How do you feel about Christmas?

neuro-praxis

I love it myself, even though I have had some pretty awful Christmases in the past. You?

Rob_l

I like cake not so much christmas cake though, OK

prendy

I *would* like it if only it were less pressurised.

i love it as its the only time everyone(friends and family) are at home and you get to catch up!

Kazu

I *would* like it if only it were less pressurised.

a pure pig feast

eat till you cant eat no more

look at the amount of food that will be consumed over two days

Lands Leaving

I heartily despise it.

Can't say I've enjoyed many christmases so I'm going with actively dislike it. Bah humbug and all that.

But this year I'll be out of the country in warmer climes, so I'm looking forward to it.

BAH HUMBUG THOUGH!

Lux23

I quite like it but don't get excited.

I love it. Although Im finding the three - four nights out a week quite trying.

Quality

I quite like it but don't get excited.

I love the whole christmas thing. The meeting up with people you havent seen in ages, the xmas cards, the christmas shopping, christmas carolers, presents, santa. christmas eve drinks with our friends. christmas morning and the smiles on my childrens faces. and especially the oul christmas dinner.

The things I dont like are christmas pudding and cake and sherry trifle.

Faith

I *would* like it if only it were less pressurised.

Meh, I feel it's overrated. It's grand, like. To be honest, at this stage it's no different to any other time of year. As I get older and can afford things myself, presents are no longer that exciting. They tend to be functional more than anything.

I can go get drunk every night of the week anytime of year.

Christmas lights are fun though!

Christmas cards are bad for the environment.

I can eat chocolate any day of the year too.

I tend to work full time over Christmas, so it's actually a bit of a chore.

Varkov

I *would* like it if only it were less pressurised.

Ah, I like it.

Giving pressies, the whole family getting merrily tipsy on Christmas day, catching up with friends on nights out.

I tend to just shut out all the bulls**t associated with it these days.

boneless

I heartily despise it.

I actively dislike the season. Too much pressure on folk from big business to spend and consume. I wouldn't mind it so much if the Christians hadn't of hijacked a nice old Pagan festival though...

biko

I quite like it but don't get excited.

I really get into the spirit of it, pressies, music, blinking lights etc.

Rob_l

biko wrote: »

I really get into the spirit of it, pressies, music, blinking lights etc.

Ah yes the true spirit of christmas blinking lights

neuro-praxis

I quite like it but don't get excited.

boneless wrote: »

I actively dislike the season. Too much pressure on folk from big business to spend and consume. I wouldn't mind it so much if the Christians hadn't of hijacked a nice old Pagan festival though...

But sure why not celebrate Yule then? It's not as though the Jesus-bit is what gets pushed. (Santa's birthday, innit?)

Varkov

I *would* like it if only it were less pressurised.

Wasn't Jesus actually supposed to be born in March or summit?

hshortt

Love it, my favourite time of year, the chilly mornings, the happy faces, the delight of children. Family, friends and just good craic and relaxation.

cance

i really dislike it, it brings out the worst in people leading up to it.

Always make the effort for my other half as she's into that sort of thing.

Sleepy

Normally I get really into the holiday of peace and good will but this year I think I really would prefer to just hide away in bed for it... I'm sure that'll change once I get home for Christmas but right now a week in bed sounds preferable to a week of over-indulgence.

neuro-praxis

I quite like it but don't get excited.

Varkov wrote: »

Wasn't Jesus actually supposed to be born in March or summit?

AFAIK he was actually born in late summer/early autumn. It would have been scorching! But hey, we all need a bit of festival in these dark months.

Rob_l

Varkov wrote: »

Wasn't Jesus actually supposed to be born in March or summit?

you dare doubt the bible at christmas :eek:

keen

I quite like it but don't get excited.

I absolutely love everything about it - tinsel me up Santa!

Love this time of the year.

neuro-praxis

I quite like it but don't get excited.

Rob_l wrote: »

you dare doubt the bible at christmas :eek:

Not to burst your bubble or owt, Rob, but the bible isn't exactly chock full of dates. December 25th is the festival of Christ's birth...not the alleged date. Seeing as December didn't exist at the time and all.

Mossy Monk

I actively dislike it.

neuro-praxis wrote: »

AFAIK he was actually born in late summer/early autumn. It would have been scorching!

It's hot all year round in the middle east.

mcauley

It's irrelevant to me for religious/ideological reasons and I don't celebrate it.

I "actively" dislike it.....work in retail and you will feel the same!!! Christmas music and decorations and sh*te from November 1st! 8-10 weeks of buildup and stress for the biggest anti-climax of the year?! More hatred stemming from my job, the minute Stephens Day is over, Christmas is forgotten completely and its as if it never happened!!!!

I need to get a new Part-time job!!!!:mad:

Pigletlover

This year I went all out, got 2 christmas trees, put garlands and lights everywhere and I'm cooking dinner for everyone but it just doesn't feel like Christmas. It's just me and the boss in work so no Christmas party night, a load of my friends are after fecking off to Australia so Christmas Eve in the pub won't be the same and I can't see Stephen's night being much fun either, so I don't have much to look forward to really (besides going to New York in the new year - yay)

I always find Christmas day such a let down after the dinner it's like 'this is it? wtf?'. I hate those few days after Christmas too, it's like the feeling after someone dies.

biko

I quite like it but don't get excited.

Rob_l wrote: »

Ah yes the true spirit of christmas blinking lights

If they would have had electricity back then I'm sure baby Jesus would have insisted on some blinking light on his crib

mental07

I like it, though the evening of Christmas day itself can drag a bit. (another Killinaskully special?! No!!!) I love Christmas Eve. Catching up with friends and family, who are otherwise spread out all over the place, is the best aspect of Christmas for me.

RandolphEsq

I don't get excited about Christmas. The material side doesn't do anything for me, neither does the family side.
I don't need Christmas to remind me that I love my family. I am aware I love them throughout the year. Christmas plays on people's insecurities i.e. they don't feel they have a close enough relationship with their families. As a result Christmas only blinds them from this truth and thus represses their insecurities even more.

justsomebloke

I generally love it, but this year I'm just not getting into it:(:(

MizzLolly

I heartily despise it.

No No No!! Somebody usually dies, somebody usually gets dumped and everybody always ends up kranky and agressive! I don't like it.... anymore!

Fozzy

I quite like it but don't get excited.

Christmas is a great laugh, there's always loads of food and plenty of time to eat it, plus some good shows on tv at times. Nice and cold at that time of the year too, I love it

Xavi6

I *would* like it if only it were less pressurised.

It's a bit of craic like. Christmas Eve is great down the boozer. It p1sses all over New Years anyway.

Mr. CooL ICE

I neither like nor dislike it. I don't care.

Meh, really overrated tbh. Xmas songs and having to buy presents really grate me, but the prospect of the whole family being together for a few days and all friends home for a few days really shines through

Rob_l

neuro-praxis wrote: »

Not to burst your bubble or owt, Rob, but the bible isn't exactly chock full of dates. December 25th is the festival of Christ's birth...not the alleged date. Seeing as December didn't exist at the time and all.

maybe your bible but mine is full of dates and even gives some of Jesus early horoscopes capricorn obviously

like the one for good friday read something like
"dont get too hung up about issues today"

l3LoWnA

I quite like it but don't get excited.

hshortt wrote: »

Love it, my favourite time of year, the chilly mornings, the happy faces, the delight of children. Family, friends and just good craic and relaxation.

+1

And the Christmas lovers are leading the poll too

Lola123

I quite like it but don't get excited.

Love it!
Love spoiling my family, goin for the traditional crimbo eve drinks in the local with old friends, eating loads, and of course...the presents!!!

monkeyfudge

Can't say I like religion too much... or my family for that matter...

So that just leaves me with commercialism and drinking... which can get a bit tiring after a while.

phasers

I *would* like it if only it were less pressurised.

I usually love it but this year I am just so lazy I can't muster up emotion either way

Ghost Train

I heartily despise it.

I like getting the few days off... not really looking forward to the family time this year and the whole having to go buying presents is a bit of a hassle.

OctavarIan

I actively dislike it.

I like the whole family-togetherness ideal behind it, but that's all. It started before halloween this year, some people spend thousands on decorations and presents, then on stephen's day the sales start where everything is like half price... It's just too good.

leninbenjamin

I actively dislike it.

The Fr.Ted special and turkey and stuffing sandwiches are the only good thing about christmas.

echosound

It's irrelevant to me for religious/ideological reasons and I don't celebrate it.

Heartily despise Christmas. Pressure on people to go spending money they don't have on presents no-one will like, and getting presents that are useless in return. If I want something, I will buy it myself, so the ideal thing to do would be for everyone to say - you treat yourself to something you want, and I'll do the same. Saves on all the ****e that people end up dumping on Stephen's day.

Towns and cities are crazy for two months in the runup to xmas, with demented people maurauding the streets searching for the last Wiiiiiiiiii and phsyically assaulting other parents who have spotted same and are hefting small children out of the way in a mad rush to lay their hands on it, traffic is crazy, no parking spaces to be found, teeth-grindingly awful christmas songs on everlasting loops in every shop from Nov 1st, everyone stockpiling on groceries like there's a nuclear war approaching, bloody tacky lights. I avoid any centre of population like the plauge from November to mid January if possible.

Frantic dashes to visit relatives on xmas day itself, even though you see these people all year round anyway, multiply that by two sets of relatives if you're married, writing reams of stupid cards even though I have no interest in xmas myself nor of celebrating it, but in order to maintain good relations with friends and relatives I have to send a card in return for the card they already sent me which is cluttering up my mantelpiece as when they visit they expect to see their card on display.

Endless questions as to why we are not putting up a tree or decorations (I have never put up so much as a solitary piece of tacky tinsel in all my years since I flew the nest, why would this year be any different?).

Pressure stress and grumpiness. Lots of people lonely and upset because they just got dumped/are alone/are getting old/lost a family member etc and christmas time magnifies the loss or their lonliness.

Can you tell I hate xmas?? Sure, fine, have a few days holidays to catch up with your family at the end of the year and mentally prepare yourself for the coming year, but many people end up working the holidays anyway due to our 24 hour /7 day a week culture, and feel left out while their friends get to enjoy time off with families.

I just loathe the entire thing. If it was merely a spiritual event, I would be fine with that (even though I don't follow any particular faith so I wouldn't be celebrating it anyway), but it's so commercialised it's not even worth respecting as a religious tradition anymore.

signed
the grinch (aka echosound).

S.I.R

I actively dislike it.

Christmas , another day on the calender for me.

pretty-in-pink

I quite like it but don't get excited.

I love it.

Gekko

The past few years I've begun to see it as a big waste of time.

People go mental in the shops rushing around like zombies or something and pushing each other out of the way.

The Real B-man

I *would* like it if only it were less pressurised.

Used to love it when i was a Kid but when ya get older it looses its appeal great to relax with family & friends thow

baztard

Varkov wrote: »

Wasn't Jesus actually supposed to be born in March or summit?

He was concieved in March, and born in December.

baztard

Christmas is over commercialised sh*te. Its a soul'less retail holiday where big business pressurise everyone into buying a load of crap for other people. They holidays are good, meeting old friends and family is good and children getting the few presents is good. Apart from that its a bullsh*t time of year, everything about it is fake.

SimpleSam06

boneless wrote: »

I wouldn't mind it so much if the Christians hadn't of hijacked a nice old Pagan festival though...

I think that makes it funnier TBH. Theres a big question mark over whether Jesus even existed as a historical figure.

neuro-praxis

I quite like it but don't get excited.

Sigh. No there isn't. There's significantly more historical evidence that Christ existed than there is that Caesar did. Whether or not he was God is another question.

SimpleSam06

neuro-praxis wrote: »

There's significantly more historical evidence that Christ existed than there is that Caesar did.

Bollocks.

No historians of the time mention Jesus. Suetonius (65-135) does not. Pliny the Younger only mentions Christians (Paulists) with no comment of Jesus himself. Tacitus mentions a Jesus, but it is likely that after a century of Christian preaching Tacitus was just reacting to these rumours, or probably talking about one of the many other Messiah's of the time.

Josephus, a methodical, accurate and dedicated historian of the time mentions John the Baptist, Herod, Pilate and many aspects of Jewish life but does not mention Jesus. (The Testimonium Flavianum has been shown to be a third century Christian fraud). He once mentions a Jesus, but gives no information other than that he is a brother of a James.

Jesus was not an unusual name, either. Justus, another Jewish historian who lived in Tiberias (near Kapernaum, a place Jesus frequented) did not mention Jesus nor any of his miracles.

It is only in the evidence of later writers, writing about earlier times, that we find a Jesus. What is more surprising (Jesus could simply have been unknown to local historians) is that academics note that the gospels themselves do not allude to first-hand historical sources, either!

neuro-praxis

I quite like it but don't get excited.

The website you have so elegantly cut and pasted from is not an academic source. If you would like a long list of academic sources on this subject, I can give them to you, but I doubt you'll be popping into your local NUI library to check them out?