I may not be celebrating christmas anymore.

[MuinXing]

I had a friend have an unfortunate accident this week. So basically were not able to celebrate christmas.

However on a typical year I'm not able to get home.

So I feel like celebrating christmas is kind of a lost cause for me.

Granted I'm not anti holidays, thanksgiving, and easter, along with several birthdays are huge deals for me.

I just feel that the holiday is at an inconvient time of year(stormy, expensive to fly, commercialism rammed down our throats).

There's also an aspect of it being a put down to people that are alone or separated from there families.

Again I don't hate christmas, I've had mostly pleasant experiences, it's just simply a matter of not wanting to cheapen the memories I do have with less pleasant ones, or ones where the holiday can be truly embraced.

So does anyone else do something similar, or atleast celebrates christmas outside of the standard window. Dec 23-27.

[Tony Flow MMMM]

......


???

[Kenzy]

Originally Posted by MuinXing

So does anyone else do something similar, or atleast celebrates christmas outside of the standard window. Dec 23-27.

Does...Are...Are you asking if anyone does anything similar to not-celebrating christmas...? Because the answer would be yes... a lot of people actually do things similar to not-celebrating christmas, such as not-celebrating christmas...

And as for christmas outside of the standard window, have you considered any of the other holidays? I hear they might be a nice replacement for the winter holiday of christmas. Or maybe you can just do christmas stuff on literally any other day of the year? I mean, it depends on what you like about christmas... If you like the part about getting together with people you care about, I think there's the possibility you can "celebrate christmas" "outside of the standard window".

[mcnach]

Originally Posted by Tony Flow MMMM

......

???

Thanks for your outstanding contribution.

[fmoore200]

Three King's Day is January 6, and is traditionally celebrated by many hispanic people, albeit not as a replacement for Christmas, but as a supplement. Maybe that would work for you?

I'm with you on the over commercialization of holidays btw.

[thumpbass1]

Celebrate any holiday you choose to observe to the needs of your situation. And that means when and where, etc, etc. Don't worry about observing any holiday outside of the usual calender date, if that is what you choose, or have to do. I offer my sympathy, prayers, and best wishes to your friend and you.

[bassteban]

This completely understandable- lots of painful memories for some, plus it might be a good thing to do good things all the damn time, as opposed to once a year because we feel guilty about being bastards the rest of the time(speaking ONLY for myself).

[Rush-2112]

Originally Posted by thumpbass1

Celebrate any holiday you choose to observe to the needs of your situation. And that means when and where, etc, etc. Don't worry about observing any holiday outside of the usual calender date, if that is what you choose, or have to do. I offer my sympathy, prayers, and best wishes to your friend and you.

+1

Hope your friend is alright. I'm lucky to live in a very close proximity to my family, and this makes holidays easier. But I can imagine how expensive flights get around this time of year. So I wouldn't feel bad if I were you...your circumstances didn't allow you to make it. If they understand this, I'm sure your family won't feel bad. And I think going outside of the regular window would be fine, or at least better than not going at all. Just call 'em up or Skype on the 25th!

[AaronMB]

It's all in the heart - it doesn't matter when or what day and that day certainly doesn't--and shouldn't--have to be relegated to a recognized 'holiday.'

You make the holiday.

Good luck to you, your friend, and your family.

[jbrooks]

I've became disillusioned with Christmas years ago. Overwrought with commercialism with stores putting out Christmas stuff at the end of summer. I just got tired of it being shoved down my throat with the real meaning, the birth of Christ is rarely mentioned. We have put up a tree maybe once in the past five years ago.

I only buy gifts for the little children and end up giving money to my grown kids. My wife and I get what we want when we want it.

My wife had this thing that she didn't want to buy anything on my list, saying she didn't want to go into those stores. Not that I like going into shops that had the things on her list. I'm not talking about kinky stuff, I use to hunt and was very specific with my list. Nothing outrageous. I ask for a 4 Cell mag light every year for almost ten years. My sons bought it for me finally, of course after I was pretty much done with hunting. To them it became a running joke.

Of course I came up with great ideas for her, special, over the top things. She decided a couple of years ago to go buy herself a GT Mustang convertible on her own. I told her happy birthday, anniversary and Merry Christmas that I wasn't buying her anything else.

She decided to quit her job for almost six months to pursue her dreams of being a triathlete while buying all the toys associated with it. I figured it was good enough for her to buy a car on her own. Well I went an bought an Challenger SRT. She ask if we could afford it, I said I could. She eventually went back to work.

I was looking forward to it this year for a while when my son and family moved here but my daughter-in-law and grandson moved away before the holidays so that's out. I don't think she is coming back but she is still stinging my son along.

Back when I lived near my family I had a big house. My birthday is always close to Thanksgiving so I would cook and have everyone over. I would smoke and fry turkeys with my brother and my sons, listen to music and drink a beer or two. Family togetherness without the pressures and disappointments associated with gift giving. My mom always had that at her house.

Now that I no longer live near my family I really don't have the desire to go through the motions for either holiday.

Don't want to rain on anyone's parade. If you look forward to the holidays and that they have meaning for you then I am happy for you. If you don't well there isn't anything wrong with you and don't let the hype tell you otherwise.

[Russell L]

Christmas ain't over til it's my birthday on January 5 (that's also Twelfth Night, the twelfth day of Christmas). But, yeah, like my wife and I have already done it all with the kids and now we are going to our other house to be to ourselves for the next several days, including Christmas Day. Other than that, considering all the stress, commercialism, and resulting fussing around the house I've considered skipping Christmas altogether from now on. It's supposed to be a happy time, but it usually isn't that happy, seems like. When I was young it was happy, but I didn't have all the tribulations I have now as an adult. I envy those whose Christmases are indeed happy.

[LarryO]

My son and wife and celebrate
......i just pay for it

[HaMMerHeD]

I "strongly dislike" Christmas, so I don't celebrate it.

[Indiana Mike]

I have a love hate for the season ....

the past has not always been pleasant , one christmas day my brother started a huge fight with me accusing me of helping his ex daughter in law financially so she could leave his son,,, that did NOT happen!

ex wife issues

everybody wanting me to spend spend spend...

work slows and income dwindles until april....

I'm gonna put on my best face and go to the parents house today....

I could care less about gifts and spending and would just like to enjoy a good meal , spirits , and good company...

[kjpollo]

Most years I really enjoy it and go along happily.

This year is very different on a couple of levels:
1- the massacre in Sandy Hook, CT. I live about 20 minutes away and for us its more than just a news item. I knew the principal who died ( not a very close friend but she was from my hometown and I knew her), and a former co-worker's 5 year old daughter fortunately survived but her teacher and best friend did not. Things like that have a way of dampening the holiday spirit.
2- my father passed away back in April. My mom had already died 6 years ago so this is my first Christmas with both of my parents gone.
3- Financial stresses. We have been hit with several unforseen expenses over the course of the year and our budget has been bled and bled. And a few possible sources of extra holiday money dried up. I tried selling off some old baseball cards and got nowhere AND for the 1st time in 6 years that I've been working there, my employer did not give out ANY kind of Christmas bonus. Yes, I am thankful I'm still working but we definitely missed that check. Even a couple hundred dollars would have been helpful.
4- just this week my singer utterly wigged out on me because I couldnt make rehearsal Wednesday night and now I'm out of that band. There's way more to it than that and its in a separate thread in Band Management so I'm not going into it all over again here. Granted this one is WAY smaller in the overall scheme of things but its just one more thing that kinda helped quench my holiday spirit to a certain degree.

Because of the financial pressures, my wife and I are not exchanging gifts between us and we are really looking for deals for the kids and grandkids.
But we ARE still celebrating the holiday.

[jmorbita]

You could celebrate Festivus...

[Indiana Mike]

For the rest of us!

Now ,on to the feats of strength!

[Strat-Mangler]

Originally Posted by Tony Flow MMMM

......


???

Unnecessary and classless. Way to go.

[two fingers]

December 25th is just a number on a calendar. Celebrating Christmas (or any other holoiday) is about people. Get with them when you can. I am in a big family. The more people who marry into it, the more complicated it gets finding a day to get together that fits into everyone's schedule. There are arguments every year. My take? Let's do it in January sometime. WHO CARES if it's not in December????? It's not about the date!

As for past memories, don't let them keep you down. My sister passed away some years back. Her birthday was December 18th. The first couple of Christmas times afterwards I felt kind of like you. It almost didn't seem "right" to celebrate with her not here. But then it just hit me. SHE would want me to celebrate. You can't live in bad memories forever. I can't tell you how to feel (and wouldn't try). But I think you'll snap out of that part eventually.

Hang in there. The Christmas blues get us all at some point. Sorry you are feeling that way right now.

By the way, do you have Skype? When I can't actually BE where my family is, it still helps me feel like I'm there a little bit to do a video call. I know it's not the real thing. But it's FREE if you already have a web cam. And a really cheap gift for your folks would be to get them one if they don't have one. They start at $20 or so. Just a random thought.

Either way. Merry Christmas even if it's not so Merry this year. They will get better.

[TOOL460002]

We celebrate Giftmas. May yours be merry.