Used to have a grand time at Crissy; church, getting to see the family, exchanging gifts.

That was before all the nieces and nephews multiplied, resentments set in, and buying presents for everyone became a burden instead of a joy. Before the commercilism and silly mutilated versions of carols became more and more obnoxious and earlier with every passing year.

Now I live in a different country. After getting major reverse culture shock at my last Aussie Chrissy, I refused to spend another in a Western country ever again. I felt I was in Frankenstienland with sugar.

Now I just go to church, send a coupla Chrissy cards, maybe see a friend for lunch, and look forward to escaping the freezing cold for a warmer destination for two months.

Being all growed up, I don't have to celebrate anything I don't want to, but there's this little woman was in the tree by my window for days during the holidays until I passed out after drinking some funny tea... Now I have a burn scar on my thigh. Looks kind of like an "L."

I lucked out this year, and got a 'pass' on the family Christmas. But that's a first, not likely to be repeated . . . I guess what really grates about the holidays is my time is no longer my own, for at least 2 weeks, and I always have to be 'on'

Do you have to like shave your head and wear the weird potato sack thing to be a hermit?

Usually my dad is the worst bit. He claims otherwise, but he literally hates everything about Christmas- the decorations, the songs, the tree, blahblhablah. Every year without fail, right before the holiday, he always gets incredibly enraged about some pointless thing or another and pretty much becomes a wet blanket. This year, fortunately, he had his blow-up earlier in the season, and Christmas holiday was actually spent away from him (how awful to admit.) My family (excluding him) went to see his family in Alabama (where I am typing this), and actually had a pleasant Christmas. I expected it to be incredibly awkward, since it was very last-minute, but even my somewhat-cranky Grandmother has been enjoyable

For me, it's the after Christmas part. Christmas, for me, is typically a great time but, after it's over, you go from the highs of the holidays back to the grind of everyday life.

The dogs. Oh my goodness, the dogs. Nearly all of them are labs. There are two exceptions. One is a spaniel that's still around the same size. The other is my immediate family's beagle, the only small dog in the family. Most of the dogs are excitable. With dogs that size, that's not a good thing, especially the golden lab named Ted. He's the youngest and by far the largest. He comes from a line of unusually large dogs, even by his breed's standards. And, of course, the bigger they are, the smaller they think they are. And to think people wonder why I used to have a phobia of dogs as a child...

Much to his chagrin, the beagle must be locked up while they visit because he can't get along with other male dogs. He's always the instigator. I swear, he'd pick a fight with Clifford, that red dog from those children's books. I like the beagle the most, however, because he's a size I can deal with, he doesn't bark as often or as loudly, and we each know what the other expects from us.

Well, as of a couple months ago the last of my grandparents passed, though late grandmother DID talk about people who were long gone as if they were... me. *sigh* It was more sad than something I would ever be angry about. On this holiday I utterly hate opening presents, I hate the whole presents thing. I'm a little to old to be opening presents it feels, and giving them is just as awkward (though I do like to give things somewhat, when I can)
Yes I hate christmas music. It disgusts me to tears, please make it stop. Even worse is the constant never ending references to "wanting a 'white christmas" by EVERYONE and all over television... which derives from a stupid horrible christmas song and nothing else!!!! Why the fuck do people utter "well it would be nice to have snow" on christmas day? WHY? The fuck is this shit about? Jesus of nazareth lived in a world where there was no snow. WTF does it have to do with christmas besides that fucking awful song?

I hate the giant inflated Frosty The Snowman that is four storeys tall that appears every November in front of certain shitty malls.
I hate malls, especially this time of year. And all the miserable as fuck 30 somethings with their kids and their SUVs acting like everyone is "in their way" and like total assholes to everyone around them, as in why-the-fuck-do-you-even-have-children-you-miserable-freak.
Then I saw this shit christmas light display at a gas station- of a santa that bends down and tosses square 'presents' into a slay- and nearly drove my truck straight through the fucker.
I am so done with all the cliches and idiocy and awful music and money-spending around this stupid holiday that if it was blown off the calendar forever
you'd never hear a complaint from me!
/rant

I might get called a Scrooge for this but I'm honestly not! ;-; The Christmas songs. I cannot stand Christmas songs. They all make me cringe and want to run away and I just have so much dislike for them.

I haven't told a great deal of people online about this, and they'd be surprised since every year I always draw a festive Christmas-related artwork and upload here But Christmas is my family is bland at best and a NIGHTMARE at worst. This year was probably the most tolerable one in ages - and that's taking into account that my mother and stepdad are splitting up and we all had to work for part of the day too. We didn't even get round to opening the presents until late at night

Most years it's ruined by a "tradition" of my nan bringing up arguments about shit that doesn't even matter and that sets everyone's fuse short because she just does not let things go and nags and nags and nags! She tries too hard to make everyone happy - spending the last dollar of her pension money on food and gifts that are more expensive than necessary - which would be fine if she then didn't complain about "How much everyone costs" and "Now I'm broke" afterwards Hell my brothers and I got $100 each off her, which is a lot for a "grandma gift" and believe me - in past years we have gotten more Oh, and if you saw where she lived - you'd know she isn't exactly sitting on a bloated retirement nest But as much as her generosity is great - she undoes it all by just being so irritating on the day. Calm down already
Plus every year I'm dragged around to see certain relatives I have virtually nothing to do with other than the fact I'm forced to see them once a year at Christmas I got out of it this year though.  I swear the day is one we all look forward to with dread, but hope that "this year it will be different"...It rarely is though. A good Christmas is one like this year where someone doesn't end up crying or storming out the door

Without a doubt, the shopping. I can't pick presents for my life and some people are like... Rabid.