My 12 pains of Christmas

There is a cool version of The 12 Days of Christmas I that I like, The 12 Pains of Christmas. Look it up and watch it, it is amusing. I love Christmas, and am planning on doing a post of what I love about it, but today, here are my own 12 pains of Christmas:

1) The push to do away with calling it Christmas. It really, really irritates me. And how hypocritical of stores to have sales and make so much money over the holiday they refuse to acknowledge what is all about - Jesus

2) Wrapping presents. I love to give, but man do I hate wrapping them

3) Christmas cantatas.... I don't much like choirs in the first place, then add a cantata that has weird songs, or worse - familiar songs with weird arrangements and/or tunes..... yuk. I have heard a few that were OK, but overall - not a fan

4) Kid's Christmas program. Really, unless you have kids in the annual Christmas program at church, what is enjoyable about umpteen kids saying little parts that many of them need coached on. Call me Scrooge if you will, but I am always looking toward the end. I have been in a few that were the exception, but it is not a favorite part of my Christmas. Plus, we have so many bus kids in ours who I don't even know, I just don't enjoy it all.

5) Hearing Blue Christmas by Elvis. Yuk. I cannot bear anything he sings, but especially Blue Christmas.

6) Long lines at the stores

7) The extra weight I gain during this time of year. Cookies, candy. Sigh.

8) Christmas newsletters. I rarely read them. I think what really turned me off on them was a family that bragged so much about their kids, it was sickening. Plus, they are impersonal and mass produced..... I don't care what sport your kid played, or what grade they got on their algebra test..... just wish me Merry Christmas!

9) The Christmas music that is junk, yuk, trash..... about any station you pick has to mix some stuff in that makes you cringe.... like Santa Baby, Baby It's Cold Outside,  Elvis singing Blue Christmas, etc

10) Santa Claus at the manger. I get the idea behind it, but I hate to see it, and would like to smash each one I see. Santa, though he is based on the real St. Nicholas, is make believe, and the idea of a make believe figure at the manger rubs me wrong. Why not add the tooth fairy and the Easter bunny while we're at it?!

11) White lights. I secretly think your Christmas tree is lacking if it has white lights instead of colored...... come on, what is Christmas-y about white lights? White lights are an every day thing, colored are not. Bring on the colored lights!

12) That feeling you get when the last gift is opened, the family has left, and you go back to the every day thing.