The annual 'I Hate Christmas' thread

Well maybe that's a tad harsh.  I had a lovely time at the rabble party the other night.  No one talked about christmas of course.

I'm serving salmon this year.  Maybe with a nifty sauce.

The Nativity - An Atheist reads the Bible.

oh sign me up...I have a tree with lights, at some point I'll get the decorations on it

don't give a flying fig this year, sever case of grumps

I'm exicted about one whole present, one!  that I got for a friend that will have deep personal meaning, everything else has been wrapped in obligation

They can call it whatever they like.  Far be it for me to pass on an opportunity to introduce a little festive ambience to the usual state of insobriety.  Sometimes they even give me liquor as gifts.  Christmas ain't so bad.

You need to try my nog, Boom Boom. It will make you into a righteous believer. The secret ingredient is whisky.

I love this topic.

Try as I may, I have a secret fondness for this season. People (well maybe not you in this thread) tend to be friendlier and kinder.

I had my first shot of Jameson's last week while in New Jersey. At first it was putrid, then it was yummy. How'd that happen?

So, for you humbugs:

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Darth Moll is SO hard to buy for.

My favorite is nog with D'sirono (or however you spell it).   In fact I'm having a glass right now.  I bought the last three cartons eggnog in the store.  It's becoming quite obvious that I don't drink that much anymore because after drinking a quarter of it I can already feel it.   

Woo!  Go me.  

I found my daughter's first Christmas stressful - she was only 3 months old, but everybody on both sides of the family wanted us there with the baby.  We wound up at the blond guy's mother's place, Christmas eve, then had to pack up on Christmas morning and make rounds, then my mother's for Christmas dinner...  The second one, when she was just over a year was bad, too.  Then we decided that we would never, ever do Christmas morning anywhere but our place.  I do a lovely dinner MY WAY (no turkey!!!) on Christmas eve, anybody who wants to join us is welcome and that's when we open gifts.  Christmas morning is just us - stockings, good coffee and cookies for breakfast and we mostly relax all day.  We go to my mother's for dinner and pretend to enjoy the jellied salad. 

I sound kind of crotchety, but I actually do, mostly, enjoy Christmas.  My family relationships have been more tense lately, so there's more potential for strife.  Once you have kids of your own, you have to find your own groove and let go of some of the old ways of doing things.  Don't feel guilty.  Find what works and run with it. 

Actually, that last line applies to pretty much every aspect of being a parent. 

Is Santa homeless?  Has global warming had its with his home?  I could have sworn it was Santa who ran over my toes with a shopping cart filled with clothes.

He was as nice as could be, his eyes all sparkly and bright as he exclaimed he was sorry and hoped I was all right.  

He was all decked out in red with black shiny boots and his eyes were all tinkly and bright.

All about him there was a soft golden light.

He took me quite by surprise.

I was certain it was Santa hanging about at Carnagie hall in the DT eastside.

But instead of a sleight he was pushing a shopping cart.

Does Christmas face extinction or is Christmas just going to be a little different without reindeer foot steps on the roof?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/azrainman/1004637172/

Did I mention Santa could have used a new coat and his mitts where thread bare?

What I could get for mortgaging my soul these days wouldn't get me a six pack of cream soda.

Boom Boom, I don't use good whisky in egg nog. Just the cheap stuff. TB, I generally use bourbon--so still a bit sweet. But rye works just as well ("works"). I also put in a drop of rum too. But I don't use that thick yellow junk from the grocery store, I make my own with eggs, milk, sugar and cream.

In the seven and a half years I've had to compare Canada to my native United States, I've found Canada coming out on top in most of the ways that matter to me, and differences that once struck me as glaring have become a part of everyday life.

Except for Christmas. Canadians do Christmas all wrong.

Really, this is the fault of the humble Canadian Thanksgiving. I know you thought it was cute putting it on Columbus Day and everything, but you failed to take into account the careful balance of holidays that had placed it on the fourth Thursday in November to begin with. Without a barrier Thanksgiving holding down the end of November, Christmas effectively begins at Halloween -- sometimes even earlier. Christmas music in the mall I live next to began playing in mid-October. When you consider my wife's from a tradition that celebrates Orthodox Christmas two weeks later, this effectively turns Christmas into a three-month ordeal, at considerable threat to the sanity of citizens. As an atheist, I don't believe in the power of prayer, but that didn't stop me from fervently hoping for a sudden nuclear apocalypse the other week when standing in line at Canada Post to the tune of a pop-jazzy version of "Up On The Rooftop".

And what [em]about[/em] us poor atheists, anyway? I objected to my mother's tongue-in-cheek claiming of a "birthday month" by age four, and my mother actually [em]exists[/em]. Why should Jesus get three? (Especially when they're really dedicated to Mammon.)

Boom Boom wrote:

 The Meat Nativity Scene! Bacon and sausage!

Holy fucking shit! I'm so going to try and do this...

omg Boom Boom you're enjoying this aren't you?

I had wondered what the "snow" was. Now my brain has that information whether I like it or not.

The one nice thing about Xmas, which I hate, is that I make my various chocolate treats.

Oh, but if you like bacon so much, here's Denny's bacon parfait. Ice cream, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, with bacon.