:dubious: Back when I was a freshman in college (when dinosaurs roamed the earth), I would not have been able to afford either (a) a car or (b) a parking pass for the car I didn’t have. But there’s nothing so fun as laughing at the “have-nots”, right?
I’m not one to proliferate the whole tired “cite?”… “how you doin’?” numbskullery… but my email is conveniently located in my profile should you want to fight my ignorance of this fact.
I’m with Jodi, as usual. I adore Christmas. But I have to work really hard to keep from having stress imposed by other people from ruining my holiday spirit.
And you know what? Thanksgiving just pisses me right off. His family does Thanksgiving BIG. My family never did, and I liked it that way. So we’re “obligated” to spend Thanksgiving with them. It’s not like we spend the day talking about what we’re thankful for, either. It’s food, football and family. Which is great, if you like any of those three*. 
For me, Thanksgiving is just the “kickoff,” to borrow a football phrase, to the Christmas season. The real Christmas season, not Hallowgivingmasyear.
*Actually, I do enjoy football, but I always end up in the kitchen with the other womens. :rolleyes:
I’ve heard the suicide rate always spikes around Christmas. Don’t know if that’s true, but it wouldn’t surprise me. If you notice you’re unhappy at the time of year you’re supposed to be happy . . .
Fucking Hallmark must have taken them down and replaced them with Santa Claus cutouts. The bastards!
I like this pitting just for the turn of phrase “Mayhap a job at Cinnabuns.” And since you count “A, B, 2, 5,” I believe you when you say you’re a liberal arts grad. 
A good pitting on a very worthy topic, and right around the time I was starting to think about this irritating issue myself. Lately I’ve taken to saying that there are only two seasons left in the year: Christmas and pre-Christmas.
Well, for me, it’s the drinking, as long as it ain’t on my dime. The eating’s good, too, as long as, of course, I don’t have to cook it.
Are you my long-lost twin?
Seriously, as a rarely-broken rule, I don’t do the gift thing, either. It’s not my way of saying that I don’t care about you–it’s just that I hate shopping. Despise it, actually. As I do trying to figure out what you, you, you, you, and you might want, y’know?
And, please, honsetly, don’t go through the trouble for me. Really, it’s cool. Whatever I want, I can buy for myself. And the fact is, my material wants and needs are, with little exception, distressingly simple. Shelter, sustenance, wine (yeah, WINE, and good scotch, too), a few items of clothing to replace worn-out items, and, once I’m no longer burdened by school and work, international travel–or, hell, travel, period.
If you really, really MUST give me something (despite my repeated objections), unless it’s something that you’re sure I’d appreciate but wouldn’t think to buy for myself, money’s always good. I’m no fool, so I won’t be offended by the so-called lack of thought that goes into such a gift.
Barring that, give to some meaningful charities. Year-round, if you can afford it. Doesn’t have to be in my name. Just give. Try to fulfull a need for someone who really *has * a need. That’d be really cool.
As for the rest of the holidy stuff? Meh.
Though I AM doing my eyeball exercises in preparation for the the many :rolleyes: 's that will surely ensue upon hearing Christians (the nut-job, insecure ones, I mean) bitch and moan about how Christmas is under attack because they can’t put their baby Jesus in the town square, or because people are saying “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas,”* or seeing the relentless “human interest” stories about overcrowded malls/airports/train stations/bus stations, what’s big this season, who camped out overnight in frigid temperatures for the “big thing” this season, blah-blah-blah.
Oh, and the bullshit heart-tugging, pat-ourselves-on-the-back stories about how people are giving to the needy because “this is the season for giving, y’know?” despite the other three-hundred-some-odd days of the year that people are in desperate need. (Hence my “year-round” comment above.)
Yeah, meh.
Oh, and to the OP: I don’t know how old you are (though I’m guessing early 20’s), but let me tell you what I think one of the greatest gifts of adulthood has been for me: Being able to decide that, if I don’t *want * to see/talk to you or have you in my life, I don’t *have * to see/talk to you or have you in my life. No explanations necessary. And I still sleep soundly at night. Priceless. Absolutely priceless.
*Which reminds me: I’d better dig up my yarmulke with the Santa and reindeer and Jesus-in-the-manger motif, all the easier to identify myself to the clueless as a Jew who really gets the warm and fuzzies every time I’m told to “have a Merry Christmas!” Y’now, since my regular, run-of-the-mill heathen motif yarmulke isn’t sending that message. (Okay, okay, even though I do dig Handel’s Messiah, and will more often than not listen to it when I’m around and my local classical music station plays it on Christmas day. And no, I don’t really get all THAT worked up over the “have a Merry Christmas” thingie–please, I got bigger fish to fry. Mostly, I find it…annoying. First of all, PAY ATTENTION–yarmulke =/= Xmas. Secondly, you don’t speak to me any other time of the year, so why fake it now? And thirdly, Christmas is not my holiday, so I really won’t feel offended or excluded if you don’t wish me a “merry” one.)
When I run for president, my major platform is going to be to end Thanksgiving as a federal holiday. It is a terrible holiday anyway. Let’s face it, American don’t need another excuse to gorge themselves. That competes with “Everyday Day”. The timing is pathetic as well. The harvest comes much earlier in many parts of the country and it sits right in between superior holidays. Also, contrary to popular belief, most people don’t like traditionally cooked turkey. That is why you can walk into Home Depot before Thanksgiving and find all kinds of alternative cooking equipment including peanut oil fryers. Ban the whole holiday or at least make people take a vacation day if it is that important to them. I suspect few will.
Halloween on OTOH is probably the best and most pure holiday rivaled only by New Years Eve and the forth of July. It should be made a federal holiday to help it grow even more as a fun yet family oriented holiday.
Christmas is Christmas and all that entails. It would be better if it was viewed as a secondary holiday (see the preferred holidays above). Once Thanksgiving is legally restricted and Halloween steps up to the plate, I believe the holiday season will be much less hectic, bearable, and fun for everyone.
Not to mention - most of us don’t harvest shit!
I think the holiday season is that time of year when everything should be so great, yet it’s crystal clear how truly fucked up everything really is.
With that said, I love Christmas and my goal this year is to get off my well-toned ass and send some friggin’ cards. At this rate I’ll be sending actual presents by the time I’m 35…
Oh and smiling girl (nikonikosuru), since you asked for a little pain… umm… you suck and your face smells like Santa’s bunghole! (Seriously though, if you ever get too stressed please don’t hesitate to shoot me an e-mail)
What makes it even funnier is that 1 out of five students have shorts and flip flops, a HUGE warm as hell looking coat (usually some expensive brand), and shivering like crazy.
Thanksgiving and Christmas are the two times a year I absolutely have to see my evil, vile half brother and his nasty wife and their horrible children. And it’s twice in a month! And it really, really, REALLY chaps my ass that I lovingly make Thanksgiving dinner because I like to cook and it takes a burden off my mom, and it’s eaten by people I absolutely despise.
On the other hand, my 92 year old grandmother might come down here for Thanksgiving this year. That would be special. (The kind of special that also has people in it that I hate, though.)
I’d happily hide in a foreign country throughout the holidays, but unfortunately my SO is one of these people who are REALLY REALLY into Christmas, so no way.
On the bright side, I did manage to get her to start buying decorations that fit with my twisted sense of humor
NEEDS…MORE…ANGER!!!
But you’re right. What Christmas has morphed into basically sucks. It’s an excuse for retailers to start putting out Christmas stuff before it’s even Halloween. Hell give it 15 years and we’ll have Christmas year-round. I already see people leaving up Christmas lights all year and I swear there is a house around here that has a Christmas tree up and lit all year. White lights at least (for now.)
I hate shopping for presents, I hate wrapping presents, I don’t really need to get presents. Christmas is pretty much for the kids, they get all these toys they don’t need and it trains them to be good grown-up consumers spending themselves into tons of credit card debt to try and recapture that Christmas morning feeling they had when they were children.
Every time a Christmas song comes on the radio I switch it (with the possible exception of “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” I get so sick of those inane songs, the worst of which is Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.
For what it’s worth I guess Christmas is good in that it gets my family together, we’re not very good at keeping in touch. But otherwise it’s just a big hassle and way for stores to make more money.
On behalf of buzzkills like me everywhere, thanks. No one has any right to rain on your parade, and despite my own feelings, I wouldn’t dream of it.
It is not the theme or religiosity of the holidays that upsets me. Perhaps I am a defective person, but I just find it difficult, no, impossible to relate to large communal outpourings of anything, especially joy. I loathe Christmas not because of its “Christmasness” but because seemingly unlike most people around me, it fails to excite any cheer in me whatsoever.
I have no need to go out of my way to make anyone else share my feelings. The world is definitely a better place because most people don’t.
However, I do not really appreciate it when the green & red sweaters tell me that I just need to lighten up, to drink more eggnog, to go to yet another tedious holiday party. They make me want to crush their joy like a three day old pimple and watch the white christmas ooze out.
By the way, Jodi, it’s been way too long since we’ve talked. 
I like Christmas, it’s a fun time of year, but yeah by Christmas day I’m sick of it.
Certain people, I never know what to get them. I only buy presents for some of my family, or the ones well see that day/around then but if I could stop giving them presents and them giving me I would without a flinch. Okay, the ‘Santa stocking’ with the kitschy stuff is a fun tradition, but the rest? I can buy what I want or need on my own thanks.
At least I got Grandma to only give me jams and such that she makes. She always has more than she can eat and we love it, and I know she’s not spending lots on me on her fixed income.
I feel really bad for my son who’s birthday is on Christmas day. This year we’re going to try and do a birthday party for him (not just cake and presents on Christmas eve like we have until now).
I look forward to seeing my family, having a good meal and just hanging out to see the cousins that I don’t get to see the rest of the year. We get along fairly well, so there’s not much drama touches wood except for splitting my time, but since my parents were divorced awhile ago I’m used to it by now.
I call the holiday season Consember.
It’s a celebration of the consumer in all of us. :rolleyes:
And it starts earlier every year. The whole genesis of it is the notion that if holiday sales targets go up every year, one reeeeeeeally easy thing you can do to ensure you hit those targets is…wait for it… extend the season.
When I was younger, my mom used to say to me how she regretted how Christmas overshadowed Thanksgiving, since Thanksgiving is such a nice holiday that ought to be appreciated on its own. Funny how years later, I feel the same way about Christmas overshadowing Halloween.
I am finally going to truly enjoy Christmas this year, the first in many. You see, my wife and I decided to forget everyone from the extended family and just take our two kids to a place up in the mountains with the snow.
No dealing with my bitchy sister-in-law (in truth, she gets bitchy at the Holidays because her husband can be a dickhead at the holidays).
No dealing with disapproving looks from my father-in-law regarding how my younger child is acting.
No dealing with the racism of my father or father-in-law.
No dealing with my brother’s constant need to affirm himself (bro - I don’t compare myself to you. You are doing great in your life - revel in it and stop thinking that you STILL need to prove yourself in front of dad.)
Just me, my lovely wife, and our two kids. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.
I’m with you on this one. What makes it ten times worse is when an announcer says these things in a shitty Dracula or Frankensteinish voice.
Eh. Halloween is a bore, and Christmas is my wife’s favorite holiday, which means I have to face endless carols on the stereo, dressed-up cats and the odd jab about my lack of holiday spirit. But she has so much fun getting into things it’s hard not to go along for the ride. But anybody who tries to fuck with Thanksgiving is in for it. Yeah, I’m looking at you, Shagnasty. For the last 24 years, a group of us has headed out into the desert to camp over Thanksgiving. I wouldn’t miss that trip for anything. Nothing better than sitting around a campfire, sipping good booze with good friends after a day of mindless shooting of beer cans and the blowing up of random crap we brought out to destroy.
So no, I really can’t get behind this Pitting, although I fully support the rights of those who do to vent as needed.