I love Christmas. I don't really care about the religious aspect of it but rather the time spent with my family is something I truly treasure. I think gifts are awesome as well since people always surprise me. Personally, I try my best to give something from the heart. Sometimes it is store bought at other times it isn't, but I try to think of the person as a whole and try to understand what would put a smile on their face. Last year I made my girlfriend a scrapbook and she absolutely loved it, more than the Ipod I gave her.
For those of you who dislike your family, then why do you spend time with them? If you truely don't like them then don't visit them. Screw em. I never understood the forced family get togethers. I don't like my dad's side of the family, a bunch of idiots, so when I was like 13 years old I made a decision that I didn't want to be around them and I haven't really even seen them since except at my sister's wedding and I didn't even speak to them.
Amen and pass the eggnog! Swoly, I've heard of the 6th of January thing too... my Argentinian friends called it 3 Kings Day. We don't really celebrate it, but make sure to keep our lights and decorations up until then. Whatever... we're having fun.
I do celebrate Christmas - but only as a minimally-commercial "family day". I'd rather follow God's "holy days" as appointed in the Old Testament (which will also be celebrated in heaven) than the "holidays" created by the Catholic Church to appease the masses. (Don't worry, no blood sacrifices or anything - just times of rest and reflecting on the glory of our God) It's actually the same reason I worship on Saturday rather than Sunday. It's certainly not a huge big deal - far from having anything to do with salvation and perhaps it's a bit nit-picky, but I figure why not?
No; little-to-no use for family, religion or gifts. But I do celebrate fast-food restaurants and virtually empty movie theaters in the middle of Oscar-film season.
