Does anyone here like the holidays?

I know there's a lot of us here who dread the holidays, but does anyone look forward to them?

I would look forward to them more if I could just spend them with my husband and daughter and didn't have to visit extended relatives. I think it would be really relaxing just spending time with immediate family. We'd have so much fun I feel.

I don't look forward to buying gifts for people (exception being daughter of course. I love shopping for her!). I don't have any money! I have no idea how I'm going to be able to buy all these presents for people.

So... I look forward to decorating the christmas tree, baking cookies, listening to holiday music, etc., but not traveling five hours to visit relatives.

I’m determined to have a better time this year or to at least struggle and/or show it less. My daughter never fails to know when I’m having a panic attack no matter how well I hide it. To that end I attended via computer a seminar given by my insurance company on coping with holiday stress. There were some good ideas but it was geared more towards people who don’t struggle with MI. It made me a little sad truth be told.

I’m not giving up on my mission though. I’m looking most forward to spending time with my daughter since she’s at a college 2 hours away, looking at Christmas lights, egg nog and making vegetarian dishes for her. Like you, I don’t look forward to shopping (all on-line for me) and visiting extended family.

Yes because I refuse to get stressed out about them. The last few years we've done low key Thanksgiving potluck style. We also will go to my inlaws for Christmas eve but we spend Christmas day at home leisurely. I don't cook a big fancy meal or anything. We just enjoy ourselves. As for gifts I love to buy presents when our budget allows. When things are tight I try to do family gifts where I get something for all the kids to share like a board game. This seems to work well.

I love the holidays. I love listening to xmas songs, watching sappy xmas movies, putting up the tree, decorating, spending time with loved ones. The only thing I don't do is buy gifts because I tend to get manic and want to spend everything on everyone so the wife does the xmas shopping for us. I'm only allowed to buy gifts for her and we limit a number of gifts and the amount we can spend.

I always loved the holidays from when I was little until I was an adult with my own little kids. I have mixed feelings now that the kids are older. There's isn't the magic and excitement there once was; wish lists are negotiated instead of mailing them to Santa. Decorating has become a chore. We used to put on Christmas music and have good family time decorating the tree and in front of the house. No one is going to ask me to read Christmas stories over spiced cider in front of a crackling fire. But it still stirs memories in all of us and though the whole season isn't magical anymore there are moments here and there that sparkle.

Yep, love the holidays. Good times to celebrate with family and friends. I’m looking forward to them this year.

I hate the holiday traveling. I told my husband I want to just chill and relax. He was agreeable. So we are going to our favorite mom and pop place for thanksgiving dinner too!

I don't have any extended family near here so Thanksgiving and Christmas are small affairs. Still, they're fun even with all the anxiety of cooking and buying presents. My husband and I have our fair share of stuff and the kids mainly want money. It's still fun to put up the tree and wrap presents, though they are fewer now.

I love the Christmas season for many reasons. First being that I had happy Christmases growing up. I do have some mental health issues around Christmas though. I'm a church choir director and the load is heavy for Christmas. I get stressed out and anxious. Also, all of the excitement of the season can trigger mania. I have to be very careful how much Christmas I ingest!

I love the holidays.

I am very stressed about the holidays. Actually, I've been quite depressed lately. My husband and I are traveling (alone) to Florida for a beach vacation for Thanksgiving. I'm hoping that once we're there I will be able to relax and enjoy it. My pdoc has been modifying my Seroquel XR in an effort to calm the depression.

I am very stressed that as soon as my husband and I return from Florida he is going alone to Europe for business for 9 days. I dread being alone. I have planned some things to do, visits from people, my pdoc and tdoc appointment, but I'm still nervous.

Christmas will soon follow the above. This may sound like a bah humbug, but I wish we could skip the Christmas tree, but hubby wouldn't hear of it. I'd be willing to decorate a little, and maybe have a mini-tree, but that won't be. Christmas Eve is nice because hubby and I spend it alone, but Christmas day is stressful with my dad and siblings. This will be the first Christmas without my youngest nephew. He died by suicide this past June.

I hate buying presents! I'd be very happy not to get presents myself if I could get out of buying them. Instead, I'd rather bake some cookies or Christmas breads and give them away. I have no kids, so that's not an issue for me.

I still love Christmas. Getting to do all of my family traditions and pass them on to my daughter really makes me happy. I like buying gifts for the most part but some stress me out. The worst part of it for me now is that I don’t have a spouse or partner to share it with. So there are things I’d like to do that I won’t do alone. But hopefully some day that will change.

The local radio station started playing holiday music today. I love Xmas carols but before thanksgiving is just way too early for singing about Santa!

I just sent late birthday gifts to my niece and nephew.
I already set up to have hickory farms gift baskets sent to my folks and his mom as well.for pre christmas gifts.
Then I purchase a heifer international sheep and give gift cards to my family.
Easy
Shopping for my husband is hard.
I can't handle shopping for people so gave up gift giving years ago. family members always ask me what I want and I tell them I don't need anything.
Because I don't!
bizi

I like Christmas too. I love baking cookies with my nieces and nephews. I do like buying gifts for my family and spending time with them. When I`m not feeling well that changes a bit. I just become exhausted by it all but in general I do enjoy the holidays. For some reason I don`t enjoy New Year`s Eve it always makes me feel lonely.

I seriously detest Christmas music but will sing it in July or august lol.

I already have majority of my gifts for my sister, uncle jay, uncle fiyaz. Now I just need Sarah, aunt Elaine, my mom, Elise, Luka(maybe). Then my professionals like my gp, psych nurse, maria, and crystal. But I think I might get them all one thing the professionals that is!

My mom is the hardest person to buy for I know I am getting her the Wonder Woman blu ray for her birthday but I might tell her that's all she is getting from me this year! Lol. I don't like birthdays and Christmas in the same month!

Not to be contrary, but I don't like holidays. I never have. I'd rather be working than go to a holiday function (or a family function for that matter).

I’m mixed about it. I have said if I could sleep through it this year I would, after last years stress. Though if it could be strippped down to its true meaning and that sense of childhood magic again I think it would make me happier. As much as I detest winter and cold there is something exciting and comforting being snowed in during a winter storm over the holidays. As for presents, I really don’t have it in me to shop and decide, so money it is and it’s all they want anyway these days.

Why not suggest only buying for the kids?

Another idea-just bake cookies for gifts and wrap them I pretty cellophane with ribbon or something? And don’t feel badly about that!!

I enjoy the lights and decorations and despise the rest of it.

I love the holiday season specifically because the busyness of it usually makes me mildly hypomanic. Plus I travel across the country to see my family, which I only get to do once a year, so the change in scenery kind of snaps me out of any funk I'm in. (Usually.)

I don't "hate" the holidays, if that counts..

their's still parts of them that excite me- the tree decorations, and the music, the adverts on TV.

I mainly dislike them, but I don't think I'd want to get rid of them

Other than the gifts, I Love Christmas.

No friends or family...the holidays are just another day... :-(

I struggle with any holiday, not just Xmas. My mental health always plummets when I have time to myself, have had time off but not a proper holiday for years.