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

I'm going to guess that you reuse teabags, count every last penny you own, and shout a lot at random stuff, if you live on your own you are quite possibly lonely so this is a vent for you (well done) and if you do have a 'partner', I feel for them. Good luck with life OP

I wish there was a Seasonal Moaning board. All the grinches could congregate away from everyone else to have pointless ineffective moans about seasonal things that happen every year, and remain unaffected by their futile grumbling. It goes Halloween, Bonfire Night, Christmas, People outside in summer. Rinse and repeat ad nauseum.

Well Hello, Mr Scrooge. 👋🏻

i loved Christmas as a kid, haven’t been bothered since being about 15ish UNTIL I’ve had my little boy. Now seeing his excitement and joy has brought the magic back for me

Everything is expensive, everything is busy, being made to do things you don't enjoy doing and seeing people you don't particularly enjoying spending time with. Spending money you don't really have but feeling like you have to so you don't cause arguments. Feelings of sadness about the people you miss. The politics of pleasing everyone. The overeating and following feelings of guilt. The long January that follows.
It's great.

@Rolypolyup if that's how you do Christmas then perhaps you are doing it wrong 🤷

You don’t have to do any of those things. I have never overeaten and felt guilt, never spent money I don’t have. These things are in your control.

If you need the point of love and joy explained to you I think you need more help than mumsnet can provide. Good luck.

Joy is subjective- Ted Bundy found joy in committing murder.

Love ? What does Love have to do with celebrating Christmas 😂? Anyone who doesn’t celebrate Christmas is incapable of love? Oh dear please get out and see there is so much more to the world the cheap, tacky Christmas tat you get from home bargains and Amazon- that’s not how you show love.

what does love have to do with Christmas? Yeah okay you don’t get it. But interesting I must say that you choose to bring up a serial killer.

I never said a word about tacky crap.

But if judging other people and being bitter and twisted bring you joy as it would appear they do, take it offline.

if Christmas is miserable for you, it might be something to do with the miserable energy you put into the world.

You sound like an absolute fucking joy!

Well, I enjoy the excesses, the excuse to see family, give and receive gifts, have fun decorations up and watch nostalgic movies and listen to themed music.

If that makes me a sheep, then so be it.

If you don't, then don't do it. Sounds bloody miserable to me though, as I assume you hold the same attitude for any other tradition, like birthdays etc.?

I like the lights, bit of time off work, giving a gift that someone loves and I quite like an after eight 🤷‍♀️ I do quite like a party and I like dressing up.
I go through the motions until January.

I can understand the original post and reading some of the responses sounds like you're trying to convince yourselves that you like it rather than to the OP.

Perhaps your experience of Christmas has been cheap and tacky but for most of us it isn't about cheap, tacky and consumerism.

Either you're a Jehovah's Witness or similar (in which case you do you nobody is judging but back the fuck off judging our choices too) or you're a narcissistic twat who needs to give their head a wobble.

Oh and I never said anyone who doesn’t celebrate Christmas is incapable of love, (that is some inflammatory, vile and disingenuous word twisting on your part)I said anyone who doesn’t understand why others like Christmas must not understand love because it is the whole wildly obvious meaning behind the holiday. Christ represents love and the secular version is still about showing love for family and friends and humankind in general (tough as that is to feel these days) with decorations to make others smile, gifts and gestures of goodwill.

That thick smear of bitterness on your glasses is obviously making it hard to see what basically everyone else can. You certainly don’t need to celebrate a thing to understand the basic human impulses that underlie it. You do need some degree of humanity though.

So you are ranting about people celebrating christmas, why? What difference does it make to you if others celebrate it? Why the rant at people who love christmas?

You never see those who love christmas raging at the ones that don't celebrate! Or I certainly haven't anyway!

Freedom of choice is a good thing OP!

I don't even celebrate it myself and even I can see why people love Christmas lol. I know plenty of people who still celebrate it without spending much at all since you seem bothered by the capitalist side of it but just enjoy the chance to be with their family and bring a bit of colour and light in the dark winter months. It is a bit sad how you talk about nostalgia, family, a chance to relax etc as though they're negative things though. Out of curiosity do you celebrate birthdays and weddings and any other traditional celebrations?

Also fairs if you don't understand it but what a killjoy to attack those who do and act superior

I hate it too. I never enjoy it and I don't want to be skint all year because I've spent everything. I never celebrate it. I'm not a Christian so why?

Are you a minority faith? Do you live in the UK?

Christmas isn't an all out extravaganza spending more than you can afford so you end up in debt. It is about being with your loved ones and creating memories. You can't put a price on that, and it can absolutely be done without consumerism and spending tons on tat or things people don't need / can't afford. People have a choice in that.

I don't think someone from another faith would have this attitude either - they have days that are special to them that they celebrate. The OP is basically bashing any celebrations or events at all. Which again you crack on and do that, but don't shame everyone else or call them sheep if they wish to celebrate these things.

We all make choices... sheep don't make choices..

It's a day to get together with family. Have a turkey roast and a box of roses. That's nice and it's part of the culture if the UK where most of us live. And even if you don't follow Jesus's Christ you have to admit he was a very nice chap with some wise things to say

Winter is long, dark and cold.

Almost all cultures have celebrations in winter because of this - to bring some light and joy into a hard time.

It's pretty tough at the moment. I find it hard not to sink into fear and misery and cynicism.

Sometimes I really don't want to make the effort to celebrate/see people/sort out the admin for Christmas - but I do, because I know that it will bring joy to people that I love, and that will bring me joy.

Nothing to do with Jesus or any other religion in our house. It's just a seasonal tradition/ritual that we all enjoy and want to continue with. What's the problem with that, exactly?

I have magical memories of my childhood Christmases and enjoyed creating similar for my daughter when she was little. Perhaps at some stage in the future, I might be part of creating that same magic for any future grandchildren as well. For the time being, I enjoy the rituals, the gift-giving, the special meals, the time with family and the time off work etc. If that makes me a sheep, so be it... I'm not forcing anyone else to go along with it!!