Now as we go into November, the recession-wary stores are pushing the “Christmas Season” harder than ever. I find it all a bit depressing-because our recent Christmasses haven’t been like the ones of our childhood. Yes, I know, you can never recapture your youth-but the things I loved about Christmas (in the past) just don’t seem to happen anymore. I remeber being a kid, and anticipating Christmass-the tree, the big family dinner, opening gifts, and visiting grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins. Now, our parents are gone, we have adult children who aren’t interested in hanging around, and we have no grandchildren (yet). I faked it last year-put up a tree, decorated the house, but it just wasn’t the same-we had a modest dinner at my brother’s, and that was it. Pretty sad-but it just isn’t a big thing anymore.
Anybody know how to get some of the (childhood) wonder and anticipation back? 
Sorry but generally you need a child for that. Sad but true.
Hang in there and hope for Grandkids. I felt EXACTLY the same until my (now 2 - 1/2 year old) Granddaughter was born…
This will be the first year in 15 years it’s really felt like Christmas, even though we’ll be spending it in Florida - with said Granddaughter.
Good luck!
My son’s girlfriend has two kids. I’m really looking forward to christmas this year. However, the gifting to the kids has me a bit stressed out. I’ve decided to go with art supplies and projects, DVDs and books. I don’t wanna bean 'em out on Aqua Roofies or anything.
I don’t know if there’s any way to recapture the childhood wonder of Christmas, but you might get back in the holiday mood if you start some new traditions. Do you have any friends or neighbors who will be alone for the holiday? Invite them over for a nice dinner. Donate some toys to the Salvation Army or Toys for Tots (my mom and I did this a few years ago and had a blast at Toys R Us). Bake a big batch of homemade cookies and bring them in for the people stuck working at KMart or Walmart. Volunteer to wrap gifts for charity organizations. Get a group of friends together and go caroling.
Whatever you do, focus on making someone else’s day a little brighter. That should give you some Christmas spirit. 
Christmases were, actually, always like this, more or less. The thing was, you were on the receiving end of them. Christmas as an adult is hard work, not waiting and anticipating and getting.
**Ladybug **is right, creating new traditions when the old ones fall into disuse (through conscious change or weariness or the death of those who implemented them) can go a long way to recapturing some of the magic. And the nice thing about volunteering is that, in many ways, it puts you back into that childlike place again. Someone else will tell you want to do and where to stand and how to be good and nice. And someone else will give you smiles and thanks and tell you how wonderful you are for just being there and being you - just like when you were 8. And, of course, there’s all those “there but for the grace of…” and “count your blessings” moments you get from seeing how badly your life doesn’t suck after all…
On the whole, Christmas gets really fun again when (or if) you have kids in the picture. I think I actually enjoy it more now that I’m grownup, really, because I can choose what I want to do. I’ve been having a lot of fun this week looking at Christmas crafty ideas at my favorite sewing blogs–people do handmade ornament exchanges, all sorts of fun things.
But ladybug and WhyNot are right–once you’re grown and it’s no longer all about you on Christmas (generic ‘you’), it’s time to start making your own traditions and focusing on others, and participating in the zillions of service opportunities available is a great way to do that. Think of all the people out there who are unhappy on Christmas and add something positive to the world, that sort of thing.