What is the most difficult part of Christmas for you?

Sorrow. My dad died on December 20. I was only 17 at the time.

@chyna, I am sorry for your loss. The ache never goes away completely, does it?

Usually shopping, but this year being alone will be difficult too.

I’m Jewish so usually the hardest part is having everything closed, and there’s not even anything good on TV. Boring, boring.*

My boyfriend’s family includes me in their Christmas celebrations now, so it’s fun.

*Ack, as soon as I wrote that it occurred to me I should probably have been doing some kind of charity work or something on Christmas instead of “oh poor me, no one to hang out with and nothing to do”-ing.

@likeradar:Movie theatres are open. Go see some great flick.
Will you be celebrating Hanakah?

The most difficult part is that it only comes around once a year. Sorry for your loss Chyna.

See most important holyday for us Christians after Resurrection Sunday become more and more commercialized with irrelevant things.

Thanks cd and Elumas

Reconciling reality with the fantasy Christmas created by media that shows “everyone” having perfect togetherness, perfect happiness, perfect decorations, etc.

My best Christmases have been travel holidays where I simply run away from all of the barrage and run to my own tiny Christmas moments.

It’s the busiest time of year at my job. As such, it leaves little time to enjoy the season when you’re working 70–80 hours a week from November 20th until Christmas.

I also find Christmas very sad. I enjoy the melancholy to a degree (time to reflect) – but I gotta be careful not to get too glum (at least for my daughter’s sake).

Missing my Dad…but we do smile alot when we think of him.

@ chyna My mom died on December 20 too. Back in 1980. I was 14. I would have liked her to share in the joys of the Christmases of, particularly, my kids. They make Christmas a joy, though!!

Shopping. I hate shopping. I hate crowds. I always put it off to the last minute just to torture myself with the crowds.

My condolences to you both. I can only imagine how hard that must be.

Mine is the same as Marina. I have that problem with birthdays and other special events and holidays as well. It’s gotten much easier as I’ve gotten older. As a child, I remember crying on almost every birthday.

Actually that’s one reason I really enjoy Channukah. It is untainted with commercially-created fantasies (like tv commercials, movies, and glossy magazines). My only associations with Channukah are from past memories, friends’ stories and books.

@cdw- My family lives a few states away so I don’t do much to celebrate Channukah, but I’ve always lit my menorah every night. Making latkes is fun too.

@buster, you should order your gifts online. That’s what I did. They all came weeks before Christmas.

Yes, the shopping is brutal. I also am always stressed out when giving gifts because I don’t really know if they’ll like them.

I work like a dog to “make Christmas” and then everyone complains because it’s not
Normanrockwellian enough. This is not possible in our particular family. If they would all get thinner and younger and have more kids and go shoot some free-range turkeys and buy me a big apron and get me a new husband and help me in the goddamn kitchen, maybe we’d have a chance.

No money and being far from my family.

@susanc: I’m going to go on a limb here and say, I’m sensing some family resentment.

Seriously, I’ll bet your holidays are fabulous. They shouldn’t complain.

my father in law died on christmas day. that has been the hardest of all.

I don’t know why, but I’m not “feeling” it this year. Usually the season makes me happy and anticipatory, but this year is kind of blah. Maybe it’s because I’ve been so busy, and haven’t made it to the gym in a while… We’ll see. The season isn’t about me, after all. :^)

No offense, but in the interest of accuracy- Jesus was born in the springtime, at the end of year two of the second tax census under Publius Sulpicius Quirinius, 15 BC or 6 AD (most likely the former).

Happy Yule to you.

@Knotmyday: I pointed out the same thing HERE in a recent thread.

It’s a pet peeve of mine when folks say Dec. 25th is Jesus’ birthday as opposed to that’s when Christians celebrate it.

You are a gentleman and a scholar.

@cprevite. You are VERY, VERY intuitive.
To be honest, I don’t do one of those fab fab fab Xmases like M. Stewart. I just cook a great deal and wrap lots of presents. But the food is VERY delicious. And the presents are (I think…) quite thoughtful.
Okay then.

@susanc: Just because you’re not spray-painting fruit and gilding peacock feathers doesn’t mean it’s not fab. It sounds like you’re spreading the love, dishing out the food and loading them up with presents. If your loved ones aren’t happy with your hospitality you could always drop them off at the nearest Denny’s! Don’t let your generosity be marred by their unrealistic expectations.

The trouble with the Denny’s option is that I hate
bad food, so I couldn’t join them…..

but wait gilded peacock feathers is probably the one element they crave…...

Gilded peacock feathers have been known to stop wars. It’s worth a try susanc! ;)

@by etc ok ok I’ll do it jeez

@susanc: Thats the spirit! Now pick up some marzipan while you’re out to make your sugared fruits, and don’t forget the mulling spices, and the oranges for pomanders….