christmas is evil

[Daniel Marsh]

1 hour ago, walla299 said:

I thought that was just "Easter is Evil." There's usually a few of those threads too.

As a kid the egg thing never made any sense to me . . .

In Elementary School,  I decorated a carton of eggs without boiling them.  Me and my clan took 4 each and started an egg fight by throwing them in the lunch room from behind the stage currtins.  We escaped thru the stage back door and walked in from the bathrooms after everyone else in the lunch room was finished throwing food at each other.  We moved around a lot to different schools when I was young, so we did that other schools too when it was not Easter season.  Our eggs hit others all over the far side of the room.

[Daniel Marsh]

Who feels holiday stress?
Knowing the statistics behind holiday stress can help you understand you’re not alone if the holidays cause you to feel naughty instead of nice. These 27 holiday stress statistics can help you understand what causes holiday stress, along with how to manage it to keep you from feeling like Scrooge about the whole holiday.

A 2018 study found that 88% of Americans felt stressed while celebrating the holidays. (Perrigo, via PR Newswire)
The American Psychological Association found that on average, more women than men report feeling stressed around the holidays. (American Psychological Association)
38% of female survey respondents reported being stressed about 2021 holiday costs. (Ellevest)
Of 2,000 U.S. survey respondents, 43% reported feeling more stressed about the 2021 holiday season than 2020. (Walgreens)
More women than men shoulder the responsibility of holiday shopping and planning, and report stress from the limited time available to get everything done. (APA)
A 2019 survey found that for Americans with children, holiday stress starts early — 27% of surveyed Americans begin to stress about the holidays by the beginning of November. (Total Brain)
Some of the most commonly felt negative emotions during the holidays include fatigue, stress, irritability, and sadness. (APA)
People aged 30 and younger are more likely to report a decrease in stress, rather than an increase. (APA)

A holiday study conducted by the American Psychological Association found that some of the leading holiday stressors for Americans are: lack of time; lack of money; commercialism or hype; pressure of giving or getting gifts; and staying on a diet. (APA)
One of the main holiday stressors a recent survey identified for U.S. residents was gifts getting delivered late or being lost in the mail. (Walgreens)
The same survey found that another key holiday stressor identified for Americans was safety and health around in-person holiday events and shopping during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. (Walgreens)
A 2019 survey found that 45.5% of Americans say that other holiday shoppers are the root of their stress during the holiday season. (Total Brain)
That same survey found that 31.7% of American shoppers would eliminate Black Friday, if given the chance. (Total Brain)
34% of Americans worry that work obligations will disrupt their planned holiday celebrations with friends and family. (APA)
A 2020 survey identified that 50% of respondents were worried about being able to afford any gifts during the holiday season. (Credit Karma)
The same survey found that a third of respondents felt financially unprepared for the 2020 holiday season. (Credit Karma)
People who feel increased stress due to the holidays are more likely than others to stress about the financial aspects of the holiday season. (APA)
Where is holiday stress the most prevalent?
Americans are very likely to find that their stress increases during the holiday season, rather than decreases. (APA)
A 2018 survey found that, based on the volume of search history for terms like “anxiety disorder” and “stress reduction” in December, the states with the most holiday stress are: North Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. (TermLife2Go)
The same survey found that the least stressed states around the holidays, using the same criteria for search results, are: Alaska; Wyoming; Washington, D.C.; Kansas; and South Carolina. (TermLife2Go)
Holiday stress tends to affect lower-middle income individuals more than other classes, who report feeling combined stress about work, lack of time to shop, and stress about money. (APA)

https://www.everlywell.com/blog/sleep-and-stress/holiday-stress-statistics/

[Neighbor]

1 hour ago, Vine Abider said:

And what about Festivus? 

 

That was "for the rest of us."

Secular Christmas is stressful to the breaking point for many a person I guess. 

Maybe it wouldn't be if Christians had a religious calendar one which declared Christmas to be in July  say the third Saturday of the month, and no gifts over token packages  that carried a message of love of Jesus were shared....

If kept to praise and worship of our Lord alone I suppose it would be a much smaller event too. And certainly no stress at all.

Pastor Gene Scott used to do His Resurrection Sunday message at December's Christmas services, lending light to the purpose of the incarnation of Yeshua come to shed his blood on the earth that many might be covered, washed white as snow and seen therefore are perfect and acceptable to God the Father.  I thought it novel and helpfully revealing.

[ayin jade]

12 hours ago, TreeFivew said:

His birthday is not mentioned, and it never mentioned celebrating it.

Cats are not mentioned in the bible either. So does that mean I shouldnt have a cat?

[ayin jade]

39 minutes ago, Daniel Marsh said:

Who feels holiday stress?
Knowing the statistics behind holiday stress can help you understand you’re not alone if the holidays cause you to feel naughty instead of nice. These 27 holiday stress statistics can help you understand what causes holiday stress, along with how to manage it to keep you from feeling like Scrooge about the whole holiday.

A 2018 study found that 88% of Americans felt stressed while celebrating the holidays. (Perrigo, via PR Newswire)
The American Psychological Association found that on average, more women than men report feeling stressed around the holidays. (American Psychological Association)
38% of female survey respondents reported being stressed about 2021 holiday costs. (Ellevest)
Of 2,000 U.S. survey respondents, 43% reported feeling more stressed about the 2021 holiday season than 2020. (Walgreens)
More women than men shoulder the responsibility of holiday shopping and planning, and report stress from the limited time available to get everything done. (APA)
A 2019 survey found that for Americans with children, holiday stress starts early — 27% of surveyed Americans begin to stress about the holidays by the beginning of November. (Total Brain)
Some of the most commonly felt negative emotions during the holidays include fatigue, stress, irritability, and sadness. (APA)
People aged 30 and younger are more likely to report a decrease in stress, rather than an increase. (APA)

A holiday study conducted by the American Psychological Association found that some of the leading holiday stressors for Americans are: lack of time; lack of money; commercialism or hype; pressure of giving or getting gifts; and staying on a diet. (APA)
One of the main holiday stressors a recent survey identified for U.S. residents was gifts getting delivered late or being lost in the mail. (Walgreens)
The same survey found that another key holiday stressor identified for Americans was safety and health around in-person holiday events and shopping during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. (Walgreens)
A 2019 survey found that 45.5% of Americans say that other holiday shoppers are the root of their stress during the holiday season. (Total Brain)
That same survey found that 31.7% of American shoppers would eliminate Black Friday, if given the chance. (Total Brain)
34% of Americans worry that work obligations will disrupt their planned holiday celebrations with friends and family. (APA)
A 2020 survey identified that 50% of respondents were worried about being able to afford any gifts during the holiday season. (Credit Karma)
The same survey found that a third of respondents felt financially unprepared for the 2020 holiday season. (Credit Karma)
People who feel increased stress due to the holidays are more likely than others to stress about the financial aspects of the holiday season. (APA)
Where is holiday stress the most prevalent?
Americans are very likely to find that their stress increases during the holiday season, rather than decreases. (APA)
A 2018 survey found that, based on the volume of search history for terms like “anxiety disorder” and “stress reduction” in December, the states with the most holiday stress are: North Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. (TermLife2Go)
The same survey found that the least stressed states around the holidays, using the same criteria for search results, are: Alaska; Wyoming; Washington, D.C.; Kansas; and South Carolina. (TermLife2Go)
Holiday stress tends to affect lower-middle income individuals more than other classes, who report feeling combined stress about work, lack of time to shop, and stress about money. (APA)

https://www.everlywell.com/blog/sleep-and-stress/holiday-stress-statistics/

I dont feel holiday stress. My family worked out how to celebrate without the stress long ago. 

[Neighbor]

 I recall sorrow more than I suffer stress. Sorrow does come visiting even now after eight years.

I lost my wife,  my love since my youth, at Christmas. We spent Christmas day at hospice where the wonderful people there worked constantly to control the pain of the awful illness that  took her life. So I suppose  I can identify somewhat with what pain others go through at Christmas. Maybe that emotion is called stress too.

One does scab over, but the scars we may gather, the dings we  may suffer as we sojourn, are real and they all do have effect upon what we do and feel going forward while encased in the flesh . especially so least for me at Chrsitmas

Fortunately God is merciful! He gives joy to hold onto as well. For me He has given me yet another spouse. And yes she too has her own scars from life's travels. Yet we bring a strand of strength to each other, counting it all joy. We can say Merry Christmas and mean it, perhaps al the more because of the sorrows and dings. We praise and thank God for his gifting us with each other's close company as life mates; latter years life mates.

So Christmas is evil can be a bit of humor, or a topic to look into ever so seriously, as stress eats at many of us if allowed. It also can be  the quiet awareness of a maturing joy for survivors those of us  kinda left behind, but not left alone, not at all.

A song to sooth my heart  even at Christmas Is  "I'll Fly Away".  Oh glory, glory to God .

 

[kwikphilly]

27 minutes ago, ayin jade said:

I dont feel holiday stress. My family worked out how to celebrate without the stress long ago. 

Me too Jadey!

I just had the best Christmas weekend since I was 5 yrs old- no Santa,no presents,no stress....  I was with my closest relative who now lives within 100 miles instead of 1200- such a Blessing,we all Know WHO we are celebrating & being surrounded by Loved ones makes it even better ....Jesus Came because God So Loved the world......  It's the Greatest Love Story ever Told,It's the " Once upon a Time" and the story continues to " Happily Ever After" on Resurrection Sunday

Anyone seeing that as evil is just not looking at it from the right perspective imo❤️

Stress? The birth of the Prince of PEACE..... Couldn't be a more Peaceful Time me thinks👌

[Vine Abider]

1 hour ago, Neighbor said:

Pastor Gene Scott used to do His Resurrection Sunday message at December's Christmas services, lending light to the purpose of the incarnation of Yeshua come to shed his blood on the earth that many might be covered, washed white as snow and seen therefore are perfect and acceptable to God the Father.  I thought it novel and helpfully revealing.

Gene & Melissa Scott - now there's a couple characters!  Haven't thought about him in a number of years.  Melissa still going strong in his place?

[Neighbor]

Don't know about strong, but yes she owns the rights to his collection and writings and is going on to some degree.

While he went  way over the top in his latter years I sure was enlightened listening to him rant on in his wild teaching sessions chomping on his cigar and wearing whatever costume hat he had for the night's teaching. He was "God's angry man". He sure believed in the tithe eh! Plus double portion month, and the three hundred of the Kings House. He was indeed a kick to watch.

[The_Patriot21]

You all should see how long you can keep this argument up. If this argument is still going in this thread next Christmas, I'll give everyone a glass of virtual eggnog.

It will set some kind of record I'm sure.