

I am a little antisocial....okay, very antisocial, so holidays aren't the most fun for me. Growing up, my family was really spread out, so no one came around, and we rarely went anywhere. Now, I live with my boyfriend and his family. He has a huge family, and they are very connected and live close by. Me being antisocial is such a weird thing to them, and they are hardly used to it as is. There's nothing I hate more than the pressure of a bunch of mildly important people all under one roof, all aware of the fact that I would much rather be in my room, away from them. Holidays are hell. I miss my family and the small gatherings we had. Maybe I should start heading home for the season each year, but it's just such a trip.








I am so glad I found this thread. I would enjoy just being alone or with hubby. I agonize over family gatherings with in-laws. My family does not do anything so I am lucky there (go to see my mother for about an hour and I am done). But as it is I end up doing a lot of cooking for a bunch of people that are lazy and ungrateful. To make it worse several birthdays fall in there so even more crap to do with these people. Hubbie absolutely loves the holidays and volunteers "us" to do a lot of this cooking. Holiday gifts... I'll buy what I want/ when I want it and would rather not have to reciprocate on this gift stuff. Grrr.....I hate to sound like a Grinch to him but it is how I feel. Glad to know there are other's out there that feel the same.



Tbh the only enjoyment I find in the holidays is the look on my son's face when he wakes up to presents under the tree and a nice family breakfast together. My dad never celebrated Christmas because we couldn't afford it so I didn't think much of the holiday until I moved in with my mother and I feel like it's me giving him the small things in childhood that I never had.
He's all about that Christmas and most other holidays so I put in the effort because as much as I dislike some of it, it's worth it to see him happy.



I hate feeling I obligated to buy gifts...





I've been hating the Holidays since the summer. I keep the home shopping channels on mute when I cam and do pso, just to look at pretty things as I'm working. All of the channels had 'Christmas In July' specials, and were selling everything from x-mas trees, decorations, to gift items on sale!
I just noticed that Not only was there Black Friday, but yesterday was Small Business Saturday, and tomorrow Starts Cyber Monday.. Blech!!
ee9ba10f2c9003ed10107b9580a4f848.jpg




yeah this year i've hit hating xmas. It's just bs now... was it religious? Maybe, but people aren't anymore, it's about buying presents, which just ugh you don't need them and they mean more if you just get something for someone because you want to, not on a holiday. And feeling pressure to be jolly and happy and feeling 100x worse if you can't for some reason. I was on the verge of tears all xmas day last year because i had just split with my bf the month before and xmas day just made it fresh again. And this year I'm not hot on going home as my parents were pretty awful to me about a few things a while ago. A friend is spending it alone as he can't travel to family with work.. i'd happily keep him company but feel obligated to go to my family, even though xmas is supposed to be about giving and stuff.
The fucking music, omg OP yes, it is everywhere and it is hellish. The shitty topshop xmas jumpers that too many people wear all december now. The stupid fucking adverts and coca cola lorry and stupid people crying over them and 'going to see' the lorry. It's a lorry with lights on it carrying coke. You're moved by an advert showing you the joys of the xmas spirit, family, love etcetc.... oh look buy this shit! What is wrong with these people??
The food is great though, and the mulled wine, mmmm...
Haha this rant was fun, do holidays your way, or not at all, whatever![]()
I'm atheist and always skip the religious crap but last Christmas wasn't too bad. The baby was only 6 months old so we just bought him some clothes and couple small gifts for each other. We spent the whole day in our pajamas playing scrabble. My in laws stopped by for a bit but we didn't have to go anywhere...This year I have to keep my son out of the den because my in laws put up the tree and presents without a baby gate around it. Naturally my 18 month old wants to pull all the decorations off the tree, try to eat the lights, pull paper off the presents, etc. So we're confined upstairs. There's tons of traffic and PEOPLE everywhere I go. I feel like I'm stuck in a sardine can. And I've already spent $300 on presents for the kid because he's spoiled and I feel guilty that we're confined to 2 rooms in the house. OH and my club is DEAD as everyone on here knows so I'm not making squat at work. BAH HUMBUG!!









I'm not usually one to dislike the holidays. I'm fortunate to have a large, well connected family that I stay in regular touch with. But this year I have and will spend most of it alone far away from my relatives. Bah humbug!
Oh boy. What a bunch of Scrooges and Grinches ! You folks need to lighten up and control the holiday instead of letting it control you.
Don't like the commercialism of Christmas ? Stay out of the stores. Don't decorate. Don't send Christmas cards. Don't buy presents.
Don't like attending family gatherings ? You don't have to. Maybe you're just not a very social person. Or maybe you have other issues that you need to address.
Me ? I have a VERY short list of people I buy presents for. I start my Christmas shopping in July. Seriously. If I see something that I know a particular person will like , I get it and store it until December. I stay out of the stores as much as possible after Thanksgiving because I hate traffic , crowds and long check out lines. Pssst, I have mastered re-gifting. For instance, I get a lot of bottles of Scotch around Christmas. Personally I can't stand the stuff but I have friends that like it. I give it to them. Everyone is happy.
The original gifter , the re-giftee and me lol.
I decorate, but I don't put up lights.
I donate to charity. I never pass a Salvation Army kettle without dropping in a buck or two ; I always donate to food drives and Toys For Tots. Nothing helps generate the warm and fuzzies like being charitable.
In short, do what you can to make the holiday fit you and don't worry about trying to fit in to the holiday.


Thanksgiving was a big pain in my ass. Spending $300 on food for one day, cooking for two days straight then cleaning up everything myself is not a fun time for me. The food ended up not being that great for all the effort involved either.
I haven't been into Christmas since becoming an adult and I finally got to a point where I can tell people I'm just not interested in participating. Travel during this time of year is costly and atrocious, shopping and cooking are equally so. Plus knowing that I owe thousands on taxes and there will be the inevitable post holiday drop in business makes me want to shake off any added pressure to please people. I'm not putting myself through it anymore.





talking about twisted and cynical ...
(snip)Did you know that the rate of suicide is highest during this time of the year and that 45 percent of all Americans dread the Christmas season? We are constantly being told that Christmas is the happiest time of the year, but mental health professionals tell us that the exact opposite is true. For large numbers of Americans, the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas is filled with stress, anxiety, loneliness and family squabbles. And for most people, the reality of the holidays never even comes close to matching up with the glittering ideal portrayed in movies and on television. As a result, depression tends to spike during the month of December. And of course Americans are quite depressed most of the time anyway. In fact, one out of every ten Americans is on an antidepressant as you read this article. No other nation in the world even approaches that level. So right now we are in the midst of the most depressing time of the year in the most depressed nation on the entire planet. What is wrong with this picture?(snip)





^^^Great points! So in support of everybody who get's pissed off and triggered around the holidays, with family, or in your hometown, consider this: http://www.serenitylane.com/articles...ytriggers.html I think unresolved family/childhood issues are the largest factor in the holiday season turning sour. but it doesn't have to be that way! Take a walk down Serenity Lane instead!![]()
Holiday Triggers
People, Places or Things
Avoid your personal triggers. If certain people may trigger any anger or negative emotion, avoid that interaction.
Avoid people who use.
Avoid your old places, such as bars or clubs.
Avoid things that create temptation.
First Holiday Sober
Those loved ones about to experience a first holiday season of sobriety may be especially dreading this time with family and friends. Discuss this with your:
Counselor
Therapist
12 step sponsor
Or in group meetings.
Those with a longer period of sobriety may be a good sounding board for you.
Social Situations
If holiday parties and gatherings are going to place you in an environment with drugs and alcohol, it's okay to decline the party invitation or leave a party early.
Make Recovery a Priority
Take care of yourself by:
Resting
Eating right
Continuing to exercise
Attending group meetings
Staying in touch with your sponsor.
Use the Holiday Season
Remind yourself of the gifts you have been given in life (gratitude), while looking for opportunities to help others (service work).[snip]
There's a bit about substance abuse but certainly you can switch it up and apply it to Avoiding Drama, Avoiding Depression, etc. I would add that it's good to avoid family or friends that try to compete or humiliate. Avoid people trying to judge or be abusive--especially if there's alcohol or drugs being used. People get that liquid courage and go all out with the crowd as an audience. Don't commit to more than you can handle.
“What a caterpillar calls the end of the world we call a butterfly.” - ECKHART TOLLE
We are talking about a holiday that in the U.S. falls on the shortest days of the year i.e. have the least sunlight leading to inter alia SAD ( Seasonal Affective Disorder ). A lot depends on attitude. If you dwell on the negative , glass half empty , chances are you will be depressed. If you participate in family squabbles you are likely to be unhappy.
I find if I keep my expectations low and keep everything as simple as possible then I am unlikely to be disappointed.




I hate that the door-to-door religious proselytizers reach an all time high around this time of year.
I'm not finding the holidays as annoying as I do in past years for some reason. Seems the marketing is not quite as over the top as it has been.
A cunning linguist...
Will how's the gigalo business since the book?





Re: don't attend family gatherings … well I am kinda stuck this yr since rather than having to go to the gatherings, the gatherings came to me. I have my temperamental sister, her hubby & toddlers staying w/ us, & her uncle arrived tonite to stay for a couple days. Every1 else I can deal w/ (at least in small doses), but she & I don't get along & I find it very difficult to be around kids for personal reasons. I am just taking my dog's approach to it all (the dog is a total chickenshit) & spend most of my time hiding in my room bc I am in overload. I realise it's rude & I feel bad for being selfish, but at this point I am more interested in my own sanity.
As the famous M*A*S*H* quote goes: 'The question isn't, Why do I drink; it's Why don't I drink more?'
Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year! (Sorry, this thread just seemed so negative for such a positive time of the year)
You may resume your regularly scheduled grousing.![]()





The lack of sunlight is what makes this season almost unbearable for many people (like myself). I took some extra vitamin D and that had helped me coped with all the holiday blues. I imagine other SWers probably feel the same way.





A little smtg silly to take our minds off the things abt this season that get us down. Take your pick.




Eric Idle - Fuck Christmas: http://youtu.be/FOg7aPNLLG0
Bookmarks