Materialism. That's the bottom line of why I hate Xmas so much. It's only about who can buy who the most expensive THING or the most things for their families. It's not about family anymore, I don't think it has been in my life time. Xmas was supposed to be about togetherness, the one time of year when you get to see people you don't see all year around, or a time when your supposed to be merry or jolly or whatever the fuck other word you'd like to use for that. Xmas makes us bitter to no end, the people with so-called holiday cheer are lying to themselves and have probably already maxed out their credit cards for their family members on gifts that are probably never going to be used. I piss on their idea of what xmas is. Its become an excuse to be more materialistic. But hey! your buying SHIT for your family, and that's not selfish is it? I'm spending MONEY on my family and buying them stupid shit. So that redeems everything right?! The days when people used to make gifts are gone. Like making a plate of cookies for your neighbor, knitting a god awful sweater, making ornaments, etc. Those days are gone forever. Now if you end up making a plate of cookies for someone or take the time to do one of the above mentioned for someone they look at you like your a cheap ass. Like they expected you to give them a fucking laptop for xmas! Xmas has always made me bitter. Since I was a child, xmas had always been about money. Mom used to say, quite frequently i might add, "There won't be a christmas this year because we can't afford it!" or "Your not getting anything for xmas because we can't afford it!" but we could never afford it... I didn't want stuff. I wanted the family stability that most people take for granted. I wanted my parents to get along, I wanted the family dinner, I didn't care what we ate, as long as it was as a family.
So, now I refuse to like xmas, I refuse to give in to the materialism that is now xmas. Xmas puts me in one of the worst moods, bringing back all the shitty memories of past xmases that are burned into the back of my mind ever so clearly. I understand why people kill themselves around the holidays, and its not because of the forementioned. All I want is to have my closest friends and family around me. I want to be able to make them a great big dinner, so we can sit around the table talking about anything and everything. Xmas makes me want to punch people and cry at the same time.
Well said.
And I plan to do all my gift giving through foodstuffs that I'll make myself. Pies, cookies, BBQ beef, all the usual stuff.
This year, as with every year, I will not be giving ANY presents or cards out. I will not say Merry Christmas or (Happy Holidays, or Seasons Greetings, or any of the other 'Acceptable' forms of expressing your joy). I will not be standing in lines in crowded stores clinging to the hope that I will get through the checkout before my bus takes off, in the humid air of hundreds of other clockwork wound 'humans' going through the exact same ridiculous motions as everyone else, as they've done for years in an ever increasing pressure to be MORE extravagant to spend MORE money on Jimmy and Julie and all the cousins and all the great-great-aunties.
I refuse to do this. I have no stake in Christianity. I don't believe that surviving another year REALLY needs a celebration, or that a celebration really hastens the coming of spring. I have no interest in appearing to be a "Good Person", and fitting in with 'people' I detest and sharing in their plastic, factory line produced 'Joy'.
I have no wish to spend the day with my family, any of them. I have no desire to watch the Queens speech, followed by some Disney tat on the TV (like a "Spot the Difference" puzzle).
On Christmas Day, I go for a walk, revelling in the dead empty streets, the only cars those driven by desperate suicidal men with the whole family in tow commuting to Grandmamas for the traditional gutbusting drech they call Christmas Dinner.
I'll come home, crack open a beer, heat up a CHEAP ASSED pizza in the oven, and watch a movie or two, and prolly end up online to chat with whatever childless misanthropists are doing EXACTLY what I'm doing.
Because i chose to flee a bloodsucking research team (and i couldnt migrate to another one, or do it on my own because of policy), have been asigned to:
make a 10-30 page research on the influences of Catholicism over the female gender role, from the Hispanic colonies to contemporary Mexico. And a stupid 50 minute open/in-depth interview, to latter transcribe and analyze it.
Oh yes, and i have some 400 pages of stuff to study leftover.
Just in time to take 2 tests on the 4th of January.
Yeah happy Xmas, fuckers.
I haven't celebrated Christmas in many years. I guess almost 20. I do get a tree for Yule and decorate it and have a big dinner, though, and I get things for the kids... family things.
This year I'm giving hand-made art, just to my immediate family + GF. Wireframe sculptures, like the ones I posted a while ago:
http://www.principiadiscordia.com/forum/index.php?topic=20892.0 (http://www.principiadiscordia.com/forum/index.php?topic=20892.0)
I did make an exception for my GF though, and bought her a really nice necklace (http://parisjewellerscanada.com/Images/Products/64.gif).
I'm spending Christmas over at my cousins', which will be okay, cause they're just generally awesome.
If you're too broke to buy good presents for your kids, you really have to explain in advance about it, and do the whole "tiny tim" thing where you say things like "but we're going to have fun because we love each other and are so lucky to have a family and a warm place to live" and shit.
Easier when your kids are very young or much older.
I'm determined to enjoy Christmas this year. For the last few years I've let all the bullshit win, dissecting and polishing the hypocrisies and fallacies until they shone brighter than baubles. This process inevitably left me morose. I think I missed a greater significance though, something I wasn't expecting to find when I started the analysis. Despite the ability of chimps to shit over anything and everything, there is something to be said in that part of what fuels the seasons inanity is a desire for all the HallmarkTM and other corporate-sponsered visions of happiness, goodwill and charity to be real.
If those corporate overlords have taught us anything, it is that desire is a formidable fuel. I'm attempting to harness mine, wish me luck.
Good luck, FP.
And I think I'll try to do the same.
My last couple Christmases have been terrible. The prospect of seeing my family for the first time in a while is helping this year. I'm losing a fair amount of cash by copping out for 2 weeks during the busiest restaurant time of the year, but hopefully it'll be worth it.
I'm down on capitalism and materialism because people make you out to be a bad person if you don't make enough regardless of whether or not you are actually a good person. People get too hung up on things and its their ultimate downfall. Things don't make a person. Unfortunately, no one understands this. I hate xmas and continue to be down on materialism. This is a time of togetherness, family etc.
Quote from: BAI on December 09, 2009, 07:09:42 AM
(http://www.pzg.biz/mp035h_xmas_hat.jpg)
HEIL CHRISTMAS SPAGS!
YOU WILL ALL LOVE IT OR ELSE!
:lulz: :lulz: :lulz: I love a good laugh.
When I have kids (hopefully not for a while), I'm planning on having two holidays: "Christmas" And "Commercialism Day"(for lack of a better name). Do all the normal things on Christmas, just without the toys. Hand-made or hand-drawn stuff, family togetherness, Christmas dinner, etc.
The day(s) after, we go shopping and get all the Xboxs, Tickle Me Elmos, and Transformers that they wanted.
What do you spags think? Overly idealistic, or feasible?
Quote from: Sir Remington III on December 09, 2009, 08:00:57 AM
When I have kids (hopefully not for a while), I'm planning on having two holidays: "Christmas" And "Commercialism Day"(for lack of a better name). Do all the normal things on Christmas, just without the toys. Hand-made or hand-drawn stuff, family togetherness, Christmas dinner, etc.
The day(s) after, we go shopping and get all the Xboxs, Tickle Me Elmos, and Transformers that they wanted.
What do you spags think? Overly idealistic, or feasible?
I like the idea. I wish you luck with that.
Quote from: NiveKRayne on December 09, 2009, 08:27:53 AM
Quote from: Sir Remington III on December 09, 2009, 08:00:57 AM
When I have kids (hopefully not for a while), I'm planning on having two holidays: "Christmas" And "Commercialism Day"(for lack of a better name). Do all the normal things on Christmas, just without the toys. Hand-made or hand-drawn stuff, family togetherness, Christmas dinner, etc.
The day(s) after, we go shopping and get all the Xboxs, Tickle Me Elmos, and Transformers that they wanted.
What do you spags think? Overly idealistic, or feasible?
I like the idea. I wish you luck with that.
I haven't given up on Christmas just yet. Yes, it's horribly commercialized, but I'm going to see if I can't isolate the two concepts.
Quote from: Sir Remington III on December 09, 2009, 08:30:56 AM
Quote from: NiveKRayne on December 09, 2009, 08:27:53 AM
Quote from: Sir Remington III on December 09, 2009, 08:00:57 AM
When I have kids (hopefully not for a while), I'm planning on having two holidays: "Christmas" And "Commercialism Day"(for lack of a better name). Do all the normal things on Christmas, just without the toys. Hand-made or hand-drawn stuff, family togetherness, Christmas dinner, etc.
The day(s) after, we go shopping and get all the Xboxs, Tickle Me Elmos, and Transformers that they wanted.
What do you spags think? Overly idealistic, or feasible?
I like the idea. I wish you luck with that.
I haven't given up on Christmas just yet. Yes, it's horribly commercialized, but I'm going to see if I can't isolate the two concepts.
This year I'm taking a different approach. I'm making a bunch of baked goods for family and close friends. I haven't given up completely on xmas.
For once I have some xmas "cheer" (if that's what it's called, spirit maybe idunno)
I don't know why.
We're getting a good laugh out of this ugly tree.
The lights are pretty. (well, the plain ones :lol: )
I think it happened when I asked the boy what he wanted and he thought for a minute, shrugged his shoulders and said "I dunno, nothing really".
The commercialism crap has worn off in this house. I think we're all tired of it.
It's easy to be laid back and happy when you don't have to worry about "what am i gonna get little johnny and who do i have to kill to get it".
Fuck all that. The lights are nice.
HAM AND EGGNOG BITCHES! That's xmas *hic*
Quote from: Squid on December 09, 2009, 08:51:03 AM
For once I have some xmas "cheer" (if that's what it's called, spirit maybe idunno)
I don't know why.
We're getting a good laugh out of this ugly tree.
The lights are pretty. (well, the plain ones :lol: )
I think it happened when I asked the boy what he wanted and he thought for a minute, shrugged his shoulders and said "I dunno, nothing really".
The commercialism crap has worn off in this house. I think we're all tired of it.
It's easy to be laid back and happy when you don't have to worry about "what am i gonna get little johnny and who do i have to kill to get it".
Fuck all that. The lights are nice.
HAM AND EGGNOG BITCHES! That's xmas *hic*
I give you props for that. Its nice when its not all about stuff. When the realization hits that its not all about getting what you want but being able to be happy because all you want is just that happy feeling.
Quote from: BAI on December 09, 2009, 05:11:37 AM
:cry:
I love christmas.
you're all so down on materialism, burn down your houses, smash your laptops, sell all your things and go live in a fucking tree. but not a christmas tree. You commies don't like those.
Actually, my problem isn't the materialism. It's the factory line, enforced "jollity". (If I was down on materialism, I wouldn't have ended up with fucktons of "Stuff" after the times when I literally had
nothing. Having nothing at all SUCKS!). I celebrate Christmas in my own way, just without the spiritual, religious or Make Nice with The Family dimensions.
For the record, Jesus was a spag, I'm SO going to beat his high score of 33. I'm never going to ride through Jerusalem on an ass for one. Uou can bet your bottom dollar.
Relevant X-mas X-Post: http://www.principiadiscordia.com/forum/index.php?topic=23257.0
Quote
I am towing the line like a prostitute, toeing the corner curb this year.
FIXT If this means you are currently wearing fishnets, and that your make up is a valid experiment in plate tectonics, I approve.
Quote
QuoteI'm SO going to beat his high score of 33.
:P We should so make a messiah age of death high score table.
Yes. Yes we should.
Xmas pwns and I'll tell you how to appreciate it at its finest - take a walk into any large retail outlet or (better still) mall and check out the tards getting stressed. The last weekend before xmas is the best time as this is usually busiest. Millions of people stressed to and (if you get lucky) beyond breaking point. Bug-eyes and clenched fists. Barely concealed panic and rage ... 'tis the season to rofl
:popcorn:
Quote from: NiveKRayne on December 09, 2009, 01:40:50 AM
Materialism. That's the bottom line of why I hate Xmas so much. It's only about who can buy who the most expensive THING or the most things for their families. It's not about family anymore, I don't think it has been in my life time. Xmas was supposed to be about togetherness, the one time of year when you get to see people you don't see all year around, or a time when your supposed to be merry or jolly or whatever the fuck other word you'd like to use for that. Xmas makes us bitter to no end, the people with so-called holiday cheer are lying to themselves and have probably already maxed out their credit cards for their family members on gifts that are probably never going to be used. I piss on their idea of what xmas is. Its become an excuse to be more materialistic. But hey! your buying SHIT for your family, and that's not selfish is it? I'm spending MONEY on my family and buying them stupid shit. So that redeems everything right?! The days when people used to make gifts are gone. Like making a plate of cookies for your neighbor, knitting a god awful sweater, making ornaments, etc. Those days are gone forever. Now if you end up making a plate of cookies for someone or take the time to do one of the above mentioned for someone they look at you like your a cheap ass. Like they expected you to give them a fucking laptop for xmas! Xmas has always made me bitter. Since I was a child, xmas had always been about money. Mom used to say, quite frequently i might add, "There won't be a christmas this year because we can't afford it!" or "Your not getting anything for xmas because we can't afford it!" but we could never afford it... I didn't want stuff. I wanted the family stability that most people take for granted. I wanted my parents to get along, I wanted the family dinner, I didn't care what we ate, as long as it was as a family.
So, now I refuse to like xmas, I refuse to give in to the materialism that is now xmas. Xmas puts me in one of the worst moods, bringing back all the shitty memories of past xmases that are burned into the back of my mind ever so clearly. I understand why people kill themselves around the holidays, and its not because of the forementioned. All I want is to have my closest friends and family around me. I want to be able to make them a great big dinner, so we can sit around the table talking about anything and everything. Xmas makes me want to punch people and cry at the same time.
It's what you make of it. If you don't want it to be materialist, don't make it materialist. You DO have control over how you spend a holiday.
Quit blaming others for your own laziness.
I'm glad I've made it about family and my kids for the last few years. Hard not to when my dad went into the clink, actually. I'm also glad this is the last set of holidays without him (his latest release date is 9/5/10). I haven't taken pix during the holidays for years because of him being in there, for some reason. It's like taking pix of the memories without him made them false or distasteful somehow. It's freakish, I know.
Nivek, you and I ARE going to celebrate the season.
We are going to make the horrible "nutcracker" card we discussed, and we are going to send it to everyone we have an address for.
Oh, yes.
Quote from: Hoopla on December 09, 2009, 03:51:10 PM
Quote from: NiveKRayne on December 09, 2009, 01:40:50 AM
Materialism. That's the bottom line of why I hate Xmas so much. It's only about who can buy who the most expensive THING or the most things for their families. It's not about family anymore, I don't think it has been in my life time. Xmas was supposed to be about togetherness, the one time of year when you get to see people you don't see all year around, or a time when your supposed to be merry or jolly or whatever the fuck other word you'd like to use for that. Xmas makes us bitter to no end, the people with so-called holiday cheer are lying to themselves and have probably already maxed out their credit cards for their family members on gifts that are probably never going to be used. I piss on their idea of what xmas is. Its become an excuse to be more materialistic. But hey! your buying SHIT for your family, and that's not selfish is it? I'm spending MONEY on my family and buying them stupid shit. So that redeems everything right?! The days when people used to make gifts are gone. Like making a plate of cookies for your neighbor, knitting a god awful sweater, making ornaments, etc. Those days are gone forever. Now if you end up making a plate of cookies for someone or take the time to do one of the above mentioned for someone they look at you like your a cheap ass. Like they expected you to give them a fucking laptop for xmas! Xmas has always made me bitter. Since I was a child, xmas had always been about money. Mom used to say, quite frequently i might add, "There won't be a christmas this year because we can't afford it!" or "Your not getting anything for xmas because we can't afford it!" but we could never afford it... I didn't want stuff. I wanted the family stability that most people take for granted. I wanted my parents to get along, I wanted the family dinner, I didn't care what we ate, as long as it was as a family.
So, now I refuse to like xmas, I refuse to give in to the materialism that is now xmas. Xmas puts me in one of the worst moods, bringing back all the shitty memories of past xmases that are burned into the back of my mind ever so clearly. I understand why people kill themselves around the holidays, and its not because of the forementioned. All I want is to have my closest friends and family around me. I want to be able to make them a great big dinner, so we can sit around the table talking about anything and everything. Xmas makes me want to punch people and cry at the same time.
It's what you make of it. If you don't want it to be materialist, don't make it materialist. You DO have control over how you spend a holiday.
Quit blaming others for your own laziness.
Its not laziness. I'm fed up.
Quote from: The Good Reverend Roger on December 09, 2009, 05:58:26 PM
Nivek, you and I ARE going to celebrate the season.
We are going to make the horrible "nutcracker" card we discussed, and we are going to send it to everyone we have an address for.
Oh, yes.
*ahem*
Please to assemble relavent bits.
Quote from: NiveKRayne on December 09, 2009, 09:39:03 PM
Quote from: Hoopla on December 09, 2009, 03:51:10 PM
Quote from: NiveKRayne on December 09, 2009, 01:40:50 AM
Materialism. That's the bottom line of why I hate Xmas so much. It's only about who can buy who the most expensive THING or the most things for their families. It's not about family anymore, I don't think it has been in my life time. Xmas was supposed to be about togetherness, the one time of year when you get to see people you don't see all year around, or a time when your supposed to be merry or jolly or whatever the fuck other word you'd like to use for that. Xmas makes us bitter to no end, the people with so-called holiday cheer are lying to themselves and have probably already maxed out their credit cards for their family members on gifts that are probably never going to be used. I piss on their idea of what xmas is. Its become an excuse to be more materialistic. But hey! your buying SHIT for your family, and that's not selfish is it? I'm spending MONEY on my family and buying them stupid shit. So that redeems everything right?! The days when people used to make gifts are gone. Like making a plate of cookies for your neighbor, knitting a god awful sweater, making ornaments, etc. Those days are gone forever. Now if you end up making a plate of cookies for someone or take the time to do one of the above mentioned for someone they look at you like your a cheap ass. Like they expected you to give them a fucking laptop for xmas! Xmas has always made me bitter. Since I was a child, xmas had always been about money. Mom used to say, quite frequently i might add, "There won't be a christmas this year because we can't afford it!" or "Your not getting anything for xmas because we can't afford it!" but we could never afford it... I didn't want stuff. I wanted the family stability that most people take for granted. I wanted my parents to get along, I wanted the family dinner, I didn't care what we ate, as long as it was as a family.
So, now I refuse to like xmas, I refuse to give in to the materialism that is now xmas. Xmas puts me in one of the worst moods, bringing back all the shitty memories of past xmases that are burned into the back of my mind ever so clearly. I understand why people kill themselves around the holidays, and its not because of the forementioned. All I want is to have my closest friends and family around me. I want to be able to make them a great big dinner, so we can sit around the table talking about anything and everything. Xmas makes me want to punch people and cry at the same time.
It's what you make of it. If you don't want it to be materialist, don't make it materialist. You DO have control over how you spend a holiday.
Quit blaming others for your own laziness.
Its not laziness. I'm fed up.
Sorry, nothing personal with the 'lazy' comment, the OP is just a sentiment that I've been hearing a bit too much of lately and it made me snap momentarily.
Seriously though, it IS what you make of it. You can have any kind of Christmas or Kwanzaa or Festivus or Hannukah you like, you just need to take the bull by the horns and make it happen. Its one of the easier things we have control over, really... I mean, you obviously can't control all your family members, but you can lay out what sort of a holiday you are willing to participate in... if they don't like it and won't go along with it... well, why would you want to continue spending time with them anyway?
Quote from: Hoopla on December 09, 2009, 10:37:42 PM
Quote from: NiveKRayne on December 09, 2009, 09:39:03 PM
Quote from: Hoopla on December 09, 2009, 03:51:10 PM
Quote from: NiveKRayne on December 09, 2009, 01:40:50 AM
Materialism. That's the bottom line of why I hate Xmas so much. It's only about who can buy who the most expensive THING or the most things for their families. It's not about family anymore, I don't think it has been in my life time. Xmas was supposed to be about togetherness, the one time of year when you get to see people you don't see all year around, or a time when your supposed to be merry or jolly or whatever the fuck other word you'd like to use for that. Xmas makes us bitter to no end, the people with so-called holiday cheer are lying to themselves and have probably already maxed out their credit cards for their family members on gifts that are probably never going to be used. I piss on their idea of what xmas is. Its become an excuse to be more materialistic. But hey! your buying SHIT for your family, and that's not selfish is it? I'm spending MONEY on my family and buying them stupid shit. So that redeems everything right?! The days when people used to make gifts are gone. Like making a plate of cookies for your neighbor, knitting a god awful sweater, making ornaments, etc. Those days are gone forever. Now if you end up making a plate of cookies for someone or take the time to do one of the above mentioned for someone they look at you like your a cheap ass. Like they expected you to give them a fucking laptop for xmas! Xmas has always made me bitter. Since I was a child, xmas had always been about money. Mom used to say, quite frequently i might add, "There won't be a christmas this year because we can't afford it!" or "Your not getting anything for xmas because we can't afford it!" but we could never afford it... I didn't want stuff. I wanted the family stability that most people take for granted. I wanted my parents to get along, I wanted the family dinner, I didn't care what we ate, as long as it was as a family.
So, now I refuse to like xmas, I refuse to give in to the materialism that is now xmas. Xmas puts me in one of the worst moods, bringing back all the shitty memories of past xmases that are burned into the back of my mind ever so clearly. I understand why people kill themselves around the holidays, and its not because of the forementioned. All I want is to have my closest friends and family around me. I want to be able to make them a great big dinner, so we can sit around the table talking about anything and everything. Xmas makes me want to punch people and cry at the same time.
It's what you make of it. If you don't want it to be materialist, don't make it materialist. You DO have control over how you spend a holiday.
Quit blaming others for your own laziness.
Its not laziness. I'm fed up.
Sorry, nothing personal with the 'lazy' comment, the OP is just a sentiment that I've been hearing a bit too much of lately and it made me snap momentarily.
Seriously though, it IS what you make of it. You can have any kind of Christmas or Kwanzaa or Festivus or Hannukah you like, you just need to take the bull by the horns and make it happen. Its one of the easier things we have control over, really... I mean, you obviously can't control all your family members, but you can lay out what sort of a holiday you are willing to participate in... if they don't like it and won't go along with it... well, why would you want to continue spending time with them anyway?
Perhaps hating Christmas/the season is equivalent to being the black sheep in "Black sheep are still sheep." You don't have to be enlightened or share any aspect of any Discordian's worldview* to hate Christmas[-as-commonly-observed]. No reason to be a scrooge or a secular humanist or a JW about things.
Fuck what everyone else believes in, have a good time.
* I'm uncertain about this bit--If two discordians have five answers about a given question, discordians as a whole could easily have covered the whole map of human perspectives twice, as far as I know.
Side note: perhaps we could discordify A Christmas Carol. The ghosts show up whenever and tell him, "stop being a schmuck!" Winter's a good background for introspection, though.
Quote from: NiveKRayne on December 09, 2009, 01:40:50 AM
Materialism. That's the bottom line of why I hate Xmas so much. It's only about who can buy who the most expensive THING or the most things for their families. It's not about family anymore, I don't think it has been in my life time. Xmas was supposed to be about togetherness, the one time of year when you get to see people you don't see all year around, or a time when your supposed to be merry or jolly or whatever the fuck other word you'd like to use for that. Xmas makes us bitter to no end, the people with so-called holiday cheer are lying to themselves and have probably already maxed out their credit cards for their family members on gifts that are probably never going to be used. I piss on their idea of what xmas is. Its become an excuse to be more materialistic. But hey! your buying SHIT for your family, and that's not selfish is it? I'm spending MONEY on my family and buying them stupid shit. So that redeems everything right?! The days when people used to make gifts are gone. Like making a plate of cookies for your neighbor, knitting a god awful sweater, making ornaments, etc. Those days are gone forever. Now if you end up making a plate of cookies for someone or take the time to do one of the above mentioned for someone they look at you like your a cheap ass. Like they expected you to give them a fucking laptop for xmas! Xmas has always made me bitter. Since I was a child, xmas had always been about money. Mom used to say, quite frequently i might add, "There won't be a christmas this year because we can't afford it!" or "Your not getting anything for xmas because we can't afford it!" but we could never afford it... I didn't want stuff. I wanted the family stability that most people take for granted. I wanted my parents to get along, I wanted the family dinner, I didn't care what we ate, as long as it was as a family.
So, now I refuse to like xmas, I refuse to give in to the materialism that is now xmas. Xmas puts me in one of the worst moods, bringing back all the shitty memories of past xmases that are burned into the back of my mind ever so clearly. I understand why people kill themselves around the holidays, and its not because of the forementioned. All I want is to have my closest friends and family around me. I want to be able to make them a great big dinner, so we can sit around the table talking about anything and everything. Xmas makes me want to punch people and cry at the same time.
You should celebrate Festivus then. If I recall correctly, it waqs explained to have originated out of disillusionment with "The commercial and religious aspects of Christmas"
Quote from: Prelate Diogenes Shandor on January 05, 2010, 11:18:03 PM
Quote from: NiveKRayne on December 09, 2009, 01:40:50 AM
Materialism. That's the bottom line of why I hate Xmas so much. It's only about who can buy who the most expensive THING or the most things for their families. It's not about family anymore, I don't think it has been in my life time. Xmas was supposed to be about togetherness, the one time of year when you get to see people you don't see all year around, or a time when your supposed to be merry or jolly or whatever the fuck other word you'd like to use for that. Xmas makes us bitter to no end, the people with so-called holiday cheer are lying to themselves and have probably already maxed out their credit cards for their family members on gifts that are probably never going to be used. I piss on their idea of what xmas is. Its become an excuse to be more materialistic. But hey! your buying SHIT for your family, and that's not selfish is it? I'm spending MONEY on my family and buying them stupid shit. So that redeems everything right?! The days when people used to make gifts are gone. Like making a plate of cookies for your neighbor, knitting a god awful sweater, making ornaments, etc. Those days are gone forever. Now if you end up making a plate of cookies for someone or take the time to do one of the above mentioned for someone they look at you like your a cheap ass. Like they expected you to give them a fucking laptop for xmas! Xmas has always made me bitter. Since I was a child, xmas had always been about money. Mom used to say, quite frequently i might add, "There won't be a christmas this year because we can't afford it!" or "Your not getting anything for xmas because we can't afford it!" but we could never afford it... I didn't want stuff. I wanted the family stability that most people take for granted. I wanted my parents to get along, I wanted the family dinner, I didn't care what we ate, as long as it was as a family.
So, now I refuse to like xmas, I refuse to give in to the materialism that is now xmas. Xmas puts me in one of the worst moods, bringing back all the shitty memories of past xmases that are burned into the back of my mind ever so clearly. I understand why people kill themselves around the holidays, and its not because of the forementioned. All I want is to have my closest friends and family around me. I want to be able to make them a great big dinner, so we can sit around the table talking about anything and everything. Xmas makes me want to punch people and cry at the same time.
You should celebrate Festivus then. If I recall correctly, it waqs explained to have originated out of disillusionment with "The commercial and religious aspects of Christmas"
That's even worse. The only thing worse than rampant consumerism is hippies who think they're avoiding it, while cranking out another version of it.
I managed to ignore most of the xmas aspect, aside from hanging out with family and friends. That part I actually looked forward to. And Hey! got a nice set of wine glasses out of it lol. Made lots of cookies and had copious amounts of food. Xmas dinner for the win.
Last couple of years xmas has been all about the food for me. Roast turkey dinner FTW
The materialism doesn't bother me--I mean, I don't have kids so I guess I don't have to worry about that as much, but there's an art to choosing the right gift for a person.
That said, I absolutely refuse to use greeting cards, at least with people I really care about.
Except when they're blank, or I'm subverting their meaning.
Quote from: P3nT4gR4m on January 06, 2010, 12:46:01 PM
Last couple of years xmas has been all about the food for me. Roast turkey dinner FTW
We had ham for dinner this year. Its turkey on thanksgiving and ham on christmas and easter. The ham this year was amazing. My dad's girlfriend made this awesome glaze for it with brown sugar and honey and a few random spices. So delicious.
Quote from: Brotep on January 06, 2010, 07:25:59 PM
The materialism doesn't bother me--I mean, I don't have kids so I guess I don't have to worry about that as much, but there's an art to choosing the right gift for a person.
That said, I absolutely refuse to use greeting cards, at least with people I really care about.
Except when they're blank, or I'm subverting their meaning.
There really is an art to finding the right gift. Its difficult when the person tells you that they don't really want anything lol. I like that idea of doing the greeting cards that way. I never really do cards. The only people I really care enough about to send a card to I usually just see them on that day.
Halloween, April Fool's, and Saturnalia ftw.
My two big holidays are Spring Equinox and Halloween. Big dinner for one, big party for the other.
Quote from: The Right Reverend Nigel on January 07, 2010, 04:37:18 AM
My two big holidays are Spring Equinox and Halloween. Big dinner for one, big party for the other.
Halloween is my favourite holiday, its one of two that I actually look forward to. The other is Thanksgiving.
Quote from: NiveKRayne on January 07, 2010, 02:09:59 AM
There really is an art to finding the right gift. Its difficult when the person tells you that they don't really want anything lol.
That's when you get them a gag gift, like a set of "Wizard of Oz" Pez dispensers. That'll teach 'em. :argh!:
QuoteI like that idea of doing the greeting cards that way. I never really do cards. The only people I really care enough about to send a card to I usually just see them on that day.
Inappropriate cards are fun, too. :evil:
Sometimes I get a card for the wrong occasion, cross words out freely and write things over them. It's pretty fun.
On Your
Bar Mitzvah Birthdayetc.
When my Grandpa eloped to Vegas, then came back and announced we were all going to dinner, I picked a card for him and his new wife, something to the effect of
"You finally tied the knot! No more endless pestering about when you're getting married. You're married! That's it! Congratulations!" On the inside it reads, "So when you gonna have a baby?"
Quote from: Brotep on January 07, 2010, 08:17:32 AM
Quote from: NiveKRayne on January 07, 2010, 02:09:59 AM
There really is an art to finding the right gift. Its difficult when the person tells you that they don't really want anything lol.
That's when you get them a gag gift, like a set of "Wizard of Oz" Pez dispensers. That'll teach 'em. :argh!:
QuoteI like that idea of doing the greeting cards that way. I never really do cards. The only people I really care enough about to send a card to I usually just see them on that day.
Inappropriate cards are fun, too. :evil:
Sometimes I get a card for the wrong occasion, cross words out freely and write things over them. It's pretty fun.
On Your Bar Mitzvah Birthday
etc.
When my Grandpa eloped to Vegas, then came back and announced we were all going to dinner, I picked a card for him and his new wife, something to the effect of
"You finally tied the knot! No more endless pestering about when you're getting married. You're married! That's it! Congratulations!" On the inside it reads, "So when you gonna have a baby?"
That's a great idea that I might have to
steal borrow from you. :lulz: I also like the idea of the gag gift. I got my friend a bean filled penis and balls for her 21st birthday. Her look was classic.
Quote from: NiveKRayne on January 07, 2010, 09:10:37 AM
That's a great idea that I might have to steal borrow from you. :lulz: I also like the idea of the gag gift. I got my friend a bean filled penis and balls for her 21st birthday. Her look was classic.
Niiiiice.
A buddy of mine gave me these pens that have all kind of ridiculous stuff printed on them. One claims to be from a business called Electrolysis-Is-Us, another one is a pet taxidermy place, another is a sexual addiction clinic. You leave them around, or lend them to people, and bam.
Quote from: Brotep on January 07, 2010, 09:19:13 AM
Quote from: NiveKRayne on January 07, 2010, 09:10:37 AM
That's a great idea that I might have to steal borrow from you. :lulz: I also like the idea of the gag gift. I got my friend a bean filled penis and balls for her 21st birthday. Her look was classic.
Niiiiice.
A buddy of mine gave me these pens that have all kind of ridiculous stuff printed on them. One claims to be from a business called Electrolysis-Is-Us, another one is a pet taxidermy place, another is a sexual addiction clinic. You leave them around, or lend them to people, and bam.
:lulz: I've seen those before. I love things like that. I'd take those to the DMV or the bank and leave them.
Damn, I was at the DMV earlier and I didn't even think to drop one!
So many missed opportunities... :cry:
I'm sure the doctor's office is another good one. Could redeem of missed opportunities. :lulz: I always find it weird when I've gone to the doctor and forget to give their pen back and realize later on that its a pen for erectile dysfunction or some bizarre ailment.
My sister once had a bunch of pencils printed up with "Crash & Burn, Inc" and her address & phone number on them. It was made funnier because she lived on Skidmore at the time.
Quote from: The Right Reverend Nigel on January 08, 2010, 01:23:14 AM
My sister once had a bunch of pencils printed up with "Crash & Burn, Inc" and her address & phone number on them. It was made funnier because she lived on Skidmore at the time.
:lulz: Thats amazing.