At the risk of sounding Scroogey, I don't love this time of year! It's been quite a few years since I was really into the holidays and I wonder what the heck is wrong with me!

I haven't decorated in years due to having pets who love to tear down everything. I used to enjoy buying for my nephew (he's the only kid in the family) but he's nearly 15 and no fun to buy for anymore. He likes gift cards and cash.

This year is especially bad because of all the sad stories on the news about people losing their jobs or homes. I always try to donate to the food pantry, but because of the economy I've had to cut back a bit too.

And I get so tired of the commercials saying basically that nobody will love you unless you get them the perfect gift (usually jewelry store commercials are the best at this).

Does anyone else feel like this? I'm so jealous of people who get all excited about the holidays. I wish I could again, but I'm afraid I've turned into Scrooge.

Yep, my DD is 15 and she is pretty much into cash. No Gift Cards please, she'll decide where to shop. She's not being ungrateful, it's just that see can't see people spending a bunch of money on things that she probably won't use. She'd rather get $20 than have someone spend $50 on something that is useless. See what happens when a pragmatist raises children. She breeds little pragmatists.

I also can't put up a tree this year due to a puppy in the house. I'm just gonna put up a few things (really high off the floor, ofcourse) and leave it at that. Plus, I'm working Xmas eve. We've always shuffled Xmas celebrations due to my X's shift work and now mine and due to the recent economic problems hitting close to home I went ahead and put in for OT on Xmas day. We can put off dinner for a day in exchange for 2 1/2 OT pay.

I havent decorated in years. I dont mail out cards. I dont buy presents.
I like the holidays - on tv and looking at the outdoor decorations.
I am not a Scrooge!

I don't understand why people send out Christmas cards. Most of them come with simply a signature and maybe a generic note about the year. I don't send cards. It is so much work. If I get a card, I will call or write an e-mail to the person and use it to catch up personally. I'd much rather keep in touch with people that way.

no, it's hard to get into the holiday spirit. It's hard looking around at all the happy ppl, it's just a reminder to me that I don't have someone special to share them with.

Now, I will put on a happy face and hang with my family and friends, but generally, I just can't get into the holiday season.

I have never really been into the holidays. When I was a teenager, I decided I didn't care for all the commercialism and asked people to not give me gifts. I've never personally decorated and I've never sent out cards.

I do enjoy hanging out with my family and I enjoy that my neighbors decorate because they have kids and I know their kids enjoy the decorations. For me, I just want to hang out with my family.

I also hate going anywhere near a store this time of year. I may buy a present for my parents and the gifts to my husband's parents will be charity related this year.

And on that thought, dont you love the 2page letters re the family successes of the year? That's all well and good, but quite comical when you know juicy stuff is being omitted! And why the need to tell at all? Those who need to know good and/or bad - already know.

............. See - Holiday Spirit!

I always start out loving it! I get all jazzed over the decorating and sending the cards. But then after it's all done, or almost done I think what is the point! It's just a bunch of work for sure.

This year is the first year I have not gotten my cards done and out by December 1. I finally just finished them last night, ugh! I always say too that I am not going to do it next year but then I do.

I agree with the generic messages in cards, but for me sending cards out is something I will always do. It lets the people I send cards to know that I am thinking of them this holiday season and they are special to me.

The only part of the holidays I think I really don't like is how commercial Chrismtas has become. People definitely forget the reason for the season and only look at it as what gifts am I going to get. And I HATE, HATE, HATE the shopping part...hate getting out with all the people being stupid because they think they are the only ones out there shopping!

And also the cooking...I have cooked Christmas dinner for the last, hmmm, 20 or so years and I am fed up with it. I work all day for two days cooking and cleaning up and this year I plan on relaxing and just having pizza or something, lol-serious!

I work two jobs, so its just hard to find time to enjoy the things about Christmas that make it special to me. I used to love making cookies with my mom or shopping for the perfect present, making the tree look really nice. Now, i'm just trying to find time to squeeze in the essentials (Finding something, anything to buy that isn't lame, putting up the tree and only 1/2 of the ornaments, writing a card to Grandma or she'll think i'm a terrible person, etc ) and still have time to sleep and take care of my responsibilities.

It doesn't help working in retail this time of year, either lol. People get so rude and impatient. My part time job is in the mall so parking is terrible, the crowds I have to get through to get to the store are irritating, people are buying expensive stuff all around me and I can't afford any of it :P I just wanna fast forward to christmas eve so i can go hang out with the family. Cause that's the part I love, just being with everyone and enjoying ourselves.

Also, we had a terrible tragedy at the store I work at around this time last year. So I think as long as I'm working there, I'll always associate this time of year with a devestating and horrific event.

It really does make me sad cause I used to love Christmas, I'd look forward to it all year long.

I'm not at all this year, which is not normal for me. Usually I'm a Christmas freak. I don't know whats wrong with me, I'm not depressed at all. My birthday is tomorrow and my Mom asked me what I wanted to do, and I said nothing. And meant it. Because I honestly don't care. Such a weird feeling.

I never get into the holidays, mainly because I don't celebrate most of them (just Thanksgiving). It isn't that I'm particularily scroogie, but things can get pretty ridiculous.

Am I the only one, or is everyone sick to death of Christmas music by time the day actually arrives?

I hate the holidays. I am a total scrooge. There's so much pressure to buy this and that and get everyone a gift to be fair. I don't have the money to do all that crap. I'm not shelling out 2k in gifts and crap to keep up with the Jones's.

We don't own a single Christmas decoration except for the Christmas lights our neighbor gave us because he's too old to put them up anymore. Now I feel guilty because they're just sitting in the garage.

Next year I'll have to do something because my son will be 2 1/2 and much more aware of what it all means. I don't want him feeling left out of picked on. Other than that... bah humbug!

One of my favorite stories from a friend: her parents felt bad that they hadn't evenly spent on their 2 ADULT daughters. To keep my friend from being short-changed, they bought a jar of mustard to complete her presents.
All was well with the world that Christmas! It did make a memory though and that is better than any jar of mustard!

The commercialism of Christmas these days makes me sick to my stomach. I grew up in a small town where people went door-to-door with home-made cookies and caroled. I never appreciated how great it was until I moved and saw that that ISN'T how the rest of the world celebrates Christmas.

As I get older and our kids are nearly all grown, I find myself getting more involved in the spiritual aspects of the holidays and shutting out the commercial aspects. I spend more time reading Advent literature and less time in the mall.