# How excited about Christmas are you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 25, 2011, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-excited-about-christmas-are-you/600752 "2011-10-25T17:38:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-excited-about-christmas-are-you/600752/101 "2011-10-28T19:52:15Z")
…speaking of Christmas Carols, what’s that one with the cat and the mouse locked out in the cold, and the mouse falls asleep and Santa Claus wakes him up and the mouse is all “Wake up, Cat! We’re saved!” but the cat had died while keeping the mouse warm and then Santa Claus takes the cat up to Heaven? WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-excited-about-christmas-are-you/600752/102 "2011-10-28T20:09:32Z")
> [@Soylent\_Juicy](#): > > …speaking of Christmas Carols, what’s that one with the cat and the mouse locked out in the cold, and the mouse falls asleep and Santa Claus wakes him up and the mouse is all “Wake up, Cat! We’re saved!” but the cat had died while keeping the mouse warm and then Santa Claus takes the cat up to Heaven? WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?! :eek: :eek: I don’t know that one! That’s.. I can’t think of what to call it. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Il_Palazzo)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-excited-about-christmas-are-you/600752/103 "2011-10-28T20:23:14Z")
Neutral. I’m a Christian, but I haven’t honestly been excited about Christmas in years. It’ll be nice to take some time off work and see some family I don’t get to spend much time with, but I still wouldn’t call myself “excited”, especially two months away. ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-excited-about-christmas-are-you/600752/104 "2011-10-28T20:39:04Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally Posted by Soylent Juicy > …speaking of Christmas Carols, what’s that one with the cat and the mouse locked out in the cold, and the mouse falls asleep and Santa Claus wakes him up and the mouse is all “Wake up, Cat! We’re saved!” but the cat had died while keeping the mouse warm and then Santa Claus takes the cat up to Heaven? WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?! > [@Flutterby](#): > > :eek: I don’t know that one! That’s.. I can’t think of what to call it. Here we go: [http://www.catcarol.com/](http://www.catcarol.com/) I seriously cried the first time I heard this song. It played on the Muzak, thankfully nobody was in my store at the time! ---
**Author:** ![BTEzra04](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9f8e36/32.png) [@BTEzra04](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BTEzra04)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-excited-about-christmas-are-you/600752/105 "2011-10-28T20:50:00Z")
I’m somewhere in-between neutral and pretty excited. I love Christmas music; it’s my favorite kind to play on the piano, and since I was in 3rd grade I woke everyone in the house with my own little Christmas day concert 🙂 But I’m not a kid anymore now; a lot of school and work hits me harder than it used to. There’s a lot of uncertainty about seeing some of the people I love most over the break. So all of that’s a little weary-ing. But I still love picking out presents that make the people I love smile. (And it’s awesome to see our dogs get to “open” their stocking 😛 The squeaky toys don’t stand a chance… ) My birthday’s also 11 days before Christmas, so the entire season has always been filled with anticipation for me. I love the atmosphere of the day, and the sweetness of the music. I know I’ll get more excited for it as it draws near. Uncertainty is bothering me, but hopefully that’ll leave soon. ---
**Author:** ![FlyByNight512](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/82dd89/32.png) [@FlyByNight512](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyByNight512)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-excited-about-christmas-are-you/600752/106 "2011-10-28T20:50:14Z")
Not looking forward to it. Commercialism annoys me, but the super-hyped-you-must-give-us-money-or-you-don’t-love-your-family version that shows up around Christmas and Valentine’s day drives me around the bend. And call me the Grinch, but I really don’t enjoy 99% of the decorations - give me a few white lights, pine wreaths, and a red ribbon or two and I’m happy. All the light-up, glittery, spinning, and worse yet TALKING stuff makes me want to go axe-crazy. As for the family stuff - eh, I could take it or leave it. My family’s not bad, it’s just that we see each other a lot anyway, and it feels kind of fake to make a big deal out of it one day a year. (Although I’ve never minded Thanksgiving, but maybe that’s because it’s more about gluttony than warm-and-fuzzies!) ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2011, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-excited-about-christmas-are-you/600752/107 "2011-10-28T22:25:04Z")
> [@Becky2844](#): > > Go to your local Dollar Store. Everything’s $1. I’m sorry but I just have to say this…there’s no excuse for disappointing a child on Christmas. They’d rather eat hot dogs on that day and get a present, than get nothing at all. I’ve been so broke before that Blah Blah Blah. Go to the Thrift store, they might have some things even cheaper than a dollar. Put your name on the list of Needy Families that the newspapers usually run during this season. Just don’t take the shine out of a child’s eyes. (And since you have kid(s) they should be reason enough to be excited, instead of worrying about your SO.) And on Dec. 26 start saving for next Christmas. It comes every year. Okay I suppose I shouldn’t have been so dark and negative. I will get her something, even if it’s from Goodwill, which is where she gets most of her toys and clothes and I’m not the least bit ashamed to say it. What she won’t get is the drum set or the Rapunzel Tower dollhouse she begs for every time we’re at Walmart or even the 20 dollar TV commercial slippers she wants or any number of insanely overpriced big ticket items she’ll never have. I am just disappointed by the commercial aspect of the family and magical happy Christmas I grew up with. We have no family anymore, I have no faith and Christmas is just another day I’m reminded of how crappy my situation is. Like I said, I just want it to be over with. ---
**Author:** ![BTEzra04](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9f8e36/32.png) [@BTEzra04](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BTEzra04)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-excited-about-christmas-are-you/600752/108 "2011-10-29T02:18:24Z")
Sending hugs your way,\*\* Rushgeekgirl.\*\* It would be so wonderful if Christmas were as magical as childhood made it seem to be. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-excited-about-christmas-are-you/600752/109 "2011-10-29T02:22:44Z")
> [@Dogzilla](#): > > I’m not a Christian, I don’t celebrate Christmas, and I don’t really care. > > What disturbs me, however, is the fact that last night, October 24th, I was driving around my neighborhood after dark and spotted two houses with Christmas lights up and on. Seriously? We have like 2-4 holidays to get through, depending on which religion you are and what country you’re in, and you’re just skipping over all of those and getting straight to The Most Commercial Time of the Year? I like the lights, don’t get me wrong. I like to get a buzz on and get someone to drive me around so I can trip out on all the purty lights. It’s just… too soon, dammit. I’d like to enjoy my high holy holiday, Halloween, first, thankyouverymuch. > > That is all. > > I am excited about December, because my office closes for the last two weeks and because I don’t celebrate Christmas, that time is usually relaxing and chill. I often get a lot of intensive house projects done because most of my friends are out of town visiting family. I bake eleventy billion cookies (a pagan tradition, mind you) and drive around on the Solstice delivering little goody bags to my friends. I look forward to that, too. That’s a lot of fun to just bang on someone’s door, hand them a bag of cookies, and take off. Usually, I’m invited in for samples and a glass of wine or something, but I excuse myself after about 20 minutes and wander on delivering joy and baked goods to my next stop. > > Christmas is just like any other day of the week to me. This whole thing made me smile. 🙂 Also, I love your cookie idea, and I am stealing it. 'cause I’m a thief. But I’ll thank you for it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2011, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-excited-about-christmas-are-you/600752/110 "2011-10-29T23:53:00Z")
> [@Kemanchi](#): > > Sending hugs your way,\*\* Rushgeekgirl.\*\* > > It would be so wonderful if Christmas were as magical as childhood made it seem to be. Thanks **Kemanchi**. 🙂 I think that’s a big part of it with me. I won’t say I was spoiled, but my family was very close and the holidays were huge with us. We had very specific traditions that were never, ever altered for any reason, from Thanksgiving to the new year we had perfectly structured plans, and yet it was so full of happiness and love it was never a burden. My mom and grandparents made everything special for me and my brother even after we grew up and moved out. Not presents; I mean we got them but it wasn’t the presents so much as the consideration and care we _all_ put in to everything. But when my mom died and then my grandparents both passed all in the span of three years everything about Christmas we loved ended. I’ve tried making new traditions but it’s not the same. My brother and his family always leave town and don’t really do anything special and I just try to force the jolly and quietly wait for it to be over with. You’d never know it if you were around our house of course! I am not a grouchy grinch or anything like that. Just quietly counting the days until January. ---
**Author:** ![AnalogSignal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/analogsignal/32/1085_2.png) [@AnalogSignal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnalogSignal)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2011, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-excited-about-christmas-are-you/600752/111 "2011-10-30T00:32:11Z")
**#OccupyChristmas** Stop shoving your stupid holiday down our throats. ---
**Author:** ![Becky2844](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Becky2844](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Becky2844)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2011, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-excited-about-christmas-are-you/600752/112 "2011-10-30T05:10:20Z")
> [@Rushgeekgirl](#): > > Okay I suppose I shouldn’t have been so dark and negative. I will get her something, even if it’s from Goodwill, which is where she gets most of her toys and clothes and I’m not the least bit ashamed to say it. > What she won’t get is the drum set or the Rapunzel Tower dollhouse she begs for every time we’re at Walmart or even the 20 dollar TV commercial slippers she wants or any number of insanely overpriced big ticket items she’ll never have. > > I am just disappointed by the commercial aspect of the family and magical happy Christmas I grew up with. We have no family anymore, I have no faith and Christmas is just another day I’m reminded of how crappy my situation is. Like I said, I just want it to be over with. I’m really glad you’re going to do that, Rushgeekgirl. I think it struck a chord with me because I had some…unfortunate Christmases as a child. And I can understand your feeling like you don’t have anybody, but to your little girl she has the world—you. hugz [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-excited-about-christmas-are-you/600752.md?page=5)