What do you love/hate most about Christmas?

[Cheka Man]

I love the presents (getting and giving them) and the food.

[Murometz]

Love: Family, friends, good food and good times. The smell of the pine needles, the smiles and rosy cheeks all around, the snow, santa, presents, Christmas morning and cherished traditions.

Hate: The commercialism of Christmas and cleaning up.

[Ria Hawk]

Love: The whole presents dealie (I am materialistic and I admit it, but I suppose it's okay since I enjoy giving people stuff just as much as getting it), the growing tradition of just chilling with my family and watching Pixar movies (no clue how that got started, really), and the old skool claymation Christmas specials.  Also, my own personal tradition of watching The Muppet Christmas Carol, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Batman Returns many, many times, in approximately that order.

Hate: The rabid over-commercialism (the Christmas season does NOT start in September), bad Christmas music and stupid Christmas movies, and the after-Christmas sales.  (Really.  It's impossible for anyone with the sense God gave a lemon to get anything done within ten miles of any sort of store.)

[manfred]

Love: seeing folks I haven't for a year, plus the rare moments of comfort when you ignore the Christmas spirit, and just enjoy yourself

Hate: shopping insanity, bad Christmas music played for the millionth time, the bloody, merciless chase to make Christmas happen

Love/Hate: hunting down gifts for the people

[Scrasamax]

Loves: Carol of the Bells by TSO, Merry Christmas from the Family by Montgomery Gentry, the Christmas Turkey, eggnog, cheeseballs, the pot luck at work, the last day of work for the year, the look on a friend of loved one's face when they unwrap the PERFECT gift, getting the gift I didnt know I wanted but really really did.

Hates: insipid and saccarine christmas movies (there are only 3 REAL christmas moves: A Christmas Story, the original How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and Scrooged) The Reason for the Season being rammed down my throat, fruitcake, celery, christmas shopping, not being able to find X that you were looking for that is the perfect gift and getting a lame ass gift card instead, opening a gift that is lame. (My personal top three lame ass gifts i have recieved; a paper shredder, a fiber optic pegasus lamp, t-shirt size medium)

[Chaosmark]

Love: Coming home from college for a month, getting to spend lots of time with my girlfriend and friends while on said break, the yearly katata our church does

Hate: I dislike the horrid commercialism and lines that result, people getting mad at me for saying 'Merry Christmas' instead of 'Happy Holidays', some of the more crappy Christmas specials (though Gremlins was certainly a good one to watch...Muahaha), and the sheer boredom I get when I come home and have nothing to do.

[Scrasamax]

People have actually gotten mad at you for saying Merry Christmas???
Also, prior to becoming more savvy to political correctness I incorrectly assumed:

Happy Holidays was an abbreviated way of wishing someone both Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, rather than mention both holidays by specific name.

Merry X-mas was also an abbreviation, though in hindsight I guess a t would be more fitting due to its cruciform shape rather than the letter x. But Merry t-mas just looks funny.

[Chaosmark]

Only once or twice, but it happens quite often to acquaintances of mine who work retail. It'd be funny if it wasn't so stupid.

[Drackler]

An X is used because the Greek word for Christ begins with "Xi".

[Kinslayer]

Hate:  Christmas

Love:  When Christmas is finally over... at least until after Valentine's Day...

More Hate:  Christmas


Bah, humbug.

[Rei]

Love: Its almost an ordinary day rather than a bad day~

Hate: The lie about santa

[Ancient Gamer]

Love: I love good food, good friends and the general happiness of it all. I love my kids climbing all over me, saying they love me. I love having a drink after dinner, toasting with my friends and enjoying it all.

Hate: I hate the queues at the stores, that christmas starts in september and when I have to work in between christmas and new years eve.