There’s lots of things I like about Christmas but for me it’s simple. I love the presents. Even if I don’t like the present I love the thought of somebody thinking of me and putting hours into/using there own money to get me a gift.
Seeing how excited my kids get. If it wasn’t for that, it’s just an extra busy time of year.
My favorite part is when it’s over and all the fake cheer dissolves.
I started to downvote you, but it’s an honest answer, so I stopped. But I can’t bring myself to upvote you either ʘ‿ʘ
I feel this. I have a really hard time with holidays and i hate the media portrayal that it’s a beautiful day for everyone. Abuse, neglect, illness, and everything else continues regardless of the calendar. This will be my second Christmas without my mom. I keep thinking of all the things she did over the years to make Christmas nice for me and it’s made me want to participate a little more this year.
I get this, after working retail as a teen/early 20’s. I hated the music, the commercial nature of everything, the fakeness of it all. As a special extra, for those in the southern hemisphere “traditional” Christmas food is so dumb here.
But you know what “cured” me of this. My kids, they are what it’s all about, they love the songs and gifts, time with us. Lake days and sun… its all wonderful to them.
I’m not cristian, so idk if this counts but I really like all the festive vegan food options that have started being sold in the supermarkets at this time of year. They’ve gotten really quite good in the last half decade or so!
I like having slightly more free time.
Easier to shoplift since there’s so many people distracting the employees.
(/jk I don’t shoplift, but I just noticed how vulnerable stores are when its busy)
oh yeah this definitely counts against the good things about christmas :D I live in a relatively rich part of Italy where shoplifting is very rare, and if you’re not wearing “suspicious” clothes (eg. clothes that might suggest that you’re poor), if the store is crowded and the staff is busy and you make the anti-theft sensors ring while crossing them, they likely won’t even question why they are ringing and just assume an anti-theft tag wasn’t properly removed during checkout. lol
I found out a few Christmases ago that I really love gingerbread houses. I used to build scale models in grad school and got really into it. Gingerbread houses are like that but without grades or measuring. My weekend plans are to order trash pizza, put on Home Alone, drink some weed sodas, and decorate gingerbread houses til I’m too stoned to hold a piping bag.
I also love that it is cold and I can snuggle my husband to suck up his warmth and make him yell when I touch him with my cold toes. 😈
Making gingerbread houses is so much fun… we’re still at the level of just copying from gingerbread house youtubers, but its a fun day putting on xmas music and making them.
Hanging out with family. Making the same baking my stepmom made. Unscheduled time.
PTO
In the southern hemisphere? Summer.
It’s the best time of year, amazing weather, long days, warm nights.
Drinking, smoking, eating, trying to forget my ex, more drinking, etc.
It’s like a regular work day, but coffee is swapped with gin, and emails are switched with cigarillos
Some people are more happy this days, that’s good. But that’s all for me.
Cinnamon. Cinnamon everywhere in all the dishes.
Im going to agree with most that people who are into it put more effort into being cordial, next would be food and treats, then decorations, then sales so its oftentimes a good time to pick up something you need. I hate gift giving as an obligation though. I love when I can give something to someone because I saw something that really fits them and is relevant and that makes it so worth it. I hate a gift being given because its a time of year and reciprocity and such so it ends up being something to go to a land fill or such. When in such a position I tend to try and buy food or alcohol in the hopes it won’t be a total waste. White elephants can be fun when its limited to actual found items and I think oftentimes it actually ends up rescuing something from a landfill.
Snow
And sarmale
The atmosphere in the air. Offices get quieter and shopping malls get merrier (assuming no crying children or arguing parents)