At the moment it sucks because I’m still finishing final papers…ahhhh!

I love this holiday season! I love family, it’s a BIG part of my life. I love that I have more time to spend at home with them, and I also love giving and receiving gifts.

This year I am only gifting my family, since there’s too many gifts for friends.

It can seem stressful at times because there are things that need to be planned for this holiday.

But overall, one of my favorite holidays!

I like this time of year. I think some people go overboard with the material part of the festivities. I just like to eat, drink, and be merry and I’m a happy and fortunate man!

I do like to buy people gifts, but I hate “christmas”, all the commercialism, fake crap, music, etc

I think it can be both very happy and very sad at the same time, but mostly, it intensifies how you have to express yourself to the people in your life. It puts those relationships on the spotlight and everything, down to how you sign name tags, how much of a gift you buy, and when you exchange are brought into light for the proper social norms. Family relationships are under the microscope, and of course, the budget is pressed to the max. So sure, it’s great… it’s the season of giving. I just had a blizzard here, personally. But it still represents a time where sentimental, ornamental, and going mental are interrelated ; )

Repetition.

Yes, children all home ,baking day tomorrow, get to be together xmas eve this year!

Ditto @Violet answer. I prefer to keep everything at a distance though. The festivities are fine for others and I wish them joy; but it’s not for me. I’ll just make my anonymous gifts and stay out of the way.

Seeing family is great. I work in a grocery store, though, and it gets hectic! I like the hours and money, but not the stress.

@Sixty_B “sentimental, ornamental, and going mental” lol!!
I like having everyone together, although this year 2 of my grandkids are spending Christmas break w/my son’s ex, so they won’t be here. :-( Most of my stress is caused by my husband.

Once you are with the family and eating that great meal on Christmas day, Christmas is great. But, the stress of getting to that point, is most people’s problem.

I’m almost through with all my “rat killing” Polly. Got about three more presents to buy.

Also, another hard part for me, it fighting my temptation to eat too much! Oh well, can work it off after Christmas!

Merry Christmas Polly my friend!

I am not really too impresed, so far…..

Everyone running around thinking about what they are getting ; and not what the season really means… which to me is about Helping Others in need….

Heck, who knows… Maybe “I” am wrong .

I want it to be great but it’s just not this year… I want it to be over really
I keep trying to get excited about it…but I’m not.
My fairy lights are broken and I can’t be bothered to replace them
The presents I’ve made for people seem insignificant
Family seems distant although just round the corner
I feel alone
I don’t know what Christmas is supposed to mean any more and I’m not sure I believe in whatever it is.

@stranger_in_a_strange_land – I don’t do anonymous gifts, because I am kind of obligated to be involved in 2 Christmases.. I also celebrate Hanukkah, because the majority of my family is Jewish. I actually prefer Hanukkah to X-mas.
and I’m cool with everyone else being happy and festive, but I’m on a fan of any kind of party, especially holiday parties.

I love the holiday season, but I do think people “celebrate” for the wrong reasons – myself included! I’m a “non-believer”, but partake in the Christmas tradition b/c the rest of my family does. It’s just a great way to take time to show your loved ones that they are appreciated.

I used to love the holidays because I would get to see my Grandfather when he was alive and indulge him in what made him so happy. Other than that, it’s a time to be able to spend with friends and family when many have time off and can be pinned down to just a few locations, all grouped together.

As for gifts, I love giving them but can’t do it as I’d like in recent years so the holidays give me an excuse to think well on just a few things for just a few people. There have been years when I took the opportunity to celebrate just about any holiday as an excuse to take time off work to go somewhere, see someone, give gifts… drink lots of champagne.

Stress is what you let it be, about 30% anyhow. I no longer feel like crap for not sending out hundreds of holiday cards or having to be the one to give the gift someone may have really wanted. No one has turned their back on me yet.

Eh… some simple decorations will do it!

…today I’m feeling a little more positive about it…
I can see that even though we’re far from rich I’ve got my son a lot of presents
I know he will love and that will make him happy
I can see that we do have family around us that do care about us….
I can see that I have family around me that I care about
I can see that I won’t be alone on Christmas Day like some people will
I can see that I will have lots of delicious food to expand my waistline and
I will not feel guilty about it because that’s what I have now decided
I can see that I am a beautiful person and I’m doing OK today
I can see that even though there will be a terrible anticlimax after Christmas is over and
I will feel just as lonely and have to come to terms with reality and
I can see that I have a lot of work to do to get my mind and body well
I can also see that there will be lots of joy and success in 2010 to look forward to