Arlo and Janis by Jimmy Johnson for December 11, 2017

Yes, nothing like unwrapping the present.

Costco run. Bar soap and toilet paper and lots of wrapping paper. = Lots of small presents.

Grinch here. When I was about 15, I turned on Christmas. I was sickened by what had become a consumer event. Darn little about Christmas that’s holy anymore.

When I was a kid, we had these cardboard blocks printed with bricks & mortar; loved them.

When my kids were little, one year I saw them – bought them, put them together (they came flatpacked), and wrapped each of the (IIRC) 150 blocks individually. They played with them a lot, but never had more fun than they did unwrapping them.

Oh – for those of you who have read enough of my posts to know I’m an atheist, & are thus scratching your heads in confusion, please know that decorated trees & gift-giving are ancient Winter Solstice rituals that far pre-date Christianity.

You can celebrate a holy Christmas. if that fits in with your faith.

As Shirl Summ said. it’s up to you to make it holy, and ignore the commercialism.

But Christmas has also become an international, interfaith holiday, celebrated as a time of peace and joy,

and for many, even gift-giving…

if that fits in with your personal ethic.

Commercial and personal spaces are filled with Christmas music….

with lights and trees and Santa Claus….

Little children, whether born in a Christian… or Jewish, Muslim, atheist, or any other family,

are exposed to all of that from birth….

and have a right to be part of the magic.

I have no objection to anybody’s displays of religious faith OR holiday cheer…

I was raised in a not-very-observant Jewish family….

with Christmas, but a secular one, with Santa and reindeer, “White Christmas” and Jingle Bells."

I say “Merry Christmas,” and I mean it, in my heart….

you can interpret it in your own definition of Christmas, religious or not…. and that’s fine with me.

Just please don’t fill my world with music and decorations and send me cards professing love and goodwill,

or put up your displays in public places and fill the mall with Santa and carols,

and then claim that I can’t share it.

That would be a denial of everything it stands for….

in your faith or mine.

I have to do all the wrapping in our house. I grouse a lot doing it. But the results are worth it. :o)

@SusanSunshine

When asked about the difference between child-raising methods (he had a great relationship with his teenage daughter), an orthodox Jewish coworker explained: “_we don’t lie to our children_. We don’t teach them there’s a Santa Claus, or Easter Bunny, or Tooth Fairy, so they don’t have that moment when they’re 9 and discover their parents have been lying to them for their whole life. She knows that, if I said it, I believe it. I might be wrong, but she knows, at a deep emotional level, she can count on me to not lie to her.”

I keep thinking back to that.

My grandmother once explained to me exactly why she wanted socks for Christmas – she patiently explained that when a person ‘grows up’, they ALSO grow to appreciate PRACTICAL gifts! it was at that moment that I swore an oath to myself that, no matter what else might befall me, I would always attempt to avoid ‘maturity’ like the plague! My wife and my colleagues continue to assure me that (so far) I am still achieving that long-ago promised goal!

Just wrap a lot of empty boxes for Arlo to open.

Except for mentioning the Savior, there is not much holy about the day. The Savior was born either late August or early September, although a few scholars would say late July or early August, but certainly not December. The time period was when Druids and other pagans worshiped their idols around the fall equinox. The Christmas tree, etc., was all part of their celebration. Its just like people worshiping easter and not the true passover and resurrection day. Thank the Roman Church for everything.

I loved the Grinch, well, that is until he turned into a softie. Christmas is one of my least favorite times of the year. I spend my focus on playing and singing in choirs and concert bands to get me through the holiday. I really don’t like the whole consumerism thing, never did not even as a child. For those that do like it, I do wish them a Merry Christmas and hope their wishes come true.

If not us, who?

If not now, when?

.

(I’m still waiting for Santa to bring me Rock ’Em Sock ’Em Robots.)

But you’re still talking about it….. If you gave it up …then give it up! Nobody Cares…

I learned early on in life that things one gets as gifts are disappointing. As a kid we got 8 "gifts"for Chanukah. From what I can remember most of them were 10 cent coloring, paper dolls, sticker books with one bigger gift – while the kids I went to school with who were Christian thought that was great as they only received one gift.

I still don’t like getting gifts and after several decades of dating, engagement and marriage I finally convinced my husband NOT TO BUY ME ANYTHING! No birthday, anniversary, or Christmas/Chanukah gifts. There really is nothing I want and little I need. I am currently sneaking out of the house on the one day a month I go out alone assorted wedding gifts and personal items that have accumulated over the decades (in his mind, if you have it you keep it). Why would I want more crap. For about a couple of decades before it all went electronic I would buy my new work appointment book and give it to him to wrap as my gift. He likes getting stuff, but we don’t have money to spend and will absolutely not buy anything that has to be paid off (except house, RV and two of the cars we have had over the years) so he knows he has to be careful picking what he wants. This year he wanted equipment for his loom (his wood and leather shops are completely stocked with tools already) and that is what he bought himself to get as a gift – I will stick it in a bag and stick it under the tree Christmas Eve – and he will have to wait until January to use it as the living room where the tree is, is where he weaves and I have use of it until two weeks into January for Christmas decorations.

We buy gifts for his nieces (age 8 and 15) which are tossed aside as soon as they are opened – as they each get 65 gifts for Christmas (an idea SIL has that she used to get – I know her as young teenager – she did not). I send my niece and nephew (in their mid 20s) each a check for the same thing we spend on his nieces – our only gifts bought.