Not everyone celebrates Christmas

[FourChimneys]

Semi lighthearted but is anyone else exasperated and irritated by the assumption that you celebrate Christmas? If you were obviously from another culture it might be easier but otherwise the default is Christmas.

Nothing I do or say suggests this is the case but people persist. Eg in the supermarket today, getting some basics "Oh, hello Chimneys, doing your Christmas shopping?" Or "What are doing for Christmas?" Or "Finished your Christmas shopping yet?".

I know people are making conversation and I usually just smile and move on but it's as though an alternative viewpoint doesn't exist.

Utterly exhausting. :(

Sent them a Happy Solstice message earlier. Complete with an article so that they understand how most of the things they do aren’t actually to do with Xmas at all. 🤭

it shuts them up when they complain about how many presents they have to buy and I say that I haven’t done that for over 15 years and have none of that stress.

I have felt judged by people when I said I wasn't doing much for Christmas. They didn't say anything bad, it was more of a raised eyebrow kind of thing. Especially people who knew I had a young child.

These days I just say we will be at home. I don't elaborate on what we are not doing. If they assume I will be at home making a big family dinner, they obviously don't know me well.

Therefore you are NOT happy and content in your own world - you want to be spiteful and nasty. You want to SHUT THEM UP. No one is forcing you to "do " Christmas but you seem hellbent on attack - so much so that you need to point out to them what twats they actually are?

You know who you sound like, don't you @FourChimneys ?

"If I could work my will, every idiot who goes about with 'Merry Christmas' on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart."
Ebenezer Scrooge, A Christmas Carol

Complete with an article so that they understand how most of the things they do aren’t actually to do with Xmas at all. 🤭

I can’t imagine how many saw this and thought “twat”

I told them early on that I don’t really do Xmas and hoped that would be enough. It wasn’t. I’ve tThe past 12 weeks I have been subjected to daily conversations and cajoling about not understanding what I mean (headtilts galore).

I was pulled up in a functionaL meeting (approx 60 attendees) for not wearing a Xmas jumper. When I said I didn’t have one someone said they would bring one round for me. When I said that wasn’t necessary, and pointed out again that not everyone does Xmas they still continued.

I was invited to a team quiz this week where it was hidden from me that every round was about Xmas and then when I joined told I could go because there wasn’t going to be a single question I’d be able to answer.

Its bullying, in my eyes.

so today I wished them happy solstice, and when someone asked what that meant I shared an article that explained it, including those traditions that pre-date Xmas.

So no. It’s not me that’s the twat.

I’ve told 2 of them that my hatred of Xmas is trauma based. It seemed to make the one of them go at me even harder (they were the quiz master).

So compassionate.

That is grand. For many people, perhaps even most Christmas is nothing to do with god.

I don't believe in any god, either. I celebrate Christmas as a cultural festival that takes its cue from festivals like Saturnalia, the winter solstice, Hannukah etc. It's just the current British cultural iteration of a winter festival. I just like a bit of festivity.
(I also swam naked in the river at daybreak to celebrate solstice 😁).

That's your "reasonable" explanation of your earlier post. The earlier post was nasty, spiteful and vindictive.

Trauma based?

Yes. Deep trauma from childhood, reinforced as I grew up. And beyond that it’s absolutely none of your business.

"What are you doing for Christmas" is a perfectly reasonable question. It's two bank holidays, plus kids are off school (if you have kids). So it's equivalent to asking "got any bank holiday plans?" Or "what are you up to over half term?".

That’s your interpretation of it. 🤷🏻‍♀️

No comment on the bullying, I see. Interesting.

As I say, they’re perfectly happy for me not to do Xmas when it means I’ll work and be on call throughout.

The question is fine, if a bit presumptive. (Bank holidays are meaningless in a lot of industries.)

It’s the response to the answer “nothing” that’s the issue.

Brightest solstice blessings to you, @FourChimneys ✨✨

Well then don't use it as an excuse.

Sorry I didn't mean that to be harsh but it sounds like we are getting add ons here.

Mariel Thank you 🙂

Wheretheresmuck your post is offensive. Nowhere have I said that others should not celebrate Christmas.

"Bah, humbug!" 😋

Excuse me? What the actual fuck does it have to do with you?

This!

It always strikes me as ironic when Jews celebrate Christmas, because Chanukah is basically all about Jews resisting forced assimilation to a Hellenistic way of life.

Having said that, I've no beef with nominally Christian people celebrating Christmas here in the Uk. Surely it's expected. I lived in Asia for a while, where Lunar New Year is the big one. It's just the nature of countries and their festivals. If I wanted Chanukah to be the default, I would move to Israel.

You’ve got lots of books on diversity and like to make a point of saying how awful the British are with the colonial history. You’ve taken the knee, moan about the police. Holiday in the utopia that isFrance. Take your 3 kids to Marches about saving the planet without a hint of irony.

Christmas isn't a christian festival for most people.
Most don't give a thought about the christian "meaning".