Christmas, do you honestly like it?

Frank the tank

I like the break from work and the excuse for a family get together(without there being a wooden box concerned) otherwise I think it's a bag of sh1t. Over commercialized and drawn out beyond belief. BAH HUMBUG!!!!!

arran77

Totally agree with you Frank, spending time with the family enjoying good food etc is what its about as far as I'm concerned, its definitely not about spending a bloody fortune on the latest this or that must have stuff.

If that makes me bah humbug then tough

slowmart

Don't let others define or shape your Christmas. 8)

I appreciate the holiday days would be better spent when the weather is better suited to cycling but thats a narrow view


You could always convert to a religion when its more conducive for summer riding…..

Pituophis

No. Humbug.

Stevo_666

It gets in the way of a good skiing holiday

tlw1

It a period where you eat and drink too much..... I love it

pblakeney

It used to be a really good day. And it still could be.
Extending it out to 2 or 3 months has simply ruined it.

What happened to children being happy with one toy, a colouring book/comic, a tube of sweeties and a satsuma?
They never liked the clothes. Obviously.

Stevo_666

matthew h wrote:

It a period where you drink too much..... I love it

How is that different from any other period?

veronese68

As a friend of mine once said "Aah, Christmas. When everyone else drink as much as we do the rest of the time." Except I can't stand the pace any more and he drowned in his own puke after a particularly heavy session.

He didn't really I made up the last bit.

pinno

The Christmas and new year period is the busiest time of year for me (week on week basis). I hate it.

Can banks and bags contain all the junk from glass to spent party poppers to beer mats, serviettes, food. really pi%%es me off that whilst everyone has fun at others expense, we are left with a healthy heap of cans nonetheless but piles of rubbish and far too much sorting to do and no holiday whatsoever.
The little one's will enjoy it and that will counter balance the hedonism, over indulgence and commercialisation.

Definitely not having any of that chewy dry cardboard with essence of poultry farm, otherwise known as 'Turkey'.

arran77

pinarello001 wrote:

Can banks and bags contain all the junk from glass to spent party poppers to beer mats, serviettes, food. really pi%%es me off that whilst everyone has fun at others expense, we are left with a healthy heap of cans nonetheless but piles of rubbish and far too much sorting to do and no holiday whatsoever.
The little one's will enjoy it and that will counter balance the hedonism, over indulgence and commercialisation.

Have you been out sampling the Christmas cheer already :P

Flâneur

Can't say I am fussed by it all, but my family is spread across the world, I have no siblings, I have no young family who still have the magical idea of Christmas.

I do like to indulge by better half with it, but then again she gets little things all year around, not sure why to spoil someone you like requires a commercial holiday.

It does get in the way of a ski holiday, then again a last minute trip at Christmas is never a bad gig, normally space , prices get slashed and you can see if the snow has dumped.

homers_double

I'm in two minds really, yes I like christmas but I dislike the commercial side of it. People feel pressured into spending money to apease others and we're force fed adverts at every turn.

However we go skiing at Christmas so it puts a nice shine on it, well flying out on Boxing Day anyway.

lancew

I love Christmas. At 26 I enjoy acting like a kid. I always ask for a lego set, which I build while my wife makes a puzzle and we watch films.

The commercialization isn't great, but I choose to look through that and enjoy spending the days with my family and generally enjoying each others company. My parents usually have my (awesome) cousin over as he's the only other member of our family not in New Zealand so he's been welcomed in, and this year we have a family friend who is studying in Wales from New Zealand as well. (We're doing this on the 28th this year).

Also popping up to Scotland to spend my first christmas day with my wifes grandma and auntie.

All in all, if you focus on family and great friends I honestly think its amazing.

florerider

hate it, and take solace in going to Church.

team47b

Here Christmas dinner is eaten on Christmas Eve, traditionally bacalhau ( dried cod ) leaving Christmas day free to go to mass three times it being a religious festival...

...THEN IT IS ALL OVER!

I don't eat fish or stick them on my car so Christmas is not relevant to me.

I also don't agree with over consumption and greed at any time of year.

I can't eat or drink anything different on Christmas day than I do on any other day of the year.

I can't eat humbugs

NeXXus

New garmin from santa is a bonus. Spending 400 between mum/sister isnt

On the bright side, I have a free pass to ride whenever I want

tlw1

Stevo 666 wrote:

matthew h wrote:

It a period where you drink too much..... I love it

How is that different from any other period?

Its more socially acceptable

pblakeney

Lancew wrote:

Also popping up to Scotland to spend my first christmas day with my wifes grandma and auntie.

You are doing it wrong. Should it not be Christmas in England, Hogmanay in Scotland?
That is how it usually works in our family.

mudsucker

As above, can take it or leave it.

Spending a day with the extended family and having a few days off work is great. The rest of it can do one!

VTech

Last year was the worst ever for us but I am determined to make this one a good one. I am going to spend a whole week with the wife and kids and do NO work. Cant wait really.

arran77

VTech wrote:

Last year was the worst ever for us but I am determined to make this one a good one.

I remember that, hopefully the first anniversary won't be too painful for you and your family VTech.

ballysmate

Don't like the forced bonhomie.
I must be the worst giver and receiver of presents in the world. I just feel so awkward.
Bah humbug!

pinno

Ballysmate wrote:

Don't like the forced bonhomie.
I must be the worst giver and receiver of presents in the world. I just feel so awkward.
Bah humbug!

Don't worry Bally, the Frontline will be wrapped in brown paper.

ballysmate

pinarello001 wrote:

Ballysmate wrote:

Don't like the forced bonhomie.
I must be the worst giver and receiver of presents in the world. I just feel so awkward.
Bah humbug!

Don't worry Bally, the Frontline will be wrapped in brown paper.

I hope it isn't printed on shiny paper. :P


http://www.redflag.org.uk/

finchy

Pros:

-All the family are there. Except my Dad, who's in Uruguay. And my brother, who's in NYC. So really, just the family members I see every week anyway. Moving on...
-Mince pies.
-The look on my little boy's face when he opens up his presents.

Cons:
-Roast dinner, cos that's a really f**king special festive meal in Britain, isn't it?
-Washing up following the Christmas dinner.
-Christmas pudding. I don't like it and I don't like watching other people eating it.
-Christmas crackers and their crappy contents.
-Christmas carols in every shop between now and the 25th.
-I've still not bought a single present, so Christmas shopping, especially in Ashford which is a crap place to shop.
-My family telling me I must come up with some present ideas even though I don't actually need anything and they'll just be cluttering up the place at the same time as my family is telling me to get rid of loads of my stuff that I actually really like.
-Being told I should ask for new underpants for Christmas. No I shouldn't. The more holes I have, the better ventilation I get down there.
-Shite films.
-Maidstone United aren't playing at home, so no Boxing Day match.
-The weather. We should change our Christmas Day to Jan 25th so we'd have more chance of a white Christmas. Grey and overcast just doesn't do anything for me.
-The obligatory "he likes cycling, so he'll definitely want this" present. Like the book of cycling routes I got a few years back, the longest being 15 miles, for which the authors reckoned you'd need 3 hours. Even BB's resident/vermin MTBers could do better than that.
-My Stepdad's Mum complaining about how her part of town used to be nice until all the "pakis" moved in. I'll hear that at least a dozen times on Christmas day.
-Being told that I don't REALLY want to study on Christmas Day. Yes I do, that's why I brought my books. And you're all half-asleep anyway, it's not as if I'd be missing out on conversation.

But, Christmas is great for kids, so I really can't wait.

seanoconn

I like turkey, I like pigs in blankets, I even like brussel sprouts

Unfortunately this year I will be feasting on carp, soused herring, strange dumplings, stuffed cabbage leaves and all number of Polish delicacies Oh well, serves me right really

finchy

Those stuffed cabbage leaves are quite nice, as is the carp. You having it fried?

markhewitt1978

I like it in terms of it being the celebration of the end of the year and the beginning of the next. (New Years Eve tradition of staying up late and drinking until you fall over doesn't interest me)

I did find it pretty boring but now with our daughter it's nice because at 3 years old she knows what it's all about and is getting really excited.

In my younger days I did get let down somewhat by how long the build up was and then how it was so quickly over - but now I realise the build up to Christmas is the essence of Christmas, not the day itself.

seanoconn

johnfinch wrote:

Those stuffed cabbage leaves are quite nice, as is the carp. You having it fried?

I can eat Gołąbki but not too much, I find the rice inside quite filling. Yes fried carp, I love fish but all the bones make it hard work. I'm being mean, my Polish Goddess is an amazing cook and I'm very lucky.

peat

We, as a family, decided to 'cancel christmas' last year and just treat it like a sunday roast. (My sister was getting married a few days after so we were in full swing getting all that sorted) It was the best xmas i can remember as an adult. No pretense, no forced jollity, just a family of 4 eating well and shooting the sheeeeet.

I'm disappointed that there is talk of a tree and 'small gifts' this year.