Nightmare before Chrsitmas

Posted on 2006/12/21 11:47:33 (December 2006).

[21st December 2006]

Ok, I don't like Christmas all that much. I am a cynic sad person who doesn't like all the spending spree that ensues every year around the end of December.

It's fake, pre-packed.

I hate the fact that we all have to be happy and nice, I mean, I am nice all year around, why do I have to wait for Christmas to get some people in the elevator to return my "hello" or "how are you"?

On the other side the world needs Christmas. Both for economic and hope related reasons.

The first one is simple, the system as it is is clearly bound to fail, debts piling up year after year, but the show must go on and people buy more and more.
In Italy we reached the absurd point where IF you ask for a dilation of payments you get massive discounts on goods, while if you pay in cash you get only the full price.

THIS IS ABSURD!!!

Everyone is spending more than they actually have, and then complain for bank charges and interest rates that are bordering illegality.

The other point is more tricky. It seems that compared to when I was a kid, people have got more but they are also a lot more stressed/unhappy... Christmas is that time of the year when things are better, when things are meant to work out and be nice.
It's like when you take a pain killer, you need it to get some peace of mind/body and it feels bloody good.
How many times since I come back to Italy have I heard "Oh, come on it's Christmas!!". Today I have seen one of these ambulant sellers (there are scores of them in Italy, mostly immigrants), that got a sale on the sole account that it was Christmas, and the old lady didn't just walked away as usual.
I think that more than the five euro sale the guy needed the hope that the world might not be as bad as it is for him.

Suddenly people that you haven't heard is AGES send you cards, emails with wishes and even phone calls sometimes. Here kicks in another social stigmata, the fact that you feel obliged to reply to a certain mail, even if it is someone that you hardly remember...

Do I think like that because I always struggle with presents at the last time? Maybe.
I also have bad memories of the huge family meetings, where really we liked the luch and everything, but the games and talks later, until very late... Well, nobody really wanted to be there but we "had" to...

Tricky party Christmas, but on the other side, I would quite miss it if it wasn't there, as I did when I was living in Japan and went to classes on the 24th and 25th of December as any other normal day (as it is in non Christian countries).
I'd miss the contradictions, the present stress, the traffic on the day before Christmas, the stupid amount of useless trinkets that I always seems to get, the fake joy at a present that is clearly not nice at all.

When in the year can you get a concoction of all these features in one day?

Class!

I love Christmas!

Happy Christmas Lox, and I hope a prosperous New Year.

Posted by Mad Mumsie at 2006/12/21 11:57:28.

What is Chrsitmas?

Posted by Mad Mumsie at 2006/12/21 11:58:13.

Christmas Chaos....
Had a bit of a flat spot with work recently... three or four weeks worth so things are somewhat squeezed for Chrimbo... Anyway, built myself up ready to attack the shops and do it all in one hit... Went out to my car only to find that it's as dead as a Dodo... now I've got to do a thousand trips on my Triumph motorbike with rucksack in the crappy weather... Merry flippin Christmas.

Posted by Jerry at 2006/12/21 12:49:55.

Jerry: typical man, leave it all to the last minute, then complain when things don't go exactly to plan ;)

Posted by Mad Mumsie at 2006/12/21 14:14:40.

I understand you Lox, but that's how the world works, dude! You can ask to get off if you want :-)

Look at the good sides of Xmas: Friday we'll have a Xmas Pugi cena at Ivan and Angela's place :-)

P.S. I'll bring you your WiFi equipment.

Posted by Federico at 2006/12/21 15:11:03.

Good points Lox. I guess it's the same in most countries then - not just the UK! There's certainly a ot of hypocrisy around at Christmas time. So I say live by rules of your own making. Be happy if you want to be, eat, drink and be merry - and bugger every one else! (not literally of course :()) Like you I choose to be nice to people all year, not just during one mad week. To anybody else who decides to limit their favours, I say: "Bah! Humbug!"" ;)))

Posted by Nigel at 2006/12/21 15:51:57.

Point taken Mad Mumsie.. I'll endeavour to do better.
Just got back from the previously said shopping on the Triumph.. In actual fact it was a good experience... Easy parking.. easy traffic negotiation.. and the constriction of the said rucksack meant that I didn't go stupid on excessively large gifts.. So all in all a good learning curve. Merry Christmas to all in "La Maison"

Posted by Jerry at 2006/12/21 16:04:00.

MM: Point taken! But really it's not as bad it is seems, just that Christmas is not like it used to be when I was a kid, world shining and all...
As for shopping I am the worst I have left it to SATURDAY when half of the world will be out looking for presents, Marta is coming down tomorrow so we'll shop together...

Well I know that the post was going to be "unpopular" under certain points of view, it's just that now, grown up and all, the glossy paint of a Christmas period has gone a bit away. But as I said in the end I actually like it, it was not as sarcastic as it might have appeared...
I am waiting for my sis to come down with her kids, it's going to bring back the party as it is meant to be done!

Jerry: Wow motorbike shopping! That ought to be nice though, not having to fend the traffic with a car but cruising coolly without waiting too much time!

Fede: I'll be there! :D

Posted by Lox at 2006/12/21 16:17:52.

It's a vision, or better "Weltaschaung", too materialistic and pessimitic.
You seem the New, young Marx....

If you are interested, I can explain why you obtain a discount using consumer credit.

Welcome back and happy Christmas!!! W the Capitalism......

Posted by Jack at 2006/12/23 12:41:04.

Jack yes I' love to have a proper explanation, it really escapes my comprehension why companies would much rather have cash later than have it on the spot... It's just that it's terribly scary, too many people are getting debts over a TV or a piece of furniture, are we going to end up like Korea where households are allowed to declare bankruptcy?

Posted by Lox at 2006/12/23 14:24:44.

bah! humbug!

Posted by Sheri at 2006/12/27 09:40:32.

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