Christmas pros and cons

As usual around this time of year someone accuses me of being a Bah Humbug Scrooge as I'm often found muttering darkly about various aspects of this holiday which I don't care for. Being an Atheist I have no religious reasons for liking Christmas but I am particularly keen on socialising with family and friends. So, here's a list of my Christmas pros and cons. please feel to add your own suggestions to the list.

PRO
- good time to socialise with family and friends.
- wonderful food.
- getting to drink things like mulled wine and eggnog.
- giving and getting gifts.
- see kiddies reactions on Christmas morning.
- Dotor Who Christmas special.
- some other decent tv
- European Parliament Office in Scotland's annual end of year reception.
- chocolate gingers.
- Christmas markets.

CON
- shopping hell!
- the amount of people in supermarkets buying enough food to survive a nuclear winter.
- Christmas stuff appearing in the shops in September.
- feeling like a lemon in the women's lingerie section of Fraser's. I escaped this year ;-)
- masses of people in pubs who don't know how to behave and think it's clever to tap money on the bar counter in a vain attempt to attract the attention of a member of the bar staff.
- getting a card from someone whom you hadn't sent one to when it's too late to get one in the
post.
- never getting a white Christmas.
- over eating and over drinking.
- wrapping presents.
- public transport meltdown.
- Santa hats and reindeer antlers (particular hatred of Santa hats in old firm colours).
- 90% of TV being crap.
- the racket from "neds on ice" which takes place in George Square for 4 weeks in the run up. (this deserves a post of it's own)
- office nights out (excluding my own of course!)
- the train to the office being full of 'ladies who lunch'.




I guess that more will be added as my bile gland refills or my goodwill to all meter is replenished.

Update: Friday 21st December 15:00
Well the bile gland has refilled first so here are a few more CONS:
- bagpiping buskers.
- red cowboy hats with white "fur" trim.
- shopping in Glasgow the last Friday before Christmas.
- availability of taxis.
- women using prams & pushchairs as battering rams.