Bah Humbug time...

[Milkyway]

Milky Way Sr (94): I won’t say ‘Scrooge’, as he’s actually very generous.

He gives all the close family £40... was £35 for years but got fed up with having to get a load of fivers.
( But makes it sound like a chore rather than pleasure).

This year;

A new Great - Grandchild: OK, She is only three months old.
Daddy will gets his Wonga for the first time & they get a ‘To the both of you’ card.
(Unmarried ... but must be official now then)

Grandsons GF: No wonga... as he’s never met her.
( Got stung a few years ago... paid out on a GF & then they split after Christmas.
(Not official enough...yet, maybe next year).

Christmas Cards;
New neighbours (POC) moved in yesterday, but he doesn’t know if they celebrate the festivities or not.
( Even though that the front door & windows prove that they do)
NB: I will put a Christmas card through anyway... as a ‘welcome to the neighbourhood’ intro.

Decorations... he hasn’t wanted any up for many years.
( Possibly relenting on the cards though, as his DIL always make a comment about them... & likes to look at them all).

Edited by Milkyway on Tuesday 12th December 13:45

[Cotty]

Christmas isn't compulsory. I probably won't see anyone on Christmas day and cook a curry

[Milkyway]

Cotty said:

Christmas isn't compulsory. I probably won't see anyone on Christmas day and cook a curry

I quite agree, especially as you get older & the younger generations excitement begins to fade.
Just thought that a new GGD might inspire him for a few years at least:
(Maybe next year... his other Great Grandchildren are 7, 9 (twins) & 10)

He will have a small glass of wine with Christmas dinner & munch on any goodies that he receives.
( Wine is from his GD’s lovely annual hamper).

Edited by Milkyway on Tuesday 12th December 13:34

[vikingaero]

Cotty said:

Christmas isn't compulsory. I probably won't see anyone on Christmas day and cook a curry

You don't even need to cook a curry, A lot of Indian restaurants stay open on Christmas Day for all those who don't fancy turkey.

[Tango13]

Cotty said:

Christmas isn't compulsory. I probably won't see anyone on Christmas day and cook a curry

Ham and tomato sandwich here, I'd prefer to have a bit of decent cheddar in there too but the gallbladder says 'no'

[Jonmx]

vikingaero said:

Cotty said:

Christmas isn't compulsory. I probably won't see anyone on Christmas day and cook a curry

You don't even need to cook a curry, A lot of Indian restaurants stay open on Christmas Day for all those who don't fancy turkey.

Wetherspoons for the true miserable old git experience.

[captain_cynic]

Cotty said:

Christmas isn't compulsory. I probably won't see anyone on Christmas day and cook a curry

It is difficult to escape.

Seems everyone and everywhere is trying to drag you into Christmas when all you want to do is pretend the whole thing doesn't exist and get on with your life.

TV ads, Christmas music in stores. Theres no escaping it before the gormless feckwits add "merry Christmas" to every fking sentence. It's bad in the UK but worse in Australia. Christmas is starting in October there these days.

When you don't "get into the spirit" people get upset that "you're ruining Christmas". I, out of politeness surpress my first instinct to tell people to fk off when trying to drag me into Christmas, but when they complain they'll get both barrels.

Ironically, the people in my life who care about the babby Jeezus are the least annoying about it. Most.of them are Roman Catholics so Easter is the bigger thing for them.

It's not even about the religious significance any more. It's about trying to create a fantasy depicted in 1950s songs and movies that never really existed. A fantasy created by American Corporations. Telling kids that a fake fat man who's costume was designed by coca cola will come down a chimney that most houses don't have to give them presents you overpaid for whilst eating terrible food and trying to avoid family fights or the racist uncle. Sounds bloody marvellous, definitely doesn't send stress levels through the roof.

For the last 3 years I've worked through Christmas and it was great, not just for the extra money but an extra days leave I could use when I wanted. Sadly this year it's not an option so I'm just going to drink through it until it's over. What am I getting for Christmas... A fking headache.

[anonymous-user]

I find it incredible that Christmas is such a big thing when only 46% of the UK population are Christian, infact 37% of people say they have no religion.

Why are people celebrating something that they don't believe in, it really blows my mind.

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/constituency-...

[Milkyway]

“ Just another day” to a lot of people.
Surprised that ‘ol Santa Claus hasn’t reverted to his Green outfit...

Edited by Milkyway on Wednesday 13th December 11:03

[ChocolateFrog]

Joey Deacon said:

I find it incredible that Christmas is such a big thing when only 46% of the UK population are Christian, infact 37% of people say they have no religion.

Why are people celebrating something that they don't believe in, it really blows my mind.

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/constituency-...

Christmas has nothing to do with religion for most of us.

Just an excuse for a bit of a party and the kids love the magic of it.

Just because I'm not religious I'm not going to be one of "those people" that like nothing more than to try and ruin it for everyone else.

[captain_cynic]

Joey Deacon said:

I find it incredible that Christmas is such a big thing when only 46% of the UK population are Christian, infact 37% of people say they have no religion.

Why are people celebrating something that they don't believe in, it really blows my mind.

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/constituency-...

Christmas was originally a pagan festival called Saturnalia. It coincided with he winter sowing season, so was celebrated in honour of Saturn, Roman god of agriculture.

It was co-opted by Christianity to diminish paganism and we still derive many traditions from Saturnalia, such as gift giving.

As I said above, it's not about belief it's about trying to live in a corporate created fantasy from the 50s via conspicuous consumption.

Edited by captain_cynic on Wednesday 13th December 11:01

[Cotty]

Joey Deacon said:

I find it incredible that Christmas is such a big thing when only 46% of the UK population are Christian, infact 37% of people say they have no religion.

Why are people celebrating something that they don't believe in, it really blows my mind.

To most people Christmas has nothing to do with religion so they are not celebrating a thing. They just use it as an excuse to have a happier time in one of the dark, cold, wet months of the year to cheer themselves up. Im going for a christmas lunch on Friday, its nothing to do with Christmas really its just an excuse to meet friends and have a roast dinner in a pub with a few drinks.

[vikingaero]

My extended family and I are not religious. But we celebrate Christmas as a means to have a family get together - all 38-45 of us!

[YorkshireStu]

Joey Deacon said:

I find it incredible that Christmas is such a big thing when only 46% of the UK population are Christian, infact 37% of people say they have no religion.

Why are people celebrating something that they don't believe in, it really blows my mind.

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/constituency-...

How do you know that they are celebrating the religious Christmas?

The day is a celebration of the Winter Solstice in Europe that has been used by other Belief systems since it already existed; Pagan, Roman, Christianity etc.

It's basically been a day of celebration for thousands of years.

Santa Claus is the American interpretation of Sinterklaas, St Nicholas, and, in particular, one of the stories of his chucking gold down a chimney to save girls from slavery.

So it is a day of celebration adopted by many different ideas as to how to use it. Today most use it as a day for Family to come together and, yes, swopping gifts is common. I don't think most give two figs for any particular Belief system that has adopted the day and simply pick and choose what they like about them all to use in their celebration of Family togetherness.

We do with it as we want - it doesn't have to be a literal interpretation of any religious ideology.

I for one enjoy a day set aside purely for a special celebration of immediate Family.

[Spare tyre]

Cotty said:

Christmas isn't compulsory. I probably won't see anyone on Christmas day and cook a curry

We moved into our first house together late December, didn’t have everything we needed to cook much, so we had a stir fry on Christmas Day

20 mins prep and done, was brilliant

My mother in law still gets the hump about it now

The two of us, pre kids, nothing to stress about - marvellous

[Milkyway]

I’ve had a few on my own, just grub, beer & TV... it was OK actually.

[ferret50]

Do turkeys have to die for Christmas?

Think of the turkeys!

[Jonmx]

Milkyway said:

I’ve had a few on my own, just grub, beer & TV... it was OK actually.

Likewise. I usually pop over to the ex's early O' clock and do the stocking and presents with my son before she takes him and goes to her parents. Having a day to myself where I can justify eating and drinking as much as I want is great!

[vaud]

Before I got married I used to go for a drive and a nice walk, preferably where there was little chance of bumping into someone. The roads are also lovely and quiet.

[Speed addicted]

I don’t really like Christmas, lots of enforced cheer, lots of stress about buying things people don’t need, traditional family argument etc.

But now our son is nearly 3. When he came downstairs to see the tree in the living room the utter joy on his face made it all worthwhile.