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Feelings about the upcoming holidays

6K views 85 replies 37 participants last post by  MyPrepperLife 
#1 ·
Do you hate them? Love them? Why? Why not? What do you usually do?
Favorite food? Favorite part of the holidays? Least favorite?

My daughter was supposed to come visit for Thanksgiving , and now she is most likely not, couldn't get off and I am sort of disappointed.

Christmas we usually go skiing ( hey, it's our tradition) if there is snow somewhere. We did last year , it was awesome. This year I injured myself and while walking and functioning, there is no way I am skiing, neither is husband who wiped out last time we skied and hurt his knee, and has decided he is too old for this. So, I am sort of totally not looking forward to the holidays this year. We used to go to church Christmas Eve but now we don't anymore.

I have only 3 of us to cook for, I hate shopping like the plague, nobody is coming to visit, my best friend who used to come at least for Thanksgiving died this year and I will miss him very much, all of my relatives live in Europe and I just wished it was ....March of 2020....
 
#2 ·
Since the Dem-Socs have declared most holidays either irrelevant or politically incorrect now days, I usually just ignore them and continue with my usual routine. Just me now. No family and society doesn't seem to want to celebrate many holidays anyway. They just use them as excuses not to work or to mindlessly spend money shopping for things that no one really wants/likes.

Not like the old days where people actually cared about the spirit of the particular holiday.

It is what it is.
 
#3 ·
I have always loved Thanksgiving because of the good food my grandparents and the rest of the family cooked. I used to love Christmas also but Not so much anymore. My baby brother was murdered 20 years ago and his birthday was December 18, So Christmas time always reminds me of him. I am slowly getting to where I will celebrate it again but mostly because of the grandkids.
 
#16 ·
Sorry to hear about your brother. Mine died in a motorcycle accident but it was in the summer so it doesn't affect the winter holidays. Sure wish he was still around. Outside of one of my sisters, he was the only one I really cared to hang out with.
 
#19 ·
And I too am sorry to hear about your loss as well my friend. I use to my advantage though, it reminds me to remember to let those that you love know it and never take them for granted. Because you never know when the last time yo will see that loved one. I was lucky though, two days before he died I knew he was having problems and he and I hung out that day. I bought a 6 pack of budweiser longnecks and gave him 3 and I drank 3. While we were talking I got to tell him that he was my brother and I loved him and that if he ever needed anything all he had to do was ask. He told me that he appreciated it and drove off. 2 days later his wife had him murdered by people who she was involved with in dealing drugs. So I guess I now know what was bugging him, he was planning on leaving her and she killed him for it.
 
#22 ·
And I too am sorry to hear about your loss as well my friend. I use to my advantage though, it reminds me to remember to let those that you love know it and never take them for granted. Because you never know when the last time yo will see that loved one. I was lucky though, two days before he died I knew he was having problems and he and I hung out that day. I bought a 6 pack of budweiser longnecks and gave him 3 and I drank 3. While we were talking I got to tell him that he was my brother and I loved him and that if he ever needed anything all he had to do was ask. He told me that he appreciated it and drove off. 2 days later his wife had him murdered by people who she was involved with in dealing drugs. So I guess I now know what was bugging him, he was planning on leaving her and she killed him for it.
That's terrible. I have a friend who's sister got murdered by an ex boyfriend. She has to go to every parole hearing to keep him in prison. Hope he stays there forever. Did the wife go to prison?
And that almost happened to me once but he only managed to put me in the hospital
too many *******s out there
 
#4 ·
We've always traveled. So holidays are a suck of driving and staying in small guest beds. Then occasionally it snows like it's supposed to tomorrow, so we have to be meteorologists and pack survival gear in case the interstate is shut down and/or we get stuck on the highway overnight.

Worst case, I'm bringing booze as well as food so I'll toss in winter gear, warming gear, and we can have Thanksgiving on the side of the road. Best case, we get to drive hundreds of miles in crappy weather and stay with the in-laws. There's a thin line between best case and worst case.

I like Thanksgiving more because there is just as much food and no shopping or wrapping, and much less packing involved.
 
#6 ·
I used to love the holidays!!! Now, not so much. I think a lot of it has to do with life and my BS tolerance over time. I moved back to VA to help my brother care for my Mom and give him a break from time to time. That usually means I'll watch her for a few days over the holidays. My family is spread out over the country, and kids are usually doing their own thing or with ex's family. I'm welcome at individual ex-relative's houses, but my presence at an entire family gathering would be a distraction. The first real test of that will be at oldest daughter's wedding in Feb 2020.

I do need to start going back to church in general, not just over the holidays. That'll be something to aim for.

Maybe other people's lives are like a Hallmark Christmas show, but I'd bet not many...LOL. My life is more like that of Christmas Vacation's Clark Griswold and I'm most like "Cousin Eddie...****ter's full!" hehehe. That reminds me...after T-day, time to start up the classic movie collection watching...because after all...Bumbles Bounce! :)

After typing all this, it makes me realize I do have many things for which to be thankful!!! Thanks Sonya. :)

That's what it's all about.
 
#13 ·
Maybe other people's lives are like a Hallmark Christmas show, but I'd bet not many...LOL. My life is more like that of Christmas Vacation's Clark Griswold and I'm most like "Cousin Eddie...****ter's full!" hehehe. That reminds me...after T-day, time to start up the classic movie collection watching...because after all...Bumbles Bounce! :)

After typing all this, it makes me realize I do have many things for which to be thankful!!! Thanks Sonya. :)

That's what it's all about.
Yes, absolutely! I am thankful I am not in a wheelchair, even if I can't ski. I am thankful I do have a family , husband and son are going to be here and maybe daughter. And all the animals of course.

And yes , absolutely going to watch Christmas Vacation!! My all time favorite Christmas movie, well, that and "you'll shoot your eye out"
 
#7 ·
I don't understand what politics have to do with Holidays and more so to blame it on the Democrats Socialist ,is totally ignorant and specially in a country where socialism rules or haven't you notice everything here is control by the government for the good of the people except that here corporate controls the government ,just take a look at the WH today.
 
#8 ·
I love them. I took my father's advice "you marry the entire family" VERY seriously. Everyone gets along, 20 years and I have never seen a fight. We all live close and routinely have potlucks, picnics and pizza nights together throughout the year.
We will start early and weather permitting play horseshoes or dominoes while we get the feast ready. We eat at noon and just like at grandmas house, some of us will probably take a nap on the floor in the afternoon and we will all eat again before we fully clear the table.
We all look forward to it, every year.
 
#10 ·
Jojo, I rarely find myself agreeing with anything you post but occasionally you will post something that reminds me that you are actually still a person with yor own thoughts and beliefs, just like the rest of us. So from now on, I am going to just think of you as the annoying big sister in the family. And even if you and I never agree on anything at all, I want to wish you a happy Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas. And that goes for everyone on this board including the trolls. (you all know who you are)
 
#9 ·
it,s just me and my old lab, I havent celebrated any holidays for over 40 years, Me and SCOOBY will go up to my pasture, cook something over the campfire, Its peaceful and its snowing a little right now, That said I wish all of you good folks a happy holiday,
This morning on our walk around the pasture, a bobcat ran out of the brush and OLD SCOOBY took off after it he,is 10 and over weight but he ran about 100 ft then looked at me and I told him what a great hunter he is lol.seeing him trying to chase the bobcat made my heart feel good.
 
#49 ·
Dont care much for the Holidays. Thanksgiving or Christmas

jimbowie-- this brought a big happy smile to my face just thinking about the whole picture. As quick as the thought of the solitude and peacefulness with the campfire and your dog made me smile so did the thought of your happiness with it all.

Anyways Thanks for the well wishes.

Wishing You and Old Scooby the best in life.
May your fire be warm and your plates full.

COB
 
#11 ·
Being a solitary old guy Holidays do not have a great impact. Does not depress me like some poor souls that get all worked up for one reason or another. I have noticed a distressing tendency for things to go sideways when it is the Holiday period and during this time it is about impossible to get things done as you would normally. Everyone is out on Holiday!

I do think both Thanksgiving and Christmas can be a great time to be with family and enjoy traditions. Here's wishing everyone a fun, safe and enjoyable Holiday season.
 
#12 ·
For me ... "the holidays" bring memories of family fights, gossip, backbiting, and general heartache (for the most part). What would always start out as a fun and exciting day would end up with arguments, hurt feelings, and general negativity.

I spend them completely alone nowadays. I will cook a turkey for myself or, on occasion, take myself out to a nice restaurant but most of the day is spent playing video games and spending quality alone time.

I did learn, recently, that the cause of so much bickering is probably tied to sugar consumption.


Before I started on the Keto diet ... stuffing was my favorite dish followed by mashed potatoes with lots of butter and gravy. Now ... I focus on meat and leafy greens (still with lots of butter). I guess Thanksgiving if my favorite holiday. It's about the only one I actually observe.
 
#15 ·
For me ... "the holidays" bring memories of family fights, gossip, backbiting, and general heartache (for the most part). What would always start out as a fun and exciting day would end up with arguments, hurt feelings, and general negativity.

I spend them completely alone nowadays. I will cook a turkey for myself or, on occasion, take myself out to a nice restaurant but most of the day is spent playing video games and spending quality alone time.

I did learn, recently, that the cause of so much bickering is probably tied to sugar consumption.
I have never had that experience either ( family fighting during holidays) , that must have sucked.

When our youngest was around 5, we asked them one year "would you rather have presents or go see snow and go skiing?" , we didn't have the money for both at the time and they had never seen snow. They picked snow and skiing and it became a tradition. I think now I am most upset because I can't ski and feeling old.
 
#26 ·
I love the holidays, but it hasn't been working out lately.

We used to have a good place we'd usually go for Thanksgiving-- a relatively conservative family, the wife was very into cooking, very nice home in a beautiful, rural location. Now, we don't get along with them as much, and it's no longer easy to visit somebody.

I'm at odds now with some people who are going to come here. I'm going to try snowboarding on Thanksgiving, and I'm going snowboarding for 5 or 6 days during Christmas. That's all great, but I didn't get the hotel I wanted, which is annoying. Hopefully the other one won't be that bad. Also maybe going shooting or going on an ATV ride.

Christmas we usually go skiing ( hey, it's our tradition) if there is snow somewhere. We did last year , it was awesome. This year I injured myself and while walking and functioning, there is no way I am skiing, neither is husband who wiped out last time we skied and hurt his knee, and has decided he is too old for this. So, I am sort of totally not looking forward to the holidays this year. We used to go to church Christmas Eve but now we don't anymore.
That's too bad, Sonya, but there will likely always be something better once again at some point down the line.
 
#28 ·
I love the holidays, but it hasn't been working out lately.

That's too bad, Sonya, but there will likely always be something better once again at some point down the line.
No, not very likely. I doubt my foot will ever be good enough again to ski, and even if it is, I think I might be too worried to hurt myself now to do it ( I never hurt myself skiing and been doing it since I was a kid) . I am not getting any younger and will just have to deal with it.

Hope your holidays work out! If you are going with your family, try renting a private house or apartment near the ski area. It's much cheaper than staying at a resort and nicer usually, plus you have a kitchen. Our kids snowboard. I tried once and failed miserably. It's very different from skiing.
 
#32 ·
Seeing my aunt Thursday. We get on pretty well.

Christmas I may see her again, it depends. The neighbors have a very loud, drunken, all night Christmas eve party which is apparently a tradition in Mexico. They live in America but think the best way to celebrate peace on earth is to keep all their neighbors up all night for blocks, all night long. Last night they had some butthead on a megaphone yelling at 3 AM. So not a fan of Christmas these days.
 
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#37 ·
Church on Christmas Eve is very moving, but I haven't done that in many years.

There are actually a lot of ways my holidays are worse than they used to be. I'm trying to remain very level-headed about it, though, and hoping that somehow things will clear up, and a few years down the line the holidays will start being a lot better again.

For now, my guiding principle is just to try to find the simplest way to make them as good as possible. I'm not going to risk anything that could turn into a Griswold family Christmas.

I've usually been avoiding Black Friday, but this year, I think I'm going to try to go just as soon as the mall opens, and only be there for a short time.
 
#39 ·
We did Black Friday once, in Florida, many years ago. We got up at 3 AM and stood in line. I will NEVER NEVER EVER EVER do that again!!! I think I would rather go fight a war in Afghanistan :eek:

We used to go to church Christmas Eve at a large ,old, Anglican/Episcopal cathedral church in Orlando. This was pretty awesome, complete with Bishop and incense, procession, and a 2 hour long church service with an awesome choir. There is nothing like that anywhere driving distance from us now, and I just can't get into the type of churches around here. They don't even do communion.

I hope your holidays improve ! But if not , just try to think it's only a few days out of the year, not that big a deal. I hope I didn't make anyone depressed posting this thread
 
#41 ·
Macy's has been having a "Black Friday pre-view." I just stumbled upon it a few days ago. It's really worth-while.

Certainly smart. If Black Friday is so important, and yet it's become so disgusting and tough, they definitely shouldn't limit it to just one day anymore. It's a lot better to make it a week-long kind of thing.

I was happy to be walking around there without really a crowd around, and finding huge discounts on everything.

Many years ago, I remember Black Friday was still kind of a secret. Now it's super-famous. It doesn't make sense to be directing everyone into the mall on just one day, and giving them such little chance to get the sale prices.
 
#45 ·
Church. I love the big traditional services and the Scriptures... especially the midnight candlelight service on Christmas Eve. Wonderful to hear/remember what God did/does for us and be thankful and joyous :)

Love driving around in the middle of the night playing Christmas carols and hymns and admiring all the pretty Christmas lights :)

When I had my own place, I put up lots of Christmas lights and a big nativity outside, a Menorah in the window, plus a Christmas tree with a root ball inside. Then planting it in the spring. Right now, I'm happy being able to put up a cut Christmas tree... the fragrance and lights are still awesome... someday when I have my own place again...

It'll just be immediate family for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, and Epiphany. Too many people jabbering/laughing/swapping memories/stories all at once simply overwhelm Mom. Traditional turkey dinners for the two biggies, veal scallopini for Christmas Eve, lasagne for New Year's Eve (leftovers the next day)...

Looking forward to the holidays... some family members won't be around for many more, so we're enjoying them together now, while we still can :)
 
#48 ·
I can totally relate to that. When we were still engineers and living in Orlando, we used our holidays for trips, and visited the (few) relatives we had before. It was really just husband's parents ( both gone now) and sometimes his sister and family. We went camping Thanksgiving, skiing Christmas, and used the 4th of July for our summer trip to get the extra day or 2.
Maybe you could combine vacation with the family trip, depending on where they live? Hopefully not some boring place like Iowa or Kansas...
 
#50 ·
Don't really care for them nowadays. Growing up I was around family, grandmother, aunts uncles and cousins. Loved it. It was always a joyous time. Then I married an alcoholic who was also Bipolar.

I got to the point I dreaded holidays because he would drink then turn mean as hell and if he wasn't being mean he was balling his eyes out because he missed his mother who had died when he was 17 of Ovarian cancer. 20 years later you'd have thought he lost her just a few days before. I can understand him being upset about his mom and then his 2 sisters and all that but they'd been dead for years.

My parents weren't allowed to come, if he got a hint that they were even thinking about it he would throw 1 hell of a fit, things, me, whatever into the walls and there would be a big mess over that because I wouldn't be allowed to go see them unless he decided I could.

By the time I finally left, I hated the holidays. The Old Goat loved them but I just coudn't get enthused. My son is like me, he got soured by his dad.

No one comes to visit and we don't go anywhere. My son will cook a turkey and we'll have a pie or 2 but that's it, my mom will stop by and have a plate then go visit other people and we'll watch the Cowboy game. But other than that that's it.
 
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