One of the best parts of getting older for me, has been that if I don't want to do something, then I don't do it.  The only exceptions are things that are necessary for the health and well being of my friends, family, or pets. If Christmas isn't your thing (and that seems extremely reasonable to me), then it isn't.

My husband and I stopped celebrating Christmas a few years ago, other than cooking a nice meal.   We finally looked at each other and were like I have no freaking clue what to get you and decided that we didn't really NEED anything else and the stuff we did NEED would likely just be purchased when the need arose.

It's SO nice not struggling to figure out what to get/having to try and make a list of what I want, etc. 

Last year I was in a skilled nursing facility recovering from a huge spinal surgery and missed both Thanksgiving and Christmas as a result.   I did feel bad for my husband having to have both holidays in a hospital and SNF, respectively, but at least we were together.   They did feed him turkey at Thanksgiving.  I will still in the ICU then and have zero recollection of it.

My mother, sister and I had stopped exchanging gifts.  Wait, let me rephrase that - exchanging money/gift cards.  I was the one who said, I'm not getting you anything.  Take the money you would have spent on me and get yourself something.  (Which worked until Mom started down the dementia path - we won't go there).  

I like to play my 1/4 Jew card at Christmas. I just hate it. So much. Don't get me wrong, I remember growing up and it felt sort of exciting and fun. We did gingerbread contests and put up decorations and sang carols. But as I got older it just became so stressful. I'd go to school after the holiday and everyone would tell everyone else what they did and what they "got" in their gift hauls and I always felt woefully inadequate. And the worst was that it just got more consumer-centric as I got older, and my parents got poorer and I just started to hate that time of year. 

Now I'm at the point where I have everything I want/need that isn't specialized equipment I want to choose myself, and my parents are even more poor. They also don't want anything but want to send me stuff that I don't want and it always causes a fight. Over stuff. I hate stuff.  

And I'll put it out there.  I hate food days, bring ins and potlucks.  I am proud to tell you that I am a third generation hater/disliker of these things because both my grandmother and mother are of the same inclination.  

I'm with ya, sister, and would like an invitation to join that club.  I have the palate of a spoiled toddler and an unrivaled skepticism about the cleanliness of other people's kitchens ever since seeing seemingly normal looking people on hoarders.  

On this subject can people get the heck over themselves when other people politely decline their food?  I have no problem with people bringing it in and announcing it's there for those who'd like something...but those who come to my desk and insist I will love something and get pouty when I nicely say no thank you try my patience.  Odds are I will NOT like it and of course that has more to do with my food weirdness than their cooking but I'd just as soon not discuss either.  

I refuse to claim allergies or some special diet because I don't want to contribute to the social dilution of that for those who actually have those...but my list of foods that are too gross for me to contemplate eating is thousands of pages long and if my mother couldn't talk me into eating things (and I loved her) why would a co-worker think they have a shot?

(but they want to drop off a box of thin mints, sealed and packaged, on my desk I am all too happy to accept such offerings.)

As a closet Big Brother fan I refer to some of my issues as 'pee pee hands.'  Do not expect me to partake of anything where people reach into a bowl, bag etc and grab stuff.  i do not know where your pee pee hands have and have not been.  ick. 

Someone came to me today to find out if I wanted 'in' on the office secret santa.  

I said thank you for coming all the way back to my office (no really - I meant that part, i get forgotten about back here) but no.  

And I ante'd up for the potluck thing in a couple of weeks.  (I draw the line at eating with people in the conference room.  I'm crying  - rightly - work!)