what do you work on this time of year? I always use this time to enter into a sort of finishing frenzy. I try to finish as many projects as possible. I always enjoy it when everyone else is busy with family and holiday stuff, and I can just relax and finish projects.

What about you? How do you use this time if you don't do Christmas stuff?

I just keep on with my current project. Right now I'm working on a "square in a square 2" for a friends wedding present in March.
I do enjoy seeing what everyone is making for Christmas gifts and then I copy and give on other occasions.

I confess I'm making quilts for presents this year but usually I just sit back and watch everyone else going crazy (and broke) with their decorating mania (they have to have more lights than the neighbors,etc) and shopping.
I don't decorate, bake or put up a tree anymore.
So much easier!
And getting rid of all that stuff gave me more room for sewing/quilting items, lol.
Jan. 1 they're packing up stuff. I'm relaxing and sewing. Love it.

I seldom make Christmas gifts anymore.It just stresses me out to work on a deadline.So I give quilty things away when the mood strikes.
Like you, there's always a stack of UFOs awaiting borders,backing etc.I do some baking & candy making,address the few cards I send & enjoy the season.Love the music & cold snowy days.That's time for reading, sewing & lots of hot chocolate :-)

And here I was, thinking I was the only person who would be quite happy if Christmas was abolished. Yes I do have grown children and grandchildren, and do spend time with them over the yuletide, but I would be quite happy to hide away

This makes me sad because I would be happy if I had children and grandchildren to celebrate with. I guess it just depends on your circumstances.

I figured that with this many people, I couldn't be the only one who didn't celebrate Christmas.

I love Christmas! But, over the years, I have really slowed down with the hoop-la of it all. It seems so crazy with they BUY BUY BUY stuff.

I am doing 3 gifts for each of my grown kids. Oldest ds and his wife will get something together and then something small for each of them.

Middle ds, my Marine, is getting a digital camera and a camera card and stocking.

Youngest ds, who is 17, is all on his dad this year! LOL

I love to bake and have family around. I don't decorate as much as I did and I try very hard to AVOID the stores!

I love to be able to just sit and sew and enjoy my family. Simple times are the best times.

Sadiemae, I don't know where you are (location wise), but if you're close to me, we'd LOVE to have you! ((hugs)) To me, the more the merrier! :)

Me too. Gave mine to DGD when she got married. I don't have time for that stuff anymore, to busy quilting.

himnherr,
I love your avatar!! Just the title tells the story!

What I find now is that Christmas is just far too much commercialised. I live in a large city and the shops start in September, most of the goods are related to Christmas, much too early.When I ask some people, when did they last go to a church service at Christmas they cannot even remember, this is what I find sad. I love Carol services, and midnight mass, but even in a lot of christian schools, they do not allow the Nativity play which is a very long standing tradition, and they reason given is because it might not be acceptable to non christians.
How sad is this, when our little ones cannot re enact the meaning of Christmas.

You hit the nail right on the head!!!

I do not decorate for Christmas either. It is just so commercial, we just need to remember why we really have Christmas--the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ and celebrate the true meaning of Christmas. All of my children feel the same way. I make things for my family all the time. They love the surprises, never know when they are comming. That's the fun part!!

While I understand the dislike of Christmas's commercialization, I guess I was also thinking about those of us who don't "just need to remember why we really have Christmas," because we don't have it - we don't celebrate at all. What do those of you who don't celebrate spend this quiet time at the end of the year making?

Just don't see the need to get all excited for 24 hours!

It's not that we don't celebrate - it's just that our children & Grandkids are in Wisconsin and we're down here in New Mexico. DH can't fly (wheelchair weighs 250# & would need a lift to get it into a vehicle.) Driving to there would take too long. When we had the time, we didn't have the money. Now that we have the money, we don't have the time. Always happens that way, doesn't it? Someday, I'm hoping the kids will come down here.

We have dinner with the kids and my mom. Then I do exactly what I do the rest of the year, anything I want to.

You are welcome at my house Sadie...i Love the Holidays :!:

I think you'll find most people don't understand the concept of just not celebrating Christmas at all. There are millions and millions of non Christians that don't celebrate. I'm sure there are Jewish, Buddist, Hindus and probably several people of various Pagan paths on this group that do not celebrate this holiday.

At my house we have a holiday complete with lights and a tree and gifts.

Mostly I work on things I'm behind on and have a good time with my kids and grandkids.

I know you're right. With all of the recent threads about Christmas gifts, I just got curious about all of those you mentioned, as well as Christians who don't really do much for the holiday.

I think everyone needs a holiday event of some type to look forward to, religious or commercial. Without anticipation life would be a joyless.

Thanks for being so kind, I am just kind of blue today...

I don't know anyone who doesn't celebrate Christmas at all for the reasons mentioned, so can't help there.

I've never celebrated Christmas and have been raised as a disciple of Christ. I don't begrudge anyone their right to decide what to or how to believe. We are all created to be free moral agents.

Now all my kids are out of state with no plans of visiting, so for me it's like any other day to which I'm accustomed. I don't plan any special projects, maybe take the time to think about the "to do" list of projects that keeps getting longer and longer. :D :D

Thanks for sharing with us. We don't have these churches in our area and I enjoy learning about other areas.

Sorry for the confusion, I'm a disciple of Christ, adhering to what he taught about his Father, but I'm known as a Jehovah's Witness. :-)

I agree.There are ppl of different faiths with holidays of their own.They don't celebrate my holidays & neither do I celebrate theirs.That's ok....we're all free to do as we want.
My family finds it easier to travel during Thanksgiving,so that is our main celebration with all the family here.
Have to have a tree with lights & decorations from yrs gone by.The tree brings us a lot of memories.We also remember family no longer with us.
It's a special season.....for us.

Where do you live? If it is close to me I would gladly have you come spend the time with me.

I haven't "done Christmas" for years, except live concerts (such as "Messiah")
or college chorus. Refuse to participate in the insanity of "shopping/commercialism" and try to be thankful for my yearly
accomplishments , look forward to the New Year. May indulge in a simple
decoration of pine boughs, and scents.

We still have children living with us, but have cut back so much. had to when DH got sick and had to retire. I think that sometimes I feel sad for people who have noone and they just don't want to remember all the fun and love and excitement that happened in their families at Christmas. With my husband being a minister, we really did have wonderful Christmases. We had 2 services on Christmas Eve, 20 miles apart. Our people always showered us with so much, not money or presents, but butter and eggs from the dairy farmers etc. There was always an excitement in the air. Now my sister and her family are members of a religion that does not celebrate. My Dad has too nmany painful memories of when we were all together to celebrate. So I just send him something at a different time of the year. This year will be a little bit different. But this last set of kids we are raising know that we don't have money and they lock at it different, but you do your best for whoever you come in contact with and hope they can enjoy some part.

We don't celebrate Christmas, not our faith. Just another day. so we are not caught up in it. We usually go to a movie. Surprising how filled the theaters are on the 25th.

It tends to be just another day with the children and grandchild so far away in wintertime. Nice to have it quiet and do our thing quietly. If relatives or chose to come, I will happily cook in my large kitchen, but we do not exchange gifts. Usually, I will get a little something for dh if we can afford it in retirement...and cook him a special meal. We are thankful and joyous to have each other.

I do send different things to our children and grandchild through out the year. Things get too much out of hand at Christmas, too commerial, no time for the get-together family times, which is sad.

i just as soon the holidays pass right on by....Dont decorate anymore, don't want to, and there are days i'm glad that i don't have all that stress anymore. I always make sure i have some major project going on. This year it might be quilting...usually it's painting

I don't buy into the commercial type of Christmas. I do what I feel in my heart and to me Christmas is a tradition and it was never commercialized way back when.

It was a Christmas tree and a few gifts and a grand supper. This is what I remember, this is what I have done for years. I only buy a few things for hubby and son and if we decide to buy son something special that he needs, like a labtop, we will do just that or tires for his car etc.

I always buy them both new underware, socks and a nice shirt or after shave or whatever. I don't go ballistic with shopping just because.

I give my friends gifts anytime during the year....that is, if I happen to be out and see something that I think one of my friends would like, I buy it....maybe I don't do that a lot, it's just when the opportunity arises.

I do put up a tree because I just love it. Hubby and I have our coffee by it in the mornings. I bake and cook and that is the season for me....when son comes to visit, his smile at the good smells is all I need.

I have been making Christmas quilts for the past years. I have made two kings for the two room and need to make one for the single bed. Then I want to make ones to fit on the two couches in the den. I alway keep a quit on those...Maybe I'll be able to do the couch quilts soon. I am trying to deplete my collection of christmas fabrics.

We don't do decorating or the tree anymore. It's gotten to commercial. By the time Christmas gets here I am burnt out gram looking at it for 3 months in the stores. No lights outside. We run a 150 gallon saltwater tank with 2 halides. You wouldn't believe what it does to the electric bill. It would make you sweat. We have a really nice nativity scene I put on the table. That's Christmas!!!!

I stack up my yarn supply. People will get socks which I knit evenings when watching TV. Grandchildren (3) get bigger presents one at a time. This Xmas it's 14 yrs -old teen girl's turn to get a quilt, others get pillow cases to match theirs. Purses and table cloths for older relatives. I have a deadline: between this and next year's Christmas a.k.a. anytime I relocate my Panic Button. I don't buy presents.

I use the Just Say NO approach to that red and green hohoho business. And NO, I do not buy into all that Baby Jesus being born in a manger story line either.

We have established a NO FLY ZONE over our house and the old boy in red has been very respectful of that rule.

What do I work on? Same damn things I'm working on the rest of the year: Making more UFOs - what else is there, lol?!?!

Wonder if Seasonal Afflictive Disorder also afflicts some of us during the winter?

I figure if I stay more or less sane from the middle of November until the middle of January, life is relatively good.

Cutting waaaaay back has helped me tremendously. I don't even feel very guilty about it any more.

My dh and I don't celebrate commercial or religious holidays, so we are able to just sit back and relax completely stress free. During the Christmas season we combine holiday and annual leave at work and take a few weeks off to just enjoy each other and our home.

Regarding gift giving, we buy (or I make) gifts when we see something we think someone would like. I love when my dh brings me something because he was thinking of me, not because he felt he needed to because of a date on the calendar.

Include me in the "backing away from commercialism" attitude to Christmas. I am just happy to be with DH.

Sadiemae, I would be more than happy to share my children and grandchildren with you, not only at Christmas but for all occassions and they would love to have you adopt them. I'm very fortunate that my DD's and DGK's are so open, accepting and loving of all people, age, race, sex not a factor, my DD's and DGK's call all my friends "Auntie" or "Uncle", as well as "our family" so please accept us into your family. You may now (if you accept us) say you have 2 DD's, 2 DSIL's, 2 DGD's and 1 DGS. Grands are 17 & 15 girls, 7 boy (8 in January)