Does it feel like people just go "through the motions" for Christmas nowadays?

[BillsPride12]

Not sure if I am right about this but from my general perspective it feels like people are just going through the motions this Holiday season.  I also think it's been trending that way for a few years now.  I'm not sure if everything that is going on with the Country these days contributes to it because it just seems like everybody is burned out but the Holidays don't feel like they used to, almost like nowadays people are just trying to get through them lol.  Anybody else feel that sense from people around them?

 

I'm curious because it could just be the way I see things these days because I am getting to that age/stage in life where nothing really feels overly exciting anymore but I have also talked to a ton of people who said they don't feel in the Christmas mood at all this year so I do think there's some truth to it.

Edited December 20, 2021 by BillsPride12

[Success]

I think a bit of that is tied to the pandemic, too. It's definitely something I'm feeling this year - and really in a full blown way for the 1st time.

 

As an adult, Christmas definitely has some exhausting elements to it. It's awesome, but trying to juggle family visits if you're married, get gifts for the same people you've shopped for over the course of years, plan schedules/entertaining/cooking etc. - it can be draining.

 

Add to that the complications of COVID, which can change shopping & traveling plans among other considerations, and it can be a bit overwhelming.

 

I think I'll be more relieved this year when it's over.  Kind of like beating the Patriots if it happens.

 

[WhoTom]

Christmas has become over-commercialized and completely antithetical to the person whose birth we're supposedly celebrating. Frankly, I'm kinda tired of it by Thanksgiving. With that said, I do enjoy putting up a tree and decorating the house with a few reminders of my childhood Christmases ... and a handful of Bills ornaments. My wife, son, and I aren't really materialistic, so we don't go overboard on presents. We enjoy a fairly quiet Christmas at home, as we rarely go back to WNY to visit our families in the wintertime anymore. (Wife and I are both from WNY.)

[teef]

i'm on the opposite end of it.  over the last few weeks, i've had christmas spirit shoved down my throat, but in a good way.  we have young kids, so this is the window to make it special, and my wife takes that ***** seriously.    last weekend alone started with a christmas pageant on thurdsay, dinner followed by a wagon ride light show on friday, followed by brunch with santa and disney on ice on saturday.  sunday morning was the 6 and under christmas party at the trampoline park.  other weeks have been filled with a polar express train ride, breakfast with the grinch, village christmas fair, etc.  it goes on and on and on.  

 

it's fun, but i'm just about over it.

[BuffaloBill]

34 minutes ago, teef said:

i'm on the opposite end of it.  over the last few weeks, i've had christmas spirit shoved down my throat, but in a good way.  we have young kids, so this is the window to make it special, and my wife takes that ***** seriously.    last weekend alone started with a christmas pageant on thurdsay, dinner followed by a wagon ride light show on friday, followed by brunch with santa and disney on ice on saturday.  sunday morning was the 6 and under christmas party at the trampoline park.  other weeks have been filled with a polar express train ride, breakfast with the grinch, village christmas fair, etc.  it goes on and on and on.  

 

it's fun, but i'm just about over it.

 

I’m not really sure what to say to you.  Sounds like you need some bourbon …. Wow.

[WhoTom]

27 minutes ago, teef said:

i'm on the opposite end of it.  over the last few weeks, i've had christmas spirit shoved down my throat, but in a good way.  we have young kids, so this is the window to make it special, and my wife takes that ***** seriously.    last weekend alone started with a christmas pageant on thurdsay, dinner followed by a wagon ride light show on friday, followed by brunch with santa and disney on ice on saturday.  sunday morning was the 6 and under christmas party at the trampoline park.  other weeks have been filled with a polar express train ride, breakfast with the grinch, village christmas fair, etc.  it goes on and on and on.  

 

it's fun, but i'm just about over it.

 

We did a lot more when our son was young than we do now, and I'm glad we did - we have a lot of great memories of those times. One annual tradition was going to a tree farm and cutting our own tree. Yeah, it's three times as much as the same kind of tree from a parking lot sale, but I consider it money well spent for the experience. (And the tree farm had an indoor cafe that served coffee, hot cocoa, etc., and a lot of kiddie displays, which add to the experience.) Since he outgrew that ritual, we just started buying $25 grocery-store trees, although we've forgone the traditional tree altogether for the past two years. Last year, my wife trimmed a few branches from a spruce tree in our yard. She made a nice indoor arrangement and we decorated it with lights and a few ornaments that hold sentimental value. This year she got a mini-spruce (tabletop - about a foot tall) that won't hold decorations, so I just put up some lights around the windows and set out a few ornaments and other decorations. It's a modest display, but we're all happy with it.

 

 

[teef]

15 minutes ago, BuffaloBill said:

 

I’m not really sure what to say to you.  Sounds like you need some bourbon …. Wow.

what i've found is that the majority of the events that take place in the afternoon all have alcohol involved.  i had a few beers at disney on ice, and my wife made the decision to drive home.  i kept drinking.  13 bucks a beer, but it was worth it.

10 minutes ago, WhoTom said:

 

We did a lot more when our son was young than we do now, and I'm glad we did - we have a lot of great memories of those times. One annual tradition was going to a tree farm and cutting our own tree. Yeah, it's three times as much as the same kind of tree from a parking lot sale, but I consider it money well spent for the experience. (And the tree farm had an indoor cafe that served coffee, hot cocoa, etc., and a lot of kiddie displays, which add to the experience.) Since he outgrew that ritual, we just started buying $25 grocery-store trees, although we've forgone the traditional tree altogether for the past two years. Last year, my wife trimmed a few branches from a spruce tree in our yard. She made a nice indoor arrangement and we decorated it with lights and a few ornaments that hold sentimental value. This year she got a mini-spruce (tabletop - about a foot tall) that won't hold decorations, so I just put up some lights around the windows and set out a few ornaments and other decorations. It's a modest display, but we're all happy with it.

 

 

this is the important thing.  sure it costs, but there's only so much time where it's worth that extra money.  it's now and when we have grandkids.  the disney on ice is my parents gig.  they love taking the kids to see it.  my 82 year old dad gets online the moment those tickets goes on sale, and get the floor seats right up against the ice.  they love to spend money on the grandkids, and i won't stop them.  

[muppy]

Im an artist so any chance I get to decorate Im happy. And being a person of faith of course Christmas holds great significance albeit a celebration with MUCH pressure to do it all etc....Im retired noone tells me what to do I do what I dang please haha...So I enjoy Christmas in my happy secure home while not close to actual family relations we are blessed with wonderful friendships and church family. I think wether or not it feels forced or your heart isnt in it I get it. For people that I know whom are struggling financially especially my heart goes out...Im  totally grateful for what I have and how truly blessed I am.

 

it sounds trite but every day I wake up Im thankful for another day alive and kicking to be honest.

 

replying to OP YES I agree it would be really easy to let all the worldly stress bog us down..life is hard. Period.

[BillsPride12]

Some good replies so far.  I agree that Christmas itself has been over-commercialized over the years and people are generally pretty stressed out with life right now so that makes it hard to enjoy but as a kid I really loved Christmas and try my best to embrace the spirit of it even when sometimes it feels pretty forced.  I have spent the last couple nights watching some of my favorite Christmas shows/specials from when I was a kid and that has helped more than I thought it would getting my mind back to more of a Christmas spirit.  

[Another Fan]

7 hours ago, BillsPride12 said:

Not sure if I am right about this but from my general perspective it feels like people are just going through the motions this Holiday season.  I also think it's been trending that way for a few years now.  I'm not sure if everything that is going on with the Country these days contributes to it because it just seems like everybody is burned out but the Holidays don't feel like they used to, almost like nowadays people are just trying to get through them lol.  Anybody else feel that sense from people around them?

 

I'm curious because it could just be the way I see things these days because I am getting to that age/stage in life where nothing really feels overly exciting anymore but I have also talked to a ton of people who said they don't feel in the Christmas mood at all this year so I do think there's some truth to it.

All that and more 

[gdabillsfan]

I hold many great memories from my childhood about Christmas and the yearly traditions that go with it. It is kinda sad that people don't value those traditions that much anymore.

 

My family had a greenhouse business, so Christmas was a big deal. There were wreaths to be made, ( ah, the smell of fresh cut pine boughs) and decorated. The greenhouse was full of poinsettias and cyclamen and other holiday plants that delightfully decorated the inside. The whole family (Aunts, Uncles, cousins) gathered to help with decorating, delivering and such. At the end all that would be left were a couple plants that no one wanted and maybe a wreath or two. 

 

Everything culminated with Christmas Eve dinner. Everyone gathered to celebrate in our Grandparents house and after a good dinner, the sweets were laid out. There were every kind of cookie known to man, Christmas pie and cakes, and the only thing that was not home made were a couple of kuechens from the Genesee Bakery a christmas tradition that was "Oh so good" .(still is)

After deserts and coffee, the adults would peel off for a cocktail, and all the kids would chase each other around the mostly empty greenhouse playing tag or some other game.

 

When things settled down we would all open a couple of presents, and then it was time for the older kids and adults to head off to midnight mass. The younger kids were put to bed and coerced to go to sleep, otherwise Santa wouldn't show up. Of course Santa always did show up. He may have not had exiting expensive toys but every kid got a present from Santa.

 

Christmas day featured another great dinner and deserts, and the day ended with all gathering together for stories (many we heard again and again) from the olden days. I didn't always appreciate this part of the day when I was young, but as I got older this was my favorite part of the holiday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Nextmanup]

8 hours ago, BillsPride12 said:

Not sure if I am right about this but from my general perspective it feels like people are just going through the motions this Holiday season.  I also think it's been trending that way for a few years now.  I'm not sure if everything that is going on with the Country these days contributes to it because it just seems like everybody is burned out but the Holidays don't feel like they used to, almost like nowadays people are just trying to get through them lol.  Anybody else feel that sense from people around them?

 

I'm curious because it could just be the way I see things these days because I am getting to that age/stage in life where nothing really feels overly exciting anymore but I have also talked to a ton of people who said they don't feel in the Christmas mood at all this year so I do think there's some truth to it.

I'm guessing this is much more about you than everyone else in American society.

 

How old are you?

 

 

[muppy]

7 hours ago, Nextmanup said:

I'm guessing this is much more about you than everyone else in American society.

 

How old are you?

 

 

Good Morning today....I disagree with your premise. If you were to take a toll of the % of americans whom either enjoy or despise the holidays...I wonder what the results of that would be. I live in a huge city and every race culture language you can think of exist.  I wouldnt presume to know peoples ideologies any more. I see random acts of kindness AND Meanness here so Im not judging "American society"  either way. when u have over 800,000 deaths from covid and financial issues and mental health issues...good grief man you think OP's premise was just about him?

 

imo nope.

 

I hope your Christmas is merry

 

m

Edited December 21, 2021 by muppy

[BillsPride12]

37 minutes ago, muppy said:

Good Morning today....I disagree with your premise. If you were to take a toll of the % of americans whom either enjoy or despise the holidays...I wonder what the results of that would be. I live in a huge city and every race culture language you can think of exist.  I wouldnt presume to know peoples ideologies any more. I see random acts of kindness AND Meanness here so Im not judging "American society"  either way. when u have over 800,000 deaths from covid and financial issues and mental health issues...good grief man you think OP's premise was just about him?

 

imo nope.

 

I hope your Christmas is merry

 

m

Exactly!  I will be the first to admit my personal Christmas experiences are different than what they were years ago and I totally understand that.  But my point was to just get a pulse of how people on the board were currently feeling.  No I wasn't stereotyping the entire American society but from my own personal sample size this year....Co-workers, neighbors, friends, strangers at the stores/mall..people are definitely not "into it" from what I have seen.  Literally have heard things over an over such as "I didn't even put up a tree this year"  "I haven't done any Christmas shopping yet"  "I'm just not in the Christmas mood this year"  I do think the struggles with the Pandemic and everything that has come along with it(financial issues, division over personal beliefs about the virus/government) have played a major role.  

 

Obviously that doesn't mean everybody feels that way and I'm sure people with young children are soaking in all the Christmas magic and that is great! I just hope things calm down and settle in this world a little bit going forward and people can get back to enjoying the simpler things in life but right now it just seems like people are burned out.

[The Poojer]

i have had zero christmas spirit for several years now.  my kids are all mid 20's-early 30's(perhaps that is the big reason).  Haven't even put up a tree.  Bought 3 small gifts for my kids, but i do enjoy watching them interact with each other.  The rest....bah humbug

[Logic]

I think "Christmas Spirit" and the degree to which each person is in the mood for the holiday or not is highly subjective.

For me, I'm usually pretty "into" Christmas by the early part of December. I look forward to it, I enjoy it, I play all the music and watch all the specials...all that stuff.

The past two years I have felt...basically nothing at all at Christmas time. No holiday spirit, no desire to binge watch Christmas movies, nothing.

I should mention that I don't have any kids and I live 2,000+ miles from my family. I'm sure those factors have something to do with it.

Anyway...I'm sure the pandemic, the political climate, the whole generally grotesque milieu that is American life in 2020 and 2021 has a lot to do with it, but yeah...not much Christmas Spirit for me this year. I'll give the gifts, I'll call the relatives, but...meh. Humbug.

[IslandBillsFan]

My issue with Christmas in recent years is that giving gifts is there is no more surprises or thought put into it.  I buy gifts for about 10 people (parents, brother, sister, nieces, nephews etc..) all who share their "lists."

 

In the last couple years, everyone just comes up with a list and links to Amazon or Target.  Its basically saying buy me this.  

 

I would be nice to have some thought put into the gifts.  Last year, I didn't buy anyone anything and instead just booked a trip.  I think an experience always outweigh the material item.  

 

However, like many people, I am pressed for time and don't want to put in the thought.  I did all my shopping in an evening just buying what people asked for and shipping it to them.  I am part of the problem....

[Another Fan]

6 hours ago, muppy said:

Good Morning today....I disagree with your premise. If you were to take a toll of the % of americans whom either enjoy or despise the holidays...I wonder what the results of that would be. I live in a huge city and every race culture language you can think of exist.  I wouldnt presume to know peoples ideologies any more. I see random acts of kindness AND Meanness here so Im not judging "American society"  either way. when u have over 800,000 deaths from covid and financial issues and mental health issues...good grief man you think OP's premise was just about him?

 

imo nope.

 

I hope your Christmas is merry

 

m

I had this conversation about a card our family got.  It said What A Year on it and listed all these members accomplishments for the past year.  I told my folks my first reaction was it’s not subtly bragging about themselves when these are challenging times for many.  Wasn’t in the best taste imo.

 

But then again my personality slants to misanthrope by nature so there’s that 😂

[AlCowlingsTaxiService]

Once the kiddies stop believing in the jolly fat guy in the red suit, Christmas loses plenty of luster … I’m listening to Christmas CDs on my 70s vintage system to inject Christmas spirit into my veins (actually, the bourbon is equally helpful 😂)

[teef]

next year i really think we need to have a TBD christmas party.  kick this ***** into gear.

[Success]

"It's a Wonderful Life" still rocks, and rocks hard.

 

[muppy]

7 hours ago, Another Fan said:

I had this conversation about a card our family got.  It said What A Year on it and listed all these members accomplishments for the past year.  I told my folks my first reaction was it’s not subtly bragging about themselves when these are challenging times for many.  Wasn’t in the best taste imo.

 

But then again my personality slants to misanthrope by nature so there’s that 😂

its hard to be humble when yer so danged GOOD eh mate? LOL naww I like the brag letters... I used to get a few a year. But I havent mailed cards in a few years and I doubt I'll be receiving many. Its kind of blase, its too bad. Postage is expensive too.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

I can't relate. 

 

We have our Christmas traditions

We have our kid home from College, debating which cookies to bake and arguing about whether to put white chocolate chips in the Mocha Cookies.

We get to celebrate with my Mom this year instead of being unable to bring her here for a celebration.  That's huge.

We have a warm, dry, relatively clean house and enough money for fits we've tried to be thoughtful about and match to each person's needs/wants

 

It feels very special and precious to me.

 

[BillsPride12]

1 hour ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

I can't relate. 

 

We have our Christmas traditions

We have our kid home from College, debating which cookies to bake and arguing about whether to put white chocolate chips in the Mocha Cookies.

We get to celebrate with my Mom this year instead of being unable to bring her here for a celebration.  That's huge.

We have a warm, dry, relatively clean house and enough money for fits we've tried to be thoughtful about and match to each person's needs/wants

 

It feels very special and precious to me.

 

That's awesome!  That's the way it should be....Merry Christmas!

[Just Jack]

We haven't really had a weekend free since late October to really enjoy the season.  So this year it feels kind of lame.  

[BillsFan4]

It took me a bit longer than normal to get into the Christmas spirit this year. Not exactly sure why. It just seemed to come up really fast this year. Actually, the entire year seemed to go by fast IMO. Plus there’s not really any snow here for Christmas this year. 
 

Ive definitely been more in the Christmas spirit the last few days, and I’m very excited that we get to have our Christmas party this year! We couldn’t do it last year. We did it all via Zoom. We’re keeping the party small, and all of us are vaccinated (+ most of us are boosted). So we’re still being cautious but it sure is nice to be able to get together this year!

 

 

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it! And happy holidays!

[TheCockSportif]

I felt this way about Christmas 2020.  It was just so... off.  I wasn't feeling 2021 either until a couple of weeks ago.  My wife has been working on -- not one, but two -- SCOTUS cases, and it's meant 7-day work weeks -- for months.  I joined a startup over the summer and I've been flat out as well.  Thankfully SCOTUS relented on the second case, and she got an extension until January.  So at least she was able to come up and breathe for a couple of weeks, so she took two weeks off, and here we are.  My company gave us all next week off, paid, which is amazing.

 

Once the Christmas stuff came upstairs, and we started playing all of the classic vinyl as we started decorating, it all came together.  It's been a really great holiday season overall.

[BillsPride12]

Update:  Just got home from my last Christmas party and I will say everything came together over the last few days and felt much more "Chrismassy".  All in all I did enjoy myself and was able to get into the Christmas spirit afterall....just seemed like it took awhile to get warmed up this year lol.  Thanks for all the replies and good conversation in this thread.  Merry Christmas to all of you!  

[Augie]

14 minutes ago, BillsPride12 said:

Update:  Just got home from my last Christmas party and I will say everything came together over the last few days and felt much more "Chrismassy".  All in all I did enjoy myself and was able to get into the Christmas spirit afterall....just seemed like it took awhile to get warmed up this year lol.  Thanks for all the replies and good conversation in this thread.  Merry Christmas to all of you!  

 

I was almost dreading this Christmas because wen were so unprepared. In the last  few weeks/months we’ve bought a new house, recently moved (last week) and sold two other houses. Details and moving damn near killed us, especially my wife the detail person (who still works a very demanding job). 

 

Our son was in FL with his in-laws and their huge family. It was just me, the wife and my 94 year old mom. No tree as we’re just getting out of boxes. Just a few presents for my mom, and a couple restaurant gift certificates she got for us. Still, we got her to Mass, we got some great Christmas music on Pandora today, made a nice meal and it was VERY special. At her age, you have to appreciate it just the way you do when they are little. Each and every Christmas is precious. I hope she’s here with us next year when we can have the full experience and do it right. 

 

Side note: I don’t need any more “stuff”. I like keeping it VERY simple, but trading stuff for experiences. Take a short trip, or a big one. Go see something new. My sisters have done this with their families for years, and they never end up taking those memories to Goodwill. 

[BillsPride12]

1 hour ago, Augie said:

 

I was almost dreading this Christmas because wen were so unprepared. In the last  few weeks/months we’ve bought a new house, recently moved (last week) and sold two other houses. Details and moving damn near killed us, especially my wife the detail person (who still works a very demanding job). 

 

Our son was in FL with his in-laws and their huge family. It was just me, the wife and my 94 year old mom. No tree as we’re just getting out of boxes. Just a few presents for my mom, and a couple restaurant gift certificates she got for us. Still, we got her to Mass, we got some great Christmas music on Pandora today, made a nice meal and it was VERY special. At her age, you have to appreciate it just the way you do when they are little. Each and every Christmas is precious. I hope she’s here with us next year when we can have the full experience and do it right. 

 

Side note: I don’t need any more “stuff”. I like keeping it VERY simple, but trading stuff for experiences. Take a short trip, or a big one. Go see something new. My sisters have done this with their families for years, and they never end up taking those memories to Goodwill. 

I can totally understand that, when you have that much on your plate it would be challenging for anybody to pull off a major Christmas celebration.

 

But I think you hit the nail on the head Christmas is much more about the simple pleasures and counting your blessings.  One of my favorite parts of the last two days was getting to spend some time with my siblings that I don't get to see too often these days and reminiscing over great memories from past Christmases because no matter how crazy and hectic life gets the memories you have created over the years can never be taken away.  

 

My family exchanges gifts but we don't go overboard.  I look forward to picking out gifts for everybody else much more than receiving stuff but I did get some cool things that I was very appreciate for.  

[LeGOATski]

Halloween and Thanksgiving have always been so much better. They're all about getting together with friends and family to feast and have fun without the obnoxious commercialization. That all ends on Black Friday where people start fighting each other over toys.

[muppy]

well BILLS Sunday against the pats* aka the day after Christmas day. I love this thread 🙂

 

all of us have our lives outside of 2bd and this fellowship exists, communication on a level that doesn't easily happen in person KUDOS #awesome

 

I have one thought after reading all the comments above. If you want to bring some Christmas spirit into your life, or even just plain goodwill if Christmas isn't your thing....Buy an extra package of 12 white athletic socks next time at Costco. Then you get a pack of paper lunch sacks from 99 cents store , buy  a 12 pack of soda, box of assorted wrapped chips. Buy 24 hot dugs and buns, cook those, wrap in foil with some ketchup and mustard, make up 12 bags, 2 hot dogs, 1 of each rest,  put a hard candy in just because.....Just like that and drop them with needy folks, panhandlers, homeless hangouts.....

 

They will so appreciate and You will have put positivity into YOUR life as well as theirs.

 

we have done it with bagels and cream cheese, a piece of fruit and a bottle of water too.

 

no homeless  missions with our church due to covid  but this is a solo enterprise of love.

 

if no hot dogs then ham, PB & J etc

 

PS: Christmas day is a snooze in my house we are pretty wiped after all the eve celebrations. Today is of course FOOTBALL. GO BILLS!~!~!~!!!!!!

 

m

[Another Fan]

20 hours ago, BillsPride12 said:

I can totally understand that, when you have that much on your plate it would be challenging for anybody to pull off a major Christmas celebration.

 

But I think you hit the nail on the head Christmas is much more about the simple pleasures and counting your blessings.  One of my favorite parts of the last two days was getting to spend some time with my siblings that I don't get to see too often these days and reminiscing over great memories from past Christmases because no matter how crazy and hectic life gets the memories you have created over the years can never be taken away.  

 

My family exchanges gifts but we don't go overboard.  I look forward to picking out gifts for everybody else much more than receiving stuff but I did get some cool things that I was very appreciate for.  

Glad it sounds like this went well.  And hey our team gave us a big present today.  Some fans were expecting it, I wasn't lol

 

Christmas Day wasn't bad for me either, felt the lead up was worse

 

Yes priorities changed a lot for me was well.  My favorite moments of the holiday season were reaching out to a co-worker I hadn't talked to in over a year and getting a Christmas card back in an e-mail from her.  This and reaching out to one of my mom's cousin's the family sort of lost track of and getting back warm wishes as well