Christmas. It’s Almost that dreaded time again, folks. Everybody’s getting all uppity and excited down my way. 'Cept me that is. Cos I still have no fucking idea why I’m supposed to feel so cheerful. Or even what it’s all supposed to represent.
Is it supposed to be :
A money making scheme cooked up by corporate shareholders (like me!! YAY!!) to increase profits around the tail end of December?
Thinly veiled (or not so thinly veiled) attempt by Christian/Catholic Church to brainwash little children into “accepting” Jesus Christ (a “man” who btw it must be noted left NO actual physical proof of his existence - ie written works etc - and who is not once EVER mentioned in records that were kept DURING the supposed timeframe which he is supposed to have existed. And a man whose “life” eerily resembles that of other deities / divine beings of more ancient religions) as their Lord And Saviour??
Religious wank?
A lame excuse to dress in gaudy outfits and stuff yr face while watching soppy kids tv programs?
For me personally, Christmas is just tedious. There’s nothing on tele, the weather (here in Australia) is disgustingly hot, everybody I know has gone away on holiday and to make matters worse, in-laws and pesky relatives (the ones that never bother with you during NON Christmas-y periods) are suddenly infesting our house like some god-forsaken outbreak of head lice.
I don’t know about you but I’ve had it with Christmas. You can take yr jingle bells and yr egg nog and shove that shit up the proverbial pie hole, Santa Boy.
This year I’ll be either locked in my room, listening to Merzbow and Whitehouse or upstairs watching Silent Night Deadly Night (and all its merry sequels) while downstairs resembles a cross between Home Alone and Apocalypse Now: Redux.
Anyone with me? (Please don’t start getting all ho ho ho on me now! I’m counting on yr support.)
Jesus Christ (a “man” who btw it must be noted left NO actual physical proof of his existence - ie written works etc - and who is not once EVER mentioned in records that were kept DURING the supposed timeframe which he is supposed to have existed. And a man whose “life” eerily resembles that of other deities / divine beings of more ancient religions)
Excellent point/s.
Do you know, there’s so much that isn’t made known about, as you put it, the “life” of this Jesus character. Why are there so few recorded references to him around the time he is supposed to have lived? Why did he leave no written examples of his dogmatic philosphies and life’s work, when many lesser celebrated individuals who lived at the same time have left a multitude of plentiful written documents? And why do the gospels of the New Testament glaringly contradict each other regarding key events in Jesus’ supposed life?
Something the scale of the 9/11 attacks occurs (I’m referring to Jesus’ crucifixion here) and nobody at the time bothers to document it until at least 100 years later? Makes no sense.
I’m definitely with you on that one.
Anyone with me? (Please don’t start getting all ho ho ho on me now! I’m counting on yr support.)
What is your WORST memory of Christmas???
[:|]
My worst memory? Probably picking up a plate at the dinner table and smashing it against the wall in front of 20 or so assembled friends and family because my bitch ex’s hostile sister and prick husband can’t refrain from making snide comments about personal matters that are none of their fucking business.
Worst memories:
My aunt showing up drunk every Christmas that I can remember (and that my mom can remember).
The first Christmas without my grandmother who died on 9 December; I was 13 when she died.
The first Christmas without my cousin who committed suicide.
Never getting anything that I had asked Santa to bring on any Christmas.
My other aunt being an attention whore times 1000 and making many scenes over the years.
My oldest cousin being a grumpy asshole.
Opening the shed door on Christmas Day in 1982, to put away my brand new bike and almost stepping on a two metre King Brown Snake, which had somehow slithered in under the door.
If you knew anything about the King Brown, you’d realise the gravity of the situation.
Ehhh, whatever. I got no beef with Christmas because I just always do it on my own terms and don’t let it stress me.
First off, my wife and I don’t make a big deal about having to buy each other any fancy presents or anything. Sometimes we make each other cards. Sometimes we might give each other something if we found something the other might like. But usually we don’t really do much at all because . . . well, doing stuff takes energy, and screw that.
I get a minimum of 1, but usually 2 days off of work, so that’s awesome. And there’s a Christmas party BBQ at work (and we get off early) and the Pres usually gives me 2 or 3 crisp Benjamins as a present.
Rooms are ultra cheap (that means FREE for me) in Vegas and I can stack offers to stay as long as I feel like. Christmas in Vegas is awesome. No worries, no responsibilities, and NO FAMILY.
What else . . . maybe get some pumpkin pie and/or turkey somewhere.
I don’t really pay attention to what’s on TV anyway, so I’m not freaked out by all the commercials, and I don’t go to malls much, so the music doesn’t get to me either (I do hate Christmas music, though).
Plus every Mexican is making too many tamales and either wants to give them away or sell them cheap. Either way, I’m gonna eat a crap load of tamales.
Oh, and I can buy myself Cheesecake Factory gift cards which earns me a bunch of coupons for free cheesecakes which I’ll eat all myself because I’m my favorite person to give gifts to and I love cheesecake.
Oh, also Eggnog and a bunch of seasonal Christmas beers. Get loaded!
I used to hate Christmas. As a Jew on Xmas, it was pretty depressing. But now, my ersatz g/f and I spend the holidays with her family in North Carolina, and they know how to party, so I can’t complain - other than to say that for those of us who don’t do much gift shopping, but do our fair share of personal shopping, December is Hell.
I always ate and drink well at christmas and that’s why I don’t hate the day itself and the family meeting.
What I do hate with all my strengths is christmas lightning and all the decorations that fill the city as soon as late October. It’s really a dark time to me, the days became increasingly shorter and cold, and everywhere I go there’s these lights blinking; angels, trees and whatever, trying to give me an epileptic attack. And there is also the fake snow, the advertising, frenetic people shopping, my wife telling me that we must buy something to our close family and friends…
My wife and I were really lucky with our son. Ever since he was able comprehend the situation (4 or 5 years old), he never liked the concept of Santa Clause.
He didn’t like the idea of some strange man in our house (smart kid), and he kept asking questions about how it was possible to go around the whole world in one night.
So we decided to tell him the truth. We just had to tell him not to tell any of his friends. (We had to tell his teachers too so they knew). But it was great. No santa lists, no sneaking gifts into the house, etc.
Plus, I think he was kind of proud knowing he knew something that all his friends didn’t.
You guys over think Christmas too much. I’m in it for the fine fiests and parties here and there and whatever presents fly my way (not many btw). All I got last xmas was an ugly shirt and some cheap cologne.
I never spend much either, unless someone deserves it, in which case i don’t mind splurging on that individual.
Food is life, though. Eat your turkey and potatoes, friends.
I used to love Christmas as a kid. I wouldn’t sleep the night before just out the excitement of getting toys.
As an adult, not so much. My dad is really into it, but everyone else got to the point where it should primarily be for the kids, and we would do a gift exchange just to say we participated.
I do enjoy getting time off work and spending time with family, but the corporate and religious side of things are really annoying.
My BIGGEST gripe with Christmas is seeing decorations in stores while I’m getting my Halloween stuff. FUCK that shit. Seriously. Christmas takes up Nov/Dec/Jan. It doesn’t need October too.
I hate Xmas cheer and all that goes with it…don’t mind the actual day though…as others have pointed out it’s good for feasts and spirits…with that being said,I’ll probably be drinking and listening to Red Water by Type O Negative by 10am…
Christmas Day is essentially a festival of antiquity anyway, so I celebrate whatever ‘pagan’ aspects of the holiday still survive and jettison the rest. I just see it as a kind of solstice festival, and focus on the themes of regeneration and recurrence which the Christ myth is just a bad copy of.
From what I understand, the only reason we even celebrate Christmas on December 25 is because of the Roman celebration also occurring around December 25 - the worship of “Sol Invictus” or unconquerable sun. The two celebrations seem to have gotten merged together during the reign of emperor Constantine, probably as a political expediency not to anger either pagan or Christian believers.
A Christmas thread already?
Even Wal-Mart waits until after Halloween.
I don’t know if you live anywhere in the vicinity of a HOME DEPOT, but step inside any of the ‘big orange’ locations today (yes, before Halloween) and you will be greeted with a shit-ton of Christmas decorations, baubles, gewgaws etc. In the location I visited, they were already playing Christmas muzak.
Yet another reason why I have made magick against the Depot, calling forth ancient winter demons to torment the company brass in their sleep. I primarily go there because they allow dogs inside and so it’s a good way to keep my dog socialized (and to give him the chance to relieve himself all over the sorts of displays that I mentioned above.)