Steve, if the Christian religious aspect of the holiday is lacking in your life, I think the thing to do is find some people who share your feelings and beliefs about it. This holiday isn't really just about Jesus, it is also a time of year when many cultures separate different sorts of folk customs (as someone has pointed out). The Santa thing isn't even all that universal, although the Anglo American commercialized version of it is likely what is putting you off. It is entirely possible to ignore it if you don't buy into the gift binge thing, or watch too much television.
For me, Christmas is a tree, feasting with family & friends on whatever we want (our only food traditions these days are to eat whatever we feel like), go to movies/watch DVDs, and try and tolerate the hordes of teenagers as best we can! That's it! Low stress, high enjoyment, not all that much money. Some years we go to mass, some years we don't.
So, cheer up! It ain't all that bad. The US is becoming less and less Santa and Christ centric both, and I don't consider that to be a bad thing. If you want to celebrate Christ's birth, go for it. Ain't nobody standing in your way. Don't want to celebrate the commercial/Santa aspect of Christmas? Then don't do it! Want to just be thankful for making it through another year, hang with people you love, start dreaming of possibilities for the new year, go for it!
But lower that stress and bah humbugness there, or you will only make YOURSELF miserable (and possibly, as someone else has pointed out, the people around you too! Not a good thing!)