I hate Christmas

I admit – I hate Christmas.

Now, before you think I’m a Grinch, hear me out.

I love the fun parts of Christmas. I hate what it has become.

It’s mid-November and I’m already overwhelmed. I went to the store today to buy a household item and the lineups are already insane.  On a Tuesday morning in November? Ugh. The worst part is knowing the chaos has only just begun.

As a slightly introverted minimalist, the materialistic/busyness of Christmas makes me hate it. Everything gets busy and stressful, and then the questions from family start: “What do you want for Christmas?” which in most households is a normal, happy question, but it gives me anxiety.  Not only am I going to get a bunch of things I don’t need, but I’m also going to have to spend my hard-earned money (and time!) on buying Christmas gifts for others.  I also have to stand in long lineups (while feeling completely overwhelmed) to buy some meaningless gift someone told me they wanted.  

I don’t want to even spend one dollar on physical gifts. I want to have experiences. I want to spend time with family and laugh hysterically at stupid things. I want to bake cookies and build Gingerbread houses together. I want to make ugly t-shirts and decorate the house. I want to trudge through knee-high snow to find the perfect Christmas tree and cut it down together, then haul it all the way back and have some sketchy experience getting it home in the car while we laugh about the ridiculousness. I want to make memories and have fun. Isn’t that what Christmas is supposed to be about?

Today I went out and immediately felt like I don’t belong in this world. Is there somewhere better for me? Somewhere where I’m normal? I always feel like the black sheep because everyone wants gifts and wants to buy gifts.

I’m sure others feel this way about Christmas. It’s like we’re all just obligated to do it because it’s the norm, but does it have to be this way?

Can’t we make Christmas about family and fun again?