Would it be blasphemy to say I hate wrapping presents, I hate decorating for Christmas, I hate shopping, and I hate sending out cards?

I support blasphemy!

Yes. I shun you!

Rumor has it that the wise men did not put a bow on the Frankincense Myrrh and Gold.

No.

I HATE spending two hours intricately stringing lights through the live tree that we have to go out, find, and lug home. It’s a bunch of work and a pain in the ass, but, like childbirth, all the memories of pain and discomfort fade away when I look at my baby in all her blazing, yuletide glory.

Actually, I like decorating (not taking them down so much), and I love writing and sending cards. It feels great to touch people far away. I also like wrapping presents. Sorry! You are entitled to your opinion though.

And the Wise men didn’t have to wrap and address and tape up boxes and go to the post office! I CAN’T FIND MY PACKING TAPE DAMN IT!!

No, it isn’t blasphemy to say all that.
It just makes you a humbug, Scrooge.

@Dutchess_III is having a pre Christmas meltdown.

WHERE THE HELL IS MY PACKING TAPE???!!!
Now the living room is all torn up because we finished decorating, so now I have to clean it up. Somebody get me a beer and my packing tape!!!

Don’t tape angry.

LOL! I won’t, @Blondesjon! Let me have a couple of beers and THEN I’ll tape!

Could be dangerous to tape drunk too.

I don’t care. : ( Bleh!

I know a lot of people who dread it. They dread worse taking down the decorations. A girlfriend of mine told her husband and kids if they want to decorate it is all up to them, she is not lifting a finger.

You can go to Vegas or Boca and hang out with all the Jews if you want on Christmas and not give it a second thought.

You can throw a tree trimming party and let neighbors and friends help you put the stuff up.

You can pay someone to wrap all the gifts, or decide giftwrap os bad for the environment. Or, find a friend like me who loves to wrap.

Well…I don’t do THAT much. I’m down to just a wreath over the fireplace that I decorate with favorite family baubles and I have some special candles and holders that I set out.

It IS pretty, though.

I’ve given myself a “Get Out of Christmas Free” pass this year. It is strangely liberating.

You are completely missing out on the true meaning of Christmas.

I suggest your renting a copy of A Charlie Brown Christmas and watch it to the end.

Charlie Brown was in your same predicament, until Linus explained what the true meaning of Christmas is all about.

It changed Charlie Brown’s whole outlook on Christmas, even though he did not pay for that skimpy Christmas tree.

Commercialism has taken over the world for Christmas. I hate it and I know you hate it.

Watch the cartoon and see if it changes your thoughts about Chistmas.

And, remember to keep Christ in Christmas.

Anyone who does something they hate because the Calendar tells them to is nuts.

I actually like decorating, but some of the other activities can be kind of a drudge because we’re expected to do them, and the sense of obligation can take the fun out of them.

Lonelydragon, this is exactly what I was talking about with Christmas commercialism. Yeah, its a pain in the rear, but, like you said, we are expected to follow through with these tasks from year to year.

It has been passed down through generations and my children expected and so will yours.

Well, according to the puritan pilgrims, it would be blasphemy to celebrate christmas.that is why they outlawed it when they were in power and fined anyone caught celebrating christmas

I don’t think it’s blasphemy at all. I think it’s understandable and I think that’s you being honest! I wish more people were like you.

I hate wrapping presents, I hate decorating for Christmas, I hate shopping, and I hate sending out cards?
Agreed…..all of this sucks horribly. So glad I don’t do any of it anymore.

I like making homemade cards and decorating presents. I don’t wrap them though, I put them in Xmas themed bags, with stringy shit and hippy paper inside so you can’t see the contents. I love making cards though.
But the rest of it can kiss my ass. I never decorate for Xmas. My Halloween shit has been up for years, I just add to it every year or rearrange it. Ain’t replacing it with Xmas stuff lol. I also hate shopping. Whether it’s blasphemy or not, eh. I feel a lot of your pain. :)

Oh, my girlfriend said on her show the other day, she has a cooking show, that skipping the cards is advised. If you have to let one thing go at xmas time, don’t bother sending cards.

I don’t know about your religion, but mine says that it is your duty to talk like a scrooge as much as possible. In my holiday celebrations, we all get together to complain about commercialism, pedophilia and drunkenness. Then we all have an orgy. Drug free orgy. In the snow. While wearing silly hats.

Yup. It’s all true. Every last word. One hundred percent.

@JLeslie Sounds to me like the OP will not be nearly satisfied with dumping the cards. I think she wants to dump the whole mess. And it’s officially OK for you to do the same if you wish..:)

@plethora I’m not really dumping anything, I never did much of it to begin with. I send cards with checks to my neice and nephew, that is their gifts. I’m going to bring some cookies to a few friends. I gave my one girlfriend here who does all the holidays chocolate Chanukah money, and I might make something paper maché this year for my husband for the holidays. That’s it. I don’t do decorations. I do light the menorah if I am home at sundown.

The years we go to my husband’s family for Christmas we buy gifts for his whole family, but this year we aren’t going. I am also thinking about going out to dinner on Christmas Eve this year. No stress really.

@Dutchess_III : I am fortunate enough to have reached a place in my life where I can shift the perception of the timing.. Recognizing that I won’t really be ready for Christmas until next February, I am calm. When December 25 comes I am not yet behind schedule. I am much calmer and happier because of it. When the Christmas presents aren’t wrapped by Valentine’s Day, then I start to panic!

I’ve got the aisle seat, you can have the window!

I hate all that too! I’d be happy to cancel Christmas this year.

@john65pennington I’m a grandmother. Do you seriously think I’ve never seen A Charlie Brown Christmas?

@lonelydragon You hit the nail on the head….AND MY THUMB!!! OW! I HATE THIS!!!!

Actually, I haven’t sent cards in years. That tradition started when I couldn’t afford the stamps or the cards! Srsly.

Much as I’d like to dump it all….it’s for the kids, you know. I would hate to hear their hearts sadden a thousandmillion times more than I hate shopping, wrapping and decorating. The grandkids are going to be spending the night on Thursday, and I know they’ll want to sleep in the living room with the Christmas lights on just like my kids did when they were little. And there will be presents around to tickle their little hearts and make them crazy with curiosity!

Thanks for letting me vent, guys.

Now, I have to figure out how to get to the post office to mail a couple of packages. I have no car and it’s raining!

PS: Re gifting is PERFECTLY acceptable around here! I was given a giant box of chocolates at a Christmas party. I bet the giver never dreamed it would end up in Spokane Washington! Re gifting is good for a diet, you know.

@Dutchess_III , you ROCK! Somewhere along the line Christmas became about expectation and boy does that take the fun out of it.

Guess what?! My daughter is here helping me wrap presents. It’s raining, we’re chatting…this is just WONDERFUL!!!
I want to wrap with her some more! Better go to Wal Mart ASAP!

Yay!

@Dutchess_III Has found her Christmas Spirit! Our own fluther miracle!!

Ah – It’s a Wonderful Life!

She left. : (

I love wrapping, but when the grandkids came over for the weekend, they wanted to wrap toys they already have, so there are a dozen “used” toys under the tree. They each used an entire roll of tape.

I printed out some ornaments on the computer, and bought a few sheets of stickers, so they spent part of the day making their own ornaments.

@YARNLADY I love that they wrapped old toys. Sometimes I take old brown shopping bags and use those as wrapping paper. Inside out so it is plain. I draw on it with markers or crayons. You can also buy the rolls of brown paper or white paper. Just thought the kids might like that also. It’s good for birthdays and valentines. Draw little hearts, or glue on cut outs. You can wrute the persons name on it, etc.