Which was better, your RL Christmas or your SL Christmas?

Persephone Emerald · December 29, 2012

I was thinking this morning of what my Christmas was like this year & came to the conclusion that I enjoyed aspects of it in SL that I didn't have in RL.

In RL, my roommate & I didn't really decorate much or exchange gifts. I didn't get cards or presents from distant relatives. No snow. No church service. My roommate & I took my 90 year old, senile mother to Denny's, then watched Christmas TV shows. Mom & I got each other stuffed dogs that respond to voice. We didn't fight with each other on Christmas day. We enjoyed each other's company. My boyfriend spent the weekend before Christmas with me, but we annoyed each other & weren't really happy most of that time. I gave small gifts to him & to my roommate, but got nothing back in return from them.

In SL, I put snow on our land, which my roommate, her boyfriend & our renters enjoyed, as well as snowmen, an ice-skating rink & a snow angel. I put up a Christmas tree in my SL house & a wreath on my SL front door. I gave out a box full of goodies I made to friends & strangers. And I picked up a bunch of Christmas presents I've only begun to start opening.

In SL I can have all the fun of dreaming over catalogs, then actually buy the stuff & get it immediately. I can easily decorate a lovely home & spacious land, then just as easily put all my decorations away. In SL I get to experience the joy of finding great bargains from the discount sections of high-end stores. In SL I can afford to give presents to everyone I know. I don't even feel like I need Christmas presents in RL, because I can have all the excitement of opening presents that a child has on Christmas morning when I open my SL Christmas gifts.

I think the only thing I miss in SL is eating Christmas treats, but I can do that in RL while I'm at my laptop.

Jinx Requiem · December 29, 2012

In SL, I was waiting for a certain to show up that never did so ... my Christmas was a bum one in-world.

In RL however? Got a ton of gifts, managed to spend time with my family despite having to work that day and good times were had by all. Can't really complain.

However, there are times that I do wish my SL experiences could be as awesome as my RL ones.

But SL is what you make it ... so ... -shrug-

Happy you had a good one in-world though.

SinfulPrince · December 29, 2012

RL is always best with me.

Its the only place the real people I love.

Tari Landar · December 29, 2012

Rl Christmas is always tops for me. Sl has it's own advantages, and of course each has wonderful aspects. But in rl I get to watch the magic in my children's eyes and there is absolutely nothing that can compare to that, absolutely nothing.

I don't usually get gifts either in rl, at least not tangible ones, although this year I did. I don't mind though. It's the intangibles that mean more to me. Presence means more than presents, for us. It's still awesome to watch the kiddos open theirs, lol.

There was a time when I'd spend a lot more time with friends and family in sl during the holidays. Parties, relaxing, gift sharing, and such were all part of our holiday, back then. But most of them have since moved on, or at least things have changed in our lives that keep us from doing these things now. That's just how life goes. I do decorate the store, at least somewhat. My home however, is still a beautiful, warm, nature themed place-without snow. I have the snow and cold in rl, don't really need it in sl, lol.

I do have people-both friends and family-I love in sl and absolutely love spending time with in sl. Still nothing will compare to being able to spend time with friends and family in rl. Just as I love spending time in sl with hubby, cuddled up, dancing, or doing whatever. Doing these things together in rl is still much better

Jonathan Sivocci · December 29, 2012

Real Life was better for me altho i got more christmas wishes from people in SL than in RL so in a way of being gratefull i think 50/50.

Did not really celebrate Christmas in SL altho i did have fun with some people i haven't seen for years. good way to seek contact with lost "SL"Buddies.

Heart Brimmer · December 29, 2012

Persephone Emerald wrote:

I was thinking this morning of what my Christmas was like this year & came to the conclusion that I enjoyed aspects of it in SL that I didn't have in RL.

In RL, my roommate & I didn't really decorate much or exchange gifts. I didn't get cards or presents from distant relatives. No snow. No church service. My roommate & I took my 90 year old, senile mother to Denny's, then watched Christmas TV shows. Mom & I got each other stuffed dogs that respond to voice. We didn't fight with each other on Christmas day. We enjoyed each other's company. My boyfriend spent the weekend before Christmas with me, but we annoyed each other & weren't really happy most of that time. I gave small gifts to him & to my roommate, but got nothing back in return from them.

In SL, I put snow on our land, which my roommate, her boyfriend & our renters enjoyed, as well as snowmen, an ice-skating rink & a snow angel. I put up a Christmas tree in my SL house & a wreath on my SL front door. I gave out a box full of goodies I made to friends & strangers. And I picked up a bunch of Christmas presents I've only begun to start opening.

In SL I can have all the fun of dreaming over catalogs, then actually buy the stuff & get it immediately. I can easily decorate a lovely home & spacious land, then just as easily put all my decorations away. In SL I get to experience the joy of finding great bargains from the discount sections of high-end stores. In SL I can afford to give presents to everyone I know. I don't even feel like I need Christmas presents in RL, because I can have all the excitement of opening presents that a child has on Christmas morning when I open my SL Christmas gifts.

I think the only thing I miss in SL is eating Christmas treats, but I can do that in RL while I'm at my laptop.

I think for me the best Christmas was in SL. I have no family in RL and all my friends are married with children, even though I was invited to their houses for dinner, I declined this year. I actually enjoyed spending the holiday alone and in SL. I had decorated my house in SL and lots of snow everywhere! I was able to give presents to the ones that are close to me and also to my partner in SL, then the two of us spent a quiet evening, cuddling and talking. It was a wonderful Christmas. *smiles*

Edit to remove double quoting.

Hippie Bowman · December 30, 2012

Real life always for me! Was great to get together with family and friends. The warm feeling of hearth and home. Second life was great too! I had fun wintering the sim too!

winter 12.jpg

Peace!

Melita Magic · December 30, 2012

RL. I don't think I even went into SL on Christmas unless it was for about five minutes, to send some things or get some things that had been sent.

But I avoid talking about my personal RL too much in a game forum. Suffice it to say I had a nice Christmas.

Czari Zenovka · December 30, 2012

I enjoyed both but had a more "traditional" Christmas in SL.

I am rather isolated in RL with my only family being my parents, who I love dearly. Over the years we have scaled back from the big dinner/tons of gifts type of celebrating to no gifts (although my parents always give something to me and I have some gifts "in the works" for them) and getting together whenever - not necessarily on Christmas Day. My birthday is Christmas Eve so, in the past, we used to have a double celebration. Anyway, my mother fixed our favorite dishes for Christmas but it was a "drop in when you want" situation.

In SL I have my home decorated for Christmas, complete with snow. (I live in the tropics RL - it was 75F here today ) I participated in the tradition of Posada this year with my SL church so from Dec. 1-24 I visited a different location each day; some of the hosts had parties or concerts as well so all my Christmas socializing/celebrating was in SL.

Melita Magic · December 30, 2012

Sounds like a lot of fun! Posada. I need to learn more about that.

Czari, I didn't know your brthday was Christmas Eve. Happy Belated Birthday.

Sephina Frostbite · December 30, 2012

Czari, Happy Birthday. I worked both Christmas Eve and Christmas. Since I have no children I didnt celebrate. I got a nice gift from work though and a few lovely gifts from family. Over all though Christmas this year was rather boring.

Czari Zenovka · December 30, 2012

Melita Magic wrote:

Sounds like a lot of fun! Posada. I need to learn more about that.

Czari, I didn't know your brthday was Christmas Eve. Happy Belated Birthday.

Thank you so much, Melita.

Czari Zenovka · December 30, 2012

Sephina Frostbite wrote:

Czari, Happy Birthday. I worked both Christmas Eve and Christmas. Since I have no children I didnt celebrate. I got a nice gift from work though and a few lovely gifts from family. Over all though Christmas this year was rather boring.

Thank you, Sephina. This thread just goes to show the whole world doesn't have "Hallmark" Christmases. And truly...I enjoy not participating in all the commercialism madness.

2.9k · December 30, 2012

i like presents

if i never got any presents then I would cry. like more than cry. like baww!!! even

jesus got presents and he said everyone have to suffer the children. is in the bible

so that means presents for me or else you not going to Heaven (:

+

I like to give presents as well. I dont mind if I not get a present off them i give to. I happy to get them off other people (:

is unkind to expect that you get will get a present in return for what you gave. and bible says is wrong to think like that

and anyways they are all going to Hell bc they didnt so I dont need do anything about that myself

q; jejejejeje (:

Amethyst Jetaime · December 30, 2012

The days leading up to Christmas in RL and SL getting my gifts to others ready and decorating my home and business and baking goodies in RL. Christmas Eve was a day for sending my SL gifts out and visiting with friends. That evening after RL dinner, my partner and I spent together, just the two of us.

I spent the first part of Christmas day at a delicious brunch in RL then the afternoon in SL sharing Christmas with more SL friends and my partner until we both logged out in the late afternoon for our families' dinner. My family that could make it this year had a lovely Christmas feast and exchanged a few gifts as we had a good time talking and catching up. Afterward I returned to my SL home to finish my Christmas with my partner,quietly in front of a nice fire.with our Christmas tree aglow.

ImaTest1488314069 · December 30, 2012

I don't spend any time on Christmas or Christmas Eve in SL. My son and I go to a local children's hospital on Christmas Eve. On Christmas day we go to a soup kitchen to help out. We have a blast at the children's hospital. We're pretty familiar with most of the staff and he really enjoys playing an elf to all the little kids. They seem to enjoy seeing an elf who "looks like them". We have fun at the soup kitchen too, but it's also pretty sad to see. There are a lot of families, and it breaks my heart.

We don't do gifts for each other, we use that money to bring things to the shelters that they need instead.

We spend the day before and after watching corny holiday movies, though. Same with New Years, we watch corny holiday shows and movies.

Phil Deakins · December 30, 2012

RL was better for me. Not because anything happened that doesn't happen on any other day of the year, but because I rarely do nothing in SL except just stand at my Home location, which is what I did through Christmas.

I live alone in RL, and I did what I do every other day - use a couple of forums and watch some TV. I did put some lights and a small tree up though but that's only because a friend I made in SL made me do it for the last few years by sending me (in the UK) a small tree all the way from New York, with instructions (not suggestions) to buy some lights. I have to put them up in case she wants to video chat on Skype. She didn't, so I could have got away with not putting them up

Syo Emerald · December 30, 2012

I can't really compare, because I wasn't in SL that time. But assuming I would live alone and can't visit someone for christmas, I would decorate my SL house and spend my evening there. Wouldn't be so bad...no fights with family members, no burned food for dinner...maybe another year.

Amie Kaestner · December 30, 2012

My RL Christmas. Because I actually got to see my family in the flesh and not through a computer monitor.

Sorry, but if you spent Christmas Day on SL exanging polygons with your avatars that's... kinda sad. Like, sadder than those homeless people who had to spend their Christmas in a Salvation Army shelter.

Tari Landar · December 31, 2012

Amie Kaestner wrote:

My RL Christmas. Because I actually got to see my family in the flesh and not through a computer monitor.

Sorry, but if you spent Christmas Day on SL exanging polygons with your avatars that's... kinda sad. Like, sadder than those homeless people who had to spend their Christmas in a Salvation Army shelter.

What a terrible thing to say to people. Especially this time of year when so very many people either do not have family they can spend physical time with, or are not blessed with the opportunity to do so. The one time of year when people, at the very least, try to promote good will toward man. Or at least, we'd like them to. It's not as if it's a difficult task, though it should be a year round act.

I spent time on Skype with some family members I couldn't be in person with. I also spent time on the phone with them as well. I don't find it sad at all. I'm pretty happy we got to connect at all. I know my children are doubly blessed because we have the opportunity to spend time with loved ones we wouldn't be able to without such technologies.

What I find sad, is one person boasting about the physical time spent with family and in the same breath putting down anyone else who might not share that blessing. That's actually more than just sad, it's disheartening. Terrible example to set for others as well. Your little insult even seems aimed at people who don't have a home to share time with others in. That was really low. Yeah, they're not the sad ones, I can see that clearly.

I, personally, am grateful for any time I get to spend with friends and family. Whether it's in person, on the phone, over the computer, or any other way possible. When so very few in this world have much to be grateful for to begin with, I can see my blessings and be very grateful for them. Rather than putting down others just because they too aren't blessed.

I'm sorry you haven't ever had any kind of relationship with someone that put you in a position where spending time physically together wasn't always possible. I am sorry because you'll never understand what it can, and does, mean to those who have. You'll never understand the joy it can bring, either. I am however happy you also never have to experience the pain that some do, when they can't be physically near the ones they love. It can be a pain I wouldn't wish on anyone, at times.

Millions of people the world over aren't able to be with the ones they love, whenever they want to, especially this time of year. I am grateful we have a means for them to spend what time they can, together. I am quite sure they don't find it sad. I know I don't.

Czari Zenovka · December 31, 2012

Stands up and applauds!

Very well said.

(To me the poster sounds very young. Some years on him/her may help with the current lack of compassion. )

Czari Zenovka · December 31, 2012

ImaTest wrote:

I don't spend any time on Christmas or Christmas Eve in SL. My son and I go to a local children's hospital on Christmas Eve. On Christmas day we go to a soup kitchen to help out. We have a blast at the children's hospital. We're pretty familiar with most of the staff and he really enjoys playing an elf to all the little kids. They seem to enjoy seeing an elf who "looks like them". We have fun at the soup kitchen too, but it's also pretty sad to see. There are a lot of families, and it breaks my heart.

This post warmed my heart. Also gave some ideas to me for next year. Thank you for posting.

angiewolf · December 31, 2012

you tell me. In rl, my one present (a laptop) got shipped to a suburb of seattle in stead of to me. Also my bf (same as in hs) dumped me christmas day for the same ***** he dumped me for when we were in high school. in sl, i bought presents for 7 friends. Yup that was my sl christmas. Happpy new year...

Heart Brimmer · December 31, 2012

Tari Landar wrote: