Are you Christmas-retarted?

by Thegoodgirl 40 Replies latest jw friends

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  Darth Yhwh

  The (ex) JW that my daughter dated gave her a Christmas present...she was so impressed, he used comic pages paper to wrap it in. I bet he was not able to cross that line in his mind into the Christmas paper thing...this gave him a way out of having to use paper with Santas or Greetings all over it.

  Thats not it at all! I did this once before also. It's one of two things: A) He's too cheap to buy wrapping paper of B) He's not used to giving gifts and didn't even think about wrapping paper until it was too late.

  In my situation it was more of the type A scenario than B but I justified it by reasoning that comic paper would be "cute" and humorous. Bottom line is, I was being a cheap bastard. But that was me at that time. LOL.
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  Ned

  It's less stressful for our non-JW family members. I mean, we all "gave" gifts when we were JWs, but now we don't "hide" behind the line "oh, I found this on one of those great sales" lies and "come over for dinner on the 25th, we'll all be home."

  But, my wife made me put up lights last weekend (Chicago is COLD). I'd rather be in front of the TV watching football.
• 

  serendipity

  Hi Ned, welcome to the forum!
• 

  Thegoodgirl

  Welcome, Ned! Hope you weren't crazy enough to go to that Chicago Bears game last weekend. Just watching it on TV made me shiver for those crazy fans.

  Thanks for the reminders, everyone. REMEMBER THE REASON FOR THE SEASON. (Just Kidding.)
• 

  Aude_Sapere

  A few years back I was given a unique gift at work. Someone made up a BUNCH of containers of cookie ingredients in a cute, seasonal jar and attached the directions with ribbon. All the dry ingredients were pre-mixed and pre-measured.

  If you make up a bunch of something like that, keep a few in your car and on your kitchen counter, slap a bow on top of each and you are ready to join in the festivities.

  Of course, you can still join in even if you don't reciprocate. But it is funner to get into the 'giving' mode.

  -Aude.
• 

  hideme

  Oh yeah... we don't really celebrate, because we're still in...but my thoughts about christmas are a little changing, so the children can do whatever they like in school now, I won't punish them for doing some christmas thing.

  But it's so sad... We are al retarded. Yesterday one of our children came home with a little wound ... she held a christmastree decoration in her hand and because she doesn't have any experiences whatsoever regarding christmas...she didn't know it was all glass... and so it broke in her hands and wounded her . She's almost twelve y/o. Isn't that sad? It hurt me, too.
• 

  greendawn

  I have enjoyed celebrating Christmas for a long time but I have a ceiling on the money I spend, I enjoy the Christmas tree with all its ornaments, the seasonal music and good food (but not too much) with friends, and giving some presents.
  
  It's the ambience that is great, when everyone feels merry and relaxed.
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  Mysterious

  Oh god am I ever retarded. I even tried to get people to promise not to buy me anything because I didn't have a lot of money to spend on gifts but they still got me stuff. The last couple years friends have invited me over to have a "real" christmas since none of my family celebrates and I feel so much in culture shock over all their customs and traditions. I thought I at least knew what christmas was about but I apparently know less than I thought. I levelled with my boyfriend but he says he feels the same way even being raised with christmas..but then aren't guys all clueless. I asked him if he wants something he'll like or something that's a surprise. He'd rather have something he likes so we worked out what he wants and that should solve that. But still going to his house @_@ clueless..
• 

  Sheepish

  Mysterious, just enjoy the time. Just think, you get to approach it all with childlike wonder and anticipation at an age you can also appreciate what went into it on behalf of your hosts.

  Merry Christmas!

  Oh, and Hiya Ned!
• 

  bailabklyn

  I'm XMas-challenged. i have trouble saying "Merry Christmas" and don't feel it makes any sense to actually.

  The gift thing feels like an obligation. It really does. The card thing also feels like an obligation. So I haven't bougt any cards and haven't purchased any gifts.

  i was invited to a friend's family's house for Christmas Day ... but I declined. I really don't want to DO Christmas.

  I WOULD however celebrate Saturnalia. That makes more sense to me. The obligatory red, green, etc .... stockings, same-ol-same ol Christmas thing turns me off. I feel like if and when I DO celebreate it, it'll be different. I want it to mean something personally since I don't understand nor appreciate the traditions.