Prbably not a new subject but I did not know where to put this. We are still 2 months away from Xmas yet I have already found many people stressed out about it. Some are worried about money, some about where to be on the various festive days especially 25th and others that there will be disappointments and expectations not met. Daresay there are other bothers too. This is the only Holiday which seems to have so many problems. It is impossible to please everybody. Has anyone any ideas to make this period an easier truly happy time ?
Christmas is fine for me. I leave it all to my wife. She loves it.
Schedule a day for yourself (Saturday, Sunday) or with someone of completely like mind to just go out, look at the lights and decorations, listen to Christmas music, eat Christmas goodies, and just walk or drive around, and get in the spirit of the season. No shopping, no stress, no commitments - just take it in. I recommend doing this at least 2 weeks before the 25th, so you are in the mood when the day comes.
Let go of expectations and enjoy it for what it is, just another day in the week. You can choose to engage or not engage in the customs you wish.
Buy the presents with plenty of time to spare. Don't leave things for Xmas eve, 'cause that really stresses most people out!
I concentrate on the parts of it that I enjoy, and can do, and just don't bother with the rest.
I don't get stressing about this sort of thing. If your family is so awful you're having serious anxiety over seeing them, perhaps you're better off without them. Not that visiting in laws or whatever needs to be your preferred way to spend the day, but it shouldn't ruin the entire season for you.
Similarly, if shopping and gift giving stresses you that much, tell your family and friends you no longer wish to participate in gift giving. If they have a problem with that, see the previous paragraph.
If people around you insist on being overwhelmingly negative, be positive and don't get involved. I find if you sympathize but disagree and disengage you lose a lot of the relatability that these people are looking for. Basically cut attempted bitch-fests off with something like "I'm sorry, that sounds rough. My family's tradition differs blah blah what are your plans for lunch today?"
Quote from: LarkHas anyone any ideas to make this period an easier truly happy time ?
Emigrate to somewhere that doesn't have Christmas. China might do, perhaps.
Quote from: OldGit on October 23, 2015, 11:51:59 AM
Quote from: LarkHas anyone any ideas to make this period an easier truly happy time ?
Emigrate to somewhere that doesn't have Christmas. China might do, perhaps.
Nope. There are 67 million Christians in China now.
Never celebrated it and never will (raised secular Jewish, married to secular turk). My family has plenty of other issues, but luckily that's not one I need to deal with
Quote from: OldGit on October 23, 2015, 11:51:59 AM
Quote from: LarkHas anyone any ideas to make this period an easier truly happy time ?
Emigrate to somewhere that doesn't have Christmas. China might do, perhaps.
North pole. It is located in the Artic ocean but there are no Santa's, toy-making elves, flying red-nosed reindeer or even people there so she should be safe, though a little cold.
Separate and apart from my theism, a world without Christmas would be a bleak place. If I were to renounce my faith (not likely at this stage in my life), I would retain the good things from it, and Christmas would be in the "Top 10" of those.
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on October 24, 2015, 01:48:49 AM
Separate and apart from my theism, a world without Christmas would be a bleak place. If I were to renounce my faith (not likely at this stage in my life), I would retain the good things from it, and Christmas would be in the "Top 10" of those.
I agree with the sentiment that Christmas is generally a fun holiday, even with the added stresses of having to buy gifts for everyone and having to occasionally contort your face into something that resembles a happy expression when you receive a gift you don't like.
What aspects of Christmas would you retain exactly if you were no longer a believer? Its pagan roots? The more modern tradition of gift-giving? Would you make it a holiday more focused on family and friends instead of the Bible and Jesus?
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on October 23, 2015, 05:59:47 PM
Quote from: OldGit on October 23, 2015, 11:51:59 AM
Quote from: LarkHas anyone any ideas to make this period an easier truly happy time ?
Emigrate to somewhere that doesn't have Christmas. China might do, perhaps.
North pole. It is located in the Artic ocean but there are no Santa's, toy-making elves, flying red-nosed reindeer or even people there so she should be safe, though a little cold.
That's crap advice, the North Pole has Russians all over it,
arresting Greenpeacians and trying to justify there claims.
If you want to avoid Christmas time travel is the answer.
The international date skirts about between warm isles.
Kiribati, Samoa, Tonga or Tokelau, surely one will suit.
Find a canoe, paddle across the bay and avoid the day.
Thanks, enjoying your comments.
Quote from: Insoluble on October 24, 2015, 02:12:43 PM
That's crap advice, the North Pole has Russians all over it,
arresting Greenpeacians and trying to justify there claims.
Sounds like they're too busy to even notice Christmas will come and pass, then. :P
I don't have too many people to please... Not like I have a love life, or much of a social life at this point or anything... :( So stress level is extremely low.
Would love to surprise my mom with a double bass, since that is her dream instrument. She'd surely get onto me for that, though. lol
The thing that gets me most about Xmas is that everyone - including myself - in my family has a birthday within 2 months on either side. So it's basically double the gifting all at once. For the most part we've dealt with this by just going all in on Xmas, since it's tough to get all of us in one place these days. That also raises your per gift budget, which is especially helpful as things are costing and over half of us are in that "just starting out" phase of life.
Quote from: Pasta Chick on October 25, 2015, 05:27:23 PM
The thing that gets me most about Xmas is that everyone - including myself - in my family has a birthday within 2 months on either side. So it's basically double the gifting all at once. For the most part we've dealt with this by just going all in on Xmas, since it's tough to get all of us in one place these days. That also raises your per gift budget, which is especially helpful as things are costing and over half of us are in that "just starting out" phase of life.
It's the same way in my family, actually! My birthday is actually the day after Christmas, and my sister's is in early December.
The concept of having a birthday separate from Christmas is very foreign to me. Lol.
Any reason to party is good for me. I enjoy food. I enjoy spending times with friends and family. I enjoy getting gifts and giving gifts. I enjoy time off from work.
Quote from: solidsquid on October 25, 2015, 08:07:35 PM
Any reason to party is good for me. I enjoy food. I enjoy spending times with friends and family. I enjoy getting gifts and giving gifts. I enjoy time off from work.
Ditto. Plus picking out cards for everyone, and the baking. I particularly like the baking.
I love the idea of baking, but when I try baking something it seems everything is a literal recipe for disaster. :-\
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on October 24, 2015, 02:10:35 AM
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on October 24, 2015, 01:48:49 AM
Separate and apart from my theism, a world without Christmas would be a bleak place. If I were to renounce my faith (not likely at this stage in my life), I would retain the good things from it, and Christmas would be in the "Top 10" of those.
I agree with the sentiment that Christmas is generally a fun holiday, even with the added stresses of having to buy gifts for everyone and having to occasionally contort your face into something that resembles a happy expression when you receive a gift you don't like.
What aspects of Christmas would you retain exactly if you were no longer a believer? Its pagan roots? The more modern tradition of gift-giving? Would you make it a holiday more focused on family and friends instead of the Bible and Jesus?
I think the aspect of it that really attracts me is the light, the hope, in the darkest time of the year. In the Northern Hemisphere, where it originated, Christmas is sort of the turning point, where we've reached the most lifeless part of the cycle, but the beginning of new life is just a few months away, so we celebrate light and life - trees, gifts, fire, warmth, candles, etc. That's one reason Christians co-opted it, because of it's hope and joy in the midst of deadness. Actually, my Christmases now are focused on family and friends. There is the religious aspect, but what people really look forward to is not really religious - and I think that's probably true for most Christians.
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on October 25, 2015, 10:25:31 PM
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on October 24, 2015, 02:10:35 AM
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on October 24, 2015, 01:48:49 AM
Separate and apart from my theism, a world without Christmas would be a bleak place. If I were to renounce my faith (not likely at this stage in my life), I would retain the good things from it, and Christmas would be in the "Top 10" of those.
I agree with the sentiment that Christmas is generally a fun holiday, even with the added stresses of having to buy gifts for everyone and having to occasionally contort your face into something that resembles a happy expression when you receive a gift you don't like.
What aspects of Christmas would you retain exactly if you were no longer a believer? Its pagan roots? The more modern tradition of gift-giving? Would you make it a holiday more focused on family and friends instead of the Bible and Jesus?
I think the aspect of it that really attracts me is the light, the hope, in the darkest time of the year. In the Northern Hemisphere, where it originated, Christmas is sort of the turning point, where we've reached the most lifeless part of the cycle, but the beginning of new life is just a few months away, so we celebrate light and life - trees, gifts, fire, warmth, candles, etc. That's one reason Christians co-opted it, because of it's hope and joy in the midst of deadness. Actually, my Christmases now are focused on family and friends. There is the religious aspect, but what people really look forward to is not really religious - and I think that's probably true for most Christians.
That's not so bad, kind of poetic, even. :) In this part of the world where it nears 40 degrees Celsius that time of the year and lack of sunlight is really not a problem, I like to see stuffed snowmen, fake snow and evergreen trees to remind me that eventually the heat wave will pass and we won't feel like we're melting all the time. So there's also looking forward to better days, albeit in a different way. ;)
My idea of a Christian Christmas is based on my religious grandparent's conception of the holiday, which, quite frankly, is rather...hellish. ::) My mother and her father have divergent views on the Bible and how to lead a Christian life. They're both really stubborn and when they gather (which only happens on Christmas)...
Seriously, who needs an atheist in the mix when you have other Christians with different views on the matter? :P
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on October 25, 2015, 09:56:17 PM
I love the idea of baking, but when I try baking something it seems everything is a literal recipe for disaster. :-\
It's definitely a hit and miss process. I've been baking for over 40 yrs and I'm still finding out which things I just can't do and which things I can. The year of the Jule Kake disaster is balanced by the St. Lucia's Crown triumph, and so on.
Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on October 26, 2015, 02:38:50 AM
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on October 25, 2015, 09:56:17 PM
I love the idea of baking, but when I try baking something it seems everything is a literal recipe for disaster. :-\
It's definitely a hit and miss process. I've been baking for over 40 yrs and I'm still finding out which things I just can't do and which things I can. The year of the Jule Kake disaster is balanced by the St. Lucia's Crown triumph, and so on.
I envy people who can cook things even slightly more complex than 2 minute noodles, I really do. I can read instructions easily enough, but when following them things usually don't turn out as planned. :o One of these days I'll try to make something and hopefully it won't look like something out of a B-rated horror movie. :-\ If anything goes wrong then I can always cheat and put some frozen lasagna into the microwave and press a button. :P
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on October 26, 2015, 02:58:56 AM
:-\ If anything goes wrong then I can always cheat and put some frozen lasagna into the microwave and press a button. :P
There you go. Baking may just never be your thing -- perhaps you're a wiz at wrapping gifts?
Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on October 26, 2015, 08:36:50 AM
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on October 26, 2015, 02:58:56 AM
:-\ If anything goes wrong then I can always cheat and put some frozen lasagna into the microwave and press a button. :P
There you go. Baking may just never be your thing -- perhaps you're a wiz at wrapping gifts?
LOL no, it's one of those that no matter how much I practice, I never seem to get better with it. Can't seem to wrap a gift without totally uneven edges! Always best left to somebody else.
I'm a competent drink pourer though. It never spills. That I can say with pride! 8)
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on October 26, 2015, 11:40:13 AM
I'm a competent drink pourer though. It never spills. That I can say with pride! 8)
And who doesn't need somebody with those skills around for holiday parties!
Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on October 26, 2015, 05:05:03 PM
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on October 26, 2015, 11:40:13 AM
I'm a competent drink pourer though. It never spills. That I can say with pride! 8)
And who doesn't need somebody with those skills around for holiday parties!
Exactly. 8)
:cheers: