Christmas: love it and hate it

Lisa'a latest blog got me thinking more about Christmas, I've been itching to break my decorations out of the closet and gleefully display all my trinkets and treasures while listening to "silver bells" and "Grandma got run over by a reindeer", I love Christmas. I have one Christmas qualm though, THE DAMN PRESENTS. This does not include giving presents to little kids, no, little kids definitely should get presents on Christmas. But adults needing to exchange gifts with each other, come on. No seriously I really hate this part of the season. WHY? because I feel like its a big ginormous waste of money that's why. Every year I get stress out and overwhelmed, thinking of all the people I have to buy for. Stressing about what to get them, How much to spend, wondering if I spent to much, or to little, will they even like it, and all the while feeling a bit depressed about all the money being drained from my bank account. Here's another thing, I really don't like to shop. Once in a while I like to go get myself a new pair of big star jeans from the buckle or come cool new T's from wet seal, but 1 hour tops and I'm spent. So having to go shop for other people out of total obligation kinda blows I think. Its one thing to see something at a store and think "that looks just like so and so, I think I'll snatch it up for them." Then excitedly give to them and see the happiness on their face when they receive it. This kind of gift giving is fun, I was excited to buy it, they were excited to receive it, and it was something they really wanted or needed, YEAH! everybody wins. It's quite another to drag yourself to a crowded mall and buy some random thing for Aunt Susie out of like I just said, total obligation that will most likely sit in a closet and collect dust for the next year or two until she does some spring cleaning and gives it to D.I. Lets not forget about the mass amounts of credit card debt Americans go into every year just to keep up with the yule tide tradition. I just get tired of the Christmas morning scene where everyone tears into presents and puts on a big fake "I'm so excited, this is exactly what I wanted" face, when half the time you probably counted care less about it, come on you know you have put on the B.S. I love it face for Grandma. Every year when Jared and I head home from Christmas day we pack our car full of "stuff" and wonder what the heck were going to do with all of it. I would much rather take the money everyone was going to spend and do a sub for Santa for some needy families, or take the whole family snowmobiling. So call me Scrooge if you want, I just wanted to get that out, PHEWWWW I feel much better now. I'd like to know your thought too on the subject