I get to pretend for a little while that things are OK. All of the songs are really happy. I think I get wrapped up in the nostalgia and remember being a kid.

The food. Tamales hit different around Christmas for me, New Year’s is menudo/pozole. I also can’t get enough of Christmas cookies.

My favorite part is when it's over and all the fake cheer dissolves.

Time. My wife is a school teacher and I'm an engineer at a place that shuts down from Christmas through new years. I absolutely love having no schedule and just waking up every day with the kids and figuring out who were going to see and how were going to spend our time. It's an absolute luxury and I love it so much.

I found out a few Christmases ago that I really love gingerbread houses. I used to build scale models in grad school and got really into it. Gingerbread houses are like that but without grades or measuring. My weekend plans are to order trash pizza, put on Home Alone, drink some weed sodas, and decorate gingerbread houses til I'm too stoned to hold a piping bag.

I also love that it is cold and I can snuggle my husband to suck up his warmth and make him yell when I touch him with my cold toes. 😈

Die Hard.

I'm not christian, so idk if this counts but I really like all the festive vegan food options that have started being sold in the supermarkets at this time of year. They've gotten really quite good in the last half decade or so!

(Edit: my spelling is terrible, sorry!)

PTO

That it only comes once a year?

The decorations are nice. Haven't really been in the Christmas mood since 2018 but I love seeing the lights outside

I like having slightly more free time.

Food

It’s when we watch Lord Of The Rings.

The music.

Brenda lee, nat king cole, sinatra, harry belafonte, all made some incredible xmas albums. I play piano, and there are so many great jazz christmas books too.

Mariah Carey. All I want for Christmas is you is one of my comfort songs, it reminds me of so good memories. Sorry guys, I'm this person who listens to it unironically every year

Easier to shoplift since there's so many people distracting the employees.

(/jk I don't shoplift, but I just noticed how vulnerable stores are when its busy)

Cinnamon. Cinnamon everywhere in all the dishes.

Im going to agree with most that people who are into it put more effort into being cordial, next would be food and treats, then decorations, then sales so its oftentimes a good time to pick up something you need. I hate gift giving as an obligation though. I love when I can give something to someone because I saw something that really fits them and is relevant and that makes it so worth it. I hate a gift being given because its a time of year and reciprocity and such so it ends up being something to go to a land fill or such. When in such a position I tend to try and buy food or alcohol in the hopes it won't be a total waste. White elephants can be fun when its limited to actual found items and I think oftentimes it actually ends up rescuing something from a landfill.

Seeing how excited my kids get. If it wasn’t for that, it’s just an extra busy time of year.

Hanging out with family. Making the same baking my stepmom made. Unscheduled time.

My favorite things is January 2nd

In the southern hemisphere? Summer.

It's the best time of year, amazing weather, long days, warm nights.

The lights and giving gifts. My own christmas tree and lights up on people houses or businesses. It almost makes the early nights of winter worth it. Giving gifts is an art form for me. I alternate between hand making, scouring stores, and gift cards so I can invest as much time as I want each year.

That it ends. The amount of social needless obligations is just annoying to me.
Snuggling up in a comfy blanket is nice tho.

I like that most people become a little kinder at Christmas.

Drinking, smoking, eating, trying to forget my ex, more drinking, etc.

It's like a regular work day, but coffee is swapped with gin, and emails are switched with cigarillos

The atmosphere in the air. Offices get quieter and shopping malls get merrier (assuming no crying children or arguing parents)

Snow

And sarmale

Some people are more happy this days, that's good. But that's all for me.

Leftovers. Making sandwiches/tacos with leftover pork and chicken makes the 25th and 26th the two best days of the year, honestly.

Kindness towards others. Yeah there’s crappy humanity stuff like black Friday, but generally the holiday brings out more good than bad in people.

Mainly the nostalgia of it. The familiar peaceful Christmas hymns and the way Christmas lights reflect against soft snow. My spirit drifts somewhere between commercial Christmas and Yule.

The NYE party/vacation, and the xmas dinner with the extended family. Basically the only two things I like about december. Everything else is just a giant advertising ploy or an excuse to cover up how alienated, cynical and out of touch the western world is during the rest of the year. It's very frustrating for me because I cannot overlook the very evident consumerist and narcisist side of Christmas

Family. I'm very lucky to have a good one. I grew up with parents who moved away from their families before I was born, but we always traveled back - once in the summer, and then again for Christmas. Despite living a ways away, I had great relationships with my grandparents, cousins, etc.

Then it was my turn to move away. I'll be home for Christmas. :)

Lots of free time due to me taking at least 2 weeks vacation at the end of the year. Visiting family and giving each other presents. Baking cookies with friends. Going to the Christmas market. Decorating. Eating gingerbread. The whole end of the year let’s have a good time vibe.

The darker nights, the Christmas music, giving others presents and receiving presents from people, and having an excellent excuse to eat huge amounts of chocolate!