Not every end-of-year celebration is a cause for joy for rock icons. Ozzy Osbourne , the eternal Prince of Darkness, and Noel Gallagher , of Oasis , have publicly expressed their dislike for Christmas, becoming two of the most outspoken critics of the festive season.
aversion to Christmas is well known among fans and was prominently featured in a montage of moments from the 2003 television special The Osbourne Family Christmas , in which he reacts hilariously and rudely to Christmas decorations and traditions, from struggling with Christmas lights to bluntly declaring, "I hate Christmas." The singer has repeatedly stated that he prefers working during this time of year to participating in the festivities, criticizing the focus on shopping and children that, in his view, dominates the period.
One of the most iconic moments in the special is Ozzy's line [transcription via UCR ]: “Sharon, I just had a terrible nightmare. I dreamt it was Christmas,” he tells his wife at the beginning of the special. She confirms that it is, in fact, Christmas. “Oh, damn,” he replies.
Until Christmas 2024, the last one Osbourne was alive , the Black Sabbath continued with his anti-Christmas ideology. “I hate Christmas. It deeply irritates me. When I was drinking and getting drunk, I bought myself a 106-liter barrel of liquor. I drank it all before Christmas Eve,” he said in an interview with The Sun at the time.
Noel Gallagher, whose name is the word Christmas in French
On the other hand, Noel Gallagher , whose name, coincidentally, directly resembles the word "Christmas" in French, was even more severe in describing the season as a "stain on society." In past interviews , he stated that he tried to give the holiday a second chance after seeing his song "Half the World Away" used in a Christmas campaign, but concluded that the celebration was tedious and excessive, and criticized everything from the songs and advertisements to the obsession with consumerism surrounding the holiday.
“I hate it with all my might. The jingles… let me pause here to say that I loved it when John Lewis used my music in a commercial last Christmas,” he said in 2017.
Gallagher also highlights the irony of his situation: despite hating Christmas, he ended up associated with it because of the soundtrack to the holiday announcement — something that, according to him, perpetuates an unwanted link between his music and the celebration he despises.
“At that moment, I thought, ‘Christmas, you know what? I’m going to give Christmas a second chance.’ You know what I mean? I gave it a second chance. It sucked. Too much food, too many ‘we are the world’ sweaters, too many TV presenters, awful commercials, awful weather. Christmas sucks. It’s so boring it’s unbelievable… We are not the world, we are not the children. Christmas is for idiots.” [via UCR ].
While many artists explore the festive spirit in their works, Ozzy Osbourne and Noel Gallagher represent the critical side of holidays, provoking laughter, controversy, and perhaps encouraging the public to reflect on what this time of year truly means.
READ ALSO: Ozzy Osbourne had an aversion to Christmas: "I hate Christmas, it deeply irritates me"