The Christmas Poll

[Hellbent]

I run into people pretty often who say they do not enjoy Christmas. So I am kinda curious how many people really don't enjoy it vs. those that do. Hence the poll. So... do you like Christmas?

EDIT: I'm not asking about the commercial side of it, I'm asking about the spirit side of it.

[Ralphis]

I like spending time with family, I don't like spending hundreds to do it. But I'm doing yes anyway

[Devalaous]

Ralphis said:

I like spending time with family, I don't like spending hundreds to do it.

[40oz]

You can get someone an iPod for christmas but who is that really coming from? a team of overpaid software developers and hardware manufactures outsourced all over the world. I suppose you could be appreciative of the amount of work the gift giver had to do to earn the money to spend on you, but I've grow to be 100x more appreciative of things that were specialized or made for me than someome blowing all their money on something I should want.

My family agreed on gift cards this year as a shortcut so we wouldn't have to blow our money on things that people might not even want. There's no element of surprise anywhere in that and the gifts are borderline thoughtless. This kinda hurts knowing that I'm talking to a business executive whose business I invested in that screen prints custom T-Shirts, Hoodies, and a bunch of other articles of clothing. I'm getting everyone in my family a T-Shirt specialized towards a particular interest they have that you wouldn't be able to find in any retail clothing outlet.

[EarthQuake]

Considering what I typically get in return, I think sparing at least $100 on gifts is well justified. This year I sorta cut back on my targets though, so I only bought things for my immediate family. Everybody knows I'm poor, so I guess it's not a big deal.

Gift cards though... if you wanna be thoughtless and flexible, why not just give them cash? More useful than gift cards, no? Of course, you're less likely to spend that money on a particular type of item, but wouldn't you rather have a $20 bill rather than a $20 gift card for Walmart?

[Fulgrim]

Gifts are not what Christmas is about. Christmas is about people. Be it your family, friends or the homeless guy that you see on the street every day on your way to work. This is what most people tend to forget. People get way to wrapped up in there own greed this time of year. Thats why I love/hate Christmas.

No matter what finical shape I'm in, I always donate to toys to Toys for Tots and money to other organizations. Growing up it was my mother brother and I. My mother also has cancer and I can honestly say if it was not for the kindness of others there where at least 4 Christmases growing up that wouldn't have happened.

[imp1979]

It varies for me. If I have plently of money (or credit) to spend, then I love Christmas. If I'm broke, Christmas only serves to remind me of how broke I am. What I hope for Christmas now adays is just money, to put towards my credit card debt, buy groceries, help pay bills, etc.

[PRIMEVAL]

Ralphis said:

I like spending time with family, I don't like spending hundreds to do it. But I'm doing yes anyway

This.

[Sharessa]

I love it. I bake loads and loads of cookies for everyone, then get a few gifts for select individuals. That way I can make everyone happy without going broke.

[esselfortium]

EarthQuake said:

Considering what I typically get in return, I think sparing at least $100 on gifts is well justified. This year I sorta cut back on my targets though, so I only bought things for my immediate family. Everybody knows I'm poor, so I guess it's not a big deal.

Gift cards though... if you wanna be thoughtless and flexible, why not just give them cash? More useful than gift cards, no? Of course, you're less likely to spend that money on a particular type of item, but wouldn't you rather have a $20 bill rather than a $20 gift card for Walmart?

Indeed, particularly when you consider how often gift cards get forgotten about in a junk drawer and only found after they've expired.

The fact that gift cards have expiration dates in the first place is another scheme worth complaining about.

[John Smith]

Meh Christmas. A holiday about some famous dude getting queefed out of a "virgin" turned into an excuse to buy tons of shit for both other people and yourself. The Christmas food is ok, and I guess if you like your family that part is good too, but most of the rest of the Christmas stuff is pretty much bullshit.

[Csonicgo]

John Smith said:

Meh Christmas. A holiday about some famous dude getting queefed out of a "virgin" turned into an excuse to buy tons of shit for both other people and yourself. The Christmas food is ok, and I guess if you like your family that part is good too, but most of the rest of the Christmas stuff is pretty much bullshit.

All that jesus stuff came later, the gifts and the yule log and all that other cool stuff was there already. its the jesus shit that was shoehorned in.

[gggmork]

Person A buys Person B a gift B doesn't want on amazon.
Amazon makes money.
B buys A something A doesn't want on amazon.
Amazon makes money.

Amazon says "sell your unwanted christmas gifts on amazon!!11"
A sells unwanted gift on amazon.
Amazon makes money.
B sells unwanted gift on amazon.
Amazon makes money.

Merry christmas amazon!!

Santa Claus is jesus' dad (look I still don't know where to put possessive apostrophes and I never will). Ha ha ha, spellcheck says Jesus is correct but jesus isn't. I'm not capitalizing that shit!
I don't know, christmas is about as stupid as humanity I guess.

[Technician]

I used to like it.

[TMD]

Hated it since I was six. A little more every year. A lot more this year.

Christmas can go die in a yuletide blaze.
Nothing more than a celebration of human greed and gluttony with one of the most successful lies in human history as some sort of excuse than to flaunt your greed and relish your lives of expense. Your whole "help the needy" this time of year thing is just some excuse so you don't spend every minute on yourselves, though in actuality you do. People who only help those in need around Christmastime do it sheerly out of guilt, you may as well stay true to form and be a miserly asshole year-round you pricks.

You ought to be ashamed of yourself if you like Christmas. Greedy, gluttonous, self-absorbed bastards, the lot of you.

[Megalyth]

Christmas sucks. As I've said in the past, holidays are, to me, nothing more than a day (or several days) off of work.

gggmork said:
Ha ha ha, spellcheck says Jesus is correct but jesus isn't. I'm not capitalizing that shit!

It's a proper noun.

[kristus]

The reason for tbe season is axial tilt.

[Mr. T]

There should be another holiday called "Jesus Day", and rename Christmas something else. Jesus kicked so much ass, regardless of your creed you should agree that he deserves a day of his own.

[kristus]

That's based on the assumption that Jesus actually existed.

[Mr. T]

kristus said:

That's based on the assumption that Jesus actually existed.

How quaint. It doesn't make a difference if he was real or not. His message is still the same. Too bad hardly anyone follows it.

[kristus]

Depends on which of the messages you're referring to. Yeah, "he" had a few nice ones like turn the other cheek, and such. But he had a bit more abhorrent ones where he claimed that all you needed to do to get into "heaven" was to apologize for your sins and accept the "lord god" as your savior. If you didn't do that, you'd be fucked by default. Doesn't matter how you lead your life for that god, just as long as you make sure to cower before him before you kick it.

[Csonicgo]

kristus said:

waaaah

Boohoo. Come on man it's christmas we don't need that mess here.

[SyntherAugustus]

Well lets see, this year were so poor that we didnt get an xmas tree, and the only presents are brought from my grandmother (a southpark tshirt, jeans that need to be exchanged, and a basketball hoop to attach to a trashcan). It's probably the "worst" xmas ever but I'm too old to care.

I'm probably getting drunk tonight so that'll make it a holiday.

[Snakes]

I'm in the middle of a 5-day vacation. Spent the first 3 drinking. Planning on spending the next 2 drinking. Tomorrow is the 19th anniversary of the St. Louis Brewery at the Tap Room. 1991 beer prices.

I love the holiday season.

[Sharessa]

Some of you people are huge bleeding vaginas. You must watch too much TV or something. This time of the year is the time to spend with the ones you love and to spread the warmth around in the darkest part of the year. Who cares about that Christian bullshit? It's a pagan holiday anyway?

And if you're that opposed to shopping, just make stuff. People REALLY appreciate cookies, more than pretty much anything else I make them. I've gotten people DVDs and CDs and books and the like and people have never told me "hey Dan, get me some more of those DVDs this year! The ones you gave me last year were awesome!" But no, every year, people beg me to make my cookies. If people really care about you, they don't care if you don't even get them anything. They'll just be happy to have you around this time of year.

Just avoid the shopping malls, if at all possible. That's the real depressing part of the season. But if you spend as much time with those close to you, it really makes everything better.

So Merry Xmas, everyone!

(also, apparently "vaginas" isn't a word)

[Clonehunter]

gggmork said:

Ha ha ha, spellcheck says Jesus is correct but jesus isn't. I'm not capitalizing that shit!

Bah, fuck your shit. I'll go all caps! JESUS JESUS JESUS!! Come and get me asshole! BWA-HAHAHAHAHA!

Anyways, Christmas is an okay Holiday... Then again, I don't care really for any holidays. Valentines day is gay. Saint Patricks day is drunken retarded. The Fourth of July is truly boring and is an excuse for grilling and throwing forest fire inducing and ozone layer killing rockets into the air. Easter is pointless.

[Xeros612]

Csonicgo said:

All that jesus stuff came later, the gifts and the yule log and all that other cool stuff was there already. its the jesus shit that was shoehorned in.

That's because they changed the date of his "birth" celebration because there was some pagan holiday around that point, right? I think I'm remembering that right.

Anyways I rather enjoy Christmas. The commercials are annoying and kind of wrong at times (like Radioshack one with the guy knocking Santa off the roof, possibly killing him off and all those MOTHER FUCKING STUPID ASS DIAMOND COMMERCIALS ARGH. Can't you people see all you're doing is putting material possessions on a retardedly high plane of "importance", claiming that they're one of the only "true" ways to show love, while ignoring all the little African kids doing slave labour and getting mutilated getting them you stupid fucks?! Oh, and that shitty Hyundai/Honda/whatever commercial with the girl with absolutely no singing talent whatsoever singing that one christmas song.), and the Christmas specials that are actually good (a.k.a. all those claymation ones) get drowned in shitty ones, and I HATE the music they're playing in stores for it. Jesus christ, stick to the classics! These shitty ass modern renditions are a slap in the face to the holiday AND music! Seriously, some shitty jersey shore bitch with no tone to her voice whatsoever rapping out "Santa Baby" to a toneless synth drum beat? Who the fuck thought that was a good idea?

Anyways, ranting (hopefully) done, the family visitation and the overall feeling of cheer (though I usually bugger that up by ranting about things :P), plus the good food make it enjoyable. The gifts are good too, but they're the proverbial icing on the cake.