Tactics to smoothly avoid Christmas and Easter

Pretzeluck

I like the days off you get but I hate the setting. Celebrate the birth and death of jesus. I'm not a believer in such celebrations and that's why I'm not looking forward to this. Some members of my close family are quite religious and I'm put in settings where they decide to have a prayer and thank God for all the things we have just for that night. I hate it and I'm not looking forward to such celebrations. I just want to go off and do my own things that I want instead of being coerced by relatives to comply or be shunned and given the "look" of dissapointment. The main premise of these 2 main holidays is celebrating the birth and death of jesus not to have a break from work/school or whatever you're doing in life.
I don't think many people are even aware of what they're celebrating.
I don't want to celebrate, give me a break, I just want some peace and quiet and I'll be very happy.

Signore Fancy Pants

I avoid them by not talking about them until the month in which they occur.

Hope that helps.

somesoldiers

How many more sleeps?

super_furry

Christmas is easy. Get gently pissed at dinner, fall asleep, wake up have a sandwich a few more glasses of wine, go to bed.

Pretzeluck

Chewbacca wrote: »

I avoid them by not talking about them until the month in which they occur.

Hope that helps.

See, I can't, I'm already starting to dread the coming of it, it's getting closer and closer.

dxhound2005

Pretzeluck wrote: »

See, I can't, I'm already starting to dread the coming of it, it's getting closer and closer.

Be more positive. Last Christmas and Easter are getting further and further away.

Kermit.de.frog

Just tell your boss you don't recognise Christmas or Easter because they offend you and that you will happily ignore and surrender these holidays, working right through with no days off for your principles.

Be strong and stand up for what you believe OP.

JohnMc1

Pretzeluck wrote: »

I like the days off you get but I hate the setting. Celebrate the birth and death of jesus. I'm not a believer in such celebrations and that's why I'm not looking forward to this. Some members of my close family are quite religious and I'm put in settings where they decide to have a prayer and thank God for all the things we have just for that night. I hate it and I'm not looking forward to such celebrations. I just want to go off and do my own things that I want instead of being coerced by relatives to comply or be shunned and given the "look" of dissapointment. The main premise of these 2 main holidays is celebrating the birth and death of jesus not to have a break from work/school or whatever you're doing in life.
I don't think many people are even aware of what they're celebrating.
I don't want to celebrate, give me a break, I just want some peace and quiet and I'll be very happy.

Move to a Non Christian Country. Problem Solved.

Rubberchikken

As above - move elsewhere.
I love christmas and easter:):)

Pretzeluck

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Just tell your boss you don't recognise Christmas or Easter because they offend you and that you will happily ignore and surrender these holidays, working right through with no days off for your principles.

Be strong and stand up for what you believe OP.

Yeah someone needs comprehension lessons pussy boy.

bop1977

Work a few Christmas days then come back to us.

Pretzeluck

bop1977 wrote: »

Work a few Christmas days then come back to us.

I did this last few years but I still can't avoid everything since there are many celebrations

iguana

Mid-winter and spring festivals have happened in the upper northern hemisphere all throughout human history and far pre-date christianity. Regardless of the most commonly given name for the celebrations in our culture, the reality is that the axial tilt is reason for the celebration. Festivals in the middle and at the end of long winters are a great way to give people a mental boost to help them through the cold and dark times. I mightn't want to do Christmas or Easter either if I had to spend them with relatives who wanted to impose their religious beliefs on me. But having a great time with my kid and enjoying the amazing human achievement of making the middle of winter a time to look forward to is something to embrace.

verycool

Book holliers for those dates.

FishOnABike

Before Christianity there were mid-winter (in the Northern hemisphere) and Spring / fertility festivals coinciding with present day Easter. With the spread of Christianity local festivals were aproptiated or assimilated by the new religion.

When you think of the traditional Christmas crib and image of Jesus bring born in a stable, the visiting shepherds complete with lamb, Jesus' birthday was not likely to have been anytime I n December.

Celebrate Saturnalia and smile smugly at the rest of your family ;-)

Pherekydes

iguana wrote: »

Mid-winter and spring festivals have happened in the upper northern hemisphere all throughout human history and far pre-date christianity. Regardless of the most commonly given name for the celebrations in our culture, the reality is that the axial tilt is reason for the celebration. Festivals in the middle and at the end of long winters are a great way to give people a mental boost to help them through the cold and dark times. I mightn't want to do Christmas or Easter either if I had to spend them with relatives who wanted to impose their religious beliefs on me. But having a great time with my kid and enjoying the amazing human achievement of making the middle of winter a time to look forward to is something to embrace.

After reading this post I'm (almost) looking forward to putting up the lights. :pac:

Mrs OBumble

Become a nurse or a guard: your colleagies will love ypu for volunteering to work at those times, and then tell the relatives that you just lucked out with the rota.

That your own holidays at other quieter times.

Loughc

Oh hai everyone

Graces7

I avoid all the december hype; family and friends decided this decades ago. We are deeply Christian which makes the "celebrations" meaningless as they are.... sorry; could not find a better way to put that! We avoid the gross commericalisation. A peaceful , reflective thankfulness and the same at Easter.

Last year was my first on the island, and we had a mad dash to the mainland in the curragh that is our ferry, trying to beat the coming storm.... as we neared the harbour, I said, "Home for Christmas.." and everyone echoed it.

No need to join in the ......

lmimmfn

Spend half the year in the middle east?

irishproduce

Pretzeluck wrote: »

I like the days off you get but I hate the setting. Celebrate the birth and death of jesus. I'm not a believer in such celebrations and that's why I'm not looking forward to this. Some members of my close family are quite religious and I'm put in settings where they decide to have a prayer and thank God for all the things we have just for that night. I hate it and I'm not looking forward to such celebrations. I just want to go off and do my own things that I want instead of being coerced by relatives to comply or be shunned and given the "look" of dissapointment. The main premise of these 2 main holidays is celebrating the birth and death of jesus not to have a break from work/school or whatever you're doing in life.
I don't think many people are even aware of what they're celebrating.
I don't want to celebrate, give me a break, I just want some peace and quiet and I'll be very happy.

Me me me, are you under 25?

irishproduce

iguana wrote: »

Mid-winter and spring festivals have happened in the upper northern hemisphere all throughout human history and far pre-date christianity. Regardless of the most commonly given name for the celebrations in our culture, the reality is that the axial tilt is reason for the celebration. Festivals in the middle and at the end of long winters are a great way to give people a mental boost to help them through the cold and dark times. I mightn't want to do Christmas or Easter either if I had to spend them with relatives who wanted to impose their religious beliefs on me. But having a great time with my kid and enjoying the amazing human achievement of making the middle of winter a time to look forward to is something to embrace.

That is a very interesting way of looking at it.
Winter festivals

Pretzeluck

irishproduce wrote: »

Me me me, are you under 25?

Yes

Your Face

Don't worry OP it will be easier when you go to college.

Pretzeluck

Your Face wrote: »

Don't worry OP it will be easier when you go to college.

I'm in college for a couple of years already

Water John

Then volunteer with some charity that helps others, esp Christmas Day. Then it becomes about, them and less about you.
I think that's worth a try and is a nice, get out of jail card.

Iodine1

Pretzeluck wrote: »

I'm in college for a couple of years already

Really? Surely you can manipulate your life to suit yourself at this stage. I feel the same about GAA and Soccer matches which I never know or care whos playing but get a month of people asking my opinion on such and such a team/game/ticket/etc. My only advice is to develop a few strategies to get out of the house / situations and use those that work annually. Maybe book into a hotel and just watch films for the most difficult days?

JohnCleary

I've been in SE Asia for the last 7-8 Christmases (whole of Dec / Jan, infact) - it was bliss

I reckon i'll be in Ireland this Dec / Jan - it's going to be a fcuking nightmare I am completely dreading those 2 sh1tty months (weather wise) and the thought of Christmas sh1te here is making me depressed.

Franz Von Peppercorn

Pretzeluck wrote: »

I'm in college for a couple of years already

Well man up and either don’t go home for Christmas or go home and put up with the religious part of the day.

A winter without Christmas would be dire by the way.

Franz Von Peppercorn

JohnCleary wrote: »

I've been in SE Asia for the last 7-8 Christmases (whole of Dec / Jan, infact) - it was bliss

I reckon i'll be in Ireland this Dec / Jan - it's going to be a fcuking nightmare I am completely dreading those 2 sh1tty months (weather wise) and the thought of Christmas sh1te here is making me depressed.

December would be worse without Christmas. Basically two Januaries.

jimgoose

When are those fuckin' schools repoening?? :pac:

keano_afc

Thread needs edginess warning. Almost cut myself opening it.