Quote From: draya001Here's a hearty pat on the back from one Christmas non-enthusiast to another. I get the same reaction, except for the "not old enough to appreciate the season," since I'm pushing 50.
draya001's Top Ten Reasons Why I Hate Christmas
10. I hate Christmas because it is the first big lie parents tell their children. I know, I know; it's all supposed to be for fun, but I think teaching a child that fantasy is real is detrimental to their mental development and their trust in their parents.
9. I hate Christmas because if you're not with the Christmas Crowd they will definitely make sure you're against them.
8. I hate Christmas because it has taken an honest (however much misguided, in my opinion) sentiment and turned it into a three month long commercial.
7. I hate Christmas because Salvation Army beggars wielding bells like weapons make entering any and every store a torment. When I was a kid, they used to sing carols and play music, which was not annoying and rather pleasant. Now they hire derelicts who throw sarcasm, curses and spit, just because I quietly passed them by. The Salvation Army is a charitable organization, and they do good things. If their kettle contributions are pretty thin, they ought to consider why.
6. I hate Christmas because by the time everyone has worn themselves out jumping through all the obligatory hoops, no one can enjoy it.
5. I hate Christmas because every year the most beautiful 70-foot Norway Spruce in the world gets killed and stuck up to dry and rot in Rockefeller Plaza, along with millions of its lesser cousins throughout the world.
4. I hate the waste of paper and foil. I hate the mess and the noise.
3. I hate greedy kids who are (in about 30 minutes) completely uninterested in whatever toy they've been screaming about for the last six months.
2. I hate the inevitable family fights.
1. And finally, I hate Christmas because of all the Christians who whine and complain that it isn't about Jesus' birth any more, and who don't have the wit or initiative to read The Bible carefully enough to know that if Jesus ben Joseph did exist, he surely wasn't born in December; or read a history book with enough diligence to realize that what we now know as Christmas was once a pagan holiday called Saturnalia that early Northern European Christians co-opted to increase their numbers. They tended to have a lot of backsliders around Saturnalia and they wanted to snag them back with another celebration a few days later. If Jesus did exist, he was a Jew who maintained that he was a man like any other man; he celebrated the rituals any young Rabbi would; and the only time his birthday was anything much special was his Bar Mitzvah. Jesus was a teacher with a message, and although I'm not a Christian (or even a Jew) I think he would be disturbed to find what we've made of his message. He repeatedly cautioned us not to think of him as a god, because he wanted us to know that we are all God's children, and all humans can attain grace -- a very good message no matter what its source. If you're going to be a Christian, do it right and quit whining about it.
'nuff said
Whoa, girlfriend! What a concise and well-composed post. I agree
with you on many points, even though I personally don't hate Christmas.
I actually rather enjoy it--to a certain extent, minus the icky
commercialism.
Your item 1 is duly noted. I get the impression from reading various
posts on this board that a big chunk of Dr. Phil viewers are Christians.
Please, Christians out there reading this, do not take too much offense
to the lady's point 1. But she is right that Christians have co-opted a
pagan ritual as their own, so you can't lay claim on this holiday and
proclaim while looking down on us "others" that "Jesus is the reason
for the season." If anything, Easter seems like it has much more
relevance and importance to Christianity, since that event is a
celebration of his suffering, sacrifice, and resurrection--if you are a
Christian and believe in that, of course.
The holidays are here, but some households never experience “peace on earth.” Dr. Phil’s guests refuse to embrace the spirit of the season, and say Christmas is the worst time of the year! Joyce has been married to Rick for 27 years, and has hated the holidays for 26 of those years. She refuses to put up a tree, decorate her house or listen to Christmas carols. Rick says Joyce even flipped out when he tried to dangle some mistletoe over her head! Joyce has succeeded in ruining her family’s joy, but is she about to destroy her marriage? Then, Val has 11 kids, but says her three daughters stop at nothing to wreck the holidays. One daughter even resorted to breaking her sister’s finger on Christmas day! The constant fighting has pushed Val to consider something drastic. And, find out what special event Robin and Dr. Phil hosted to help celebrate the true holiday spirit! Talk about the show here.
