It's Christmas tomorrow. This is my favorite time of the year mostly because of all the Christmas lights and decorations people have outside their house. I love how everywhere is so festive. I have commandeered the cooking for tomorrow, mostly because i want to hone my skills. I will be making some Chin-chin, meat pies (the one from 2 days ago was a practice run), fried rice, pepper soup and ogbono soup. I'm already tired when all i've done is season the meat. LOL. In my defense, we are talking about 5 pots of meat here.
As much as i love Christmas, i haven't been able to get into the gift giving and receiving that is such a HUGE part of Christmas in America. Honestly, i am quite put off by it. I understand the origin of it, the three wise men and gifts for baby Jesus, but that's not what's going on these days. What really annoys me more than anything, are the people who after every Christmas complain about the crappy gifts they received. In my head, i'm always screaming "some people didn't get anything, you ungrateful little beast". These are usually grown people. Although, granted, if you get people really nice gifts, you would want something nice in return. Why are gifts being exchanged in the first place? It's not your birthday. Most people don't even acknowledge Jesus in all of this. It's all about what gifts you are going to receive, especially with the children. People rack up huge debts because they want to buy gifts for their kids for Christmas. Like i said, it's not their birthday so i don't get it.What am i missing here?
Growing up in Nigeria, Christmas meant new clothes and good food. By the time i was a teenager, we didn't even get Christmas clothes any more. That was for little kids. I certainly wasn't writing a Christmas list and demanding gifts on Jesus's birthday. Seeing how i would most likely be raising my kids in this place, i don't intend to partake in this exchanging of gifts for Christmas. Your birthday should suffice. I really think it's ridiculous. I guess it should be obvious by now that i don't give or receive gifts at Christmas. I got a gift on the first Christmas i spent in this country, but it wasn't exactly a positive, warm, fuzzy feeling experience for me, thanks to my step mother, the gift giver. Anyhoo, i think a friend also sent me stuff on two separate Christmases but i just thought she didn't have anything else to do with her money. I know that sounds ungrateful but i'm just being honest and i was grateful (before you people cuss me in your mind. I used to have awesome friends back in the day though, i have to give them that). I've never given anyone something for Christmas and don't plan to start that "mandatory" tradition.
Maybe I'm just a Grinch and need to get into the commercialized spirit of Christmas. It's never too late to change. Merry Christmas.
ETA
Bad Gift? UPS sees high volume of returns....My point exactly!!!!!
As much as i love Christmas, i haven't been able to get into the gift giving and receiving that is such a HUGE part of Christmas in America. Honestly, i am quite put off by it. I understand the origin of it, the three wise men and gifts for baby Jesus, but that's not what's going on these days. What really annoys me more than anything, are the people who after every Christmas complain about the crappy gifts they received. In my head, i'm always screaming "some people didn't get anything, you ungrateful little beast". These are usually grown people. Although, granted, if you get people really nice gifts, you would want something nice in return. Why are gifts being exchanged in the first place? It's not your birthday. Most people don't even acknowledge Jesus in all of this. It's all about what gifts you are going to receive, especially with the children. People rack up huge debts because they want to buy gifts for their kids for Christmas. Like i said, it's not their birthday so i don't get it.What am i missing here?
Growing up in Nigeria, Christmas meant new clothes and good food. By the time i was a teenager, we didn't even get Christmas clothes any more. That was for little kids. I certainly wasn't writing a Christmas list and demanding gifts on Jesus's birthday. Seeing how i would most likely be raising my kids in this place, i don't intend to partake in this exchanging of gifts for Christmas. Your birthday should suffice. I really think it's ridiculous. I guess it should be obvious by now that i don't give or receive gifts at Christmas. I got a gift on the first Christmas i spent in this country, but it wasn't exactly a positive, warm, fuzzy feeling experience for me, thanks to my step mother, the gift giver. Anyhoo, i think a friend also sent me stuff on two separate Christmases but i just thought she didn't have anything else to do with her money. I know that sounds ungrateful but i'm just being honest and i was grateful (before you people cuss me in your mind. I used to have awesome friends back in the day though, i have to give them that). I've never given anyone something for Christmas and don't plan to start that "mandatory" tradition.
Maybe I'm just a Grinch and need to get into the commercialized spirit of Christmas. It's never too late to change. Merry Christmas.
ETA
Bad Gift? UPS sees high volume of returns....My point exactly!!!!!
Hohoho no wonder Santa flew over your chimney Grouchy Sting.
ReplyDeleteLast year, when i was in school I didnt really notice the gift exchanges cos students went home but this year I'm with a family so I can appreciate.
Its a bit annoying i must admit but well, when in Rome you gotta do like em..or your kids will be told they re unloved by their parents...
Merry Christmas anyway and have a wonderfully blessed and cookful day :p
ReplyDeletep.s. No tree was harmed in the sending of this message. Is this pc enough for you?
lol.....It is pc enough for me. My kids will feel the love without the presents. There are always ways around it. I could turn Jehovah's witness which would be worse for them since they don't celebrate birthdays and christmas :)
ReplyDeleteLol I love how honest you are, hahaha. Christmas is so commercialized in this country, to the extent that some people "celebrate" it the day after to take advantage of boxing day sales.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, to each their own. Merry Christmas!
Lol! Growing up in Ghana was the same! If I ever end up raising kids anywhere outside of Ghana - they won't be gettinggifts at Christmas, not like the way it is around these parts.
ReplyDeleteGifts don't bother me. It's the grousing that does. Even now, the fun of receiving gifts has been eclipsed by gift cards and foolishness like that. No more thoughts go into it anymore.
and then you have the idiots who buy hundreds of dollars of gifts they can't afford for their kids. WHY? Why go into debt to buy presents? I don't gerrit.
Merry Christmas, btw. I forgot to add.
ReplyDelete"Most people don't even acknowledge Jesus in all of this" - that is what bothers me more than the gift exchange.Children have been taught that christmas is all about presents. the best message i saw this season was "Remember the CHRIST in CHRISTmas, he is the reason for the season".
ReplyDeletei've never really liked christmas, i dont know why :(
ReplyDeleteSadly, this year was no different. I feel everything about this season is so cliche' and superficial.
wow, someone's getting her cooking groove on hey!
Loooolll, I guess I am rebel like you. In the recent years, I just couldn't wait for christmas to be over. It has really lost its essence as it is now commercialized
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas and happy new year in advance
I totally feel you on this one ...everything is so commercialize and the worst part is when friends starts requesting for gifts and giving out Christmas wish list...smh
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year in advance miss
Christmas has always and will continue to be a special period for me! It's good its towards the end of the year and it gives me the opportunity to look back the long way I've come and then give thanks to God is a special way!
ReplyDeleteThough a lot of people have their different views as to what Christmas means to them, but then, it all boils down to frivolities when its not celebrated on the Christ in CHRISTmas!