I hate Christmas

Call me a Grinch, but I can't stand Christmas. You know it was fun as a kid, but now its just a little old. If I could celebrate with my 2 year old nephew then maybe it would be a little bit more fun.

There is just way too much pressure associated around Christmas. Every family member I talked to about what they want for Christmas goes like this; "you don't have to get me anything for X-mas", well I have to at least get you something, "no don't worry you don't have to get me anything".

So this makes me constantly wandering around malls trying to find something. And just by the sheer numbers of the people in the mall you all bound to run into somebody that you know. And its never that cute girl you met at the bar, who left before you grabbed her number. Its always that ex co-worker that you never talked to at work, so then you have to make stupid conservation.

So this weekend I tried to do some x-mas shopping, and failed miserably. The only thing that I bought was a suit for myself. Then I decided to hop in a 12 bars of Christmas bar crawl. I figured that this made up for not buying anything.

But what really drives my nuts about Christmas is how people think that it is some giant holy day. Well most of Christmas tradition are Pagan rituals. The tree, the stockings, the bearded man that flies in the sky. Yep these are Pagan beliefs. I'm not hating on Pagan's, but most Catholics believe that Pagan's are evil. Which there not.

Because Pagan traditions are rooted in Christmas there was a time Christmas was banned in Boston. And anyone caught celebrating was fined.

"For preventing disorders arising in several places within this jurisdiction, by
reason of some still observing such festivals, as were superstitiously kept in
other countries, to the great dishonor of God and offense to others:
It is
therefore ordered by this Court and the authority thereof, that whosoever shall
be found observing any such day as Christmas or the like, either by forbearing
labour, feasting, or any other way upon any such account as aforesaid, every
such person so offending, shall pay five shillings as a fine to the country."

But what I the NASA/Santa Claus relationship a interested one. Because during Apollo 8 mission the crew reported seeing Santa Claus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBRnSZ0b6Rg

What do you think NASA meant by Santa Claus?
Well I have today off, and instead of staying warm on this cold day I have to go out and try and get some x-mas done. I hate it.