It doesn't have to be a big celebration, but I like to keep specific dates for holidays I celebrate with friends and family. It helps It feel special to me, like it's something worth celebrating and carrying on a tradition of. Not that I am against celebrating the smaller things with loved ones more frequently, but a birthday on that actual day, Christmas (with or without religious connotations) with friends, or Friendsgiving, all feel extra special when celebrated on the day of the holiday rather than the Tuesday after.

I really enjoy getting together with my friends to catch up and unwind. The holidays do give a convenient amount of free time to do that and I relish that.

Do I care the calendar is starting over? No. Not really. But I love seeing my friends happy together and sharing good food and drink with them.

Playing alone on the PC is nice but not liking celebrating, being with family, and getting off the keyboard for a day is kind of ridiculous. I love so much work and play I do on my machines but one’s life isn’t the computer

It is good to have some traditions even if they don't line up with society's traditions.

By the time NYE rolls around, I'm tired of festivities, not just because my social battery gets deleted, but also because the food served at gatherings really sets off my IBS. This time of year I opt out of as much holiday stuff as I can without upsetting anyone, and I almost never do anything special for the new year.

What's your family situation? Always when I was single as an adult, I dreaded Christmas. Now with kids, Christmas is a lot of fun, because it's fun for the kids. New Year's is just a nice reason to invite some friends over.

Yes, in theory I feel that way. But if you're sincere in your DGAF take, I think that would make you either unusually self-confident or a small-bore psychopath. Like it or not, humans are social animals and this is a social time of year. I basically share your take but I wont pretend I enjoy the ambience of being a loner at this time of year. I'll feel much better about it again next week. Deep down I think you probably agree.

I enjoy parts of it and throw out what I don't.

I like inviting friends or family over for dinner. I don't like "traditional" holiday foods so I don't serve them.

I like spending time with family. I am not religious so will go do something else while some family members go to religious services.

I enjoy a party with friends and cocktails. I do not enjoy super loud parties late into the night. So I'm going to a smaller party tonight and will be home and asleep before midnight.

You're single right?

I mean, I rather have more holidays and more paid time off.

No, I'm not gonna celebrate the holiday, I just want more holiday pay, mm'kay? 😉

Can we get a 3 day weekend worship as well so we have a 4 day workweek? I don't believe in deities, but I'd like a 3 day weekend.

Human variation.

Since before we evolved into humans, it's never been a good idea to have all your eggs in one basket. So some humans don't just enjoy that social interaction, they literally need it.

Others fucking hate it. And want nothing more than to be a hermit.

The variation helps prevent an entire group from being wiped out at once.

Oxytocin is what's playing a big role in that variation, and some people use a nasal spray to increase their levels and be more social. But if you're a man and your ingroup developed along racial lines due to not being exposed to other races when very young...

That extra Oxytocin is gonna make you biased against men of other ethnic groups. The whole "they're coming for our women" thing is literally baked into our DNA. But if you're around various races when young, you don't form in group along racial lines. They're not automatically "them" because some your "us" looked like them.

Which is why Alabama banning Sesame Street due to inclusivity or Nazis complaining about "woke media" is actually a serious thing. Even just seeing mixed race interactions on TV is enough for young viewers to develop ingroups that include various ethnic groups

I only really have a tradition with my friends for new years, and go hard on Halloween since it's the only one I actually like (I'm usually performing). I ignore all other holidays. Christmas is the absolute worst, you can't even go out for a meal because everything is closed.

Yeah I feel this OP. I am always forgetting birthdays, even my own sometimes tbh. I do randomly get gifts for friends and family, but its never for the usual holidays.

I...don't have many friends, lol. But the ones I do have all understand my stance on holidays and celebrations. It's just not for me.

To me there's a comfort in some aspects of seasonal holidays, like reuniting with family and friends, particularly with those who I don't see that often these days. It's a good chance to catchup and socialise in comfortable settings (to me at least, I understand others could have family obligations they'd rather avoid). That it's Christmas season, or New Year, or whatever is almost irrelevant.

I don't have any plans this NYE, though I'm going to a NYD party my favourite club is putting on tomorrow. So instead, I'll relax tonight by messing about with my decks and some new tunes I've bought recently whilst watching some college football in the background

Especially around this time of year. I try to enjoy the holiday time off in what ever way feels right to me.

This year I didn’t celebrate Thanksgiving with family. Instead my partner and I stayed home, made a simple meal together, and had a quiet evening gaming.

I worked in retail for about a decade, so my associations with Christmas are less joyful than the average person. I don’t do any obligation gift giving, which has irritated people, but that’s fine.

I have found I enjoy celebrating anniversaries/holidays that are important to me in some way, even if it’s not what others do - like my own traditions celebrated in ways that feel meaningful to me.