send presents & cards, because other people DO celebrate, and also it's a good way to keep in touch.
Bizarrely, the only thing I like is listening to carols - I love the King's College Nine Lessons & Carol's on Xmas Eve - maybe because it is one of the few reminders of what Christmas is supposed to be about.
But I agree with the OP that people who say they hate it, but then expect to do all the commercialised stuff are BU.

[RusholmeRuffian]

I hate it but I understand that other people love it so i buy nice presents for parents and nieces and nephews but that is it. No decorations, no Christmas parties, No Christmas films. No kids so I can get away with it.

[NeelyOHara1]

I don't like how some people (women) stress themselves out over trying to make it perfect, as it's often a case of perfect to their standards when everyone else would be happy with a much lower bar.

[OnlyFannys]

I know what you mean, I have seen people stare pensively into the distance saying "it's just another day to me" usually be the first ones with their trees up and Christmas jumpers on.
I agree with the pp saying it starts too early, I do like Christmas and that magical buzz in the air but if it drags out it stops feeling special

[LlynTegid]

I don't know anyone like the OP describes.