Nell Frizzell doesn’t like Christmas. Of course, this being the Guardian, it’s all the fault of teh eeeevil capitalists innit?
Of course, there is a solution. Stop giving presents, stop watching television, stop comparing yourself to adverts, and actually spend it with people you like.
And that is all you have to do. No one is forcing anyone into a spending frenzy. No one is forcing anyone to ramp up the debt on their credit cards. It is a personal choice. Twenty-odd years ago, I realised that I hated Christmas. I’m not religious – and, besides, the Christians merely hijacked the pagan festival that pre-existed it anyway. Also, I disliked the overt commercialism, so I decided to stop doing it. And that is all we did. Stopped doing it. No big bad capitalists came knocking on the door threatening to beat us with baseball bats if we didn’t go out shopping right now and never even think about stopping doing it. I am perfectly capable of ignoring marketing if the product being marketed is of no interest to me.
If others want to celebrate Christmas, that’s fine and dandy. We just take a couple of days off and kick our heels. In the New Year, we will take a break in the winter sun. But Christmas? Nah. Can’t stand it.
And a good pagan Yule to all our readers.
and, besides, the Christians merely hijacked the pagan festival that pre-existed it anyway.
Precisely
You going to be out on Boxing Day, Greg? Killing St George or whatever it is you do?
Makes two of us. I can’t stand it either – especially as the better half insisted on putting a bloody tree up this afternoon. Bah. Humbug…
No, we don’t even do the tree. We did it the first year we were married. Never bothered after that.
I still like Christmas and do the tree and a moderate amount of gift giving. My extended family and my wife’s extended family all get along well so family get togethers are enjoyable. I really don’t understand those people who hate Christmas but do it all anyway. Your position makes much more sense, either don’t do it or just do the bits that you like. I long ago stopped allowing myself to be coerced into doing things that I don’t want to do, why should Christmas be any different?
I’m done with the whole overindulgence thing too. The only really good thing about Christmas is the January sales. Got my eyes on a Galaxy Tab S which with a little technical jiggery pokery will replace my rarely used and ageing cell phone.