Best and worst things about christmas

erica74

Worst - people saying Christmas is for children, people giving out about commercialism (take a stand and stop taking part then), people going to mass once a year (the amount of extra cars outside all the churches I drove past yesterday was hilarious), people asking what you're doing for Christmas/who you're spending it with but only wanting to hear one answer, today it's raining so walking the dogs will be wet, I prefer a nice crisp cold Christmas Day, having to replace batteries in lights at least twice over the few weeks.

Best - cooking, baking and eating Christmas food, celebrations with my loved ones, playing board games while having a few drinks, getting up early so it feels like every day is longer, giving gifts and knowing you got it just right, getting to spend more time with my husband and our dogs as we have a couple of days off work, the smell of the Christmas food cooking (currently enjoying the smell of my gingerale ham in the slow cooker), mince pies in particular, the decorations, I love the predecorating big clean and putting up the decorations and then sitting back with a glass of prosecco admiring all the twinkling lights (while the batteries are still 100%), driving around looking at the Christmas lights, Christmas music, love Christmas FM, getting to celebrate Christmas exactly as I want to because my husband is a sound man.

OldMrBrennan83

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Galwayguy35

Christmas used to be a big occasion in our house growing up, my mam used to put a lot of work into the christmas dinner and we always had to wait until my dad had the farm work done before we could eat.

We were poor growing up like a lot of people back then but they always tried to get us the toys we wanted and neighbours would call in christmas evening for a few drinks and a chat.

they are all gone now but those memories are the best for me.

Optimalprimerib

Patww79 wrote: »

I'd love to see a priest take a stand and ask any of the once a year heads to leave.

My priest did that one year. That was his last Christmas in the parish. Outrage, but something to talk about waiting for Christmas dinner.

Wanderer78

Deedsie wrote:

All the excess waste packaging. So much plastic

But, but, 'the market', it's good for us, apparently!

bee06

heldel00 wrote: »

Best: Due baby 11th January
Worst: Due baby 11th January

(I'm rolling round the place like a big bale of hay trying my best to be festive. Worst bit of my Christmas eve was when even the maternity jeans wouldn't fit this morning)

I feel your pain! I was due last Tuesday ... still preggers.

Anyway, best for me is my family members coming home and spending time with them.

There are no worsts for me! It’s all good.

gozunda

Patww79 wrote: »

I'd love to see a priest take a stand and ask any of the once a year heads to leave.

Ah here now - that would be a Christian thing to do? seriousley? Considering the scandals the church have been embroiled in - they should be happy that anyone turns up tbh. That said religion isn't just for the godly - I think the "sinners" and prodigal son's/ daughters are supposed to be welcome or did I read the wrong bible?

Oh and there's always that extra money on the plate ...

OldMrBrennan83

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gozunda

Patww79 wrote: »

If people want to make their stand against all the scandals that's fine. How do they forget about their principles in December 25th though?

It's not about people's genuine concern about church scandals- it's more about the churches attitude to doing the right thing and not being hypocrites towards others ... as said I don't remember church being just for the 'godly' ...

begbysback

Patww79 wrote: »

I'd love to see a priest take a stand and ask any of the once a year heads to leave.

Lol - empty the church

OldMrBrennan83

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gozunda

Patww79 wrote: »

They're empty all year? I knew numbers were down but that's news to me.

If you get sanctimonious ol gits that tell others to leave - chances are everyone bar a very few of the righteous brigade would leave ...

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

begbysback

Patww79 wrote: »

They're empty all year? I knew numbers were down but that's news to me.

Look pat, sorry to be the bearer of bad news here, but Christmas has nothing to do with baby Jesus and religion any more. It's about having a holiday period during the year where kids can be spoiled, bellies can be stuffed, and merriment can be found.

Ok the foundations here are that the "son of god" was born, after immaculate conception no less - but some people would like to just take part in the festivities, and if the price is to endure an hour long sermon just to appease a loved one then are they not entitled to such?

Jayesdiem

Roger Hassenforder wrote: »

heldel00 wrote: »

Each to their own and all that but I really don't get this!

He/she might like the community coming together/social aspect of a good mass!

Fcuk that

OldMrBrennan83

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Kermit.de.frog

One of the things I dislike are Athiests happily celebrating Christmas without seeing the inherent contradiction in it.

If you're a self professed intellectually superior Athiest with no time for make believe like those religious yokels at least have consistency in your convictions.

Jayesdiem

Candie wrote: »

I'll be escorting my Gran to a candlelight service later, and I'll enjoy it because she loves having me there and I love her and anything that makes her happy is good with me.

I'm in no way religious, but some of my clearest moments come to me in religious/contemplative spaces.

That's completely different to the atheist argument here. That's you doing something nice for someone to make their day.

Mr.Wemmick

freshpopcorn wrote: »

One thing I don't really like about Christmas is the ordeal people make out of cooking the dinner. You are essentially cooking a big roast dinner and if you do something different you generally have a simple enough recipe to follow. Every year you have to listen to people's struggle with something that is a very basic task!

No. A normal roast dinner is easy, meat & potatoes into one roasting tin, steam the veg, gravy and a tub of ice cream, you're done.

There are so many dishes cooked from scratch on Christmas day, each cooked in batches, re-heated, know your timings.. make cranberry sauce, bread sauce and gravy and there are always at least two puddings, if not three, so no it's not as easy as a straight forward slap up Sunday roast.. oh and I forgot to mention the starters.

begbysback

Patww79 wrote: »

I've no problem with that. But why do people take time out from the belly stuffing and brat spoiling to go to mass one day a year at all then if it's nothing to do with it?

As already stated, in the majority of cases I believe it's to appease a loved one, in others it's most likely because people are creatures of habit

erica74

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

One of the things I dislike are Athiests happily celebrating Christmas without seeing the inherent contradiction in it.

If you're a self professed intellectually superior Athiest with no time for make believe like those religious yokels at least have consistency in your convictions.

For me, Christmas has absolutely nothing to do with some make believe diety. Like many posters have said, it's a special time of year to celebrate with loved ones when everyone has at least a couple of days off work so people have more time to visit each other and more time to spend with each other. For me it's about celebrating life and the year that has gone by.
Also, I'm not an Atheist. For me, calling yourself an Atheist is only describing what you don't believe in, rather than what you do believe in. I don't know how to label myself and my beliefs.

Tell me how

Best: Family, traditions, Tayto sandwiches with leftover turkey

Worst: Seeing parents getting older, realising you've managed to last another year without finding someone special for yourself. Choosing to practice bitterness at Christmas. Live and let live people.

freshpopcorn

Mr.Wemmick wrote: »

No. A normal roast dinner is easy, meat & potatoes into one roasting tin, steam the veg, gravy and a tub of ice cream, you're done.

There are so many dishes cooked from scratch on Christmas day, each cooked in batches, re-heated, know your timings.. make cranberry sauce, bread sauce and gravy and there are always at least two puddings, if not three, so no it's not as easy as a straight forward slap up Sunday roast.. oh and I forgot to mention the starters.

To our family a Christmas dinner,(freshly made stuffing, side dishes,etc), desserts,starters is a fairly standard thing. My mother was swapping presents with her friends the other day and they were laughing at the ordeal people make out of it

Mister Vain

Tell me how wrote: »

realising you've managed to last another year without finding someone special for yourself.

Ohh lord yes. If I can even get one date in 2018 it will be an improvement on this year

bodhrandude

Best: Lights, sounds, drums, guitars.

Mr.Wemmick

freshpopcorn wrote: »

To our family a Christmas dinner,(freshly made stuffing, side dishes,etc), desserts,starters is a fairly standard thing. My mother was swapping presents with her friends the other day and they were laughing at the ordeal people make out of it

No one I know would ever laugh at anyone who gets stressed cooking lots of different dishes.. many want food, especially meat, cooked perfectly so it can be enjoyed.. nothing at all wrong with people becoming stressed. Each to their own.. many people don't cook everyday either and haven't got the experience of stay-at-home Mammies.

I can whip up a super large Sunday lunch or a simple one without batting an eye, but I would never be that blasé about Christmas dinner or laugh at other people who struggle to manage to get it all done right.

bladespin

Kermit.de.frog wrote:

One of the things I dislike are Athiests happily celebrating Christmas without seeing the inherent contradiction in it.

Don't see the contradiction really, Christmas is about much more than Christians, afterall the winter festival predates Christ by a few thousand years.

Likes: people tend to be nicer (except while shopping lol), the buzz, the food, relaxing and enjoying.

Dislikes: the holy tosh bit, the pressure, the cost but then that's really down to yourself.

ben.schlomo

Best: food,drink,family.

Worst: horrific television programming.

heldel00

bee06 wrote: »

heldel00 wrote: »

Best: Due baby 11th January
Worst: Due baby 11th January

(I'm rolling round the place like a big bale of hay trying my best to be festive. Worst bit of my Christmas eve was when even the maternity jeans wouldn't fit this morning)

I feel your pain! I was due last Tuesday ... still preggers.

Anyway, best for me is my family members coming home and spending time with them.

There are no worsts for me! It’s all good.

Awake all night with vomiting bug too. Just wanna curl up in my bed but I'm too nosey and afraid I'd miss something!

thesultan

Best family home(normal, a day off, the presents).
Worst : the cost of the whole thing, deceased family members..

previous user

thesultan wrote: »

Best family home(normal, a day off, the presents).
Worst : the cost of the whole thing, deceased family members..

Cost is right! managed to get most presents down to €12 average bein unemployed and all.

RobbingBandit

Best part being on my own the whole day

Worst part being alone all year

PTH2009

had a Bailey's mixed with a cap full of vodka mixed with crushed ice Shaken in a mixer

absolutely horrendous tasting but I prob made a mess making it lol

Dr Crayfish

For me this is the most boring awful part of the Christmas holidays. I'm too full to drink and I don't watch TV and too lethargic to do anything really so I'm just bored to tears! Can't wait till tomorrow till I can get out and about again, a nice cycle into town when I wake up.

Dr Crayfish

Dr Crayfish wrote: »

For me this is the most boring awful part of the Christmas holidays. I'm too full to drink and I don't watch TV and too lethargic to do anything really so I'm just bored to tears! Can't wait till tomorrow till I can get out and about again, a nice cycle into town when I wake up.

Would you not say a few prayers?






:pac:

Dr Crayfish

Deleted User wrote: »

Would you not say a few prayers?






:pac:

I don't actually know any, I went to primary As Gaeilge so whatever they thought me there is gone now, I never knew the words in secondary when teachers made us recite them in the mornings, I just mumbled along.

tayto lover

Big game of Scrabble or War as it's called in my house.
Board about to get tumbled soon.

Dr Crayfish

Dr Crayfish wrote: »

I don't actually know any, I went to primary As Gaeilge so whatever they thought me there is gone now, I never knew the words in secondary when teachers made us recite them in the mornings, I just mumbled along.

I don't know any either Well maybe a bit of the Our Father.

Dr Crayfish

Deleted User wrote: »

I don't know any either Well maybe a bit of the Our Father.

I suppose I could just read the lyrics from the internet, over and over, until I fall asleep, at probably 4am

buried

Dr Crayfish wrote: »

I suppose I could just read the lyrics from the internet, over and over, until I fall asleep, at probably 4am

Stick on some music and keep drinking till 4am like what I'm doing. This is the only monday night we'll get away with it. Turn it up to 11

Dr Crayfish

buried wrote: »

Stick on some music and keep drinking till 4am like what I'm doing. This is the only monday night we'll get away with it. Turn it up to 11

I ate too much so beer is having no effect! Might try and root out something harder, hmmmmm.

RobAMerc

I hate all the anti drink driving adds and misery campaigns from all the charities. I am thankful for what I have, I dont need to be made feel guilty for having it thanks

Berserker

The rubbish that the tv companies put out at 21:45 on Christmas day.

Lisha

Right now the best of eastenders, earlier I thought the best was my Mam’s baileys cheesecake

Tell me how

RobAMerc wrote:

....... and misery campaigns from all the charities. I am thankful for what I have, I dont need to be made feel guilty for having it thanks

That's some post on Christmas day, of all days.

They're not specifically trying to remind you of what you have, they're trying to make you aware of what others less fortunate do not have.

They don't want you to feel guilty, they want you to feel empathy and compassion.

wakka12

wakka12 wrote: »

Im not at all religious. Completely atheist as are my whole family
But I like going, nice getting dressed up. 10am mass stops us from sleeping in late so we make the most of the day. I think a nice bit of slightly boring mass and standing and kneeling to prayers gives some balance to a day of completely gluttony and pleasure
And the hymns and choir are beautiful to listen to.
Its something Ill be doing every christmas till the end of my life!

Oh i want a good miserable time.....keep me on the straight and narrow :pac:

tomwaterford

Best:
Having laugh with family

And seeing all the ads put up on donedeal by obviously drunken people




Worst: the over ending pressure on people to spend money/party too much and have yoo many sweets

Also the amount of people going for PCP next week is boring listening to them go on and on about it

fryup

i went to a 2 hour latin mass today...presided by Father Ultan, he gives good mass works the altar like a pro

dublinman1990

Best thing about Christmas is spending it with a member of your family that I love so much and that is with my mam.

The worst thing about Christmas is losing someone close to you on Christmas Day. My uncle's partner had started to go through this process while her mother died in hospital on Christmas Day of last year. It's not all bad though; she has a son, a daughter & her family to keep herself busy & happy for Christmas.

Stephen15

RobAMerc wrote: »

I hate all the anti drink driving adds and misery campaigns from all the charities. I am thankful for what I have, I dont need to be made feel guilty for having it thanks

The Northern anti drink driving ads are pretty extreme to say the least which come up on the English tv channels from time to time and on UTV. They'd make our ones look like ads for childrens toys. Like horror shows so they are.