I agree that it doesn't feel like christmas.

For me it didn't really even set in that it was the christmas season until I was driving into my neighborhood friday night after my three hour drive from school to home. Only when I saw all the christmas lights was I like "Oh, yeah, christmas in like 5 days"

I know that the main reason I didn't really feel it was b/c of finals. I got so carried away and focused on Organic chemistry that everything else kinda paled in comparison, even though we had all the christmas decorations up at the chapter house.

I also think that since I only had to buy gifts for my little brother, mom and dad - and since I knew what I was going to get them for a long time preceeding the end of finals weeks allowed me to put off the christmas feeling as well.

Another reason is just that I'm getting to that point in my life where christmas in not a big deal anymore. I'm not the 8 year old who began plannign for christmas in August, or going through the toy catalog 78 times looking for one more thing that I could ask for to make my life complete, nor am I having to worry about MAKING Christmas special for someone else...my little brother is a HS freshman so he's not really emotional about anything anymore other than girls...i don't have a girlfriend and obviously no children to make it special.

The last reason I can't believe it is christmas day tommorow is that on Sunday I leave for my cruise...that is what I've really been looking forward to for the past month! Knowing that I'm going to be coming back from break with a tan is a better gift than most for someone who is pale like me!!!:cool:

That's pretty much where I am, too.

My grandmother and grandfather really made Christmas in our family. Without them, we've just kind of gone through the motions. It's almost like we have "fake" Christmas. Things will never be like they once were, but they may get better once my sister and I settle down.

Until then, we shall be the "fake" Christmas family. We have no Christmas trees. We have no stockings up. We have no Christmas figurines displayed. If you were to walk into my parents house, it's just as if it is any other day.

I finished finals on Dec 13. I was all excited to get into Christmas. The next day, we got the news that my mom's best friend since 4th grade had died. she was like another daughter to my grandmother, and another older sister to my mom's siblings. As I grew older, she became a friend to me as well. No one was really in a Christmas mood after that.

We put the tree up Thursday night, only because we were having family over on Friday for my cousin's birthday party and we wanted it to look decent. Its so hard to celebrate when you've lost a dear friend who still has children to raise. We all carry on by knowing that she would have only wanted everyone to be happy.

It's not Christmas for me this year because my father passed away on Mother's Day and my mom wants to be left alone. So, I'm here....at work.....

BUT, I'm going out with 2 of my friends later today to hand out homemade dinners to the homeless. It's the least I can do. They say the best way to feel better is to make someone else feel better. I don't want to wallow in self pity, so I'd rather take the focus out of my head and put my energy towards brightening someone else's day, even if it's a sandwich and coffee....

It doesn't really feel like Christmas to me either. It's not just the weather, it's the whole spirit...it's not there.

Yep, just another day!

Brown Christmas, no snow but where I was going is snowed in. So wont spend Christmas with Dad and Brother!

Guess I will dust, and run the sweeper for a while!:(

Getting older and being in retailing does a lot to spoil the Holiday Season.

Oh well, hope everyone else has a better day!

First Christmas without my baby brother...
 

My little brother got married this summer, so this was my first Christmas without him. He always gets me up at the crack of dawn, wakes my parents up, and usually sleeps on the floor in my room in a sleeping bag so we can stay up and talk. (We're hanging on to our childhood). It's been hard because he's my best friend in the world. Even though he only lives a few seconds away, we hardly saw him at all. It was pretty wierd, and at first it was really bad, but he called me first thing this morning to wake me up. :) Mainly, it was a wonderful day.

Tom, I'm sorry you didn't get to be with your family. I don't know what I'd do without mine!

I hope everyone had a great day, and if you didn't, I'll definitely pray that the next week is amazing!

Crystal

Y'all, Christmases being un-Christmasy usually passes. It seems to have something to do with either a (usually temporary) lack of children in the family or a change in situations, such as a move or a certain person not being there anymore.

Don't worry, it varies from year to year and you'll get back to feeling that holiday spirit someday!

I take it you've had many shitty holdiays?

If you haven't, don't comment on how bad the holidays are for some people. It would make sense not to.

It didn't feel very Christmasy to me, either. We're lucky, because everyone is healthy and employed. We have kids around, which made it fun. I wasn't able to really get into Christmas this year because I had so much work to do (finals until the 19th, brought my grad school apps home) and wasn't able to shop until the 21st.

My concern is that people as a whole are getting more selfish and more into the holiday as a commercial funfest. I'm concerned that the quest to give (or, usually, to receive) the "perfect present" is ruining the holiday.

I take back what I said in my earlier post - we woke up on Christmas morning with snow! It was like something out of a movie...I can just imagine all the little kids waking up and screaming with delight at all the new-fallen snow. :)