I started this blog entry on the 1st of December last year. (It's still a bit weird to say "last year", don't you think?). I had to delete the individual entries and put them all in one because it made me look like one of those people who are obsessed about proving a point. That was not my intention at all. I did this purely as a way of justifying my exclusion from the 'joy' of this day, to myself. I never want to be one of those people who excludes themselves from something on a purely rebellious level. I honestly don't see the good this day does for the world. 

I'm an 'agnostic', so I don't relate religious or spiritual belief to this day. And I'm sure I have this in common with a lot of people in the world. And i'm sure this plays some part in my rejection of this event.

Here is what I wrote in the month of December:
Each day from now until the 25th, I am going to post one fact about christmas in it's evil entirety. One fact that proves christmas is just a money-making scheme which takes advantage of the poor and makes fools of the rich. 
Lets start with a good one:

Reason # 1:

Christmas has negative effects on the environment.

- The exchange of consumer products in Christmas wrapping, many of which will be unneeded and/or unappreciated, contributes to the sending of consumer waste to landfills, unless consumers choose to regift them.

- The cultivation of Christmas trees for display during a few weeks, before they are sent to landfills, represents a monoculture which sometimes reduces the use of arable land for agriculture.

- Artificial Christmas trees are manufactured by processes which may have harmful effects on the environment.

- Christmas decorations for homes and for Christmas trees are consumer products which are sometimes discarded to landfills.

- Electric Christmas lights consume electricity, which, by most means of production, harms the environment.

- Increased travel to visit friends and relatives generally involves the consumption of fossil fuels.

Reason # 2:
The holiday spirit - have you ever noticed how during christmas, if someone does something nice it's because they are in the 'holiday spirit'. It's like the rest of the year they are total asses, but since it's christmas they can be nice. What, you assholes can't be nice for the sake of being nice!

Reason #3: 
Christmas music. Enough said.

Reason #4: 
Christmas movies. Enough said.

Reason #5: 
Snotty, rude, greedy and spoilt kids and their temper tantrums in the shopping malls because their parents won't buy them that Razor Ground Force Drifter, because the advert on the TV last night said that every child should have one of those this christmas. Even though they're about R4,000.00 and the parents have probably already bought each of their 7 children one to unwrap on the day of the arrival of santa clause. Kids are definitely on my hate-list during this period. Yucky, smelly, ungrateful and inconsiderate of all the unfortunate children in this world who have not received a single gift their whole lives... 

...My kids (when I have them) will always understand that they only get new toys at christmas time if they are willing to give all their old ones to orphans. 

Reason # 6:
Everyone always expects a whole lot more from people. Car guards, petrol attendants, beggars... They all EXPECT you to give them more. You give them R2 and they say, "Eh, buht eets theh christmass tym, why you not geev me moh?" What the fuck? I don't get paid more in November? What makes you think I have more to give than usual? 

I'd love to be able to afford to give to charities and to beggars but unfortunately I find myself 2 weeks before payday with R400 in my account. Such is life. 

Reason #7: 
Lately I've been extremely busy at work. Thus I have not been able to update my blog. Everyone has to do everything at the last minute which basically leaves me completely fucked at work. Everyone is going away tomorrow for the 'christmas' holidays, and so everything must be done in this teeny weeny space of time. Our clients are closing, so we have to complete invoicing super early. I did invoicing about 2 weeks ago, and I have to do it again so the CEO's and Directors can take the next 3 weeks off? Seriously, not fair on the little me's of the world. 

Reason #8: 
Christmas forces me to see family I don't like. I have these cousins and an Aunt and Uncle who are completely religious and weird, and I have absolutely nothing in common with them, I don't know what to talk to them about, the uncle (my aunt is my blood relative), is a pervert. When my parents got divorced he made moves on my mom! He hugs for too long and way too tight. He made rude comments about my sisters bum once. My cousins are completely retarded hermits. They moved to whatthefucktown to live on a farm to get away from the 'sinners' of this world. (NUTTERS!). I would rather just forget about them to be honest. Christmas doesn't let me.

Reason #9: 
Going off personal matters now, christmas is probably one of the saddest days of the year for some. And it doesn't have to be, but the 'world' creates this 'expectation' that some people just cannot live up to on this day. People who have no family suffer because they know that everywhere around the world there is huge table full of people who were born to be in each others lives. Wives, sons, daughters, grandmothers, nieces and nephews all in one place at the same time while some poor, old man sits alone on his brown, old chair and watches some shitty christmas movie on his old, static TV. 

What about parents who are having financial problems? Their children expect an amazing christmas with turkey and decorations and gifts, but the parents absolutely cannot afford any of that. Does it mean the kids must suffer? Or the parents? Either way, someone does. 

Reason #10:
This is the time of year when everyone rushes to holiday destinations all at the same time. I love the fact that I don't have to drive in terrible traffic for a few weeks, but I hate hearing on the radio the statistics of how many people have died on the roads in the first week, before the major 'event' has even happened. Can you imagine how many people have to bury their loved ones in December because there were just too many people on the roads, rushing to get to their vacation spot on time, or driving drunk because they were in 'holiday spirit'? It must be one of the saddest months in the whole year, when it's supposed to be 'joyous'. Not logical, is it?

Reason #11:
People waste so much time doing unimportant things in this month. I heard on the radio that only 30% of SA go to work in this period, and only 50% of those people are actually productive. They were saying how if this is the statistic, why don't the 50% of people who do no work when they are AT work, spend their time at home with their families, being able to check their emails at home, rather than sitting in the office with no work to do, just because it's what the company requires? It is such a waste of time to sit in an office, doing nothing, because everyone else is on holiday, when you could be at home, spending quality time with people you love? It's depressing.

Reason #12:
People are conceived this time of the year. People who were not supposed to be conceived, are conceived. Poor people have sex without condoms and fall pregnant. Rich people have sex without condoms and fall pregnant. Yes, this happens all year round, but mostly in December. People are on holiday, they are relaxed, drunk most of the time, newly in-love or looking for one-night-stands with party people, and whoops! A baby is formed. Another human being to suck the life out of this planet. Well done, you didn't have to have that kid, but you did, because you were in the 'holiday spirit', you could have waited until you were married, or until you were secure, but noooo, it's 'christmas', we must relax! We must not worry about anything! We must just do what we want because we can! Well, we're stupid. 

Reason #13:

Researchers have discovered that the presence of christmas displays have two different effects on two different kinds of people.
"When we examined more discrete emotions, we found that the presence of the Christmas display differentially affected self-assuredness and attentiveness. Importantly, the negative effect of the display on non-Christians’ self-assuredness and appearance self-esteem was mediated by reductions in their sense of inclusion.
Although Christians felt better in the presence of the display, inclusion did not differ by condition, and thus, the positive effect of the display for Christians cannot be explained in terms of it increasing feelings of inclusion.
Although effects were generally negative for non-Christians, both Christians and non-Christians reported that they expected the effect of the display to be positive.Overall, our findings suggest that for people who do not celebrate Christmas, the presence of a Christmas display makes them feel less included in that context, and thus poses a threat to their sense of self."

How lame!! Holy shitballs, get a life! A christmas tree can make you feel included or excluded? What a joke! Pffffft, back to work...

Reason #14:
Prices go up. For everything. We get ripped off for 2 months because of ONE lousy day.

It's rubbish.

Reason #15:
Christians go mental, they spend all their time at church, sucking up to the pastor and acting all god-like when in the meantime, they go home, get drunk, slap their kids and forget to turn off the oven.

Reason #16:
Everyone expects more from you. More smiles, 'holiday spirit' attitude, they expect you to buy them presents, they expect you to buy their children presents. Please. Like my goal in life is to impress people with lame, china gifts? No.

Reason #17:
Facebook users all change their facebook profile pictures to something like a dog with a christmas hat on, or a picture of their horrible christmas tree, or a photo of them with tinsel wrapped around their necks from 3 years ago when they were still thin.

Reason #18:
People get fat this time of year. They somehow think that this month they can eat whatever the hell they want and not have to suffer the consequences. I'm sure santa, that fat, old, drunk man has something to do with that misconception.

Reason #19:
Nativity scenes. Euw. You can buy the set you see below for $2195.00 by the way. 

Hah! Have you ever heard of a better way to waste money? 

Reason #20:

Deaths during this time of the year are a whole lot more heartbreaking and every year the 'happiness' for the rest of the world will become a reminder of someone's loss for the rest of their life. This year I know two people who have lost a loved one a few days before or after christmas. One was a mother and the other was a boyfriend of about 5 years. Every christmas from now on for these people will be the shittest day of the year while everyone else celebrates.

Reason #21: 


Cops love this time of the year. They set cameras up everywhere, they sit on every corner and pull everyone over. In this country the cops take serious advantage of this time of the year because they know people have money, and they know people will bribe. They know people on holiday won't want a fine of R1000 for going 20km over the speed limit in excitement to get to their destination. So, a few hundred in a cops wallet will make him a very happy man. Or woman.

Reason #22:

The Kruger National Park becomes a parking lot. I love having the place to myself. Now I have to share it with thousands of other GP number plates. I'm almost embarrassed to drive around the park this time of the year, out of fear of being put in the 'tourist' category! I'm not a tourist! No no no!

Reason #23:

I had to spend a lot of money on presents for my family this year. I told them I don't want to give presents and that I don't want presents. But, as usual, they have an expectation that I cannot fight. And they were really happy when I gave them their expensive gifts which they didn't need and will probably never use, and I was very sad that I couldn't buy material to cover my old couches or a new washing machine because my current one leaks all over the kitchen floor. Thanks jesus. Thanks a lot. 

Reason #24:

Some people are in relationships, and want out. And if they decide they want to end the relationship in November, chances are they won't, because timing is everything. They don't want to end the relationship before christmas, and by the time christmas is over, their confidence to take charge of their life is gone and they are back in the vulnerable place they were in November, with christmas blues and being tired from the holiday and tired from adjusting at work again, and making sure the money they spent on their boyfriend/girlfriend is not a waste etc etc, just prolongs the unhappiness and I think that's really dumb. Thanks again jesus.

Also, some divorced parents take turns to spend holidays with their kids. For some people, it was their unlucky year, and depending on their love for their kids, were either burdened or lonely. It's just not fair both ways. 

Reason # 25:

Santa Clause. It might be fun for some kids when they believe in this lie, at the end of the day, every snotty, wailing, stinky kid has to find out that he isn't real. 

I used to tell my sisters, when they were tiny people, that on christmas day, at midnight, all their toys come alive! They loved this! I used to sneak into their room in the middle of the night while they were sleeping, and move their toys into strategic positions. When they woke up in the morning they were so excited to see Pink Bear had been talking to Fluffy Bear, and Ken had been hugging Barbie, and Mermaid Barbie was swimming in the cat's water bowl. But sadly one night we were on holiday in the Drakensberg, and they were sleeping in the loft and their toys were downstairs by the tree, they woke up and looked down to see me moving their toys around. And that was probably one of the worst things ever. I had to tell them it was all for the sake of fun and imagination, and bla bla bla. 

I would have loved to have avoided that entirely. And it's all christmas' fault! Poor things.