Peatys wrote: » Says the poster on the smartphone
blueshade wrote: » I think the message about spending Christmas with other people is important in the sense that Christmas can be an extremely lonely time for many people, it's also a bit of a peak time for suicide attempts. There's this forced jollity in ads and the message is pushed that Christmas is a lot of people sat around a huge table laden with all kinds of luxuries when for many people it's anything but that. Realistically most of us are a bit selfish and aren't thinking about anyone in our communities who are living alone and might not see anyone at all over Christmas.
Blaizes wrote: » I think you nailed it in your phrase ‘ forced jollity’ that’s what it is and then pressure on people to live up to this ideal. Good point too about the suicide attempts at Christmas.Then there are people who feel lonely or there has been a recent bereavement or someone is sick or there is family conflict or economic pressure or other factors. And it definitely goes on way too long ... Am thinking when we don’t have Santa in our house in a few years that I’d like to try Christmas in the sun think it would be so relaxing and a complete change away from all this hype
Edgware wrote: » Cant be Christmas. No Shane and Kirsty on the radio yet
Declan A Walsh wrote: » I heard Fairytale of New York on Christmas FM yesterday. In one sense, the arrival of Christmas FM puts me in the frame of mind for Christmas. That said, for me, I would prefer if all the preparation for Christmas was not visible until December 1st at the earliest. November is too early.
blueshade wrote: » I think that for most people Christmas is just really stressful and for parents it's a massive expense on top of all the other expenses. There's an ideal of Christmas that just isn't real. Christmas shopping isn't something I enjoy, I try to do as much of it as possible online. We all buy a lot of food that we'll end up throwing out in January and we do it without even thinking about it. Do we need box of 24 bags of crisps or will a 6 pack do? Do we need to buy 3 or 4 tubs of chocolate when 1 nice box might be better? That kind of thing. Then for a lot of people there'll be the annual family rows on the day and that's before we even talk about the cooking. I think that's why the Christmas night Soaps are so popular, we can look at the misery fest and think feck it, as bad as today was it could be worse.:D I think we need to move to a more chilled out relaxed kind of Christmas, less commercialism and more focus on what's important. Often people would be a lot happier to have the gift of our time than something wrapped up in paper and ribbon while we dash off to do more shopping.
blueshade wrote: » Those tacky plastic lawn decorations made in sweatshops in developing countries by men women and children will really show how great you are.
blueshade wrote: » You OK HUN? You sound like one of the numpties who have the house strewn with Christmas tat in November. There's no need to have Christmas decorations up for 6 or 7 weeks, it shows a very juvenile nature.
chrissb8 wrote: » Xmas is anything you want it to be. You can avoid all the annoying excess and spend, spend, spend nature of it if you want. But think of it. Food galore, sitting on your a** with not one responsibility for a week except watching your waistline expand. Throw in some drinks, movies, vid games and binge-worthy tv series and what's not to love. I get stressed looking at people, particularly parents, who struggle and stress trying to make the idyll xmas. The best tree, decorations galore, the best presents and so much food it won't be gone until March. Why parents feel the need to curb into their kids ridiculous demands just to "see their little faces light up on xmas morning" is beyond me. Surely one or two great presents, without getting everything, would teach them about the value and that you can't have everything in life so don't expect it. Be happy for what you do get though. The spirit of Xmas is about slowing down, reflecting on the year and enjoying a much needed winter break. You don't need to break the bank for that and neither should you.
Spanish Eyes wrote: » If you have kids who believe in Santy, fair enough. There are many who don't and it is a free country last time I looked. Adults who don't have kids loving Christmas are a bit OTT imv. But whatever, each to their own.
andekwarhola wrote: » Unlike 80% of the stuff in your house at this very minute which was presumably made by elves in a loving, caring utopian commune?
PTH2009 wrote: » Are Christmas songs cursed ??? Dean Martin and George Michael died on Christmas day Kirsty MacColl died in tragic circumstances near Christmas John Lennon was killed on dec 8th
JohnnyFlash wrote: » Bought 24 cans of Guinness and 24 bags of crisps for €30. Love Christmas.
Snow Garden wrote: » My christmas tree is up bitches! Wouldn't wanna be ya!
SusieBlue wrote: » Even if it was 6 weeks, 6 weeks out of 52 spent celebrating the biggest cultural holiday in our history isn't very much when you put it into perspective. You'd swear people had their trees up in July with some of the carry on in this thread.
Spanish Eyes wrote: » Ah feck it, each to their own. Who cares? Seems to me though that there is a bit of a backlash going on from certain quarters against those who do not buy into the whole fantasy of all this Christmas mullarkey. Christmas, as many know can be a very emotional and sad time for many. Look at what lies beneath before calling out the Grinches and Scrooges please.
