Christmas dissociation

[pjthompson]

No, no, this isn't going to be one of those posts about how stressed I am over the holidays. Quite the opposite. My significant others and I, as well as my significant co-workers and I, have all agreed not to exchange presents this year. We decided instead to feed each other lavishly. Some of those significant others are sick and that puts even the feasting in doubt, so perhaps there will be Christmas in January, or even February. Hard to say at this point.

I'm in the strange position of not having to run around to the stores. I have to say I'm happy about that—I hates shopping, I does (and I wonder if that means I have to turn in my Girl Card or something). But one of the weird side effects is that I sometimes find myself driving past the malls and thinking, "Hot holy hell! Where'd all these people come from?" A beat later I remember, and that's a strange and embarrassing feeling. I am so completely out of the picture this year.

The Mom and I will go to our traditional Christmas Eve dinner at a nice restaurant, I will cook a sumptuous meal for my ex-roommates at some point, and I will bring in my bacon-potato mini frittatas for the potluck on Monday, but . . . that's just about it. Oh, one friend said she'd already bought me a silly gift so I've already bought her something silly in return, but that really is it.

It's weird. But very restful.

Comments

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

What a GREAT idea.

Wish I could get in-laws to agree, but no, they expect to be fed AND fussed over with gifts...

[pjthompson]

We've been negotiating towards this for a few years. First I wasn't ready, then this one, that one. But we finally all liberated ourselves on the same year, so it's worked out.

[makoiyi.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'd love to do the Christmas thing without the gifts. Not that I don't love to give, I do, it's just the hassle of thinking of something that isn't totally tedious or been done sixty times before. I do love the decorations and dinner, but I so wish folk (meaning shopkeepers) would leave them until the last week or so. It's too much, too long anticipation for the little ones, I feel and takes some of the magic out of it. I mean, everything is commercialized these days, but people get into debt to give Christmas presents and I just think that's so wrong.

[pjthompson]

I'm with you--I love to give. But it had just gotten so overwhelming, and several on the list were hurting and couldn't afford much, so we finally just all agreed that we didn't need the gift exchange. The friendship and food were the most important parts. We don't have any little ones to worry about. It would be a whole different thing if there were kids involved.

[kmkibble75.livejournal.com]

I somehow always wind up with very little shopping to do. I think it's because my friends and I, like your coworkers, have a no gift clause intact by default. We all know how much we all hate shopping, so it works out nicely.

[pjthompson]

Family are sometimes the ones who are hard to persuade, but that's worked out this year, too. It's being together with people you care about that's most important, I think.

[kmkibble75.livejournal.com]

here here!

[java-fiend.livejournal.com]

Awesome that you're not stressed about the holidays. This is a crazy, nutty, frustrating and at times, irritating as hell time of year. Good on ya. And good idea about the feed rather than gift exchange at work. I may try to suggest that!

[pjthompson]

It's crazy, but as a result of not killing myself at the malls, et al., I seem to have more holiday spirit. It finally kicked in and not buying presents has made me more...generous of spirit. :-)

[java-fiend.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's amazing what not having to do psycho-xmas shopping will do for one's mind, soul, body and spirit. LOL...