what is the deal with xmas?....

by flower 27 Replies latest jw friends

  • flower
    flower

    seriously i just dont understand the thought process behind what people do at xmas and the holiday season. have you ever noticed how negative and stressed out people are?

    i come into contact with a lot of people at work and as a job requirement i have to make small talk with them while taking care of their transactions and services. well this time of year its generally easy as everyone is talking about their plans for the holidays. but i would say like 90 percent of the people i talk to are miserable with the whole process of celebrating xmas. it amazes me!

    they complain about all the shopping they 'have' to do, like as if they are obligated to buy things for people they dont want to. and they go on and on about how many people they are having over and all the cooking and baking and wrapping they have not done yet. i also hear this to a greater extent all day long from a certain coworker.

    not only do people complain about what they have to do but i also hear so many people complaining about having to go to their inlaws or whoevers house when they dont want to. or not wanting to go here or there for a holiday party.

    i dont know maybe because i have not had the opportunity to really celebrate xmas, i just dont understand where peoples mindset is. honestly i would give almost anything for what they have...the opportunity to spend a whole day or weekend with family and friends, socializing, eating, drinking, taking pictures, making memories. i wish i could know what it feels like to have that history and know what it feels like to have traditions. i wonder if its the redundancy that makes people miserable. whatever it is i've never heard so much whining and complaining as i do this time of year.

    i guess i've always had a 'television' idea of what xmas is all about and i guess thats just not reality.

  • Country_Woman
    Country_Woman

    I think that people hate "everything" they are forced to. And obviously lots of people feels "forced" to buy gifts for relatives as a habit - not because they want to. It's like sending cards: they have to send a card to everyone who send one to them - and they are waiting for the incoming cards before they send theirs out.

    Still, when it was taking away from them, they would even whine more.....

    Further, lots of people are taking Christmas and everything around as "granted" once it was denied, and regained you will value it more then before.

    As for me, I have 4 brothers, 1 sister and 1 daughter. (and only my daughter and I were once JW's).

    One of my brothers and his wife did invite me for a Christmas dinner (which he has been doing since I am "out" and I am not surprised when one of the others invite me for the next day) My daughter is invited to celebrate with friends. There will be no presents - these are in my family given at other circumstances (Sinterklaas)- but there IS a beautifull tree.

    It is still special for us because it was so long not "allowed"

    I hope you will have a merry Christmas.

    Branda

  • Tigerman
    Tigerman

    It's human nature, people are just venting; if given a choice they wouldn't give up their tradition of Christmas and everything that it envolves for anything in the world.

    May health and happiness fill all your lives.

    Paul

  • roybatty
    roybatty

    I love Christmas. I love buying my kids stuff, I love the lights, the snow, the time off work.

  • Happy Guy :)
    Happy Guy :)

    seriously i just dont understand the thought process behind what people do at xmas and the holiday season. have you ever noticed how negative and stressed out people are?

    Christmas has always been an excellent part of my life and that of my family. When I first started dating my ex wife she had an occaion to bring ger sister and fiance over to our house on Christmas eve. The sister and fiance were baptized and were stranded in our area due to a severe winter strom. Even they enjoyed the warmth and spirit which flowed through our home that beautiful evening. It actually caused them to seriously question what they had learned since they were both "born into the truth".

    That same spirit of love and family and reflection of Jesus and his birth, life and sacrifice for humankind has always been present in my family at Christmas time. I can't speak for others who get stressed or focus on things other than family but there are so many people out there in the world who feel the same as I do and grew up that way. I think you are being exposed to a very narrow view of Christmas.

  • shamus
    shamus

    Christmas is for kids and for family to get together. It's not about buying grown-ups presents, most of which they don't want anyways. Plus you have to think about what to buy them, feel bad when they buy you something four times more expensive than what you bought them...

    It's for kids and family, end of discussion. I don't exchange gifts with grown-ups. That ends 99.9 percent of the stress right there.

  • Brummie
    Brummie

    I luurrv Christmas, I even enjoy the crowded town shopping areas, the hassle, etc

    Give me Chrtistmas everyday, trimmings and all.

    Brummie

  • Incense_and_Peppermints
    Incense_and_Peppermints
    i dont know maybe because i have not had the opportunity to really celebrate xmas, i just dont understand where peoples mindset is. honestly i would give almost anything for what they have...the opportunity to spend a whole day or weekend with family and friends, socializing, eating, drinking, taking pictures, making memories. i wish i could know what it feels like to have that history and know what it feels like to have traditions. i wonder if its the redundancy that makes people miserable. whatever it is i've never heard so much whining and complaining as i do this time of year.

    don't let a few whiners give you the wrong impression. i've found that people who complain about the holidays usually complain about other things in life too. christmas, like life, is what you make it. i luv the lights, making cookies, finding fun presents and then wrapping them, getting dressed up and having fun at parties, watching one of the many christmas movies on tv and sipping hot cocoa...trimming the tree while listening to christmas music... every year we each pick out one new ornament to put on the tree...this year i got a hello kitty one and my son got a moose on skis. people who are stressed and crabby are usually stressed and crabby regardless of what time of year it is or whatever is going on in their life... try to avoid the scrooges and hang out with the fun people, you'll see

  • Carmel
    Carmel

    I hate shopping any time of the year unless it's for a new pickup or a tool! Gotta get this for whoosits! Dang, let them get their own! They know what they want and I don't! Hum Bah Bug!

    carmel

  • Elsewhere
    Elsewhere
    have you ever noticed how negative and stressed out people are?

    They've lost touch with the Sprit of Christmas and replaced it with the ritual of christmas.

    It can be hard to do, but they need to let it all go and strip Christmas down to nothing but a feeling. From there they can add all of the "extras" that come along with Christmas.

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