A
male
age
36-40,
anonymous
writes:I am a Catholic but I do not like Christmas.Christmas for me is way too stressful. I hate shopping espeically during the holidays but I still have to buy presents for people. Parking, the crowds and everthing else. Than there is the cooking on Christmas Day, which can't be simple for my family. Also, I hate getting presents. If I want something, I am old enough to go buy it myself. I don't have to beg and whine to my family to get it for me for Christmas. Is it wrong of me to not like Christmas? Is it wrong for me to feel that the holidays is the most stressful time of the year?
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female
reader, 48years  +, writes (25 December 2008):
 All great answers! I'd add that I look around the dinner table at Christmas and imagine that some people are dead and gone-it snaps me back to being thankful that they are here with me.
Don't hate Christmas-it doesn't hate you! It's actaully kinda funny-do you see the humor in the idea that we must all have a perfectly merry christmas? Who came up with that? Christmas wasn't merry when Jesus and his folks couldn't find a hotel and wound up in a barn. He was born in a barn. I wouldn't want to give birth in a barn.
It's just a big birthday party.
A
female
reader, anonymous, writes (24 December 2008): I loved Christmas as a kid, and I don't know what happened, but I became a Christmas hater too. I suffer from seasonal depression, and that makes it worse. It's easy to feel guilty and isolated from everyone else at Christmas time, but I don't beat myself up anymore about it, and I try to find the parts of the season I enjoy, like choral music and pretty lights, time with family and friends. I still dislike Christmas, and I'm hoping that as our tiny baby girl grows I will find a renewed enjoyment of the holiday, but if I don't, that's okay too. I'll try to make it as special for her as I can, and I'll look forward to January without feeling guilty.
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A
reader, anonymous, writes (23 December 2008): I have realized that people don't believe Christianity exists in India.
I am a catholic and a strong believer.
I feel the Christmas we celebrate has become more of a chore over the years.
If you have been celebrating the same kind of Christmas over the years it does tend to get a lot tedious.
The essence of Christmas is not about turkey or wine,and all the gifts.In India we have Chicken Biryani on Christmas.Its definitely not that too.
If you are tired of the same old rituals go to the church before the Christmas Mass.The decorations would have been done.The church would be empty.The youth who did the decorations would all have gone home to Change for the Mass.Sit there.Concentrate on the baby Jesus in the manger near the altar.Think about why he came to the world.
Concentrate on the candles swaying near the altar.Think of people who are so unhappy that they won't be having all the fun you will get to have with your family this Christmas.
Thank the lord,go home and give a big hug for your mom.Watch your family being happy just because you are there.Hopefully that will help you tide over this Christmas.
Merry Christmas!!
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A
reader, anonymous, writes (23 December 2008): I'm just about the only person in my household who really enjoys it - it's CSS - christmas stress syndrome - you're not alone.
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A
female
reader, Tisha-1 +, writes (23 December 2008):
 It's not Christmas you dislike; it's all the other stuff in the season. The food preparation, the shopping and the gift giving don't really have anything to do with the original meaning of Christmas. (Well, maybe the wise men brought gifts so.... )
Pick out the most important things to you, drop those things that don't really matter or don't have to get done. Cut the rest into manageable chunks. Take buying presents for people. I do my shopping all year long. I might be somewhere and see the perfect gift for someone. I buy it then and stash it until December. The trick is to remember what you've already purchased. Do your shopping before December, then stay out of the stores so you don't see the craziness.
It sounds like you're not doing any cooking, so don't worry about that. Unless you'd like to lighten your family's load and make a dish or two.
If you don't want to deal with receiving presents, tell your family and friends that you'd rather they take the money they would have spent on you and donate it to charity. Then you've taken care of most of the presents. You might still get a few, but it'll be easy to accept them with grace.
And yes, the holidays can be very stressful. So you know you don't like the stress, now how will you cope with it next year? Figure out what you can do in the off season, and the season will be a lot lighter if not brighter.
Just don't let your glum mood affect other people if you can help it. Why ruin the happy mood of someone else just because you don't like Christmas?
Another thing some of my friends have taken to doing to avoid the season's craziness is to take a cruise over the pertinent days. I'm toying with the idea, but I do love to see my family and friends, so it hasn't happened yet.
But to answer your question, no it's not wrong for you not to like Christmas. But it is wrong to ruin it for someone else.
Take care!
(PS Daniel, that was the shortest answer today---and it was to the point and actually answered the question. Great!)
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A
female
reader, Anaphora  +, writes (23 December 2008):
 No it's definitely not wrong for you to hate Christmas. In fact, there are many people who hate Christmas too. You're definitely not alone there! Try doing a simple search on Google with the words 'hate' and 'Christmas' and you'll be bombarded with a number of reasons why others hate Christmas too. Not me though. I've always loved Christmas. It's so magical. There always feels like there's something in the air. Although there's nothing wrong with hating Christmas, try to focus on all the positives this Christmas. Being all stressed out is not good. Try to divide the responsibility with other people. Watch a child on Christmas day. Maybe some of that magic will rub off on you too.
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A
male
reader, Danielepew  +, writes (23 December 2008):
 In four words: No.
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