why do you hate christmas?
Heh.... I can't say I hate Christmas... but I wish I could enjoy it the way it should be enjoyed.
Instead, I'm expected to spend money on gifts for people I talk to 1-2x a year, don't like very much, don't really "know" at all, or some combination of all 3.
When I suggested to one side of my family we skip the retarded gift exchange (I still have boxes of "gifts" still in the unopened box or wrapper from 2-3 years ago sitting in a corner in the basement) and instead do something more fun/meaningful... like we each make some kind of dish that's personal to us to share... or, I dunno... anything other than a crap exchange - I was looked at like I had a 3rd head.
Of course that half of the family also looks at me as the "rich" family member... so when they email me "here's what to buy me for Christmas this year" it's sometimes rather laughable (NO I'm not buying you an iPad, the last time I physically spoke to you was LAST Christmas!). And I go home with a bunch of crap they found at the dollar store. "Ohh look a plastic back scratcher. Thanks. I think."
Just kinda kills the spirit for me. Because instead of buying cool, thoughtful, not-worried-about-price gifts for non-blood-relation people who I actually care about, I wind up buying shit for people who, other than being blood-related, are more or less strangers.
Then of course there's the other side of the family, who show up just in time to be "served" dinner and then bail as soon as they've stopped eating (wifey and I show up to my dad's 3 hours early to help cook, then stay 2-3 hours after dinner to visit and clean up) and fill the entire dinner convo complaining about Republicans...
One of the few things I miss about living in Seattle. "Oh no, Jim, you won't be coming home for the holidays this year???"
If it were up to me, Dad, wifey, kiddo get gifts from me... and then close friends and kiddos of close friends.
Bah humbug.