How come?

Wow, I'm only the one of four who hates Christmas.

My parents are both working on Christmas Day and my brother has decided to go to Queensland. My sisters all live overseas so basically I'm going to be lonely and depressed. Yay!

Due to the different timezones there'll be plenty of people to talk to here.

(it's not very practical for me though, when I really need to go to sleep, it goes al busy...)

hear hear!

I love christmas! I get to see family and friends I don't often see, get to eat good food, vacation from work/studies and there's presents. With a bit of luck, we get proper snow and dark, snowy winter evenings outside when it's cold and crisp can get so magical sometimes. This year, I'm also looking forward to taking the boat out for fishing with my girlfriend. I figure I'll see if I can catch anything in our crab pots too. I've never tried that around christmas before. It might get a bit cold for him, but I was also hoping I bring my nephew and teach him how to catch and bring home a meal. A thermos of hot cocoa might make the cold ocean bearable. :)

Summary : Christmas = pretty great!

"with a bit of luck we get proper snow".
I always thought that was always the case in Norway.
Misinformed again?
That's one of the reasons I would want to live in Scandinavia :).

Well, it depends on where you are! I celebrate christmas on the very southern tip of the country and snow there is not guaranteed, although I think it's nice and snowy at present so it probably will be at christmas too.

When I lived up on Svalbard, there was snow most of the year. All the year just up on the glaciers and mountains, actually. :)

I like the build-up to Christmas and the whole festive atmosphere in the centre of towns and cities. But when Christmas finally comes it just feels like an anti-climax and it's over in a short space of time. St. Stephen's day/Boxing Day or whatever you want to call it is far better, especially going out on the piss that night. The last few years have been seriously epic, anything could happen.

Get a bit more drink into you this Christmas :D

All your talk of snow made me think of another reason why I hate Christmas. Because I don't get snow and instead it's always disgustingly, stinking hot and sweaty!

Well there's snow overhere at some places already, here's a picture of a friend of mine who lives in the province Groningen, in the North of the Netherlands:
http://ebenau.net/files/sneeuw-261110-9.jpg
It's not much, but it's there.

And then, a picture from the province of Friesland, which is next to Groningen:
http://www.waldnet.nl/repo/1290772707/2.jpg
Three flakes of snow and the dutch can't drive anymore.
I love driving on deserted roads in the snow, having a drift now and then.
But I always keep my car under control. I guess these people trust too much of these fancy electronic gimmicks. My car hasn't got... well... any of those. Just airbags.

I went searching for Svalbard and I discovered it's an Island to the north of Norway.
I didn't know that belonged to Norway as well. Looks very pretty to me :)

Where do you live now?
(I like to do a little bit of streetviewing ;D).

Cool that you have snow in Netherlands! I've been there quite a bit as I had a girlfriend who lived in the Hague some years ago. I didn't often see snow there, but I remember one time in particular, there was a real blizzard just as I was about to board the plane back to Norway .. of course we got stuck for hours. ;)

To be exact, Svalbard is not an island, but an archipelago! The island I lived on would be Spitsbergen. Actually, Svalbard was discovered by a dutch explorer, Willem Barentsz, in 1596. The first permanent settlement there established in the early 1600s was called Smeerenburg and you guys were whaling up there until the 1800s. The region has an interesting history :)

The Hague. That's probably the worst city to drive a car here.
It's not my piece of cake, that city. But I get there a few times a year as I have some friends living there (I have friends throughout the entire country, which is really practical!).

It really doesn't happen that often here. Last winter was the most snow I've seen in my life so far.
http://stijnkraft.ebenau.net/daily/2010/february/17.jpg
That's me. And I have no idea what that chair was doing there.

Here's some pics and video's of last winter:





http://stijnkraft.ebenau.net/daily/2010/february/27.jpg

http://stijnkraft.ebenau.net/daily/2010/february/16.jpg

http://stijnkraft.ebenau.net/daily/2...ry/rtrt/95.JPG

http://stijnkraft.ebenau.net/daily/2010/january/30.jpg

http://stijnkraft.ebenau.net/daily/2009/december/22.jpg

So, yeah, we have snow here. But it's rare.
And last winter was just... Incredible. God I loved it.

Which is funny, since we have a town here called Spitsbergen.
Wonder which one came first ;)

And died there, but that's not the point ;D

I love Christmas. Getting the whole family together and having a great time - it's the only time we get to see everybody! Giving and receiving gifts is nice too, but being with the fam is the best part.

Yeah, I do. Presents, food, and the freedom to be carefree and not worry about anything. Sure. Plus, Christmas marks my birthday coming(my birthday is in January).

Mmm... Looking forward to all the lights and the food.
Can we post pictures of our christmas decorations here as well?

*proudly stands up and says I*

What is it about not liking christmas that makes you proud?

I've only once had a white winter Christmas - which was in Antarctica!

This is a kiwi Christmas:

http://www.timezoneoneblog.com/wp-co...-christmas.bmp

http://www.corporateeventsguide.co.n...BQ-Off_041.jpg

http://img4.myrecipes.com/i/recipes/...-1087023-l.jpg

All of your pictures are gorgeous, but I wanted to comment on how absolutely adorable this cat is!

That was a joke. Like Janszoon, I don't believe in the relgious aspect of it, only unlike him - I don't even celebrate it. It also has no traditional or sentimental value to me because most of my family doesn't. So I didnt grow up with it either. I do love the season and def see the appeal, but it's not my thing.

Haha, I'll tell him that when he wakes up.
And yes, Frits (the cat) is really really adorable.
He's very sweet, very interested in people and very talkative.
Everybody here loves Frits :)

i'll be spending my second christmas in northern germany this year. the holidays seemed a lot more festive and genuine there, a lot less about commercialism etc. new years was also pretty crazy, everyone in town setting off fireworks everywhere, not like here where its illegal

Overhere we're allowed to set off fireworks starting on the 31th of december at 10 o'clock in the morning.
Problem is, in Belgium, fireworks are less expensive and more exciting, so people are already buying them now. Since the closer you get to newyear, the more they will check at the border whether you have illegal fireworks with you.
So I hear a bang now and then already. I'm fine with that.
I usually buy a little big of fireworks and enjoy the show the others make :).

people who say don't get me anything
so you don't, really- just like a card or something.

Then they get you some really extravagant gift.

KJFGNAJKHFILILFjiajfjilasILAHFIAUSHFl

My whole family is like that. Drives me bananas. That is my only qualm with christmas, other than it's pretty much take it or leave it.

My family are the opposite. They tell you not to get anything and mean it. So nobody really gives anybody anything at Christmas. All we do is show up at my grandparents' house, make awkward conversation while watching football, eat dinner, and then leave. What's even the point?

Are we related? Only difference is we go out to this restaurant because no one wants to have it at their house or clean up. My mom doesn't mind hosting but no one wants to drive the 2 hours just to eat dinner.

We'd never do the restaurant thing. I guess we're traditional, but we just don't care enough to act like it.

I'm one of those people who says get me a gift or don't let me even see your ****in face on Christmas or it's Eve. Jesus got gold and perfume on his birthday and this is me that we're talking about so I guess gold and perfume is your base gift level to work up from. And if I got you a gift and you didn't return the favour I'll burn that **** right in front of your eyes if you don't get me one by New Years. And if your gift sucks I'm going to be pissed.

This threads getting me excited for Christophemas!

Spoi-lllllllllleddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd

Too much dicking about with money and worrying about presents. If it was just about getting pissed, eating food and spending time with family then fine, but there's too much pressure for people to spend. I personally don't give a shit about receiving gifts, I've got my own money to buy what I want, plus you return the favour so you don't really get a gift, it's just a swap and typically you end up with something you wouldn't have bought for yourself if it wasn't Christmas.

http://pigroll.com/img/this_year_for_my_birthday.jpg

I enjoy any excuse to hang with my cool ****in family (well one side is cool at least), get a little ****ed up, and have great conversation. The occasional gifts, always from my parents and grandparents, sometimes from others, are just a nice bonus.

Then again, I have a family I see often and connect with. They're all pretty young, vibrant people. That's a pretty crucial point when considering enjoyment of holidays.

****, man. My family are pure-blooded Irish Catholic, but they almost never drink. I feel jipped. If I had a family of proper alcoholics then Christmas would be great. It might be liable to end in a fist fight but at least I'd be properly tanked in the meantime.

Bah humbug!