We're not religious by ANY stretch of the imagination (in fact, I consider myself an atheist), but we do the Xmas/Santa thing for the kids. Put up a tree and all that because it's fun for them. Our gift exchange is kept to a minimum, though. Like, my wife and I exchange ONE gift. And the rest of our family just gets presents for the kids. The rest of it is just getting together and having a big meal and watching "A Christmas Story" on TV. But I do hate all of the hoopla surrounding the holiday and how earlier it's starting these days. I just try to ignore it as much as possible, like I do with about 90% of the rest of annoying popular culture.

Joey mentioned the Salvation Army, and I wanted to add that there are MUCH better charitable organizations to donate money (such as the National Coalition for the Homeless or your local foodbank). DON'T give to the Salvation Army. It's run by an evangelical church and won't assist everyone—only those they deem sufficiently worthy (they are vehemently anti-gay, for example).

Christmas parade already??? Jeez, we don't have ours here in this town 'til around the first weekend of December! Getting drunk on some seasonal ale, perhaps?

Mardy Pune said:

I hate all the consumerist bullshit that goes with the silly season. We had the Xmas parade over the weekend, its half way through November, it just makes no sense to me. Yesterday I walked through town and there were Xmas songs playing in shops I walked past. What the fuck?!? I also hate it when people say its the time for peace and goodwill towards all mankind, why do we only do that on Jesus' Birthday and not all year round? Surely Jesus would have wanted that, well maybe, I don't know, I'm not a Christian.

I do like that people are generally more civil towards each other, I like getting really drunk and playing loud music cause all the neighbours have gone away, I like lying like a starfish in the driveway with my dog on Xmas day afternoon in the sun, I love the flowering Pohutukawa trees, I like eating shitloads of meat and I love making the drunken "I love you" phone call to my better half!

In my country, we had a christmas tree set up in late October. Well, it's pretty much the biggest mall around here, so it wasn't that much of a surprise, but it is bullshit, really.

All I want for christmas is to get my present, eat up whatever is on the table and then get wasted... And then wait for the new year. THAT'S ALL!

I hate all the consumerist bullshit that goes with the silly season. We had the Xmas parade over the weekend, its half way through November, it just makes no sense to me. Yesterday I walked through town and there were Xmas songs playing in shops I walked past. What the fuck?!? I also hate it when people say its the time for peace and goodwill towards all mankind, why do we only do that on Jesus' Birthday and not all year round? Surely Jesus would have wanted that, well maybe, I don't know, I'm not a Christian.

I do like that people are generally more civil towards each other, I like getting really drunk and playing loud music cause all the neighbours have gone away, I like lying like a starfish in the driveway with my dog on Xmas day afternoon in the sun, I love the flowering Pohutukawa trees, I like eating shitloads of meat and I love making the drunken "I love you" phone call to my better half!