Why is everyone so obsessed?

[zbw565]

I don’t celebrate Christmas but I really don’t understand the appeal. Is it because most people celebrated it as children so it’s nostalgic? You got toys and spends some time with family member you rarely see otherwise?

I don’t get how you can do things with zero meaning behind any of it except “it’s tradition”. Yes but what’s the significance of any of it? All I see is pure commercialism.

The majority of people who celebrate are not religious at all. Some agnostic, some atheists. Yet they still insist on celebrating Christmas. They will put a tree up and tinsel and lights and make up some story about Santa - what’s the significance of any of it? Aren’t these pagan rituals? What do they have to do with Jesus? Just doing it because the adverts on tv tell you it’s time to?

I could just never live my life this way. Doing things like a sheep with no idea why I am even doing it. When I read some posts some people honestly seem to revolve their whole lives around it. I have no idea how much money they end up spending.

How people just rinse and repeat the same crap every year. No wonder most people are miserable and depressed.

Of course after Christmas we are told we have to get excited about New Year, then Valentine’s Day, then Easter, then summer holidays, then Halloween, bonfire night and Christmas again. They’ve added some more gems along the way - Mother’s Day, st Patrick’s day- you get the jist. It’s all load of commercial crap and I can’t stand this time table the west has made up that we all seem to be obsessed with living our lives by with zero meaning behind any of it.

rant over

Are you my DS?

Exactly !
I don't know how anyone could get miserable about twinkling lights and a lovely roast dinner,

All this “But I don’t understaaaaaaand” business is so tedious. If you don’t want to enjoy Christmas, no one is forcing you to do so. I simply don’t believe that you’re baffled by the appeal.

And if you’re really living your life in a fulfilling, non-materialistic way, unlike the rest of us “sheep”, I’m sure you’ve got better things to do than posting here. Not that you’ll be back.

I think there's definitely an element of nostalgia for how great Christmas felt as a kid. Christmas trees are very pretty and I love a nicely wrapped present. I'm weirdly excited to give my DH his presents this year, not to mention the kids who are incredibly excited. I also love Christmas carols with the messages of kindness and giving.

All of the holidays are little markers to add sparks through the year. I don't go all out for any of them but I do like to celebrate a lot of them in small ways. (I also get quite excited at the start of spring and all the flowers coming out.)

There is a huge amount of meaning behind Christmas for me and I understand exactly how and why I celebrate. I'm not religious.

Most people aren't miserable and depressed by the way.

Oh bore off. You sound insufferable. "I could just never live my life this way". Well don't then! How judgemental Live your miserable life however you want and those of us who enjoy a bit of nostalgia, a holiday in the middle of winter, some cheer and fun times with friends and family can live ours.

@zbw565 If you don't celebrate having quality fun time with your family then you don't need to understand it. You can just do you and not think about the rest of us enjoying ourselves. Merry Christmas to you and yours 🥳

I love Christmas! Not religious though. I love putting the tree up as it looks so magical, love buying presents for the kids, love wrapping the presents (I've previously made lots of reusable bags out of out wrapping paper), love doing our Christmas jigsaws and eating chocolate every day out of an advent calendar.

I love making oranges with cloves and making new decorations for the tree with ds every year. I love going to Christmas markets and seeing the Christmas lights. Love a roast dinner with all the trimmings, crackers (I fill reusable ones), I buy mostly games and puzzles for presents and we have a great few days playing them and the ones we already have.

Christmas is what makes winter bearable to me.

Because it really brightens a miserable season and it's one of the couple of chances in the year to spend time with my adult children and their families feasting and playing games.

Can't be as I think he's mine!!

I celebrate the solstice. A festival filled with lights reminds me that the dark doesn’t have to be scary and eases the transition to winter.

because of where I was born, the solstice is largely celebrated as Christmas so it is just easier to go along with the traditions and celebrations of my community. I’ve never believed it had anything to do with the Christian religion.

There were solstice celebrations before Christianity and there will be solstice celebrations when society finally evolves beyond religion.

I can understand people not wanting to be part of Christmas, Easter, Valentine's, birthdays, your whole list @zbw565

I can also understand people doing all those things.

We do some, don't do others. Are you really so unenlightened you can't understand why some people enjoy it?

We are not religious, in the religion sense, but we enjoy this crazy ride called life, with these stardust bodies we inhabit that will eventually return to the cosmos. In the UK, not sure where you are based, because of the earth's tilt and orbit, in the water holding goldilocks zone, winter, deep winter brings very short days, long nights, we are almost at that peak (this weekend if you are unaware). Stonehenge was built to note the shortest day as well as the longest, it is thought it was more important to know the shortest day to began the plan for next year's crops. (I can do a whole blurb on the beginning of agriculture but I'll skip that).

Looking at the sky has led to continuous, and remains still, a source of pursuit to the very edge of human knowledge and understanding of that time, there is other life out there but it's a fuck of a long way away.

If you know the continuous traditions throughout the ages of many human celebrations (and it might not be Christmas but all lands have similar festivities not just the west) you can use one time in the year to connect to the human celebration of ritual, charity, gift giving in thanks of our wonderful existence. Christmas is ours. This one time of year where you can choose, again not compulsory, to be part of that link.

So again I don't understand your lack of reasoning how others can want to be part of this.

And posting on the Christmas board is goady, you know this, I assume when people do this they just want online attention because something is lacking elsewhere. I might be wrong.

Perhaps if you want people to agree with your point of view, not goady, you might fare better on the Chat Board.

I could not agree more!!

It’s basically bank holidays you can do what you want with. For a lot of people that’s a tree, turkey, Wham, Baileys and board games etc. And for others it might be a simple dog walk and a takeaway. There’s no right way to celebrate Xmas, although I think you’re right about there being a big element of nostalgia to it, which is why a lot of people veer towards tradition.

Great, so don't celebrate it then? Not sure what the point of your rant? Is someone forcing you to celebrate? Is my enjoying twinkly lights, family time and good food destroying your life in some way?

I will never understand Christmas haters, it isn't an obligation. If its not for you, just move on...

OP, 3 ghosts...INCOMING!!

Also, listen if the doorknob wants a chat.

As soon as you start referring to people as sheep, it's time to step away from the internet.

I could just never live my life this way. Doing things like a sheep with no idea why I am even doing it.

I could never live my life by assuming that other people are "sheep" for participating in established social and cultural festivities, or that they have no idea why they're doing it. Why do you think that?

I know exactly why I'm doing it. It's the only time of year that everyone has off at the same time. It's a day to spend together, eat together and exchange gifts. Doing this is nice if you like your family, and strengthens family bonds. I actually am religious, and so I celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ (not literally). But even before I was religious, I value my family and so I value a day that is dedicated to joint celebration.

If you don't like it, don't do it.

Yup, like so many MN posts these days. I always wonder if people are genuinely so naive or deep down know they are being played but don’t care for the chance to say their piece.

This.
What brings you joy, @zbw565 ?

People can do what they want and it has no bearing on how I choose to celebrate and I'm not worried about how others celebrate or dont celebrate. I love this time of year with the twinkling lights, pantomimes and cosy chilled out movie nights. I'm certainly not forced to spend time with anyone apart from my own immediate family and its generally gifts, eating, drinking and having a banter.

You sound miserable and depressed.

I agree. It's forced fun. Don't care for presents either and ask people not to buy for me, because I buy things I like myself. If I want something, I buy it.

Can't wait until it's over.

You dislike Christmas, traditions, consumerism and sheep. I don’t know if you think this makes you alternative and edgy? Not like the rest of us. Well done you for figuring it all out and trying to herd us sheeple to a more enlightened state.

Except, traditions are important to human beings. Our celebrations mark the passing of the seasons, the changes through the years and through our lives. I doubt you’ll find any group of people (nation, tribe or group of like minded individuals) that don’t have any traditions that they follow and embrace.

You can dislike them, ignore them, rail against them but they will continue regardless. The spirit of Christmas is spreading joy and kindness to your fellow human beings.

Christmas is the excitement and absolute belief in magic on a small child’s face.
It’s spending time with friends and loved ones or remembering the Christmases you had with those no longer here.
It’s driving home and seeing cheerful lights and wonderfully absurd giant inflatables on a dark dreary night.
It’s a small act of kindness like helping other MNetters find a gift.
Or a bigger act like donating food, volunteering or the shoebox appeal.
It’s the comfort of tradition at the end of a long, hard year and the optimism and hope you have for the next year.

“To live without hope is to cease to live”

My hope for you is that you find something that makes you as happy as Christmas makes me.

Come back and tell us silly little sheep what we are allowed to enjoy then.