Bah Humbug!

**Bloody Mad Woman (BMW)** · 22nd December 2006, 11:44

I'm having a wonderful time totally ignoring Xmas. I'm relaxed and looking forward to getting the hell out of work by 3.30pm sneak out - my "author" says I can go!! I've looked around at people (shitloads in town) they look tired, stressed and are hurrying. I overhear conversations "God I've still got xmas shopping to do". Not me. No money - no presents. And I don't feel guilty one jot. Been doing this for a while now. On Xmas day I go riding on my bike. Happy families - what an illusion. I am very happy choosing to be with people I want to be with.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE

**NighthawkNZ:Me** · 22nd December 2006, 12:01

Originally Posted by Bloody Mad Woman (BMW)

I'm having a wonderful time totally ignoring Xmas. I'm relaxed and looking forward to getting the hell out of work by 3.30pm sneak out - my "author" says I can go!! I've looked around at people (shitloads in town) they look tired, stressed and are hurrying. I overhear conversations "God I've still got xmas shopping to do". Not me. No money - no presents. And I don't feel guilty one jot. Been doing this for a while now. On Xmas day I go riding on my bike. Happy families - what an illusion. I am very happy choosing to be with people I want to be with.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE

I agree.. and will be doing something similar... :-) I don't buy pressies, and don't get them... and and xmas morning I sleep in go for a ride... no stress

**Phurrball** · 22nd December 2006, 12:22

Sorry MSTRS, I'm with the haters and wreckers here...Christmas is little else but stress.

I do enjoy catching up with the fandamily down in the south (and some time in the 'proper' island), but the financial strain isn't kind to relationships with significant others, or one's overdraft...

We're luckier than most in shunning the evils of televison (being predominantly the ad's and the 90% brain-rot between them), but even our cherished commercial-free National Programme becomes tedious at this time of year. At least there's CD's, books, and (to a great extent) the 'net to amuse one's self without buying into the boll*cks.

Whatever you do out there, do yourself a favour, and avoid those dastardly malls like the plague. I still haven't recovered from being dragged round one yesterday - and yes, I did consume - I purchased a set of three plastic meerkats

**placidfemme** · 22nd December 2006, 12:34

Originally Posted by Str8 Jacket

Im starting to feel like im in the minority here.... Am I the only person that hates Xmas? Ive been getting grumpier and grumpier over the last week or so. Cant wait for it all to be over! New Years is more of a celebration to me, anyone else?!

I'm 100% with you on this one. Christmas SUCKS. The only time I would willingly celebrate christmas with joy and enthusiasm is if I had kids. But I don't... so bah fucking humbug!

Christmas screws families over for months afterwards... thousands of families get into stupid amounts of debt buying presents for friends, family, co-workers, kid's friends etc. Add that on-top of having to keep money aside to pay the bills until they return to work, and spending money for holidays, food, transport... it just sucks.

Not to mention that in reality most kid's don't understand the true meaning of Christmas, they only get the idea of Santa and presents.

But my biggest thing that I HATE about Christmas is that its too commercial, its all about money making, there is no sense of "giving" and "love". Its all BUY THIS crap...

**NighthawkNZ:Me** · 22nd December 2006, 12:37

Originally Posted by placidfemme

But my biggest thing that I HATE about Christmas is that its too commercial, its all about money making, there is no sense of "giving" and "love". Its all BUY THIS crap...

Thats the part I hate more than anything else too... but I still the rest of it as well..

**MyGSXF:Me** · 22nd December 2006, 12:42

Originally Posted by Ixion

Sorry. Rabbit calicivirus got the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy succumbed to the effects of long term HIV, in the arms of his civil union partner.

Santa got picked up at a booze bus check point last Christmas, and done for DIC of a sleigh. Sad, how much education does it take for people to learn about host responsibility and stop leaviing bottles of beer and glasses of sherry out for him. He lost his licence for 18months so he won't be calling this year. Better break the news to the kids now.

**Colapop** · 22nd December 2006, 14:12

Don't mind the days off, don't mind the over-eating, don't mind the drinking.

Can't stand the shops, the stress, the money spent on shit that no-one wants, needs or appreciates, and I especially can't stand the fat sweaty pricks that "Ho, ho, ho" at you like some stuttering pimp in a red suit at every shop door or corner.

Santa is Mordor, only Frodo can save us.

**Lissa** · 22nd December 2006, 14:16

I love christmas because of the kids... they make it exciting. Been staying up late with them, sleeping on the sofa, watching videos and looking at the christmas lights on the tree.. guessing what they are going to get from santa. Only buy for the kids, so the stress of buying pressies isnt so bad.

What I hate about christmas is the shopping, the no parks, the fact all the bills seem to come at christmas time, the fact that there are kids out their who wont be getting anything, and seeing some relatives.. whom you really dont want to see.

**Waylander** · 22nd December 2006, 16:19

Originally Posted by Drum

fa, la, la, la, la - la, la, la, la.

OI! what did I say about those carols!!

**Paul in NZ** · 22nd December 2006, 16:34

This is very sad...

Christmas or at least the idea of Christmas, far beyond what it has been twisted into by the religious zealots and coca cola is a very good idea. Its a time of peace and love, a time of selflessness and giving, a time for families to be together and to play nice, even if it's only for a day and above all its a time for beginnings and endings, far more so to me than New Years Eve.

Please don't let hate get into your heart this Christmas and please don't give up on it because if you do, the Grich and the retailers will have won and why should we let them steal one of the very few nice ideas humans ever came up with.

OK - you don't have any money - so what? You can still give a little of yourself. You have bad memories of Christmas? I'm sorry about that but you will only continue to have bad memories if you keep making Christmas bad. If you make a good one, you will have good memories and hopefully you might give a few of those to others too.

Please - try and do me a little favour, just give one hearty Merry Christmas one ONE person on Christmas day, maybe someone who is not expecting it, maybe the guy at the gas station or the dairy. Just smile and spit it out, it won't hurt and you may just do some good.

You know - because we belong to the Pak N Save Chrissy club we can buy beer quite cheap so we go in a few slabs extra. $9 or something. I gave one to the parking guy, he damn near cried 'cos no one gives him anything but grief so a crappy $9 gift made a difference and don't tell me you have not got a family, look around, don't you see the family resemblence all about you?

Go on - be happy, it's been a cunt of an end to the year for several of OUR familes but life, and Christmas still go on, be happy......

Bless you all - you are all good people and seriously - try to enjoy it before it's too late...

edit

And if you are in wellie and don't have anyone to spend the day with, let me know (pm) 'cos I think there is a place at the table for you at my place OK?

**NighthawkNZ:Me** · 22nd December 2006, 16:41

Very nice of you... and I have always said that todays xmas is way to commercialised and it should be more about friends and family...

I still don't like it and probably never will, for me its a good time for time out but thats another story...

**Str8 Jacket** · 22nd December 2006, 18:25

Hey Paul, cheers for that. I am cooking for a houseful of "homeless people" on Xmas day and am quite happy to be doing so. I dont believe that I am a hateful person. I dont hate life, I love it, I dont hate people in fact I dont hate much. But I REALLY hate Xmas. I hate the commercialism, I hate the stress and I hate how busy town gets. I love spending the day cooking, eating and drinking with mates but I can do that any day.....

**Paul in NZ** · 22nd December 2006, 19:13

Originally Posted by Str8 Jacket

Hey Paul, cheers for that. I am cooking for a houseful of "homeless people" on Xmas day and am quite happy to be doing so. I dont believe that I am a hateful person. I dont hate life, I love it, I dont hate people in fact I dont hate much. But I REALLY hate Xmas. I hate the commercialism, I hate the stress and I hate how busy town gets. I love spending the day cooking, eating and drinking with mates but I can do that any day.....

Can't you see that you don't hate Christmas then? You just dislike how it has been perverted to line the pockets of the selfish and YOU are in fact the embodiment of the Christmas Spirit by selflessly cooking for others.

WELL DONE that woman and I know that there WILL be a Christmas in your household this year.. Thats made me a happy camper..

Paul N

ps - what time should we be there then? (pt)

pps - we are free with the hate word these days when really we mean dislike. Hate is something you should not do - its a great evil.