Holiday Season

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Hello, I thought it would be interesting to do a thread where people talk about how their ASD interacts with the holiday season. A good one for me is loving to bake ridiculous amounts of food because measuring things very exactly and very strictly following step by step recipes is extremely calming
Also kind of struggling to understand the whole "appropriate" or "inappropriate" gift thing. Anyone else have issues with that?

Best Wishes

I like some of the decorations that go up this season, so long as they don't blink on and off or are over the top. I also love the abundance of sweets and wine that commonly appear with my family gatherings. In terms of awkward gifts though, I've been the guilty culprit behind a few terrible ideas, always in hindsight; some have ranged from downright confusing (usually when I thought I would be 'thinking outside the box') to the worst, embarrassing. Perhaps the most cringe-worthy was when, years back I bought my best friend a bra. Feel terrible about her reaction to this day, too. She had complained to me earlier on that year that most popular shops did not stock her size, unfortunately for her I remembered this little conversation when Christmas came round. I thought I was being nice. Anyway, she seemed to think I was making a dig at her bra size, so clearly I had poked a massive hole in what was apparently a very insecure field.
Ultimately, a lesson was learnt: do not buy bras as Christmas presents.

Generally most gifts are appropriate if they're not overly sexy or offensive. It's best to ask what people want

I'm having trouble. I want company for Christmas, but all my family are doing other things. Then when I feel upset that Christmas day is going to be rather lonely to me, they just go "oh Christmas day is just another day when you're grown-up, why do you need people so much?" - even though their plans for Christmas day are specifically to prevent loneliness for that precise day.

An inappropriate gift would be liquor for a recovering alcoholic. Also, candy for a diabetic is inappropriate.

If you have trouble with this, it can be helpful to ask a trusted relative or friend their opinion. If they personally know the gift recipient, they may also have suggestions about that person's tastes. With time and practice, you can get to where you are pretty good at choosing appropriate gifts.

I enjoy the Christmas season a lot. I see it as a time to strengthen bonds with my family and relatives, especially if my year with them didn't bet off to a good start. If I do all the right things that I need to do, the strengthened bonds last all through the new year.

I guess the weirdist part is I don't really celebrate Christmas anymore, I am more interested in pagan traditions to do with winter.

Christmas is my 2nd favourite holiday, 1st being Halloween.

I enjoy it fine. I can get overstimulated a little more and whatever but i like the food, family, presents, christmas movies.

I do everything according to family tradition and what is a tradition if its not a large scale schedule.

Amazon wishlists have saved me from a lot of stress when it comes to Christmas presents. There are a couple of people who are awkward and stopped doing them, but how else would I know what to buy for a sister who never visits or calls? I also have a friend who has a ridiculous number of books, but uses a wishlist to keep track of the ones she wants to buy, and she's always surprised when I buy her a book off her list.

I do like spending time with family at Christmas, especially as I now have two children. But I also have to admit I get very happy and excited about all the shiney and sparkley things. I'm like a kid when it comes to Christmas light displays, going "ooohhh!" and "wow!" and bouncing up and down.

Amazon wishlists have made life much easier for gift giving for my family too. That way we know what each other wants. it's less surprising, but whatever, it's easier.

I was at a huge family holiday party the other day and I nearly lost it after about 6 hours. Being newly diagnosed, I'm now more aware of the profound anxiety and discomfort I feel in large groups. It was misery. I love the holidays with my family members, but in small groups. Large groups are murder for me.

Although I have already done all my Christmas shopping for this year, I definitely want to try the Amazon wish list thing next year or maybe for some up coming birthdays? I would have never thought of that.
I understand the flashing light thing it feels like a dozen needles being stabbed into the front of my head. Has anyone here had a similar issue with walking past fencing quickly and the flashed of sunlight between gaps in the fence induce a similar effect?

I don't like how even a normal shopping errand at a time of day and a day of the week becomes a zoo at this time of year.

Today I went to do my normal weekly grocery shopping. I went at a day of the week and a time of the day that's normally very empty of people. I thought I was doing good avoiding a busy time. I also felt like it's still not Christmas for almost two weeks, and this is food shopping. Nobody's going to be doing their CHRISTMAS food shopping just yet.

Wrong. Half the freaking population of the planet was in that store today. Oh, sorry, HYPERBOLE. Well I just feel like being hyperbolic, if ya don't like it then stuff it.

I had to stuff it putting up with that sht today.

I love the holidays! It's so fun to bake yummy treats and visit with relatives. I could do without the Christmas songs that are a little too enthusiastic [I prefer the actual carols].

An argument last Christmas (one of those very long circular arguments that could have been avoided by me telling a white lie, which I find impossible to do) spurred me into getting a formal AS diagnosis - my assessment interview is on the 6th of Jan!

So, this Christmas I thought that it would be nice to spend it at home with just my wife and kids rather than with my parents or in-laws. This would have been only the second time in 30 years we would have been on our own, at home. I was so looking forward to it but my mother-in-law insisted on cooking for us one last time Unfortunately, this means my next chance will be in two years as next year I have to cook for my parents. That's nearly 30 years without a drink at Christmas; the one time of the year I really need one!

As for shopping and presents? I do it all online and try to avoid physical shops as much as possible - the crowds, noise and lights are unbearable. I'm the Uncle who buys books and dislike being told what people want. I prefer to surprise them