This month starts the official beginning of "the holidays." The crazy time of year when people shop endlessly for gifts, spend money they don't have, endure crowds and long lines, reflect on everything that's wrong with their family, and feel intense pressure to put on a fake smile and pretend they're happy.
Or it's a time when people relish in holiday cheer, spread joy around to their loved ones, and savor personal connections. The seasons can go either way. Or both.
What's your attitude toward the holidays? Do you welcome this time of year? Or dread it?
I enjoy the holidays and the fact of spending time with family. The commercialization of the holiday is what bothers me. They are already playing Christmas music on the radio!
ReplyDeleteI love it and sometimes loathe it, feel guilty sometimes as I don't have vast amounts of cash to spend on my children, but temper that with knowledge that their happiness doesn't depend on the 'latest thing' although I think they would disagree!! x x
ReplyDeleteI don't know how old your kids are, but there's a running joke in my family about Christmastime when I was around 6 or 7. My parents couldn't afford a lot of gifts, so they split stuff up between my two sisters and me. We all got a dollhouse to share, and then I unwrapped the house's "dad" and "sister," my one sister got the "mom" and "brother," and my youngest sister got the "baby" and all the furniture. And we were so thrilled! A dollhouse of our very own! (Something similar happened one year with a kitchen set and the various play food items. I think my one sister got bread, another got cheese, and I got bologna.)
DeletePoint is, we were so freaking excited. It doesn't have to be big or fancy!
what a great idea! it definitely gives me something to think about, thank you :) x x x
DeleteLove the holidays, especially wrapping presents!
ReplyDeletexoxox,
CC
My dear grandmother became very ill just before Thanksgiving and could not eat during dinner. Every year I am sadly remind of this. :(
ReplyDeleteSorry, dear.
DeleteThe holidays definitely stress me out thanks to family drama...I'd be happy if we could skip to January :)
ReplyDelete-Sharon
The Tiny Heart
Ad Space Giveaway!
I look forward to this since my family and I never stress about and also don't fight or anything. So - good!
ReplyDelete-Kati
I go back and forth. My depression does tend to get worse in the dreary gray days of winter in Ohio, and it can be hard to manage at times. And I think the whole gift-giving thing can sometimes get superficial. (Oh, my coworker got me a gift last year, I better go find something of equal value!) On the other hand, there is nothing I love more in this world than spending time with my and Matt's families. And food. Oh dear god, how I absolutely adore holiday food :)
ReplyDeleteI generally welcome this time of year - I enjoy the family togetherness and the cheer. I don't necessarily enjoy the commercialism. And this year I'm starting to feel more and more panic since it means the little guy is almost here - yikes! But overall I like this time of year.
ReplyDeleteI celebrate Channukah not Christmas and get no presents which is fine by me. Now everyone gets tonnes of presents and the list just piles up. I avoid all of that which makes me and my purse happy. What annoys me is when I see Christmas stuff in the shops from September. And don't get me started on Christmas music. LOATHE IT
ReplyDeleteOh my....don't even get me started. LOL!! I always get super emotional around the holidays. Part of me loves the season. And part of me hates it.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely LOVE walking downtown San Francisco during the holidays...especially late in the afternoon. You can feel the Christmas spirit!
xo
I am both. I love shopping for others, I love the cheesy movies, the snow, how pretty everything looks, and even the music. I hate having to rush around to everyone's houses though, over the years, Kyle and I barely get any alone time because we end up going to 3 different homes in two days and have to bring treats & gifts and it is a mess.
ReplyDeleteThis time of the year is extremely chaotic,but I do love it. It's just a miracle in itself to get my family together, since everyone is always spread out globally. So, I am not even close to being ready for Christmas holiday. lol. :-)
ReplyDeleteI've always had lovely Christmases! Somehow, I just enjoy it and don't get caught up by the commercialism! I just enjoy it and enjoy celebrating the real reason for Christmas as well as all the good old fun,food, family and meetings!! x
ReplyDeleteAs long as I don't have to put up with the crowds, traffic, or retail environments, I love the holidays (except, I work in retail, and do have to put up with the crowds and traffic). I usually try to stay away from buying presents, but try to make them instead...that way I really can feel the joy of giving. Everything is so commercialized these days. I got an e-mail today that said "Tis the season to be selfish". Oh man.
ReplyDeleteI've actually reached the point where I enjoy this time of year. I see my family in peace (pieces), so there's no fighting. I have people to mail gifts and cards too, and get gifts and cards from.
ReplyDeleteThere's lots of good food.
And I spend quality time with my bro.
I don't get up in a lot of the shopping or decorations or any of the commercialization, but I do have my own traditions (Chinese food, movies, family lunch/dinners) that make my own version of the holidays nice.
I really love the holidays, but there is this kid part of me that still believes in the magic of it all. Dark nights full of twinkle lights and presents and maybe being nicer to the people around you because deep down you do love them. It gets me every time. Maybe I'm a sap but I really look forward to this time of year. Also cocoa.
ReplyDeletei love the holidays, especially when i'm able to enjoy it. so i try to get my shopping done early (this year the family decided to do kris kringle, so that's a bunch less gifts i have to stress about), then hang out with friends throughout the season. one this i dislike about the holidays, tho, is the traffic and parking!
ReplyDeleteI like them but maybe because I've always lived far away from family so gifts would be sent early and then we would just have a small dinner. This year I'll be in a different country so I'm very excited about that!
ReplyDeletexo
styleontheside.com
Dread the holidays. But...love the lights!
ReplyDeleteOpen arms all the way! The older I get, the more I've learned to make the winter - and all - holidays what I want them to be. I say no, if needed, to unreasonable family demands or pressures, plan the festivities my way, mingle old traditions with new, and most importantly take time to stop and count the many blessing that are more evident then ever during Christmas.
ReplyDelete♥ Jessica
we try to celebrate the winter holidays in our - peaceful - way. no shopping marathon, no family pressure. the last are sometimes not easy, but it was a long way for me to be where i´m and i want´t go back.
ReplyDeleteinstead hubby and i baking cookies, buy and decorate a huge tree only for the two of us, i cook us a festive meal. we wear our sundays best, go for christmas markets, buy little favors for another. and celebrate our love :-)
for new years eve we have a small number of friends over here, dinner, open fire in the garden and the next morning a hiking tour to be some of the first people of the year on top of the "winterberg".
We've already had Thanksgiving in Canada and to be honest I'm glad that it is earlier here. Having it too close to Christmas would be too much.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise the holidays can be wonderful. We don't live near either of our families and often it is just a quiet time without too much stress.
bisous
Suzanne
Every year that goes by seems to be more hectic than the last one.
ReplyDeleteThis kind of makes it less enjoyable and meaninful which is a real shame.
I love the holidays. LOVE them.
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice post! I like the holidays but I am also the type of person who gives DIY gifts and do not spend much time shopping around. Well, this weekend there is a DIY-market (like etsy.com in real) in my city and there I think I will buy a few things, but then it will be back to baking cookies, making pralines and calenders with pictures for my friends and family :-)
ReplyDeleteI have a very ambivalent feeling toward consumption in general, cause I've seen the bad sides of it on my own (e.g. in Africa, China...)
Anyhow, I wish you a wonderful day and thanks for your last comment :)
I'm desperately striving for balance and simplification this holiday season. Every year, we have a family meeting heading into it to make sure we all get to vote on what we enjoy most so we can forget about the rest. Having experiences is more important than receiving material things. We try to focus on that and of course, the REAL reason for the season. :)
ReplyDeleteI hate a love hate relationship with the holidays. I really enjoy being with family this time of year, I just wish there wasn't such importance put on overspending and buying gifts. I truly am one of those people that would rather purchase something for a child in need or volunteer in a soup kitchen.
ReplyDeleteUgh. Love hate the holidays. I could do an entire blog post on why. I always try to quash the negatives and have fun with it, but that takes some effort. Luckily, I usually succeed and enjoy myself, but tne holidays are never something I look forward to.
ReplyDeleteI love the atmosphere! There's not too much stress in it for me since we don't exchange gifts, generally.
ReplyDelete7% Solution
i like to celebrate each one. i'm not a september 1st IT'S CHRISTMAS kinda gal. i decorate the day after thanksgiving
ReplyDelete