Idk, personally I haven’t felt “the spirit of christmas” or anything that actually made it uniquely special. Anyone else feel the same?
until i had a kid this was basically every adult christmas for me. now it’s special again
For me it was only the two last christmas that had been this way. Rest of them were alright ig, maybe it’s just a natural part of growing up
Christmas is as important as the people in your life make it. I’m sure there’s groups of adults with no kids that have a great time at christmas together with the whole thing.
I figure it’s far more common that as you age you won’t put as much into it on your own.
I kinda think that I still have to grasp that christmas is about
friends we made along the waysocializing, not gifts and presents. I’m a person that’s not really that into buying anything for myself and others and that’s what I focused on the most beforestart making it about figuring out a really cool gift for someone, rather than forcing yourself to change your way of thinking completely. Finding a $12 gift in a bin at a thrift store that makes someone go ‘What the hell, where did you even find this? I love it’ is so satisfying. Even something plastic fro, the chain drugstore can have this effect with the right context. That friend who cried about a blackhead back in grade 9? Get them a blackhead popping tool and write “To 15 year old friend, if only we knew about these back then”
Getting gifts starts to suck when you see it this way though. At least I feel the need to reciprocate gift giving and so will either be disappointed in my thoughtless gift or stressed that I dont know enough about them.
I haven’t really thought about it this way. thanks for the advice
Always nice when the advice nobody asked for is appreciated lol. I have a tendency to be annoying with it.
Spirit of Christmas? No I haven’t felt that since I was either a child or very early adulthood when I finally had an income and could visit home from the big city, bearing a loot sack to put Santa to shame.
But this Christmas was the first where my immediate family set aside their beefs and traumas and came together again for the first time in many years. I fit the stereotype of the narcissist-family black sheep, but even I have buried the hatchet on those issues, consciously recognising that I do want to have a relationship with my parents and they are victims of the same sickness I have, just aren’t self aware of it.
So somehow, me, the blacksheep? I managed to help bridge the two splintered factions of my immediate family and literally everyone had a great day together, thanked me for being there, said me and my queer partner “literally made the day” and it all closed out perfectly. The future is looking bright for my family and this was an important moment for us. I’m feeling really proud and happy.
I took on responsibilities, I kept my promises, I over-delivered and left my folks with homegrown home cooked leftovers to last a week at least.
I also brought in one of my strays, one of my homies who is dealing with tough family stuff, so there was found family in attendance too.
It was all diamonds for me and mine. Christmas is just another day. I hate (my) birthdays. etc. But this was the excuse, the tradition, the framework, for us to set aside our shit and make sacrifices for each other so my parents don’t die old and alienated and alone, my niece and nephew get to have some good memories of what being with family “should” feel like. And we provided friendly shelter for non-blood fam to come and decompress from their upsetting family gathering.
Doesn’t have to be christmas, but to everyone out there hoping to one day experience the same sort of catharsis and healing- I really hope you get to. It was good. I’m glad I never went full no-contact. I’m finally sure I’ve made some good choices. I don’t feel alone in the world.
Yeah, but I was sick and I stayed in and watched movies while eating Chinese food so I enjoyed it anyway.
I spent most of my christmas on playing games with my friend. Can’t say I regret it
Sounds like a very merry Christmas!
Pretty much. Don’t live near any family, but sent some cool handmade stuff to everyone on my list. Custome axe handles, homemade plates, blankets, etc. The phone calls i got back were enough for me.
The spirit of Christmas is when you get drunk at 10am and try not to say insane shit to people you don’t particularly like. It’s a special feeling.
I retract my earlier statement I definitely hit that Christmas spirit. Boy howdy.
I flew on Christmas since I don’t celebrate it. The airport was way busier than the last Xmas I flew on. 90% of the airport stores and restaurants were open too.
Every single day goes by like any other day, a cycle of endless repetition, stuck in samsara
But yeah, christmas hasn’t felt like anything special since I was a kid and honestly I dread it every year. Lots of ptsd from working in retail my entire adult life, or being forced to go to mandatory company holiday parties, to having to spend it with my father-in-law at his mom’s house, as he loses his temper over something trvial, yells at his daughter, and causes a scene. Sometimes I get money though, which is cool.
For me Christmas is a mixed bag. I’ve felt the spirit of “everything is fucking expensive” and the spirit of “how the fuck do I get the time to get these things done in time?” a lot this holiday season but I don’t complain too much as I’ve also seen my children very happy and excited and also felt some nice nostalgia about happy childhood memories.
I get it by proximity to my sister’s family, but yeah, once the new generation enter the picture it’s really nice to see innocent knuckleheads getting to enjoy the thing. Good on you for making the effort for the kids. Shit does bring back the nostalgia.
I bought obscure cakes that only my sister and I know the meaning of from when we were single digit aged. Shits special, even if only for the high water marks left by christmasses past. It’s a good time to reflect and remember that stuff.
*all with the caveat that I recognise we were lucky to have some good formative experiences, I recognise that this is one of the toughest times for a huge number of people and I hope all our comrades on here who have to endure this time with gritted teeth make it through to the new year unscathed.
i feel you OP, i normally have a sorta christmas cheer and despite doing some celebratory things for the holiday and stuff it really just felt like another day. for me i think a big part of it is that in georgia the last few years its just been warm and sunny or rainy on christmas. dang global warming fucked up the holidays2
Generally does, I’ve always been too broke to get anyone presents, this year was different in at least I was able to spend a little on family. I was too sick to really celebrate minus dump off gifts, grab food and flee before people catch what I have.
I feel that. Other than getting a bunch of new socks, new shoes and a bag each of cashews and pecans… It was just another day.
Us adults have a pact to cease gift exchanging. It’s too hard and places too many expectations on people. We run the gamut lately from high paid remote workers, to my welfare scrub ass, and my boomer retiree parents who don’t know how to not worry about money despite being fine.
But for the kiddos we all make an exception and do what we can. I don’t miss getting gifts, I do miss being able to afford and to give them though.
I had work and couldn’t do anything if I’d wanted to, so yeah same, but for me at least it’s been like that for years. It’s just not a big deal since I moved out of my parents’ place.
