"Why I hate Christmas", by Eli.
My dislike for this holiday has nothing to do with the fact that I'm not a Christian. In fact, it applies more or less equally to Chanukkah or any of the multi-cultural holidays that have seemed to sprout up in recent years. But even though I say I am not... my family (historically at least) follows the Christmas traditions. I really have no issue whatsoever with the intended spirit of the holiday. Generally speaking, the concept of giving, sharing, and simply being together with people you care about is all well and good. But I have got some serious issues with what the Christmas season has BECOME.
What it has become has nothing to do with the intended point of the holiday. Despite the fact that I'm an atheist, if I actually saw people caring more about the faith based aspect of the holiday I would be more inclined to have a favorable opinion of the day. I respect people who have faith. I envy them, in fact.
But I am disgusted by the greedy, materialism that surrounds this holiday season. It is undeniable that the "stuff" is now the most important aspect. Case in point:
I have been asking my family for YEARS now to please stop buying me Christmas presents. I am nearly 35 years old and I make pretty decent money. If there is anything I want, I am perfectly capable of getting it myself. Additionally, all of my siblings are also well into adulthood. And all but one are financially secure (I'll return to this in a moment). The point here is that... as I have expressed to them multiple times... just seeing them on the holiday is sufficient gift for me. I don't get to spend time with my sisters very much so just hanging out on the holiday is great. I certainly don't need any "stuff" that people buy simply out of a sense of tradition. Especially when at least half the time it is shit I really don't have any use for anyhow. I live (for the most part) in a truck. Where the fuck am I supposed to put yet another clever tchotchke? I'll tell you where... in the dumpster. Needless to say, someone always still buys me something much to my dismay.
I continue to beg... every year... for them to stop. And I have even decided that I myself am no longer going to buy gifts for those who are not IN NEED. Remember a bit ago where I said that all but one of my sisters was in a secure situation. Well, the youngest of us just had a baby. She's just barely scraping by. She has only menial, part time jobs despite being the first among us to get a full college degree. So I've spent some money on her (or, more specifically on her daughter, my niece). I feel that this is a reasonable reflection of what the tradition of giving ought to be about.
So fine. But not really... because one of my other sisters is hosting our Christmas dinner. She has 3 children of her own and is a stay-at-home mom. She's able to do that because her husband makes a half decent salary. While it would be an exaggeration to imply that they're very well off (they're not, but they do just fine), it IS accurate to say that her kids pretty much want for nothing. In fact, I've heard her complain more than once that they're actually drowning in toys. Add to that the fact that these kids hardly ever see me and probably don't even remember who I am without a reminder from my sister.
I wasn't planning to buy them (or anyone else in my family) gifts. They simply don't need them, and I am thoroughly disgusted by the concept of buying gifts just because our society has become one where it is expected. The 11th Commandment: thou shalt CONSUME.
Call me a Grinch. I don't give a shit. Those particular kids don't NEED anything, and they will already be getting mountains of shit from everyone else who doesn't have the balls to stand up to society and say "enough is enough".
But... yesterday I'm talking to my mother on the phone. I'm letting her know that I might actually be done for the holiday by Thursday afternoon. Which is nice, considering how much I work and how little time off I usually have. And then she drops the bomb on me. The gist of which is that it might be considered socially unacceptable to go to someone's house on Christmas without gifts in hand for the children of said household.
GAH!
What the fuck? So now I'm expected to give stuff despite the fact that these kids are already up to their necks in gifts, hardly know who I am, and wont remember who gave them what anyhow 5 minutes later.
Seriously, I want to take Christmas and shove the whole fucking deal up Santa's big fat ass. The entire thing has become one big steaming pile of bullshit.
But *hugs* to you all. A gift I freely give without hesitation.
EDITED to add: Hah! My dispatcher just asked me if I could deliver a load in Indiana on Tuesday morning. Doing so would mean working ALL DAY on Christmas. Despite the tone of my rant above, I flatly told him "No way".
My dislike for this holiday has nothing to do with the fact that I'm not a Christian. In fact, it applies more or less equally to Chanukkah or any of the multi-cultural holidays that have seemed to sprout up in recent years. But even though I say I am not... my family (historically at least) follows the Christmas traditions. I really have no issue whatsoever with the intended spirit of the holiday. Generally speaking, the concept of giving, sharing, and simply being together with people you care about is all well and good. But I have got some serious issues with what the Christmas season has BECOME.
What it has become has nothing to do with the intended point of the holiday. Despite the fact that I'm an atheist, if I actually saw people caring more about the faith based aspect of the holiday I would be more inclined to have a favorable opinion of the day. I respect people who have faith. I envy them, in fact.
But I am disgusted by the greedy, materialism that surrounds this holiday season. It is undeniable that the "stuff" is now the most important aspect. Case in point:
I have been asking my family for YEARS now to please stop buying me Christmas presents. I am nearly 35 years old and I make pretty decent money. If there is anything I want, I am perfectly capable of getting it myself. Additionally, all of my siblings are also well into adulthood. And all but one are financially secure (I'll return to this in a moment). The point here is that... as I have expressed to them multiple times... just seeing them on the holiday is sufficient gift for me. I don't get to spend time with my sisters very much so just hanging out on the holiday is great. I certainly don't need any "stuff" that people buy simply out of a sense of tradition. Especially when at least half the time it is shit I really don't have any use for anyhow. I live (for the most part) in a truck. Where the fuck am I supposed to put yet another clever tchotchke? I'll tell you where... in the dumpster. Needless to say, someone always still buys me something much to my dismay.
I continue to beg... every year... for them to stop. And I have even decided that I myself am no longer going to buy gifts for those who are not IN NEED. Remember a bit ago where I said that all but one of my sisters was in a secure situation. Well, the youngest of us just had a baby. She's just barely scraping by. She has only menial, part time jobs despite being the first among us to get a full college degree. So I've spent some money on her (or, more specifically on her daughter, my niece). I feel that this is a reasonable reflection of what the tradition of giving ought to be about.
So fine. But not really... because one of my other sisters is hosting our Christmas dinner. She has 3 children of her own and is a stay-at-home mom. She's able to do that because her husband makes a half decent salary. While it would be an exaggeration to imply that they're very well off (they're not, but they do just fine), it IS accurate to say that her kids pretty much want for nothing. In fact, I've heard her complain more than once that they're actually drowning in toys. Add to that the fact that these kids hardly ever see me and probably don't even remember who I am without a reminder from my sister.
I wasn't planning to buy them (or anyone else in my family) gifts. They simply don't need them, and I am thoroughly disgusted by the concept of buying gifts just because our society has become one where it is expected. The 11th Commandment: thou shalt CONSUME.
Call me a Grinch. I don't give a shit. Those particular kids don't NEED anything, and they will already be getting mountains of shit from everyone else who doesn't have the balls to stand up to society and say "enough is enough".
But... yesterday I'm talking to my mother on the phone. I'm letting her know that I might actually be done for the holiday by Thursday afternoon. Which is nice, considering how much I work and how little time off I usually have. And then she drops the bomb on me. The gist of which is that it might be considered socially unacceptable to go to someone's house on Christmas without gifts in hand for the children of said household.
GAH!
What the fuck? So now I'm expected to give stuff despite the fact that these kids are already up to their necks in gifts, hardly know who I am, and wont remember who gave them what anyhow 5 minutes later.
Seriously, I want to take Christmas and shove the whole fucking deal up Santa's big fat ass. The entire thing has become one big steaming pile of bullshit.
But *hugs* to you all. A gift I freely give without hesitation.
EDITED to add: Hah! My dispatcher just asked me if I could deliver a load in Indiana on Tuesday morning. Doing so would mean working ALL DAY on Christmas. Despite the tone of my rant above, I flatly told him "No way".
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that's what I tell the parent's who come in saying that their kid already has everything.