You guys would understand: How do you do this Festivus/Christmas crap

saywhat29

Okay so I try to explain this to 'wordly' people and they just blink but I still do not get this Christmas stuff. At work I have managers and coworkers who got me gifts and I'm trying to think if I should get them gifts as well. Do I get the people who gave me a gift a gift? if I don't, will they take offense? Do I buy them items around the same price as my gift and if I don't will they think I spent too litle or too much?

I can't wrap to save my life. I'm serious too- I just asked someone else to wrap for me and I was just gonna take my gift and saran wrap the gift until half the roll was gone.

I had a coworker who seemed a little annoyed that I got her a gift just because she got me a gift and told me I didn't hve to do that but how could I not?

Again, I'm not big on this holiday. You do go from believing Jehovah is watching you when you play the five finger jive to a atheist and 'do Christmas, right? I mean I get its a commercialized holiday like any other and hardly has any connotations to God, Jesus, or any holy baby born in a barn anymore...

But its like, when in Rome, you know?

So how do you all deal around this time? I've never celebrated Christmas before so I'm kinda clueless and I feeel weird because I'm a grown man who can't 'do' a holiday... I mean how many weird looks can you get from people when you say you can't wrap a gift when well you've never been given a gift that was wrapped?

undercover

Ya know...even though we may be free of the WT's influence of hating xmas and avoiding any and all aspects of it, it still doesn't mean that we have to be unduly influenced to going overboard the other way.

I enjoy certain aspects of xmas but I don't decorate or buy a tree or any of that crap. I do not buy gifts for everybody and their brother. Money's too hard to come to waste it on meaningless gifts just because 'you're supposed to'.

If co-workers buy you a gift, it should be from the heart, not because they expect one (at the same value) in return. If they do, they certainly don't deserve anything.

I get occasional gifts from people who just love giving gifts. There's one girl I work with. She gives me a gift every year. And every year I say thank you and then say, "I'm sorry but I didn't buy you a gift. I'm not much of a gift giver..." and she has no problem with it. She says that she didn't buy it to embarrass me but because she wanted to. That's the true spirit. And I appreciate it.

I show my xmas spirit by bringing in food and buying drinks for my department. I'll give a couple of bottles of booze to my bosses and that's about it. If invited to xmas parties, I always bring a host/hostess gift and a nice bottle of wine, of which one should do whether it's xmas or not.

If one enjoys giving gifts and wants to get caught up in all things xmas, go for it, but it you don't want to, don't let people force you to partake in something that you don't really care about.

thetrueone

I down play it very much, it just another bullshit crap that been orchestrated by religion,

bullshit and religion are synonymous with one another if you haven't noticed.

If everyone is doing it and this still happens in companies, bite your tongue and

go along with it and if you need to learn how to wrap a gift I'm sure you can find

some info on the Net . A lot of companies do not do this any more because it insults

people who are not Christian or of another religious faith.

Or plan B tell them you do not celebrate Christmas because your a JW and it is not part of your faith.

there can be certain backlash effects though that you have to aware of.

HappyGuy

YOu need to drink a couple of cold ones or smoke some weed or take some prozac and chill out.

Christmas is about enjoying friendship and family, giving freely and wholeheartedly, putting up beautiful decorations to offset the gloomy winter.

How is giving people you care about gifts "commercialized", what do you want to do make the gifts from scratch yourself. Okay, buy a loom I guess, or build a welding shop in your garage.

I'm not a Christain, I could care less about the Jesus fable. That really has nothing to do with it.

Wintertime is gloomy, if there was no Jesus instead of Christmas we would have something else to brighten up and cheer up the gloom.

Human beings needs reasons to share together, to come together, to celebrate together, we are social animals. If we didn't have "Christmas" we would make something else up.

The best gifts are things that you can only know to give beause you know the person well.

Its not that hard. If you have room put up a real tree and decorate it. If you dont have room get a smaller artificial tree and decorate that. Put up some lights. THINK about your friends, co workers and family in terms of what kind of gifts would they like based on things you know about them. I gave some co workers each a red Swingline stapler one year becaause they were all talking about the movie Office Space. They all LOVED it.

Wrapping presents just takes a little practice, don't be afraid to throw some of the wrapping paper away because you mess up. Just do the best you can. Why do you need to tell anyone you can't wrap a gift?

If you know that people are going to be getting you gifts, then you get them gifts too. Doesn't have to be expensive, the thoughtful gifts are the best. Like refrigerator magnets with their bail bondsman's phone number on them, you know something practical. That way you avoid the whole awkwardness of having to give a lecture when someone was just being thoughtful.

I was in the cult for 22 years and went through all the same things you are, but I came to realize that times for joyousness are precious and we should take part. No one really cares about the pagan origins. I don't think they really care about the Jesus fable. I know I don't. I still LOVE Christmas though.

dissed

Gift wrapping??

Funny, I have the same problem. Wrapping stuff is hard, but is my job, so I do it.

Lesson one: Start your wrapping with a glass of Scotch. Absolutely will improve your frame of mind and help put you in the Xmas mood. No need to pray for the Spirit to help, it comes more natural this way.

Lesson Two: Use packing tape. Looks ugly, but my fingers can't use the little tape, especially after using the Scotch.

Lesson Three: Pour yourself another glass of Scotch

Lesson Four: Check the TV for any sports games. Will help you stay more focused while wrapping gifts

Lesson Five: Always keep your sense of humor. I write little notes on the cards that have clues to what is inside. For instance, my daughters electric shaver, "No Gorillas allowed!"

Lesson Six: After each gift is wrapped, I laugh sadistically while placing it under the tree. It's my 'feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction thingy'

Lesson Seven: After wrapping all the gifts, pour yourself another glass of Scotch, you deserve it.

And don't forget, the JW stuff in time will wear off. Just relax and try not to be cheap in gift giving. (the JW's invented that).

Its being generous, not with the money, but the thought that really counts.

beksbks

Its being generous, not with the money, but the thought that really counts.

This is sooooo true. One mother's day, my husband picked me up after work, and while driving in the car, handed me a card with a hundred dollar bill in it. It's the most disappointing gift I ever got. I would have been so much happier with a $5 paperback, or pair of earrings. Strictly because of the thought and effort put into it.

undercover

HappyGuy, I can appreciate your position. You love xmas and you're going to enjoy it and I'm glad that you're doing so.

I also appreciate your point about not being christian yet still enjoying it. I have a good non-JW friend who is a confirmed atheist, yet xmas is his favorite holiday. He goes all out. Decorations on the house, big ass tree, xmas songs on his ipod and home music stereo, even caroling. He grew up with the tradition and wants to keep it in his family as his kids grow. His xmas spirit is infectious as I get more xmassy whenever I'm around him.

But at the same time, while I appreciate his enthusiasm and his traditions, I didn't grow up with them. I have no traditions, the season doesn't mean that much to me personally.

I have allowed myself to enjoy the aspects of the season that appeal to me but ignore the aspects that don't appeal to me. I'm not going to join in the mall madness or rearrange all my furntiure just to bring in a dying tree. I'm not buying gifts just to fit in.

That's whats great about freedom from the WT. We don't have to hate xmas just because the bOrg told us to. We can love it and embrace it. We can tolerate it. We can hate it. We have the freedom to treat it the way we want to, not the way some cult religion wants us to.

So more power to the xmas lovers and more power to the scrooges. I say do what you want, not what you think everyone expects you to do.

beksbks

Aaaahhh UC, as you point out how free we are and what an individual choice it is, you slammed the pro xmas types with your "dying tree" comment.

Rebecca, of the atheists who love christmas class

undercover

beks, you're looking lovely today (new avatar)...

Yes, individual choice allows me the freedom to point out the illogic of sacrificing a plant to celebrate the winter solstice

As the great Johnny Fever said as he brought Jennifer the receptionist a tree for xmas:

"In honor of xmas, we killed this tree"

undercover, of the prefers xmas booze class

cantleave

Satwhat29 I know exactly what you are talking about. At least nugget can wrap presents for me.

You guys would understand: How do you do this Festivus/Christmas crap

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