I'm on the Yuck-Christmas side here. The in-laws come to visit, and it's a giant materialistic orgy for which I have to spend 2 months cleaning, shopping, wrapping, decorating, and then afterwards I spend a month cleaning and putting away all the Stuff. Though I don't care that the omni's eat dead animals, and I wouldn't even mind cooking the turkey as I've done for years, I've threatened the family with tofurkey, thinking that way they'd change their plans, and I'd have a quiet peaceful holiday with my husband (or even alone with the cats would be nice). But it doesn't seem to be working.
I've told everyone that I don't want to do Christmas like this anymore, let's go on a trip, let's not buy presents, let's do anything ANYTHING different, so I don't have to put my life on hold for 3 months a year, but nope, they seem to think all this stuff is "tradition," and it must be done. I even told them I couldn't do it for religious reasons (I'm atheist), but they didn't buy it.
Last year was kinda the last straw - they moved stuff around in my house as if I don't know where my own stuff goes, they recalibrated my scale, and if I turned something on they'd turn it off, or if I turned something off, they'd turn it on. They said things, like judging me. I can't stand that - judging someone in their own house.
And when the inlaws come to visit - OMG. They stay in a hotel, thank god, but they visit for 2, 2 1/2 weeks. Every day after work we have to go out with them or entertain them. Last year they finally started leaving at a "reasonable hour," 9 or 10 pm. But still, the whole time they're here, I have zero time for anything else but them. Time with friends, sex, all of it, out the window.
But wait there's more! My anniversary is on New Year's Day. And they're still here on that day. And we must go out on that day, we must. Who's the last person you want to be with on your anniversary???? Okay, when you've been married as long as I have, the correct answer to that is usually "the spouse." But you know what I mean.
And here it is, October, time to start my Christmas list, start planning the nightmare. Someone just shoot me.
SummerSn0ws the Grinch