# Should you feel guilty going to a restaurant on Christmas? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 26, 2015, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-you-feel-guilty-going-to-a-restaurant-on-christmas/741364 "2015-12-26T03:59:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2015, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-you-feel-guilty-going-to-a-restaurant-on-christmas/741364/101 "2015-12-28T16:38:49Z")
I never wanted to work holidays so I sort of assume no one else wants to work holidays either so I guess it’s a damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation. Regardless of your choice, someone somewhere is grumpy about it. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2015, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-you-feel-guilty-going-to-a-restaurant-on-christmas/741364/102 "2015-12-28T16:42:28Z")
Anything that helps reduce the hype and expectations around 12/25 is okay in my book. The closer we can get to making it a normal day the better. If going to restaurants and movies helps, I’m all for it. I’m not saying we do away with Christmas for those who enjoy it, but let’s take it down a few levels, perhaps on a par with Flag Day. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2015, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-you-feel-guilty-going-to-a-restaurant-on-christmas/741364/103 "2015-12-28T18:05:38Z")
My daughter drove up from Virginia to spend xmas eve with us (best xmas gift I got). Around midnight she left to get home so she could work her xmas day shift, which she specifically requested for the extra $$. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2015, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-you-feel-guilty-going-to-a-restaurant-on-christmas/741364/104 "2015-12-28T18:06:56Z")
> [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](#): > > ETA: A little surprised that so many aren’t having some sort of traditional Christmas dinner at home with family. Did this make the things that used to be tacky thread? When you go out to eat on Christmas, do you take your kids, or do they and the nannies stay home? Sometimes people are alone on the holidays. Sometimes they’ve chosen to go out to eat after having cooked non-stop for the last month. Sometimes it’s a tradition for some other reason, like a service person’s layover before they go back to their base. Whatever, doesn’t mean that eating out on Christmas (or others’ high holy days) is tacky. Not that necessarily involves only the moneyed. As for my opinion… after the loss of my husband in November, I’m planning on going back to work at the beginning of the year. With that, it may very well mean I’ll have to work next Christmas. If so, especially if I’m waiting tables, I hope to the good Lord that I DO have customers, if for no other reason than to break up the boredom. The extra cash, if there’s any, would just be icing. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2015, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-you-feel-guilty-going-to-a-restaurant-on-christmas/741364/105 "2015-12-28T18:11:38Z")
> [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](#): > > ETA: A little surprised that so many aren’t having some sort of traditional Christmas dinner at home with family. Did this make the things that used to be tacky thread? When you go out to eat on Christmas, do you take your kids, or do they and the nannies stay home? Nannies? where did that come from? I think if I had a nanny, and he or she was working on Christmas day, I’d invite them to come to Denny’s with us. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2015, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-you-feel-guilty-going-to-a-restaurant-on-christmas/741364/106 "2015-12-28T18:35:16Z")
> [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](#): > > I am pretty sure the only business of any type open in my area was Walgreens. I made sure to get gas and food early on Christmas Eve, knowing there would be no options the following day. If something’s open, I would assume they want business. > > ETA: A little surprised that so many aren’t having some sort of traditional Christmas dinner at home with family. Did this make the things that used to be tacky thread? When you go out to eat on Christmas, do you take your kids, or do they and the nannies stay home? Did you intend to be judgey and patronizing? Because that’s how your question comes across. I think a lot of people do the traditional thing because they think the sky will fall if they dare to do something different. But sometimes they would be better off embracing change and not getting fixated on getting the Norman Rockwell tableau exactly right. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2015, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-you-feel-guilty-going-to-a-restaurant-on-christmas/741364/107 "2015-12-28T21:05:22Z")
> [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](#): > > …ETA: A little surprised that so many aren’t having some sort of traditional Christmas dinner at home with family. Did this make the things that used to be tacky thread? When you go out to eat on Christmas, do you take your kids, or do they and the nannies stay home? Do you honestly think everyone in America is a Christian? ---
**Author:** ![Pabitel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbce88/32.png) [@Pabitel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pabitel)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2015, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-you-feel-guilty-going-to-a-restaurant-on-christmas/741364/108 "2015-12-28T21:11:00Z")
We went out for Chinese on the 25th. We don’t celebrate the holiday because we celebrate the Solstice on the 21st-22nd. The owners don’t celebrate the holiday because they are not Christian either. Millions of Jews do the same thing([cite](http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-life-and-religion/53569/jewish-christmas)). Why should we sit home just because you are having a holiday. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2015, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-you-feel-guilty-going-to-a-restaurant-on-christmas/741364/109 "2015-12-29T13:39:00Z")
> [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](#): > > When you go out to eat on Christmas, do you take your kids, or do they and the nannies stay home? Nannies? Say what? Ohhhh, you mean the Au pair?! And no, we do not have any children. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-you-feel-guilty-going-to-a-restaurant-on-christmas/741364.md?page=5)