Searching for my people, I guess.
My partner hates it when I say that Die Hard is my favourite X-mas movie. Or, that I only want socks, underwear, and egg nog. She’s lactose intolerant. Maybe I’m just X-mas intolerant.
Anyway, have at ye scallywags! Vent your frustrations! Build me an anti-X-mas list! I’m already celebrating New Year’s over here.
I have a secret (only to my family) hatred of consumerism infected holidays where I’m socially pressured to buy shit. I think a gift isn’t genuine unless it’s a surprise out of nowhere unasked. A mandatory exchange because day of year is just us indirectly borrowing each other’s credit card to buy each other crap we’d get anyways ourselves, at least with my family.
My mother will ask my dad to try and get me to go to her damned church and I’ll ignore them again.
Despite all that baggage, I somehow still like Xmas. I still like getting together with my family, the social aspect. Plus the food, played to death music and old movies, the decorations. It was better when I was younger and my grandparents on both sides were still alive because we’d all travel to a huge extended family meetup, but even diminished and cynical I still enjoy some of holidays.
My friends also have a sort of tradition of playing Killing Floor around Xmas. Only time we play it anymore, one of my top hours games.
I am not saying you’re wrong about the commercialism aspect, but I think of it a little differently. Many people are uncomfortable receiving a gift without reciprocating or if there is no “reason” like a life event. The holidays are a set time to do a gift exchange, and reciprocity is more likely to be possible. I buy gifts literally all year long, but often hold on to them until Christmas time if I know the recipient will be more comfortable doing a gift exchange rather than being surprised. Part of being a good gift-giver is sussing out the type of gift receiver you are dealing with (I don’t tend to give Christmas present to folks who have made it clear they hate Christmas).