DoomUK

When I was a kid I loved Christmas. I was fortunate enough to have many an awesome Christmas where Mum and Dad would usually buy me something really cool. For instance I'll never forget that one year as a child where I tore the wrapping of an undisclosed large square box to be greeted with a Sega Mega Drive (Genesis), and a smaller present which revealed itself as a copy of Sonic the Hedgehog. Good times.

Flash forward 18 years. All I could think of when I was erecting and decorating the ceremonial faux-conifer the other day was "Why am I doing this every year?". I'm also failing to see the point of sending bits of printed cardboard with a reproduced picture on the front in the mail to people who I barely even know and I'm sure wouldn't notice if I vanished off the face of the earth, just because it's the tradition to do so.

If I had a family of my own, I would enjoy Christmas for the sake of my children and I would take immense pleasure in buying them presents. But I'm a single guy and the only reason I don't completely abandon all celebration at Christmas is because it's the one time of year where I can buy myself a bottle of whisky or something and not feel guilty for spending £20 on a bottle of booze that's going to last a few days at most. The tree gets put up because I'm not the only person living in this house and others like to see it decorated.

Do most people have this epiphany at a younger age than 29? Or do most people genuinely enjoy Christmas and it's just me that doesn't? Or am I not considering the different cultures around the world, many of which don't even celebrate Christmas by default? Or should I stop making pointless threads in Blogs and go and help some desperate people somewhere?