Bah Humbug!
This is my absolute LEAST favorite time of the year for so many reasons. Christmas kind of makes me nautious, I hate it so much! And don't even try to preach to me about the importance of Jesus's birthday. I get that part! And celebrating His birth is the only thing that truly give me joy about this season.
In honor of my 200th post, I shall post 20 things I hate about Christmas...
1. Christmas music! GAG! And it's on every station.
2. Christmas shopping! I hate crowds. I hate the lines. I hate the parking lots. I hate how it's so hot in the stores because of all the extra bodies. I hate Christmas shopping!
3. Undecorating the house so I can decorate for Christmas only to undecorate before Jan 1 and redecorate everything back to normal.
4. Christmas trees! What a mess! And for those that hate the paganistic beliefs of Halloween, I hate to break it to you, but you do know the Christmas tree has its origins as a pagan ritual? Uh huh...they usesd to hang dead bodies on the trees!
5. What does getting everything I want on my wish list have to do with Jesus's birthday? Honestly?
6. It's JESUS'S birthday, yet why do we give gifts to everyone BUT Him?
7. As a kid, I always hated the family gatherings on Christmas. Some members of my family are a little "rough" and it always resulted in yelling, fighting, and people commenting on my extreme shyness which I hated. I just wanted to be invisible in the corner of the living room! Which is why I HATE it when people make comments on my kids being shy...JUST LET THEM BE!
8. The dreaded chore of putting away all those Christmas gifts after opening them on Christmas morning.
9. Nothing is open on Christmas day! So you're stuck in the house all day!
10. All the holiday parties! UGH! Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for those willing to open their homes, but I come home feeling so defeated by my less than perfect decorations!
11. Baking! I'm so NOT a cook!
12. Christmas crafts....I'd rather stick needles in my eyes!
13. STRESS! The stress of spending money, the stress of making all those Christmas cards on time, the stress of getting it all done! Hate it!
14. Pretending to be merry and jolly and "gay" despite the fact that there are still real issues in your life.
15. My father was killed in a car accident 3 days before Christmas in 1983. So I guess I always have that negative association with Christmas. For so many people, this time of the year is about sadness. Sadness because they have loved ones serving in the armed forces overseas, sadness because of the loss of a loved one, sadness because of financial despair. I guess I feel their pain.
16. Eggnog! Who really drinks that stuff except my friend Audra, who makes "special" eggnog with a little added ingredient.
17. All those sentimental, sad, sappy Christmas movies.
19. Snowmen! Everywhere! It's 80 freakin' degrees people!
20. Red and Green...together! I can't think of two more UNCOMPLIMENTARY colors!
And finally a bonus, 'cause I couldn't stop at just 20:
21. People who are offended by the words "Merry Christmas" and want everyone to say "Happy Holidays" instead. PLEASE! CHRISTmas is about CHRIST and if you don't get that then you shouldn't celebrate Christmas! I guarantee you that "Happy Holidays" offends me WAY more than "Merry Christmas" offends them!
22. Hold on to your Santa hats...I'm about to address a controversial subject in the Christian church. And this may seem totally contradictory to #1-21, but for my children's sake I will address it. The whole issue of whether or not to do the "Santa" thing. I know I know...the commericialism and Santa take away from the TRUE meaning of Christmas. But honestly, I think you can do both and still place more emphasis on the birth of Christ, which is what we do in our house and is what our parents did with us. Lexi knows Christmas is about Jesus's birthday and it's about giving. But she also gets so excited about Santa and the reindeer just like I did as a kid. Why take that away from her? It won't take her long before she realizes that Santa's handwriting looks just like Mommy's. I'm all in favor of letting them enjoy it while they can. I' ve had lots of conversations lately with friends here in FL that don't do the Santa thing and personally, I think that's sad for their kids. That's my opinion, for what it's worth. (Not much I'm sure!) Just today I was explaining to Lexi that Santa helps us celebrate Jesus's birthday by giving presents to children all over the world. But still her favorite parts of Christmas are acting out the real Christmas story and the birthday party for Jesus and singing "Away in the Manger" and "Go Tell It On the Mountain". So don't tell me she doesn't get what Christmas is all about (even though we do Santa!)
On the other hand, I'm not really happy about a man in a red suit taking credit for my purchases!
9 comments:
I think bah humbug is an understatement!! I understand completely how you feel. HOWEVER, I love Christmas...everything about it. Just this morning I tried to hate it! I really did. I stayed in bed and didn't even want to go buy a tree! But with in ten minutes I got over it and arranged everything just so the tree would fit perfectly and got everything out!! It was great!
I love Santa too. Not because I have to lie to my children, but because I remember how excited I was as a kid. I want my children to have that same "magic" I had. If I could still believe I would.
I hate the gift giving thing though, I do hate spending money on people who hate spending money on me...I just wish we all could just get together and not worry about presents. When that day happens, then Christmas will just be perfect. Oh, and we do all the Christmas traditions and still know it's really about Jesus. We get him a birthday cake every year and sing happy birthday to him on Christmas eve before we go to bed! I think the kids love that part most of all!
Sorry to hear you lost your dad this time of year. That stinks.
One good thing about being in Costa Rica is that I can't afford to buy any gifts and I certainly can't afford to send anything with the cost of shipping. If I bought something for $10, it would break in 2 minutes and would cost me $20 or more to send it! Another good things is that we are not filled with the hustle and bustle that is soooo common in America. Just today we made Christmas cookies for like 4 hours and it wasn't a big deal because I had nothing else to do! Normally, in America, I would NOT like to cook because it was just one more thing....but here.....it's like the ONLY thing! hehehe...... Anyway, cheer up! If you don't like all the stuff, then turn off the radio, put in some cd's, don't go to the parties, shop online, and don't decorate your house! :) Maybe that will help. I'm serious! Just enjoy the month. There have been many years that I just couldn't do all that stuff b/c it was tooo much! Now being here, I miss TARGET like everyday. :)
Love ya girl....Jess
This season is what you make it. I know you have never been excited about Christmas, ever since your Dad died, and as you have gotten older it seems to be even more of a dreadful time of the year for you.
Relax, you do not have to spend money, buy a few things for your girls and let that be it. You always over do the decorations...don't do it!!! No one said you have to make your Christmas cards, they sale some very nice ones at Walmart. BAKING? We do not need those extra pounds. Let's make some cupcakes to celebrate Jesus' birthday and let that be it.
As for Santa...it is fun for children. Remember when you were little and he made a visit to our house and you saw him working around the tree. That was so much fun, and I will never forget your eyes and how exciting it was for you to see Santa at your home.
Don't put all this extra stress on yourself. Like I said YOU make the season what you want it to be. Take a stand on what you want to do, and stick to it, don't let all the pressures of others influence your Christmas season.
Love and hugs, and by the way Merry Christmas.
Mom
"6. It's JESUS'S birthday, yet why do we give gifts to everyone BUT Him?"
in our churchables, we are all asked to make even gifts to the church as our christmas present budgets and label the checks "happy birthday jesus." they all go to missions feeding kids at a soup kitchen at our sister church in costa rica...
it's a thought, anyways...and we had fun picking out a birthday card for jesus, too!
AMEN!!! I feel the same way...
For the Santa Handwriting, maybe you could try a "handwriting font"!
add FAT man in the red suit taking credit for our purchases, waiting in lines, and thinking of the item to start with!
oooppsss...that was mom2iande for the last post
Numbers 1-21 saddened me but #22 says there is hope! I think you are on the right track...let it be for the girls. Make magic for the girls and don't let anyone tell you how you should do it. I know of a few people who REALLY push Jesus' birthday on their tiny tots. I asked my DH last night how we are going to balance Santa with the true meaning of Dec. 25. While they are so young we are going to display the Advent wreath and Nativity in special places. We will continue to tell the kids it is Jesus' birthday and we will read them short stories about Jesus' birth as well as St. Nicholas. This is more than my parents did for me. As they get older we will do more with the Advent prayers and so on but for now, take it all in. Watch their faces light up as they talk about Santa and reindeer and presents. Watch Charlie Brown and Rudolph with them. Even Caleb points out Snoopy everywhere we go now and he pretends to talk when he sees him.
Lauren wanted so badly to wear her Santa hat yesterday when she went to see Santa (at Wal-mart). She was wearing her Aggie shirt and I spoiled it. I told her the hat didn't match and we'd get her an Aggie Santa hat at Wal-mart. As I ran through the store looking for one....they put her on Santa's lap and took her picture because there ws no line. I should have just let her have the red hat!
Just think about those girls and make your own memories with them and FOR them. Take a cute pic of them and take it to Wal-mart for 40cent Christmas cards. When the girls are older, they can help you make all the cards.
And about gifts...we buy for the kids in our family and that's about it.
I'm so sorry to hear that this time of year is so sad and stressful for you. I know how hard it is to lose a close family member and it must have been extra hard to lose him at Christmas time. It can all be overwhelming, I agree.
We have vowed not to make it all about the gifts for our Girls. SO many people use it as an excuse to buy thier kids every last thing in the store and the meaning of Christmas is totally lost on them. I truly feel that Jesus, family, friends, and togetherness is what it is all about!
Just enjoy the time with your kiddos and don't worry about doing all the rest! You have every right to not do all the extra stuff if you don't want to! Take care!
Great post.
I like eggnog. With or without extra "ingredient".
We don't do Santa.
I'm just mean, though.
Still haven't decorated my tree, by the way.
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