I hate Christmas. Who's with me?

Pollycat

Georgiegirl256 wrote: »

Abit harsh isn't it? ^^^

In fairness to Dom Ravioli, the OP did say that you can spend any day with your family - and Don Ravioli just explained his circumstances.

pickledonionspaceraider wrote: »

The only positive I can see to Christmas is spending time with family, but you can do that any day without using Christmas as a reason

I didn't think the post came across as bitter.

jackieblack

DomRavioli wrote: »

So to all those who say you can have family days when you want - I work for the NHS (we don't close for holidays, and I'm permanently on call as a senior duty officer), my sister is a social worker for at risk children (again, permanently on call), my mum works in healthcare, my dad works in transport and spends most days on call, and my brother is a flight attendant - again always on call/standby.

We don't get the luxury of weekends, let alone "family days"; we look after the vulnerable and sick, usually without a thought from the public on days like christmas where we would rather be with our families, but instead we look after everyone else's families. The last time we were all together at any occasion was around 8 years ago; schedules are not flexible.

It just makes me so sad and a little angry that you all take this for granted. Every christmas day, there are doctors, nurses, paramedics, police, fire, even the AA, who aren't spending christmas with their loved ones, but looking after someone else's loved ones.

I don't take it for granted at all.
My father (now retired) was a police officer, so for 33 years he only got Christmas Day off once every 7 years. In fact, as a child, I don't remember any Christmases that he wasn't working for at least part of the day.
As a result, we got into the habit of having family days when we had the opportunity to, not because of a certain date on the calendar.


I'm sorry that it makes you sad and/or angry - you do come across as a little bitter even - but your family have all chosen to do those jobs and every job comes with its advantages and disadvantages.


Being on call doesn't stop you making plans to get together when you can, even if, in the end, one or more of you is called in and not able to make it.

DomRavioli

Georgiegirl256 wrote: »

Abit harsh isn't it? ^^^

Some people just don't like Christmas, and whatever the reasoning behind it, that is totally their business and they shouldn't be made to feel guilty for that. Maybe they just want to sit on their behind and do nothing? Again, that's up to them. I don't think anyone is taking anything for granted.

I worked over Christmas for 16 years (granted, not Christmas Day, but every other day over the holidays) and that was just part of my job. If I didn't like it, well I could have found another job. Would I have prefered to have had the days off? Of course I would, but I knew what I was letting myself in for when I took a job in retail.

Was I jealous of friends and family who got two weeks off? Sometimes yes (although I did like the busy buzz of working over the holidays), but I never made any of them feel bad about it just because they had a job where they got Christmas and New Year off.

I and I'm sure everyone reading this is very very grateful to people like you and others who work in the emergency services etc, there's no doubt about that, we truely are, but you sounds very very bitter about having to do so and intent on making the OP and others feel guilty just because they don't have to work over the holidays. Their moan/rant is just as valid as yours, and whilst it would be nice, they don't have to go to a soup kitchen (or whatever) just to make themselves or you feel better.

Bitter? Hell no! I love my job, and do it because I love it, I'd do it for free if I had to. I do work long hours, I have a second job (nothing to do with the NHS or services) to enable me to have some time off to do family things, but the assumption that everyone works a standard week (or at least set hours) is just purely delusional.

It was the attitude that people can have family days whenever they want; that isn't a reality for a lot of families, and their blinkered vision is just pathetic. Maybe seeing those less fortunate would enable those posters who think it is so easy to see what the rest of the world does to make ends meet and still try and have family time.

You are entitled to your opinion, but the 1 in 7 of the UK populace who work in some way for the NHS just goes to show how many of us truly have to give up a lot in order to care for those in need. They just need a reality check.

Georgiegirl256

DomRavioli wrote: »

!)..
We don't get the luxury of weekends, let alone "family days"; we look after the vulnerable and sick, usually without a thought from the public on days like christmas where we would rather be with our families, but instead we look after everyone else's families. The last time we were all together at any occasion was around 8 years ago; schedules are not flexible.

It just makes me so sad and a little angry that you all take this for granted. Every christmas day, there are doctors, nurses, paramedics, police, fire, even the AA, who aren't spending christmas with their loved ones, but looking after someone else's loved ones.

To the OP - perhaps it would be wise if you took that day and helped others - Take a box of chocs to your A&E department, volunteer with the elderly who don't have any family, just don't sit on your behind and do nothing.

Pollycat wrote: »

I didn't think the post came across as bitter.

Just my opinion pollycat The bit about "you ALL take this for granted"....well excuse me, but I don't think you can say ALL people do.

Telling the OP to get off their behind and don't just do nothing is IMO rude.

DomRavioli

jackieblack wrote: »

I don't take it for granted at all.
My father (now retired) was a police officer, so for 33 years he only got Christmas Day off once every 7 years. In fact, as a child, I don't remember any Christmases that he wasn't working for at least part of the day.
As a result, we got into the habit of having family days when we had the opportunity to, not because of a certain date on the calendar.


And, surely, being on call doesn't stop you making plans to get together when you can, even if, in the end, one or more of you is not able to make it?

I have worked every christmas eve, day and boxing day for the last 14 years, to allow those with children time to spend with them. (I don't have children).

Being on call for me means that I have a 50 mile round trip to work (can't afford anything any closer to work), and I have to be ready to go at literally a moments notice. Same with my sister, and my brother is usually on a plane somewhere, and gets an hours notice if they need cover. I cover the whole of Greater Manchester, part of Cheshire and occasionally cover parts of Lancashire, as do the other three SDOs, we are all on permanent call, and believe me, you can't even order dinner. I have an allotted time to get to where I need to be, so I literally have to drop and go.

We literally cannot plan anything, unless we book physical time off, and getting everyone's to line up is astoundingly difficult.

DomRavioli

Georgiegirl256 wrote: »

Just my opinion pollycat The bit about "you ALL take this for granted"....well excuse me, but I don't think you can say ALL people do.

Telling the OP to get off their behind and don't just do nothing is IMO rude.

That's your opinion, but in 14 years I have never had a thank you from anyone who came through my doors (to be expected), nor their families or next of kin.

I'm not an enabler - I'm not going to tell the OP that they are perfectly correct when if they had to do what over a million of the UK populace do every christmas day, they would possibly have a different opinion, and hopefully have the slightest bit of empathy for those who give up days like that in order for others to have them.

And you're entitled to your opinion.

gabriel1980

I love everything about Christmas! Time off work, presents, the food and copious amounts of drink, the fact that it's mandatory to laze around, meeting relatives you might not have seen in a long time, the queen's speech, the Christmas telly, the tree, the decorations everywhere, even the John Lewis ad. Everything about Christmas is fantastic - the greatest time of the year!!

Georgiegirl256

DomRavioli wrote: »

You are entitled to your opinion, but the 1 in 7 of the UK populace who work in some way for the NHS just goes to show how many of us truly have to give up a lot in order to care for those in need. They just need a reality check.

DomRavioli wrote: »

That's your opinion, but in 14 years I have never had a thank you from anyone who came through my doors (to be expected), nor their families or next of kin.

I'm not an enabler - I'm not going to tell the OP that they are perfectly correct when if they had to do what over a million of the UK populace do every christmas day, they would possibly have a different opinion, and hopefully have the slightest bit of empathy for those who give up days like that in order for others to have them.
.

As I said in my previous post, I for one am truely grateful for all the people (medical and non medical) who have to work over Christmas. Non more so than last Christmas when my Dad was extremely ill and we had doctors, nurses and carers coming to his house, we couldn't have managed without them. They all do a fantastic job and in my personal opinion do not get paid nearly enough.

I find it hard to believe that not one person in over 14 years thanked you....seriously? Well, if that's true, then thats shocking, a simple thank you costs nothing.

However, there are many many more professions who have to work over Christmas too. You work in a certain profession, then that is expected of you. It's tough, but it's the facts.

In my own job, for 16 years, I worked every Boxing Day without fail. Almost every Xmas eve, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day too. If my boss could have opened the shop on Christmas Day, believe me, he would have!

Correct me if I'm wrong though, I don't think the OP has mentioned about people having to work on Christmas Day/Holidays? Merely that they didn't like Christmas. Yes they said you can get together anytime of the year with family, and yes as you say, that is not always true, but I'm not sure where you are getting this thing that they don't/people don't have any empathy from? Just because you have to work over the holidays, (as do millions) why have a go at those that don't and say they have no empathy and no understanding?

burlington6

gabriel1980 wrote: »

I love everything about Christmas! Time off work, presents, the food and copious amounts of drink, the fact that it's mandatory to laze around, meeting relatives you might not have seen in a long time, the queen's speech, the Christmas telly, the tree, the decorations everywhere, even the John Lewis ad. Everything about Christmas is fantastic - the greatest time of the year!!

Everything but what Christmas is actually about.

jackieblack

DomRavioli wrote: »

Being on call for me means that I have a 50 mile round trip to work (can't afford anything any closer to work), and I have to be ready to go at literally a moments notice. Same with my sister, and my brother is usually on a plane somewhere, and gets an hours notice if they need cover. I cover the whole of Greater Manchester, part of Cheshire and occasionally cover parts of Lancashire, as do the other three SDOs, we are all on permanent call, and believe me, you can't even order dinner. I have an allotted time to get to where I need to be, so I literally have to drop and go.

We literally cannot plan anything, unless we book physical time off, and getting everyone's to line up is astoundingly difficult.

Adding geographical challenges would definitely make it more difficult.


Some people choose jobs that give them great job satisfaction or the opportunity to travel, others choose jobs that give them great financial reward, often at the expense of family time. Others may choose mundane, poorly remunerated jobs that give them more time with their families.
All jobs have their advantages and disadvantages. that doesn't mean anyone's choices are more valid than anyone else's.

And it doesn't mean that anyone else should be forced to participate in someone else's definition of what a 'happy' Christmas should be.