What does Christmas and New Year mean to you?

I find Christmas to be almost unbearable, but try to remember why we celebrate it to begin with and try to keep my thoughts there.

New Years just means the passing of another year. Another year older and closer to death.

Like Gayleggg I usually have a nervous breakdown during the holidays. They are horrible for me, and the constant bombardment of how to feel grateful, blessed, religious etc just make me feel that much more awful. I don't decorate and prefer no gifts, but no one listens to my request.
I fell apart crying all morning due to holding it in to not breakdown in front of my parents and husband yesterday. I don't believe in organized religion. And actually sent a pastor I know a nasty Facebook msg during my last manic episode - whoops lol. The one thing I do take the time to do is to support small local businesses and buy non sweat shop factory gifts. Also, this is my first sober holiday so I'm a mess. On a good note if all goes well I'll have one year sober 1/20/2014.

Tnt

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To me, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are happy times to be celebrated with loved ones.

New Year's Eve used to be a big drunkfest before I quit drinking in 1999. These days, it may mean a nice dinner out with my husband and hitting the hay as early as usual. I don't make resolutions, but this year I definitely look to the new year as hopefully being one where my bipolar depressive phase ends!

Im not religious why would a depressive be , and I don't like anything organised forced on me. IF someone was to say I will pick you up an take you to whatever in 3 days time, I would say no your not . I don't no what planet I will be on in 3 days time.

But I just related to this so much I couldn't help commenting on it
LOL....I had a boy friend (not boyfriend) in college who I met through my equitation class (we seriously enjoyed riding horses) but that was really the only thing we had in common. I wasn't into dating because I was focused on my education but every once in awhile it was nice to go out to dinner or doing something with someone who was JUST a friend. However while being friends....I came to realize just how CONTROLLING he liked to be.....so I kept my radar distancer on constantly while still ok to be friends....I was open & honest about where I was coming from & about my feelings about things.

However it didn't stop him from continuing his controlling personality. I remember one time he asked me to make plans for one day a month 6 months in advance so he could make plans for going out. I chuckled inside & graciously told him....I don't live my life like that.....I don't even know if I will be alive in 6 months & definitely don't know what things might seriously come up that I would need to be committed to for university classes & my music performances.

I'm glad that red flag was waving clear to me because the first girl he married (I didn't get to know her) just picked up & left everything to be able to get out of the marriage & didn't stick around to fight for 50/50 anything. I don't think he would have physically harmed her as he wasn't that kind of person.

I got to know the next lady he married & his controlling ways became more & more mentally abusive as time went on.......when he died of cancer in 2004, I was about the only one who truly understood the relief she was feeling & validated those emotions she was having.

There are some things I am involved in on an annual basis that I block out periods of time a year in advance.....but I'm still flexible when it comes to that time & what I am actually able to do when it comes right down to it.

I have never known what a routine is....it's just so unnatural to me I can't imagine living my life that way even though it might be healthier when it comes to eating & sleeping.

New Year's isn't a big deal, besides the upcoming one, its usually been a case of "Thank God that's over I hope the next one is better"...

To me Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Christ.

I wake up early sing Jesus happy birthday and cheerfully wonder if He, my dad and my brother are celebrating too...

If I didn't see it that way, I really wouldn't bother with it at all as its not just another holiday on the calendar, but a spirtual/religious one at that.

I only buy 2 gifts, 1 for my daughter and one for my bf. The gifts are only symbolic tradition so definitly not a focal point for me nor my family at all.

Christmas is simply about Christ.

I ride my mountain bike on road and trail but I don't pick a day. If it or I feel right on a day I just go, people say meet up with me I will come with you. nnnnnnnnnoooooooo - nnn oooooooo I don't want that ., if I meet someone by chance that's different. I am a very strange nut ball .

This is what Christmas means to me:

"The annual Christian festival celebrating Christ's birth, held on December 25 in the Western Church".

And New Years means:

"The New Year is the day that marks the beginning of a new calendar year, and is the day on which the year count of the specific calendar used is incremented".

Got it?

Good.

Dan

I like the traditional feel to these holidays, how they offer continuity and also that they bring warmth to the cold season. I enjoy the warm colors, the occasion for reciprocal love and gift giving and receiving, the customs such as music and other local customs, the merry feeling I get seeing people put up trees and celebrating. It's such a nice feeling when even seemingly cold businesses put up a tree ... it's like there's that little symbol of humanness ad joy everywhere.

New Year's Eve / Day are really special to me too, because the passing of another year helps me review where I'm at, how much I've grown, what I want to be different in the next year.

Or simply put, I just get emotional and I like it

That when all of this mess is over is will be SPRING coming around the corner!!

Christmas is a time of magic to me. New Year doesn't really mean anything to me.

For me things become "new" when the bare trees start to bloom in Spring. Back, when I was a student, the beginning of a new school year was a fresh start. January 1rst is just another day, as far as I am concerned.

we haven't had the snow yet

I love Thanksgiving but not Christmas. Thanksgiving is the right attitude and spirit of family, friendship, and gratitude without the gluttony of the commercialism, gifts, and stress.

It is just amazing how time flows... We are unable to interfere with it even with these strengths blessed to us or if you can say even after our evolution in this world longed so much...
I am not a Christian so I do not celebrate Christmas but the idea of celebrating another year of human survival under these conditions is just fascinating.
So happy new year to you all

Nothing. Christmas has nothing to do with Spirituality. New Year's is just a poor excuse to drink. I think Christmas gifts (between adults) are usually just a way of buying someone's affection. Gifts are for the children. I'm sure Christmas has a good connotation in other Countries where things are not easily taken for granted.

Absolutely nothing.

I love Christmas. It's like a month long celebration for me and my household. We decorate the house shortly after Thanksgiving. We watch holiday themed movies, such as Elf, Christmas Vacation, A Christmas Story & It's a Wonderful Life. It's not so much about receiving gifts to me (although let's be honest, everybody likes to receive at least one gift or two) We drive around and look at Christmas lights and also try to think of people who are less fortunate. This year, we cut back on the amount of gifts we purchased for family members and each other. My wife has been out of work for a while and we just didn't have the funds to go crazy. It was upsetting to her a bit, but I tried to remind her that Christmas is far more than just buying and receiving Christmas presents. New Year Day, besides having all the great football to watch, is like a reboot day. Yes, I know a lot of people make resolutions that they just won't keep, but at least, it's a step in the right direction to see things within one's life to could stand some improvement. Think of the new year as a "do over" moment. Anyway, I enjoy the holidays and try to allocate at least some of my vacation time around Christmas and New Years. I guess I'm just a kid at heart!

Well you don't sound like your having any major or minor mental issue ,most depressives hate holiday time, and long for normality me included, im just returning to a better place in my head now its gone ,