Just not into it this year.

[California]

It is about celebrating the birth of Christ....the rest is just BS and greed.

If someone is not a Christian, they should have enough conviction in their beliefs not to celebrate the holiday.

That sort of not-a-Christian description fits only a very few vocal anti-Christians.

My friends who are Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, or agnostic (indifferent) would all agree on a broader definition that Christmas season is a time to celebrate, honor, the human values that Christ shared with us. Every one of them - while not agreeing on personal salvation through Jesus, would strongly agree the Christmas season is a time to re-confirm the value of 'Peace on earth, good will toward men' as a goal we should all work to attain. For some that means working a shift on Christmas day. For all of these friends the Christmas season is a time to reflect on the state of the world around them in a positive way, reaffirm sincere friendships, show kindness.

 

[Diggin It]

Diggin It, I'm reading between the lines here but it seems like there has maybe been some kind of life changing event recently. Maybe you posted it and I missed it. I wish I had some brilliant advice other than to say its common for people to get depressed this time of year. All you can do it keep moving forward as best you can.

I can't really say that. While not 'life changing', the fall and hand injury (as comparatively minor as it will end up being) was definitely a wake up call. But the last 10 years or so have just generally been a whole lot crappier than previous ones and it's all wearing me down to where I just don't care about a whole lot any more.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I have trouble getting mobilized these days. Short daylight, cold, heating the shop (or trying too) is all more than I care to bear. And all the repetitive stuff (yes including holidays) just make you ask, what's the point for any of it?

 

[Doofy]

My folks always told me "Cheer up, things can't get much worse" so, I cheered up and sure enough, things got worse.

Depression is a State of Mind and it sure makes life miserable. Find a Good friend or even a Shrink that can help you out of the funk. Life is just to short to be miserable.

 

[JLH4]

We've given most of our Christmas stuff the our church's food pantry for people who can't afford it. We kept a few greenery things and the nativity scene for when the kids and grand kids come over. For presents we give 25 and 50 dollar gift cards, that keeps everything simple.
Marry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Joe

 

[bunyip]

And all the repetitive stuff (yes including holidays) just make you ask, what's the point for any of it?

I concur, one day (or a few more) of greetings and good cheer then back to shafting anyone who gets in the way, I just despise the shallow gestures and entire hypocrisy of it all.
One of our illustrious leaders legislated for casual employment for the workplace and got it, these places close down for a month over Christmas and the workers are subject to a month of poverty with no benefits until they meet the mandatory 4 week unemployment clause, then the same leaders get on TV just before their paid break and wish them prosperity and good wishes for the season.
I am not subject to this but I certainly feel for those underpaid employees who make so little that they cannot afford to save for the break.

 

[Bird]

For many years now, I've told people that compared to me, Scrooge could have been one of Santa's elves. I worked in the Post Office before FedEx and UPS, so Christmas just meant longer hours and more work, although a little overtime pay did help. Then in the Police Department for a few years I had to work Christmas Day, and when I didn't have to, I still volunteered so the guys with kids could be off. Now some of you know that the thieves and burglars do their Christmas shopping, too. So they ruined Christmas for a lot of the people who could least afford it; kind of depressing.

The first time in my life that I had Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off, I was a sergeant in a Burglary and Theft Unit, and Christmas Eve morning, my lieutenant called for me to come in to help one of my detectives. A caught thief pointed out places he and his confederates had burglarized, locations where the stolen property was stored, etc. I had to get some search warrants, got trusties from the jail to provide labor, and I drove the truck personally, and we put in a 12 hour day gathering up stolen property, logging it in to the Property Division, etc.

So now . . . . I don't know what our kids could use or need, so my wife bought a couple of toys for a couple of great grandkids, both of whom are too young to care.:laughing: And otherwise we'll just give them cash, which I know everyone can use.

 

[Diggin It]

For presents we give 25 and 50 dollar gift cards, that keeps everything simple.

I did US Bonds for a few years for a kid or two. They got spoiled rotten with housefuls of toys they'd never touch after a couple of weeks. They never even knew who bought what. The Bonds did them no good at the time, but I figured they'd feel better about them in 10 years or so.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I probably told the story about a private waste contractor my lady friend uses for her condos. He makes a killing at Christmas finding money and gift cards in the cards and wrappings. Heck, I think I have every greeting card I ever got.

They say a good number of gift cards are never redeemed. Why does everyone love and want money but are ashamed to give someone CASH.

 

[Diggin It]

How 'bout d'at gang? Ain't that the fanciest, most elaborate setup you ever saw?

View attachment 631373

Even got a stocking if anybody wants to toss a new life in.

 

[Bird]

I think I have every greeting card I ever got.

When my paternal grandfather died, Dad's sisters were going through everything and found that he had apparently saved every greeting card he ever received, and some of them had money in them; dollar bills that were silver certificates from long ago.

 

[drssg]

Cheer up, it could be worse.

Eric Idle - "Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life" - STEREO HQ - YouTube

 

[jjp8182]

Been there, done that, didn't get a t-shirt......

Personally, I've come to the conclusion (rightly or wrongly) that sometimes it takes going through **** (or places that make **** seem like a tropical paradise) to really learn to appreciate every day and find the little bit of peace and goodness in the things/people that really matter.

Might just be me, but there's something about realizing that every day you wake up is potentially one more than you expected (or could have had), and that even if no one ever says "Thank you" for what you've done that enables them to live they way they do you know what you've done, and those two things help find a bit of peace & happiness ..... granted that can be a tad hard to remember when they're acting like clueless morons who are making your life frustrating, but sometimes everyone else is just having a bad day.

Or to quote a scene from Kung Fu Panda: Kung fu Panda - Today is Gift - YouTube

(and on that note I may go watch that movie now......it never fails to give me a chuckle or three)

 

[Industrial Toys]

If you only look on the bright side you will never correct the dim things. I know too many people with that philosophy that never get ahead or our of their rut, pretending that everything is just GREAT.

 

[Imold]

Put a tree up day after Thanksgiving and do not know how much more we will do, wife usually puts up 3 six foot trees and then a 4footer in kitchen and a small one in each of the bedrooms but this year is different, guess we are just getting older and children are grown up, we have no grandchildren yet so it is pretty quite around the home, like some here our folks have passed on and other family members just live to far away to have a get together, Thanksgiving was just the wife and I and 2 of our adult children. One thing we still do is she plays the piano and I sing a few Christmas songs just to keep some of the traditions alive.

 

[Jstpssng]

Perhaps my favorite Christmas Carol will cheer things up a bit.

The Ramones- Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)- (Subtitulado en Espanol) - YouTube

 

[Gary Fowler]

Four years ago we spent Christmas with one of the sons in Ohio so no tree or light that year. The last 3 years, I put about 400 feet of lights on my front fence and that was it and no tree since we had no one that could come for Christmas. Was going to do the same this year but when I got out the lights every strand had 10 feet or more dead spots then 20 feet of lights then another dead spot. I just tossed them in the trash.

I had bought a dozen boxes of LED lights in the after Christmas sale last year so we used those to put around the windows in the house. I dont like working off a tall ladder so nothing goes on the roof eaves anymore.
We gave our fake pre-lit Christmas tree to one of our daughters last year since we hadnt put it up for years. So in the spirit of Christmas, I bought a real one this year to put up since we do have company coming this year. Wife decorated it after I got down all the ornaments that have been stored in the attic for 4 years and used some of the lights I bought last year. While in the mood we put some around the front windows and door, I put some around the garage door and some icicle light across the English Ivy on the end of the house beside the wall. Got to see what it all looks like after dark. I hope it looks OK cause we spent almost all day putting them up.

 

[Oaktree]

Not real big on Christmas either. My wife will usually put up some decorations in the living room, we have a 2' fiber optic tree we'll set on a table and I'll usually put lights on a couple of bushes on the property and call it good. We'll exchange a couple small gifts with each other, and that's about it. Just a nice day to unplug and hibernate.

When my paternal grandfather died, Dad's sisters were going through everything and found that he had apparently saved every greeting card he ever received, and some of them had money in them; dollar bills that were silver certificates from long ago.

A neighbor of mine had to put his 90+ year old mother in a nursing home this fall, and in the process of cleaning out her house for sale he found dozens of old greeting cards, envelopes, books, jars, you name it with currency stuffed inside. Apparently she was a real pack rat, and she'd lived in that same house for probably 70 years.

 

[fried1765]

Not real big on Christmas either. My wife will usually put up some decorations in the living room, we have a 2' fiber optic tree we'll set on a table and I'll usually put lights on a couple of bushes on the property and call it good. We'll exchange a couple small gifts with each other, and that's about it. Just a nice day to unplug and hibernate.



A neighbor of mine had to put his 90+ year old mother in a nursing home this fall, and in the process of cleaning out her house for sale he found dozens of old greeting cards, envelopes, books, jars, you name it with currency stuffed inside. Apparently she was a real pack rat, and she'd lived in that same house for probably 70 years.

Many years ago (when I was 9) my grandfather's bachelor brother died.
He was an eccentric, and did not trust banks, since he had grown up through the depression.

He owned a house with two small barns, and kept his old newspapers tied in bundles in the barns.
He had several thousand pounds of old bundled newspapers, which my parents began hauling to the dump.
The newspapers were tied together with old twine.

Several days later, near the end of the clean out, having hauled MANY bundles of newspapers out to our trailer, my dad dropped a bundle, the twine broke, and 50s & 100s fell out.
Mom and dad then broke open the remaining bundles, and found much more cash.
My parents were almost sick wondering about how much cash they had unknowingly taken to the dump.

 

[k0ua]

Many years ago (when I was 9) my grandfather's bachelor brother died.
He was an eccentric, and did not trust banks, since he had grown up through the depression.

He owned a house with two small barns, and kept his old newspapers tied in bundles in the barns.
He had several thousand pounds of old bundled newspapers, which my parents began hauling to the dump.
The newspapers were tied together with old twine.

Several days later, near the end of the clean out, having hauled MANY bundles of newspapers out to our trailer, my dad dropped a bundle, the twine broke, and 50s & 100s fell out.
Mom and dad then broke open the remaining bundles, and found much more cash.
My parents were almost sick wondering about how much cash they had unknowingly taken to the dump.

That strikes a chord. While we didn't find thousands, we did find a few hundred when my wife's mom died. We are very careful about throwing out anything of hers now. About a month a go we found several $2 bills and some Canadian money in a junk file cabinet of hers we were repurposing. She squirreled away bits of money here and there. She had dementia.