‘Tis the season to be jolly and of goodwill and glad tidings to all.
Well, for some people it is...
When everyone else is decking the halls with tinsel and decorations, writing lists to Santa and tucking into turkey and sprouts, Suffolk resident Marcos Gainza just wishes the Christmas period could all be over as soon as it has started.
The 38-year-old has become so frustrated with yuletide celebrations that he has taken to putting up a massive sign which reads “Bah Humbug” on the front of his house in Yoxford High Street.
With most retailers looking to celebrate Christmas rather than trash it, the rocket scientist was left with no alternative but to hand-make the sign all by himself in order to demonstrate to the world his dislike of all things festive.
But having hated Christmas ever since his youth, he was only too happy to spend several evenings designing and building the alternative Christmas display - which illuminates the surrounding area at night with its 960 lights.
And despite most people around him putting up Christmas trees, fairy lights and tinsel, he said of the sign: “I think it says what an awful lot of people think but don’t dare say in public.”
Mr Gainza, who does not exchange gifts or cards with anyone, said: “Christmas is a chore.
“It has an aspect of the emperor’s new clothes - you’re just not allowed to question it. But let’s face it, we’re fed up with it before November is out.
“The first mention I heard of Christmas this year was on August 1. For me, it’s getting a bit ridiculous.”
The commercialisation, swapping of presents, Christmas parties and over-indulgence of food - you name it, Mr Gainza can’t stand it.
“I find it hard to find a redeeming feature,” he said of Christmas.
“I’m not that fond of the religious aspect, the commercialisation or spending time and money you haven’t got on stuff people aren’t going to appreciate.
“And isn’t this the time when you get most family rows?
“The food is pretty bland, all things considered. There is way, way too much to eat. I don’t want to shovel down food I’m going to have to burn off.”
Mr Gainza, who has lived in Yoxford for about 10 years, also bemoaned the “pressure to meet up and play nice with people you don’t usually see”, adding: “There’s probably a reason you haven’t seen them for the rest of the year.”
He says he receives “mostly positive” comments about his sign, which he made three years ago and generally puts up around December 1 - “or in response to a neighbour putting up particularly obnoxious lights, whichever comes first”, he said.
Although he will see family over Christmas, Mr Gainza plans to spend December 25 embarking on a long cycle ride.
? Do you agree? Do you think Christmas is a chore or worth celebrating? Write, giving your full contact details, to andrew.papworth@archant.co.uk or vote in our online poll.
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