I hate Christmas...anyone else admit it?
 

My family calls me Scrooge, although I'm really not as mean as Mr. Scrooge. I have not enjoyed Christmas for several years now and have tried to figure out why. I think it's because it stresses me out. I worry about money. I worry about giving the right gifts, or forgetting someone. I worry if someone gives me or my family unexpected gifts and I have not reciprocated. I worry that one kid might get more than another, I worry about hosting family for get togethers, I worry about what food to serve...the list goes on. I often wish we could skip Christmas and try to talk my husband and kids into not "doing" Christmas..but they just don't go for it.
I know I shouldn't worry about all these things, and as much as I try to tell myself not to (it's not about gifts! it's about the spirit of christmas and family)I can't help it.
I hate Christmas, I wish it would go away.

I LOOVE Christmas but i think my mom hates it like you. I think it stresses her out too although i tell her all the time it's not about buying stuff, its about family and happyness. lol im such a christmas dork:p

I don't hate xmas, I hate that i don't have enough money to buy all the things i would like to buy for family and friends.

I don't hate Christmas, I just hate all the packages that I have to deliver:)

I love Christmas, Its a time for Familys to get together and remember its Jesus birthday.
Yes I get stressed out around that time of year. with money, gifts , dinner. But its all worth it to me.

the money stresses most ppl out. how about have an envelope for each kid with the same amt of money in each. then only spend the amt in the bag on each child. that way u know their each getting the same amt. that reduces one of ur stresses. btw, dont feel like u have to give a gift in return if someone gives to u. i dont expect a gift all the time but love sharing:)

I love Christmas. I love the way my family is this time of year. I love everybody this time of year. Even on black friday. Well for the most part. I don't know, I just feel so peaceful and happy. It does get a little stressful at times but I don't know why, I just love it all. :p

I have not enjoyed Christmas since my parents passed. It just seems like it has gotten so commercialized, so many expectations. Why do I feel I must buy something for my friends even though I no longer celebrate Christmas myself? Why do they insist on buying for me even though I tell them not to? There is nothing I need or want, and I know it is the thought that counts but I would rather they save their money and put it to better use. Yes, I am a Scrooge. I even have a Scrooge ring tone on my cell phone. I guess I would like to see a shift from people thinking about "shopping" and "want want want" to "giving" and helping others in need, and not just at Christmas but all year long.

I am not enjoying this christmas. My son wants an XBOX 360 and I don't have that much money to spend on one thing. They are so over priced, like everything anymore. But we have our tree and sent our christmas cards. I do enjoy getting the christmas cards from other YT members. Hopefully I will get more into the christmas spirit. And we got snow yesterday so that helped.

I love Christmas and the reason for the season. I used to stress out about everything but have decided not to do that anymore....it's just a day. I decided that I wasn't going to worry about who went where, who ate what, and we as a family decided that we would only shop for the little kids...no adults. With 2 of the kids divorced that means grandkids are at different places so we plan a day when they can all be together and then write a letter to Santa and tell him which is the best day for him to come...maybe the day before or the day after or even on Christmas morning like this year. As for Christmas dinner, I buy a honey ham and usually all the fixin's and just heat it up. Make everything as easy as possible and everyone has fun.

I don't really hate Christmas, but my hubby and I occasionally just go away by ourselves and as such, we just don't "do" Christmas. Yes, we do buy our kids gifts, so it doesn't take away the stress of that part. But being away the week of Christmas by ourselves is nice and we like to do it sometimes.

I love Christmas...and the holiday season! There is just something in the air. Some people stress and worry about money and gifts (like my DH), but I don't. Those things aren't the true meaning for celebrating Christmas. This year, we told everyone that we are not going to stress and worry about gifts. Everyone will get one thing (something that they told us they needed/wanted) and that was it. Same here....only one gift to and from everyone...and that being something they would like to have. Afterall, we are just so grateful to be able to spend time with our friends and family....we all have time off work and why make that time stressful and uncomfortable. We just enjoy the fellowship and good food that comes with the season. :justahug:

I don't hate Christmas, but I totally get what you are saying!

Two years ago, my husband and I went to Costa Rica and spent Christmas on the beach. No presents, no rushing around. It was GREAT. Last year I talked my whole family into going away and we went to Mexico. Again, we spent Christmas on the beach and lounging by the pool. I thought it was especially great for my nieces to see that Christmas isn't JUST about presents, etc...

This year we won't be going away for several reasons. I have to admit it's fun putting the tree up and decorating the house. But I will definitely miss my magarita on the beach on Christmas day!

I don't think Christmas should be only about giving and receiving gifts. It's a celebration of Christs birth. We need to give thanks that we have each other. Even if we never give a gift, it would still be wonderful to have friends and family to share a big feast with to give thanks for all that we do have. One year I did not buy the boys anything. Instead I had them help me get home made goodies made, wrapped and we took them to the senior center. They were not too terribly happy until they started talking to all the old folks who didn't even have any family to share with. One of my sons even broke down and cried. Afterwards I took them out for pie and hot chocolate and coffee. They were very happy and to this day it touches their hearts to reminisce.

We love doing the traditional things here...tree, deocrations, making candy and cookies...having a big dinner of turkey and ham and all the fixings, etc. BUT we also know what we are celebrating and the kids do to. I like having that comfortable feeling..the feeling of warmth and friends and family, of tradition that hopefully our children will continue! I love the smells of the holiday season too....like my parents house on Christmas Eve...it smells the same as it did when I was growing up.....the food cooking, the candies being made, the cookies and pies baking, the real Christmas tree, the holiday scent of cinnamon................awwwwwwwwww:wub:

I think sometimes, it would be fun to "shake it up" a bit...get away from the "holiday madness" the "commerical holiday" etc. It has become too commerical anymore.......my parents have a cabin and every year I ask if we can have Christmas there........sit by the fireplace, have some cocoa and play games....just some nice time together, as a family.......with no stress, no worries...just being together as a family and being thankful for all we have been blessed with!

A lot of friends do the 3 gifts for their Children........here is what they do below................hope you don't mind me posting it here.

Begging for Myrrh

Stressed out by Christmas presents? Try this simple approach
to godly gift giving.

By Trina Conner Schaetz

If you're like most Christian parents, you enter the holiday season
intent on focusing your family's celebrations on the "true meaning"
of Christmas. We set up our nativity sets, bake birthday cakes for
Jesus, and reenact the birth of the Savior so that our children aren't
confused about what Christmas is about. Some of us even choose
to keep Santa out of our holiday to prevent our children from losing
sight of Jesus' birth.


But Santa or no Santa, most families find that the whole gift-giving
commotion ends up fizzling our focus anyway. Even if Mom and
Dad try to reign in the gift explosion, kids get oodles of presents
f rom Grandma and Grandpa, Uncle Bob and Aunt Susie, friends,
and even neighbors. As a result, our visions of a meaning-filled
Christmas get buried under all the wrapping paper, and by
December 26, we start making promises to do things better
next year.


In an effort to maintain some control over the lessons learned
at Christmas, my husband and I have come up with a way of
giving gifts that seems to work beautifully. Maybe you've tried
limiting your giving to three gifts per child to echo the three
gifts Jesus received from the Magi. But our idea takes this
plan a step further. The three gifts themselves symbolize
those that Jesus received from the wise men: "On coming
to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and
they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened
their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of
incense and of myrrh" (Matt. 2:11).


On Christmas morning, our immediate family takes time to
reflect on why we celebrate Christmas . Each child receives
three presents: one to represent gold, one to represent
frankincense, and one to represent myrrh. As we open
them, we talk about the special significance behind the
gifts that Jesus received, and how they symbolize Jesus
as King, as God, and as Savior.


Gifts of Gold

When Jesus was born, gold was even more valuable than
it is today. It was a gift that was fit for a king or someone
of the highest regard. What a great symbol it was for Jesus
to receive such an offering from t he wise men, as he is
indeed the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Not only did the gold gift signify Jesus' kingly position,
but in their book, Gifts for the King, (published by Priscilla
and Aquilla Ministries and available at house2house.org),
Bill and Leah Miller suggest that the gold may also have
helped Mary and Joseph escape Bethlehem. It may have
paid for the family's expenses and protection while they
traveled secretly to Egypt to flee King Herod.
This Christmas, explain to your children how the wise
men's gift of gold was significant to Jesus and his family.
Then give each child her own "gold" gift. The present
should be something of great importance to suggest
how valuable your child is to your family.
Gold gifts often end up being our most expensive
presents. For example, a gold gift might be the bicycle
a child has been dreaming about, the CD player she has
been saving for, or a piece of jewelry that seems
appropriate. For an extra treat, wrap the "gold" gift in
shiny gold paper with iridescent gold bows or ribbons.


Gifts of Frankincense

Frankincense is a white resin or sap taken from the
wounds of a tree found in East Africa and Southern
Arabia. Today, frankincense is known for its antiseptic,
anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory properties. No wonder
people in ancient times begged for it. It was probably
one of the ancient world's first "cure-all" medicines,
healing everything from infections to headaches. Surely
Mary and Joseph could use the gift of frankincense with
a new baby around.
Frankincense was also a sacred substance. In Exodus
30:34-37, God specifically requests that frankincense be
used as sacred incense in his Temple and forbids the
Israelites to use frankincense for anything besides his
religious purposes. God commanded the Israelites to
place frankincense in front of the Tent of Meeting to
scent the place where he had promised to meet with
them.

Years after that temple was destroyed, God sent his
own Son, Jesus, to b e a symbolic "Tent of Meeting"
for all people. How appropriate, then, that the wise
men brought frankincense as a gift for Mary's baby.
Jesus had become our Emmanuel: God with us.
With that in mind, your child's "frankincense" gift
should correspond with the way he "meets" with
God. For example, you could give your child a new
study Bible, a devotional book, a journal, or worship
CD as a frankincense gift. A younger child might
enjoy a Christian video or CD of children's praise
songs. Eventually, your children will be able to
identify the ways they most enjoy spending time
with God and will be able to suggest future ideas
for their frankincense gifts. As a symbolic touch,
decorate frankincense presents with bright white
paper and bows to represent the sacred white
incense that Jesus received.


Gifts of Myrrh

Like frankincense, myrrh is also a resin taken
from a special tree; however, rather than being
white, myrrh is a dark, earthy color and has a
rich aroma. In ancient times myrrh was used to
scent anointing oils, perfumes, and embalming
liquids. Today you can still find myrrh added to
some soaps, oils, and loti ons.

Miller notes that myrrh was more costly than
gold or frankincense because it was needed for
the sacred embalming process before a person's
burial. Still, it seems strange to offer an embalming
liquid as a gift to celebrate a baby's birth. But when
you consider that Jesus was born to eventually die
for our sins, the symbolism behind the treasured
gift of myrrh becomes easier to understand. John
19:39-40 confirms that Nicodemus did, in fact,
anoint Jesus with myrrh as part of his burial
preparation.

I a m not, however, suggesting that you give your
child a gift suitable for her funeral. Instead, remind
your children that even though Jesus started out as
a little baby, he was sent to die on the cross to take
the punishment for each of our sins. Then, as a family,
be thankful for Jesus' sacrifice.

For a "myrrh" gift, present each child with something
to "anoint" her body. For instance, you might give
scented bath soaps, perfume or cologne, lotion, or
shampoo. For younger children, choose colorful bath
bubbles or playful tub soaps. To stretch your options
a little far ther, consider buying combs, hair products,
comfy towels, or even make-up if it's age appropriate.
If you look hard enough, you might even find something
made with real myrrh. Wrap the myrrh gift with earth-
toned paper to represent myrrh's rich dark color.


The Real Gift

With a little creativity, these three gifts of gold,
frankincense, and myrrh will help remind your children
that Jesus is our King of kings, our Emmanuel, and
our Sacrificial Lamb. When the extended family arrives
bearing even more gifts, your children will already be
focused on Christ and be able to receive additional
presents gratefully and graciously. They might even
enjoy telling other relatives about their "wise men"gifts.
Have fun with this approach. Your kids might not get it
at first, but as the years go by, it will become a treasured
family tradition; it has for us. No matter how many gifts
come flooding through your door, the three gifts will help
your whole family remember that the most important gift
given on that first blessed Christmas came not from the
wise men, but from God: the gift of his Son and our Savior,
Jesus Christ.

Jenn218 thank you so much for posting Begging for Myrrh - I have never seen this before - I loved this, wish I would have seen this as my daughter was growing up.

We never used Santa as part of Christmas. I never taught my DD that there was a Santa - because so many children worship Santa rather than Christ - Santa takes the focus off our Lord. Also, it sets up a horrible precedent where parents lie to their chiildren. When they learn the truth, they also learn that mom & dad lied to them. If you lied to them about this, somewhere they wonder what else isn't true that you say. Of course, Santa is everywhere - so we made Santa more like Mickey Mouse, Santa could be fun, but make believe. And she was strongly instructed not to tell other children he wasn't real - because it wasn't her job to burst someone's bubble.

To the OP - I'm sorry you hate something that was meant to be a gift to each of us. Humans have an awful way of spoiling things. I wonder if you don't mean that you hate the commercialization of Christmas. I've had a bit of hard time getting into buying - because it's so hard to understand how a day to celebrate Christ's birth became about digging a financial hole and stressing yourself out.

I was feeling bogged down a but this year - but I stopped looking at the ads, and decided to buy gifts from local retailers - they have more unique items that you can give from your heart rather than, I've got to buy that happens at the mall & big box retailers. But I don't have to spend a bunch, go all out to impress anyone. Do what you can, decide what is important to you and let the rest go

I havent liked Christmas in years, 27 to be exact. Working with the public( I work in a major grocery store) has taken any fun out of the holidays. You get to see first hand the "Christmas spirit and cheer". I really think everything has become so much of a rat race and commercial that the true meaning is lost. My store was one of the "lucky" stores that was open last Christmas day. I, being stupid, volunteered to work. What a joke!! We had all the checkstands open from 6 am until 5 pm with nonstop lines. People werent just buying things they forgot, they were buying the whole kit and kaboodle!!! Plus, we had to post guards at each door because people were just walking out with cart-loads of groceries without paying. Unbelievable!!!!! And my store is in a good neighborhood.(I thought)
I feel that you have 364 days to plan for Christmas. No business needs to be open that day.

This year I did not volunteer to work and am spending a quiet day with my Mom.

This is the way my family does it, is all about been toguether with the family, the gifts is usually for the small children who still believe in Santa, all of the panamanias friends and family that I know does it this way. When I came here I was like in shock:eek:, and for some member of my hubby in-law family is like a competition who give more and expensive gifts:thumbdown , I also saw it at work in GE.

I don't hate christmas.. It's my favorite holiday!! It does stress me out because I don't have the money to get a lot. but I do the best I can! It's the thought that counts! and Christmas is about CHRIST!! and being together with friends and family anyway!
over the years it has gotten way out of hand. and so many people forget the true meaning !

I hate not being able to say " Merry Christmas",, i can't even find a Christmas card that says Merrry Christmas, it's either Happy Holidays, or Seasons greetings,,, what is this world coming too... it makes me so mad !!!!!!!

I LOVE Christmas but can understand how sad it can be for some - I'm trying to not be one of them this year...at this time - I can't afford gifts - but the way I see it is our REAL gift is our family, health & home and our adorable pets...when we have all that - what more can we ask for ?

well...ok - a new car would be nice but I think Santa has other ideas this year LOL...

Well - I could fix that !

I usually love Christmas but this year I am stressing out over money. have only bought two Christmas presents. It will work out though. I love decorating for christmas. We have collected alot of Christmas stuff through the years

Wonderful! And the true meaning of Christmas! I don't mean to diminish that part of Christmas at all! I just wish it was more about Jesus and less about commercialism!

Even church puts the pressure on me at Christmas with parties with small group, church play, food pantry drive, donations for angel tree...it just goes on and on....man am I ever negative about it this year! Help me Lord!!

My mom does that with us and all the grandchildren :) Each one's money is in an envelope and when its gone its gone!

I love Christmas too! I hate decorating though!

I love christmas .I just dont like the way it stresses me out buying all the gifts and getting behind in bills just to make sure the kids have a good christmas and fighting the crowds just to get that perfect gift .but on the other hand I love the family get togethers thats what its all about ,FAMILY.

do you have Merry Christmas cards?

She'll make you whatever kind of card you want! :D :D :D

I love Christmas because my family is very traditional when it comes to Christmas. My and my sister usually don't get gifts, instead we pool together the money we would have gotten and go out shopping for a needy family. My little brother gets gifts, but he still believes in Santa so I'm sure he'll get the idea soon.

I love making gingerbread houses and people my my family. We don't watch TV much during Christmas time because we are always cooking together and just sitting around together listening to Christmas music.

We decorate our two trees and put up lights on the house.

It just seems like everyone gets along better during Christmas in our house. I love it.:D