My wife gave me a present on Christas Eve. The present was my wife dressed in VERY sexy lingerie with Christmas color theme, then my wife said "well, aren't you going to unwrap your present?".
I REALLY enjoyed Christmas.
Does Our Being Former JWs Affect Our Enjoyment of XMas?
by minimus 30 Replies latest jw friends
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thetrueone
Quite frankly I could do without it, the overly commercialized hype is annoyingly old and unmodern.
The lights can be interesting to look at and they brighten up the neighborhood in the darkness of winter.
The kids get a kick out the anticipation of the gifts.
I can certainly see how people can get overly stressed out for the occasion with finding and buying gifts,
and perhaps the socializing aspect.
I've learned over the years to just make the whole affair easy and mellow.
Sometimes I've even traveled to the South Pacific during the holidays just to avoid
all the festivities, which is good because you come back in the first week in January and its all over.
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MsDucky
Minimus, this is going to sound like a joke; but it's true. I think I became a Jehovah's Witness because I hated holidays! I got baptized when I was 27. I could tell you a long story about being raised in a Holy-Ghost hellfire church (They had more meetings than witnesses--if you can believe that), but I'll spare you. Oh! And I have 6 sisters and 6 brothers! Need I say more. Dude, just let me have some peace and quiet! Thank you, Jesus!
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Finally-Free
I also was relieved to give up the holidays when I joined the JWs. I was usually broke in those days, and often unemployed. I love my family but I prefer to take them in small doses rather than 12 people all at once. Now we're up to about 30 people in the family, and I don't like large gatherings. This year I just had 2 friends over for dinner yesterday and we had a nice time.Today I'm just hiding at home with my leftovers. No shopping malls for me.
W
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paul from cleveland
I didn't enjoy the christmas celebration at my sisters house. It all seemed so empty and meaningless. I left as soon as I could after dinner.
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frankiespeakin
I don't particularly care for them. I try to get into the spirit but truthfully i have so many things of greater importance to me that I can't wait till New Years has come and gone and life gets back to normal.
I'm not a big eater so food at the holidays don't appeal to me, I don't like getting gifts either so i fake the smiles and thank yous.
I do like to watch children opening their gifts, but if they are spoiled brats and expecting the world well that's not too enjoyable. I know that many people have lost their homes, and jobs due to the economy so my rejoicing is kind of tempered with the bad news. The days are shorter which means less daylight and more depression but they start getting longer after the 21st so that to me is good news.
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Satanus
I haven't gotten into it. I tried, last yr. One of my customers gave me a small artificial tree. I finally got it set up a few days after christmass. Figured it was a start. This yr, didn't bother. Maybe, next yr.
S
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wobble
I would dearly love to festoon my house with lights, and flashing prancing reindeer and a bloody great Santa, but I live next door to my Uber-dub family, and it would be rubbing their faces in it, so I don't.
I did enjoy it as usual, loads of food and booze, and a long discussion with my niece about why she has left the Dubs and what her beliefs are now, a great day.
My wife, in her heart, would love to go even further than me, big tree ,the lot, but she would still feel a residual fear as she did it, she has spent her life riddled with guilt ,and fear of what people will think and say.
She was born into,and baptised in, the Roman Catholic cult, her parents then joined the JW cult when she was about three, bound to have the old guilt thing !
love
wobble
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Aussie Oz
its taken about 5 years to feel comfortable with anything xmas. I still have never done the house decorations, never had anything xmas in the house.
Each xmas with my new wifes family is just so laid back, friendly, nobody getting drunk and cranky, secret santa keeps the costs down. Just 15 or so really nice people who care about each other. I am lucky and priveledged to have been taken in by their love.
while i dont get into it too much, neither do they, and that suits me just fine.
Oz
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Bonnie_Clyde
Clyde and I don't get into it much. No tree, no decorations. But we have nothing against it. It surprises me that some of our "worldly" friends don't do much either, but it's mostly the ones who don't have kids. Our son and daughter-in-law aren't celebrating it either even though they have two children. They don't mind our granddaughter taking part in the school festivities though.