Christmas on a 1-10 Scale of Dumbness

SD48277

I'm not sure how or why this ended up as a debate on Santa...

Christmas: I give it a plus 8. Beautiful lights. Time spent with loved ones (whether that is family, friends, or even by oneself), and a chance to express love and gratitude. Good food. Cheesy holiday movies.

mrussel1

mcgruff10 said:

mrussel1 said:

mcgruff10 said:

rgambs said:

mrussel1 said:

PJ_Soul said:

I do find it odd that so many adults have trouble accepting the concept of keeping Santa a fantasy for kids - a fun fantasy that I know I enjoyed as a kid - rather than making him a reality. It's not that strange a concept.

I don't really understand this post. For a child, there is no line between fantasy and reality. Everything is possible and in fact probable. Monsters, unicorns, rainbows, Masters of the Universe... when you are under 8 years old, these things are as real as the teacher in first grade. And Santa Claus is just as real as flying unicorns to my youngest. A child cannot discern the difference. And God bless them for it.

The difference should be obvious. Santa is taught in the same way as religion. It's given as a truth and not a story. Zeus is a myth, God is a certainty, and kids can tell the difference. If you present Santa as a fantasy the same way you present monsters, lobstrocities, ka-tets, and unicorns, kids will believe when they are very young and they will stop believing and shift to real imagination at an appropriate age. If you present Santa to them as many present religion, as a fundamental truth, they will believe for too long and feel betrayed when they realize the truth they always knew. The milk and cookies, the chimney, the flying reindeer...all the lies you have to tell to convince them when they know better but trust you...
Sure, it all comes out fine and they escape with minimal trauma, but it's totally unnecessary, you can achieve all the same magic and wonder by convincing them it !might be possible instead of it's absolutely true.

My friends, myself, my immediate and extended family, and my oldest child all turned out fine while being hard core believers in Santa. I never consider any of this lies rather a part of childhood. There s nothing like Christmas morning seeing your kids eyes as they walk into the room with all the presents; it s the best. My three first graders are into Christmas big time this year and no way are they going to have any sort of trauma when they find out there is no Santa. I think you way over analyzed this whole thing but to each their own.

I'm sorry... you have THREE first graders??

yeah five kids lol. 11 year old girl, three six year old boys and a two year old boy lol. that's why I don't go to as many shows anymore.

Man.. you had three and then had one more. That's crazy talk.

chadwick

hedonist said:

Happy Christmas Eve, chadwick!

These guys are not dicks (came upon this last night and made me smile huge).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bedgFDOpxEs

thank you & merry christmas, hedonist

i would tell jeff to bend his hat bill / hat brim... whichever
it's a pet peeve of mine
straight bills are a pain in the ass

HughFreakingDillon

To all those saying someone needs to have kids to "get" christmas, read my previous post in this thread.

I LOVE the innocence of my girls and their belief in magic and whatnot.

I HATE perpetuating the lie (no, it did not scar me as a kid; I dont even remember the day I found out), and I HATE teaching them that Christmas is about gifts. We do our best not to, but let's be honest: the kids usually despise all that goes along with xmas; the dressing up, going to church (where they are as I type this), hanging out with adults, etc. It is all about presents to them. I grew up modestly, and didnt get a whole lot at xmas. We try to do the same for them. I honestly wish there was no xmas, as it is obviously a bastardized tradition to keep the economy moving. I was shopping for my wife the other day, and I couldn't help but feel like a complete hypocrite for participating in something I completely disagree with. But how does one go about exorcising the christmas demon now that they are 6 and 9 years into it? How cruel would that be? And my wife probably wouldnt be on board with it anyway. And who wants to be the weird adult who is known as the curmudgeon that hates christmas?

chadwick

ozzy & randy have always made me weep
such beauty heard nearby a christmas tree
its only perfection

merry christmas, people

https://youtu.be/MLYEgRLChwk

mrussel1

HughFreakingDillon said:

To all those saying someone needs to have kids to "get" christmas, read my previous post in this thread.

I LOVE the innocence of my girls and their belief in magic and whatnot.

I HATE perpetuating the lie (no, it did not scar me as a kid; I dont even remember the day I found out), and I HATE teaching them that Christmas is about gifts. We do our best not to, but let's be honest: the kids usually despise all that goes along with xmas; the dressing up, going to church (where they are as I type this), hanging out with adults, etc. It is all about presents to them. I grew up modestly, and didnt get a whole lot at xmas. We try to do the same for them. I honestly wish there was no xmas, as it is obviously a bastardized tradition to keep the economy moving. I was shopping for my wife the other day, and I couldn't help but feel like a complete hypocrite for participating in something I completely disagree with. But how does one go about exorcising the christmas demon now that they are 6 and 9 years into it? How cruel would that be? And my wife probably wouldnt be on board with it anyway. And who wants to be the weird adult who is known as the curmudgeon that hates christmas?

Well at least you didn't make it to church. I unsuccessfully avoided it this evening. I even tore the downstairs sink apart at 3PM in the hope that it would keep me home. Alas, I fixed it too quickly.

You really can't avoid it. You hit the nail on the head. You would be the weird dad and the kids would have to deal with that.

brianlux

Though sometimes a bit bah humbug, tonight Christmas gets almost a 10 for hearing this.
We got hale that froze- does that count?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GeZYm8Tt5c

TL170678

chadwick said:

ozzy & randy have always made me weep
such beauty heard nearby a christmas tree
its only perfection

merry christmas, people

https://youtu.be/MLYEgRLChwk

Pearl Jam should cover this....Would like to see how Mike plays Rhoads songs.

PJ_Soul

mrussel1 said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

To all those saying someone needs to have kids to "get" christmas, read my previous post in this thread.

I LOVE the innocence of my girls and their belief in magic and whatnot.

I HATE perpetuating the lie (no, it did not scar me as a kid; I dont even remember the day I found out), and I HATE teaching them that Christmas is about gifts. We do our best not to, but let's be honest: the kids usually despise all that goes along with xmas; the dressing up, going to church (where they are as I type this), hanging out with adults, etc. It is all about presents to them. I grew up modestly, and didnt get a whole lot at xmas. We try to do the same for them. I honestly wish there was no xmas, as it is obviously a bastardized tradition to keep the economy moving. I was shopping for my wife the other day, and I couldn't help but feel like a complete hypocrite for participating in something I completely disagree with. But how does one go about exorcising the christmas demon now that they are 6 and 9 years into it? How cruel would that be? And my wife probably wouldnt be on board with it anyway. And who wants to be the weird adult who is known as the curmudgeon that hates christmas?

Well at least you didn't make it to church. I unsuccessfully avoided it this evening. I even tore the downstairs sink apart at 3PM in the hope that it would keep me home. Alas, I fixed it too quickly.

You really can't avoid it. You hit the nail on the head. You would be the weird dad and the kids would have to deal with that.

The term "unsuccessfully avoided" term made me laugh.
I totally agree that having kids changes Xmas... some of those changes are cool, others are not, IMHO.

HughFreakingDillon

mrussel1 said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

To all those saying someone needs to have kids to "get" christmas, read my previous post in this thread.

I LOVE the innocence of my girls and their belief in magic and whatnot.

I HATE perpetuating the lie (no, it did not scar me as a kid; I dont even remember the day I found out), and I HATE teaching them that Christmas is about gifts. We do our best not to, but let's be honest: the kids usually despise all that goes along with xmas; the dressing up, going to church (where they are as I type this), hanging out with adults, etc. It is all about presents to them. I grew up modestly, and didnt get a whole lot at xmas. We try to do the same for them. I honestly wish there was no xmas, as it is obviously a bastardized tradition to keep the economy moving. I was shopping for my wife the other day, and I couldn't help but feel like a complete hypocrite for participating in something I completely disagree with. But how does one go about exorcising the christmas demon now that they are 6 and 9 years into it? How cruel would that be? And my wife probably wouldnt be on board with it anyway. And who wants to be the weird adult who is known as the curmudgeon that hates christmas?

Well at least you didn't make it to church. I unsuccessfully avoided it this evening. I even tore the downstairs sink apart at 3PM in the hope that it would keep me home. Alas, I fixed it too quickly.

You really can't avoid it. You hit the nail on the head. You would be the weird dad and the kids would have to deal with that.

I used to go to appease my wife. Several years ago I said "not going anymore". She wasnt impressed, but has learned to accept it.

hedonist

Hugh....Homer?

brianlux

As far as post-Christmas dumbness for too much "eat, drink and be merry" I score a 2.
ohhhhhhh me oh my.....

callen

Hugh, some new religious gusto's been added to my family unit. Holding strong and tempering it's influence. Had to take over Grace before dinner just to keep short AND give thanks to " Mother Nature/god".

Brian, Just have to stick with what you know your brains gonna approve. I strayed and paid. Brother in law with some honey bourbon. What a reminder to stick to good tequila.

brianlux

callen said:

Hugh, some new religious gusto's been added to my family unit. Holding strong and tempering it's influence. Had to take over Grace before dinner just to keep short AND give thanks to " Mother Nature/god".

Brian, Just have to stick with what you know your brains gonna approve. I strayed and paid. Brother in law with some honey bourbon. What a reminder to stick to good tequila.

I blame it on the evil sugar that's everywhere this time of year. The sugar made me do it!

HughFreakingDillon

hedonist said:

Hugh....Homer?

Best day ever! And I owe it all to skipping church!