STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

stylethread · Kenneth Cole

Holiday Feelings

jacL · Coach

I usually feel happy and excited for the holidays. I have so much to be thankful for and I love seeing all the lights and decorations. It is a good chance to see my family, though since I have a split family as well as my BF's family it does get stressful at times trying to see everyone in a day or two.

Christine · Coach

I look forward to the holidays all year long. I'm a big Christmas sap. I seriously get so excited, it's hard to fall asleep at night. I hope I still feel this way when I'm 80.

However, I can understand how the holidays can be a stressful or sad time for some people, especially if they've lost someone they love. Then the holidays can be a painful reminder.

laken1 · Hermes

Both. This year is a little different because my grandfather died in February, so our traditions are being shaken. I really hate it because this is the first year my husband will be with my family for Christmas Eve & it won't be the same, he will never experience what I have had for 33 years so that makes me sad.

And you need to add stressed to the poll because I really think that sums it up for me. I hate that you have to run around & try to see everyone in 3 days. I'd much rather spend lots of time at a less stressed time with people than be put in the "christmas" box or whatever. And again, it's stressful that my husband will be around my WHOLE family (last year he stayed home & I flew back christmas morning) & I am going on vacation with his...it's all kinda much for me.

Not to mention the financial burden that I feel between presents & travel & groceries & all the booze it's gonna take to make all of the above ok!

So i'd like to be happy, but I'm really kind of sad & stressed just thinking about it.

ETA: my tree & decorations & the music do make me happy, so I'm voting that way just to not be such a scrooge!

-- Edited by laken1 at 10:22, 2005-11-21

Sandy · Kate Spade

I can't even explain how happy I am for the Christmas season. I was watching ABC Family the other day, and the commercials for the 25 Days of Christmas came on. As silly as it is, I got that warm fuzzy feeling in my stomach and I got super-excited. That's pretty much how I feel about the holidays.
Even though it's such a happy time of year, it's also very stressful. I have this thing about finding the perfect gifts for everyone, and it makes me go bananas-- every year, without fail. I always wait until the last minute, no matter how much I try to plan ahead, and the Christmas traffic and lines stress me out so much. It's hard to see the joy and remember what the holidays are all about when you're stressing... I have to keep myself in check a lot.
Last year was a hard Christmas, and I don't think they'll get any easier for a while. I lost both my grandmother and grandfather (my grandmother passed away in the summer, and my grandfather just the week before Christmas). The year before that was our first Christmas without my cousin, who died in a car accident... he was 20. It's not hard to enjoy the season without them, but I try. I like to still include them in our traditions-- we have these ornaments with all of our names that we put on the tree at my (other) grandfather's house, and I put my cousin's on the tree at his grave (is that weird? TMI? sorry if it is ).

To answer the question... overall, the holidays make me very, very happy and excited.

ranchera20 · Marc Jacobs

EXTREMEMLY HAPPY AND EXCITED!

I am like a little 4 year old when the holidays arrive!! Last yr I wanted to leave the Christmas decorations up all yr because I never get tired of it. I love being cold and getting blankets and sitting on the couch with my family watching movies! Seeing gifts under the tree and checking to see if they are for me!

The only sad part about these holidays to me is that, I have no other family here. It is just my 2 sisters, my brother, my parents and I. But we still decorate the house as if we were little kids still and make enought food for Thanksgivin and Christmas as if the whole city was coming to eat with us!

I love love love love the holidays!!!

NCshopper · Hermes

I love the holidays! I love being around my family and going to the candlelight service at church on Christmas eve. For me the holidays are very much a happy time. I've gotten about half of my Christmas shopping done already this year, so I'm feeling a lot less burdened by the cost of it, which wasn't the case last year. This will be my first Christmas back in San Diego in 3 years too, so I'm SUPER excited about that! We celebrated the last two Christmases alone, and it'll be good to be around family and friends again.

I'm lucky to feel that way though. There are so many people for whom the holidays are something to dread, stress over, be anxious about, or a reason to start drinking. It's so unfortunate.

member · Hermes

Happy and Excited now. I used to get somewhat sad around the holidays when I was single, just because it felt like everyone else had someone to share it with. But ever since I've been w/my BF I look forward to it. I'm thankful and excited to spend time w/my family and his.

zeitgeist4 · Gucci

Stephanie wrote:

I can't even explain how happy I am for the Christmas season. I was watching ABC Family the other day, and the commercials for the 25 Days of Christmas came on. As silly as it is, I got that warm fuzzy feeling in my stomach and I got super-excited. That's pretty much how I feel about the holidays.

You're not alone! I get really happy whenever I see movie/TV previews and commercials that have snow and Christmas lights and cozy sweaters and friends/family being together.

Christine · Coach

zeitgeist4 wrote:

Stephanie wrote:
I can't even explain how happy I am for the Christmas season. I was watching ABC Family the other day, and the commercials for the 25 Days of Christmas came on. As silly as it is, I got that warm fuzzy feeling in my stomach and I got super-excited. That's pretty much how I feel about the holidays.

You're not alone! I get really happy whenever I see movie/TV previews and commercials that have snow and Christmas lights and cozy sweaters and friends/family being together.

I am so excited that you girls feel this way! Sometimes I feel like the people around me (esp. at work) are such scrooges. They're always negative and grumpy and nothing makes them happy, even during the holidays. I think it's so important to take the time to appreciate the little things that make us happy.

sfcaligirl · Dooney & Bourke

i looove christmas (the decorations, the holiday spirit, the carols, the food, good will towards man, etc) so it kills me to say that the past few years, i have dreaded the holidays. a very unfortunate side effect of divorce i guess (my parents' divorce, not mine). in my experience, any family issues tend to be amplified during the holidays, so i get kinda stressed out now. it's sad. i want to enjoy them again, i really do.

-- Edited by sfcaligirl at 13:50, 2005-11-21

kenzie · Chanel

Ugh. I'm such a Scrooge. I dread the holiday season with every fiber of my being. I find it utterly depressing. It makes me miss my grandparents, who died when I was a teenager. It makes me depressed that I'm not living with the bf this year (we had an awesome Christmas last year and I thought I'd be planning a wedding this year. Whatever). It makes me acutely aware of how small my family is. And the commercialism makes me ill. It really does.

And for the past few years, I've worked myself into a stupor at my crappy retail jobs (thank goodness I'm not doing that this year). But then, that also served as a distraction, too. Plenty of free time and no distractions this year.

Bah-humbug!

poptart · Coach

NylaBelle wrote:

Ugh. I'm such a Scrooge. I dread the holiday season with every fiber of my being. I find it utterly depressing. It makes me miss my grandparents, who died when I was a teenager. It makes me depressed that I'm not living with the bf this year (we had an awesome Christmas last year and I thought I'd be planning a wedding this year. Whatever). It makes me acutely aware of how small my family is. And the commercialism makes me ill. It really does. And for the past few years, I've worked myself into a stupor at my crappy retail jobs (thank goodness I'm not doing that this year). But then, that also served as a distraction, too. Plenty of free time and no distractions this year. Bah-humbug!

Yay for the scrooges! Thank you for posting. I didn't want to say anything, but now that you've posted ...

I have always loved the holidays, but this year I feel like an orphan. My Dad died three years ago, and the first Christmas, my family didn't celebrate b/c my Mom thought it would be too hard. Then the second Christmas my Mom was remarried (I know, I know) but I had a serious boyfriend (who I also thought I would marry) and we went to his family's out of state, and now it's the third Christmas and my BF and I aren't together and I get to spend Christmas with my Mom and her husband who hates me. (He recently yelled at me and called me horrible names in front of my Mom. It was all I could do not to yell back.)

It's too much drama and not enough time with people I really care about, b/c friends visit their families and my brother is out of state, and obviously it's a little awkward with my mom. I'm looking forward to things (hopefully) being better in a few years, though.

kenzie · Chanel

Lisa wrote:

NylaBelle wrote: Ugh. I'm such a Scrooge. I dread the holiday season with every fiber of my being. I find it utterly depressing. It makes me miss my grandparents, who died when I was a teenager. It makes me depressed that I'm not living with the bf this year (we had an awesome Christmas last year and I thought I'd be planning a wedding this year. Whatever). It makes me acutely aware of how small my family is. And the commercialism makes me ill. It really does. And for the past few years, I've worked myself into a stupor at my crappy retail jobs (thank goodness I'm not doing that this year). But then, that also served as a distraction, too. Plenty of free time and no distractions this year. Bah-humbug! Yay for the scrooges! Thank you for posting. I didn't want to say anything, but now that you've posted ... I have always loved the holidays, but this year I feel like an orphan. My Dad died three years ago, and the first Christmas, my family didn't celebrate b/c my Mom thought it would be too hard. Then the second Christmas my Mom was remarried (I know, I know) but I had a serious boyfriend (who I also thought I would marry) and we went to his family's out of state, and now it's the third Christmas and my BF and I aren't together and I get to spend Christmas with my Mom and her husband who hates me. (He recently yelled at me and called me horrible names in front of my Mom. It was all I could do not to yell back.) It's too much drama and not enough time with people I really care about, b/c friends visit their families and my brother is out of state, and obviously it's a little awkward with my mom. I'm looking forward to things (hopefully) being better in a few years, though.

Can I get a 'Bah-humbug' chorus?

I completely understand your feelings. I wasn't always like this. I promise. And I probably won't be like this forever. Right now, it's just difficult.

sfcaligirl · Dooney & Bourke

NylaBelle wrote:

Can I get a 'Bah-humbug' chorus? I completely understand your feelings. I wasn't always like this. I promise. And I probably won't be like this forever. Right now, it's just difficult.

BAH-HUMBUG!

i'm with you, nylabelle and lisa. (and i wasn't always like this either.)

Elle · Hermes

I'm feeling ... relieved this holiday season. We aren't going home for Thanksgiving or Christmas this year, and while I'd prefer to see my family I'm glad that we can finally have a relaxing, happy holiday instead of one filled with long car rides, cramped sleeping quarters, presents at one house in the morning, rushing over to the IL's house for presents in the evening, lalala. NOT THIS YEAR. NO SIREE BOB. No running around. No parents pulling guilt trips because we have to leave to go to the other set of parents' house. Bwahahahahaha!

This year, I am hosting Thanksgiving for a couple of other misfits (which you are most welcome to join, Lisa ) who don't have family nearby. For Christmas, FH and I are going to wakeu up early, make some coffee, play Christmas music, an open presents at our leisure. Followed by our very own Christmas dinner, complete with the pumpkin pie and eggnog that is contraband at my parents house.

I'm just glad to be able to do it MY way for once, and not have to cater to what everyone else wants/needs/thinks for a change. There will plenty more years for that, I'm sure .

luckylily · Gucci

I do enjoy Christmas Day and the traditions DH and I have created for ourselves. But the season itself is kind of annoying. I will undoubtedly spend more money than I should on gifts for people who won't appreciate the thought I put into them. And, all the holiday shoppers drive me nuts. It is like the city streets become packed full of people who don't know how to get around the city - they drive horribly, walk slow, and generally get in the way of those of us who are trying to live and work downtown. I know that's bit petty, but I get really frustrated with slow walkers during the holidays.

Overall I'm actually pretty neutral on the holidays themselves. I'm not religious and my family lives close enough that I see them once a month or so. I guess they holidays just aren't a big deal in my mind. I do really like the additional days off work tho.

Lilykind · Hermes

My BF and I make up for our not-so-great childhood holiday seasons. I'm excited that we're going to deck out my whole apartment in Christmas insanity and put up the tree and have lots of presents under the tree (this is the first Christmas where we've both had steady incomes).

The only thing that I guess I don't like is the whole family thing. I'm terribly envious of people who have large, cozy extended families to spend the holidays with at some huge house where it's snowing outside. My family was never really close growing up and I only had one cousin in this country.

laken1 · Hermes

Lilykind wrote:

The only thing that I guess I don't like is the whole family thing. I'm terribly envious of people who have large, cozy extended families to spend the holidays with at some huge house where it's snowing outside. My family was never really close growing up and I only had one cousin in this country.

Really, it's not all it's cracked up to be (although I've never had the snow

). There is always some kind of strife between at least a few people in the family, you have to fight or suck it up & either way it isn't fun. And it's rushed & a pain. I am thankful for my family, really I am, but I don't know anyone that has what you described. I think it's all a dream that doesn't exist. Maybe I'm wrong though......

ETA: Wow, i guess that sounded kind of harsh in hindsight, but really, we are having some serious issues with my cousin's son (arrested for molesting a juvenile) and are having to deal with that - obviously we don't want him around but how do you do that without alienating that whole family unit...etc etc. Anyway....wanted to clarify & Lilykind's comment hit me that sometimes I am envious of being able to start your own traditions etc. I want to do what LMonet is doing!!!!!!!

-- Edited by laken1 at 17:08, 2005-11-21

Christine · Coach

Lilykind wrote:

The only thing that I guess I don't like is the whole family thing. I'm terribly envious of people who have large, cozy extended families to spend the holidays with at some huge house where it's snowing outside. My family was never really close growing up and I only had one cousin in this country.

I hear you on this one - it's just me, my dad, and my bf. And I usually visit my dad, who lives 4 hours away, on Dec 23rd. FH and I usually have Christmas together, alone. So it's a quiet time and could feel lonely or depressing, but I don't let it. I love these people -- it's quality over quantity when it comes to family members!