I can relate as well! I also feel that Christmas can be a financially draining and lonely time. Even though I enjoy giving and receiving presents, it feels forced. It seems more like an expectation than a spontaneous act of generosity. On a larger scale, I believe that big-box corporations are trying to squeeze us out of our last nickle, and finish off the fiscal year in the green.

As for the loneliness piece, you are certainly not alone in regards to your feelings. Sometimes even with family by my side, Xmas makes me simultaneously realize my disconnection to my family throughout the years, and my shattered dreams of having an "ideal family". The disconnection is either realized through an explicit guilt trip about not seeing each other enough, or a feeling of reluctance to share anything beyond surface conversation. And the notion of an ideal family, though realized as being no more than a fantasy, still manages to disappoint.

I guess a good question would be how to approach Xmas with realistic expectations, and what that new vision would look like. hmmm ...