Alcohol.

Ha! Before I opened the thread, I thought: "Booze."

Great Booze-Soaked Minds Think Alike.

*hic*

Walking through cities at dusk, as night descends and all the lights begin to glow, and people are hurrying around with big shopping bags, and kids are pointing at the decorated windows of department stores, and all the hustle and bustle and crowds and lights seem festive and neighborly and *fun*, generally does it for me.

Note: Such an excursion CAN NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES involve shopping yourself. If you actually go *into* the stores that look so pretty from the outside, you will lose your will to live in about 3 seconds flat.

Second note: My favorite Christmas song has always been "Silver Bells" ("City sidewalks, busy sidewalks dressed in holiday style...
Children laughing, people passing, meeting smile after smile..."), and I suspect my love of the urban Christmas thing comes from that and allows me to gloss over the hassles of thousands of people pushing and grumping and to see it instead as festive.

I actually suspect that song is a huge part of the reason why I like cities in general. But I really do love cities at Christmas.

Ha! Before I opened the thread, I thought: "Booze."
posted by Specklet 14 December | 13:54

Great Booze-Soaked Minds Think Alike.
posted by jonmc 14 December | 13:56

Uh, I was about to go into this thread and write something about egg nog with lots of brandy in it, but it looks like y'all beat me there. We have a quorum.

Whatchoo call me?

*swings at pieisexactlythree, misses, falls to floor*

Well, I can tell you there are no rules, written or unwritten. I personally haven't enjoyed Christmas all that much since I grew up and my immediate family kind of scattered. I decided not to bother with decorations or anything like that this year; there's quite enough fussing to do with getting presents shipped.

However, if you'd like to feel more holiday-ish, I suggest thinking back to the things you enjoyed about Christmas when you were little. Specific music, tv shows, movies, or other activities that said "Christmas!" to you when you were a kid. Then see if you can sing/watch/do those things now, or some variation of them, anyway.

I may be a bit of a grinch this year, but watching Bad Santa made me feel better about the holiday season.

Turning up the heat a little, and handing an elf's cap to an agreeable woman who can be convinced that that is the only costume she'll need for Christmas decorating usually works for me...

First, we hang the mistletoe, together. In a good year, it can take 3 or 4 days to get the tree up.

Was it LL Cool J who said "like Santa Claus said, you's a ho ho ho!" ?

I took the holidays off for several years because it was too much. Personally, I feel if you can't deal, excuse yourself. The stiff upper lip is for corpses and those who can't negotiate finer points, in my mind. And those who know you always know you're not dealing well.

But realize this: the holidays will never, ever be easy. They are simply a condensed version of life at large and the human condition. They amplify the best and worst of us. They put us up close and personal, often with people we'd rather not be. They remind us of loved ones we've lost or who are distant and with whom we'd rather be spending time. They tax our schedules and civility.

In short, they're tough.

They will always be unduly stressful, and I'm convinced this is exactly why so many people find them so compelling and what their deep draw is, time and time again. Regardless of our hopes and desires, there's no way to please everyone because everyone has a different idea of what is expected/appropriate/ideal. Many of which change on a moment by moment basis. But we just return to the scene of the drama, don't we? It's a constant and unsolvable puzzle.

However!! They can be fun. It simply takes work, focus and presence.

Accept the inherent imperfections/irritations, carve out what is important to you, share that as much as you can with the people you care the most about and shake it like a chorus girl because you haven't tried to tackle the impossible and haven't turned into a Scrooge trying to do so.

A bit of eggnog doesn't hurt, either.

I only start getting excited about Christmas when I've started buying presents for people (which I've left late again this year). And then I get really excited. The thought of seeing people open the presents I've bought them just makes me all bubbly.

I rather like Christmas. But I'm Jewish, so there's no pressure (and an atheist Jew at that). I even went to midnight mass with jon's family one year; it was lovely. I like the food and the fire and the tree and the presents... then I go over to my mom's house and get latkes with apple sauce and sour cream. And someday, I will sit on Santa's lap (though I might need some of that egg nog first).

I'm a Jew, a lonely Jew, at Christmas...

(And when today's Christmas compares to yesterday's Christmas... things like walking in the snow to bring your brother a present at the jail, or spending it in foster care, things take on an even rosier glow... I was actually raised Irish Catholic, until I went to live with my Jewish father when I was nine and converted. Made sense at the time.)

Well, happy Chrismakkah, Pips!

Mr. V is Jewish, too, so I always make sure to decorate for both holidays. (though is seems I'm more interested in Judaism than he is) He also likes the whole Christmas Eve/Day thing as opposed to the eight nights. This will be the first year we're staying home for Christmas Day. I can't wait!
So cheer up, Matt_MP, put on a holiday special or some music, and just enjoy yourself!