Anyone Else Feel Like Christmas has Lost it's Sparkle?

[The Ween]

Santa is a metaphor...true. He's a meaphor to put your company into the black and for our kids to make up unreasonable expectations of gifts based on what the Jones boys are getting.

 

[nash]

Rory = Ray of Sunshine

 

[Darth Snoopy]

Darth Snoopy man thats some funny S@*t

Glad you liked it Bob!

 

[creecher]

As I recall Christmas started in December. This year it started in October. By the time December came along, the fizz had fuzzed.

 

[Jen]

I enjoy the time off from work. And the Christmas bonus. I love giving gifts - not only for my family and friends but helping out those who are less fortunate. I love singing in the choir for the Christmas Eve Midnight Mass......however, I never decorate and I rarely ever travel to be with family, so I usually spend Christmas alone....which really doesn't bother me much. Because of all the snow we got this year, it looks like I might not even be able to participate in the Christmas Eve Mass, which is a bummer. We are supposed to get more snow tomorrow night and my parish is located at the top of a very steep hill.
So yeah, I guess Christmas has lost it's "sparkle" for me, but I do find joy in giving. As for receiving, that's always nice, but really I have everything I need and whenever people ask me what I want, I really can't think of anything except for items like a new Sonicare toothbrush.....

 

[Saya]

I can understand the excitment of christmas from chidhood changes as you grow up. For me my excitment is for my kids. Buying for them, watching them open their gifts. Helping them with the decorating and us baking cookies. All the things I remember doing when I was a kid. So that when I finaly croak my kids have traditions to pass down. I like the thought of that. That being said- the day after christmas I can't wait to take down the decorations and get my house back to normal. Its all individual. everyone has there own issues with holidays and even I get the blues with it from time to time, I just try to remember how much my kids look forward to it and it gets me in the spirit.

 

[Anzik]

I love it more every year. I enjoy the anticipation, the decorations and the expressions on the faces of the clerks when I am happy and pleasant and don't complain. I love to hold the door for people as they come into stores, even if they are a little ways off. Although I try and do this stuff all year long, it is a little more noticed at Christmas.
I love the excitement on the faces of my children, from the moment we start to decorate the tree together. I love making cookies with them, and looking through catalogs with them. I love helping them pick out gifts for their mom. I love the decorations and the music and most of all I love being as selfless as I can be. I like to make it NOT about me and more about how I can brighten someone's day, and try and make them see how lucky they are. Sure things could always be better, but they could also be worse too.
My mom loved Christmas and always made it special and she was always happy at Christmastime.
I remember back in Dec of '91. I was working the night shift and my mom woke me up and asked me to drive her over to Jefferson Hospital one afternoon. I remember giving her a bunch of attitude about how I needed to sleep, blah blah blah. She said she was sorry and how much she appreciated it. So I dropped her off and went home and went back to sleep. I woke up to the sound of my grandmother crying. My mom had slipped into a coma. I felt like the jerk I was. She was on chemo and all I could think of was myself and how inconvenient it was for me that she was sick, and the last thing I ever said to my mother was tinged with aggravation.
I went to the store and bought a little Christmas tree and some garland, and I went up and decorated her room, and thankfully, she came to about a week later. I got to settle all the issues we had and we made it as nice a Christmas as we could have in that situation. She never left the hospital, and she passed away on January 3rd and I'm convinced she held on through all the pain just so we wouldn't associate her death and Christmas.
Ever since then I made sure I take the time to tell the people I love all the things I don't want unsaid. I try and spread the idea not to take our blessings for granted. I try and encourage people to use the time they have to pursue their goals and take chances and believe in themselves. I try to make people think of the regret they might have if they put off till tomorrow what they can do today, because someday there will be no tomorrow.
So for me, even though I hate the cold, I love the opportunity Christmas brings.

 

[customizerwannabe]

Not being very religious, Christmas has never been about Jesus for me while growing up or now. I look at it in more of a humanistic way. A time to think about how we want to treat and be treated. Be a little kinder to those with less. Enjoy the magic the season brings the kids. That's what it's about to me anyway. The magic of the season never left me. Hope it never does.

 

[customizerwannabe]

Santa is a metaphor...true. He's a meaphor to put your company into the black and for our kids to make up unreasonable expectations of gifts based on what the Jones boys are getting.

Not if you raise them right.

 

[Bodie The Cursed]

I enjoy the time off from work. And the Christmas bonus. I love giving gifts - not only for my family and friends but helping out those who are less fortunate. I love singing in the choir for the Christmas Eve Midnight Mass......however, I never decorate and I rarely ever travel to be with family, so I usually spend Christmas alone....which really doesn't bother me much. Because of all the snow we got this year, it looks like I might not even be able to participate in the Christmas Eve Mass, which is a bummer. We are supposed to get more snow tomorrow night and my parish is located at the top of a very steep hill.
So yeah, I guess Christmas has lost it's "sparkle" for me, but I do find joy in giving. As for receiving, that's always nice, but really I have everything I need and whenever people ask me what I want, I really can't think of anything except for items like a new Sonicare toothbrush..

 

[Anzik]

Wow.... deja vu

 

[915stag51]

 

[Vader AL]

Christmas is what you make of it. I surround myself with decorations and we always go get a live tree and decorate it and I listen to Christmas music at work and in the car and take time thinking of what to get my family. i also watch every kind of Christmas show/movie on t.v. I can find....even on LMN and WE. I freakin' love it.

You said you love Halloween, well don't decorate or watch scary movies or any of that stuff and see how much you get into Halloween.

3 ghosts will visit you tonight.......

 

[hairlesswookiee]

meh...i definitely miss the good old days. especially after reading through the "Sears" catalog thread. instead of seeing it as a good holiday to hang out and relax it seems like a headache inducing bill.

 

[El Roranous]

Yup Halloween is my Christmas. I love it! Still feels great and still has that special sparkle. Always will I suppose.

 

[gdb]

just beware of Hunky Santa...

I think he was lurking around too. Hard to tell with all the twirling females and suggestive contorting they were doing.

 

[gdb]

Not being very religious, Christmas has never been about Jesus for me while growing up or now. I look at it in more of a humanistic way. A time to think about how we want to treat and be treated. Be a little kinder to those with less. Enjoy the magic the season brings the kids. That's what it's about to me anyway. The magic of the season never left me. Hope it never does.

That's what so great about what America has done with Christmas. We invented Santa Claus, Black Friday, we made it a national -- and thus by definition a secular -- holiday and in so doing made it so much more inclusive and fun for everyone.

You're welcome, the world.

 

[Darkseed]

Christmas isn't the same being an adult versus being a child. Being an adult the holiday is alot of stress and work. Being a child it is still magical and fun. Dad's been gone almost 12 yrs and mom almost 2 yrs so Cristmas changed dramatically from the time I was a kid. That said, it never lost the sparkle, it is just different.

We have six kids from 6 - 17. The magic is in the air soon after Thanksgiving. We decorate, listen to music, watch old tv shows. If that isn't bad enough we have drag the kids out to pick a family ornament and picture with Santa Claus. Trying to instill our own family tradition. We spend xmas eve and xmas day with family and friends.

If that isn't enough, the wife is a first grade teacher. I take time off from work to help volunteer in her "winter holiday" party. Watching the excitement, wonder of a classroom of children believing a chubby fella in a red and white suit, riding in a sleigh pulled by reindeer is priceless.

Christmas (as everything) is what you make of it. It hasn't lost any appeal yet.

 

[pixletwin]

Who's this "Christ" character you speak of? One of Santa's Elves?


bassist in Nirvana?

 

[Bannister]

If that isn't enough, the wife is a first grade teacher. I take time off from work to help volunteer in her "winter holiday" party. Watching the excitement, wonder of a classroom of children believing a chubby fella in a red and white suit, riding in a sleigh pulled by reindeer is priceless.

Christmas (as everything) is what you make of it. It hasn't lost any appeal yet.

You are allowed to include Santa at the "winter holiday" party?