this post was submitted on 24 Dec 2025
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For those that can't stand this time of the year, my misery seeks company. What does it for you?


For me: aside from the usual family stuff:

I worked front-end in a post office back when that meant a line-up before I opened the doors to the end of the day when I had to inform the line-up that was still out the door that, yes, I was going to close on time. (Some didn't take that well. For me it was just another Tuesday...)

It meant a lot of work with little thanks and I had to listen to the same shitty Xmas playlist over and over all day.


Edit/PS: The quick downvote sells it. Perfection. chefs kiss

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[–] oopsgodisdeadmybad@lemmy.zip 7 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I like the idea of seeing all my siblings at one time (except for that one cross country one) and seeing my nieces.

But I hate all of Christmas. Everything about it, from people having decisions up the day after Thanksgiving, to them staying up until February, the fact that most songs from this time of year talk about Jesus...

The way it (this is a little redundant) takes up the whole month is the 2nd biggest part. No other holiday gets more than 48 hours of observance, including prep time. Even extra Halloween candy is done being talked about after a day or two once the discounted stuff is bought up.

The biggest part is the religious part. My siblings all know how I feel (most of them share the feeling), but my parents didn't and I aim to keep it that way unless point blank asked about it. That conversation will not end well. I've already told them that outside weddings and funerals (and hopefully not even then) that I will not ever step for inside a church again. My family was not exactly cult level, but it bordered on it. When I finally came out of that bubble it was rough. Really rough. I didn't wanna claim religious PTSD, as I don't think it's that severe, but churches bother the hell out of me (pun not intended, but it works).

Growing up Mom had way too many decorations (in general, but especially Christmas ones) and just bringing them all in the house, and being made to help out them up was a PITA. I think part of me figured it (religious faith) out early, but it took until I was almost 31 to figure it out. But even then I was annoyed by how much work it caused.

So (TLDR) I wish it was just a day or few days where you'd hang with family you might not get to see any other time of year.

Literally every other part of it can just be forgotten with no ill effects.

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[–] Corporal_Punishment@feddit.uk 8 points 5 days ago

Family drama. My brother is an absolute bellend. Conspiracy theorist and has been awful to mum these last few months

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 7 points 5 days ago
[–] winkerjadams@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I just hate the overplayed music mainly.

I had a friend whose son died around christmas so it was always a rough time for him :'(

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[–] rob_t_firefly@lemmy.world 5 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

While I don't hate Christmas, my household isn't Christian and we don't celebrate it. Of course we know people who do and we're happy that they're enjoying it, but the really tedious bit is all the mainstream Christmas marketing and pushes of it as the "norm."

The fact that the big stores start with the Christmas stuff around September now really gets up our noses.

[–] YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today 3 points 4 days ago

I don't. I mean I don't believe, but I got no hate. Funny enough, a family member said something something about "too early for Valentine's Day" and I couldn't help but laugh.

[–] Dyskolos@lemmy.zip 6 points 5 days ago

I used to hate Xmas like hell. Everyone's in a forced "happy"-disguise, buying stupid presents at the last minute, annoyed and stressed. And everyone expecting me to buy super expensive gifts, just because "you're loaded!" While still making zero efforts to gift something thoughtful back (because "you already have everything"). I were happy when it was over for like 40 years of stinky fucking Xmas shit.

Then I met my wife, we cut out ALL toxic people from our life, noone expects anything, we gift tons of tiny silly things we enjoy getting or making ourselves (the best gifts!), spend hours wrapping the stuff and then we have a fucking great Xmas for ourselves with great food, beautiful thoughtful gifts, watch some movies etc. Now I learned to love Xmas.

My point? If you're not forced to work in retail with those aweful people and ghastly playlists, it's not the fault of Xmas, it's just the toxic people around you that spoil everything.

[–] stringere@sh.itjust.works 5 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (2 children)
  • Started with always stealing my birthday thunder as a kid.
  • Blatant commercial holiday (in the USA at least) encouraging rampant consumerism.
  • Cultural appropriation; no fucking sleighbells and fir trees in Jerusalem. Pretty trim on reindeer, too.
  • Stole the holiday and trappings from the pagans they persecuted.

Edit to add:

  • Had to visit family from the born again christian evangelicals on one side and republican supply side jesus christians on the other.
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[–] janus2@lemmy.zip 6 points 5 days ago

really bad childhood memories involving my abusive biological father. and I'm not religious anymore, but the egregious commercialization of something meant to be a reverent celebration of a deity (even though nearly all its traditions are co-opted from pagan European traditions, which is already soulless af) always bummed me out.

but, it's a really meaningful day to my family members, and now that I'm on better terms with most of them I'd rather just enjoy their company and try not to let my disdain sour their fun. to the best of my ability

[–] promitheas@programming.dev 4 points 5 days ago

Having to spend time around people I dont care about but have to pretend I do. Also my birthday is soon after, which overall makes the season depressing.

I don’t really hate christmas as a whole. It is after all the source of winter break. But we don't actually need christmas for most of the good things that it currently provides. That said. The fact that I read news stories about a power outage potentially causing a small business to fold because it happened during the "critical" christmas season tells me that christmas is just plain wrong. So presents are why I hate christmas.

[–] sparkles@piefed.zip 4 points 5 days ago

It has been several decades since I was in a position that I was doing more than making magic for others. I’m exhausted. But I want to keep giving my kids core memories because they deserve them. But there is no joy. Just obligation/financial burden/mental exhaustion. I hate it.

[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 3 points 5 days ago

Because I lost my parents in traumatizing ways

[–] cockmushroom@reddthat.com 3 points 5 days ago

I just find it boring and inconvenient.

[–] hansolo@lemmy.today 5 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

The pressure and the lack of creativity.

Everyone truly expects some Hallmark movie perfection, often with minimal effort from them. Pouting like a spoiled child when you don't do everything just exactly perfectly right. The exact shit that sometime else fetishizes that literally no one else notices. Or the genuine expectation that you have and can spend $2000 to visit, just to sit around and watch TV most of the time you're there.

All of that packaged up in the same exact bullshit. Never waiver. Never add anything new. Same playlists. Same images. Same movies. 20+ years ago Elf worked its way in through sheer persintence. One new entry. So repetitive and droll.

Finally, I love love love the lights. Because it's a pagan solstice party after all, lights to brighten the long cold dark nights of winter are simply intuitive. Why do we take down the lights on Jan 3 or 4 and make the next month ugly and miserable? Leave them up until the second full moon of winter. This year that's Feb 1. Makes sense, yes?

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[–] HakunaHafada@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 5 days ago

Rampant commercialization and consumerism. I don't have a problem with small family gatherings and candlelight church services, but I do have a problem with the Christmas industry. Also: I despise ugly Christmas sweater parties.

[–] Krudler@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago

Any holiday which compartmentalizes a normal human behavior, I do not participate.

If you need a day set aside to ceremonially 'show' your partner that you love them, or you need a day to show your family that you want to spend time, none of it is real.

[–] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 4 days ago

Second post, sorry. But here's something you can enjoy. I didn't bother trying to find all of them, but as you can tell from the numbering, there are more than these if you look for them.

Christmas Music Sucks: Part 2

Christmas Music Sucks: Part 3

Christmas Music Sucks: Part 5

Christmas Music Sucks: Part 6, The Voicemail Episode

Courtesy of Your Favorite Band Sucks. If you listen to any of the primary eps, start with a band you don't like and realize that the schtick is that they know a ton about music and can turn their sites on any band. It doesn't mean they actually hate everything.

[–] datavoid@sh.itjust.works 3 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

This post is hilariously popular...

My main issue with Christmas is that I have had a few incredibly traumatic experiences during it over the course of my life. Now it just makes me feel extra stressed and depressed. I also come from a split family, with a bonus split around 10 years ago. I'm not longer really in contact with the two people I would have considered my brother's growing up. Also my wife is working on permanent residency in canada, so she is also really sad about not seeing her family for years now.

Also my wife flat out refused to visit my mom or dad this year, thank god for drugs and self harm!

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