What do you love and what do you hate about Christmas?

[Blablabla1984]

[Paperblank]

I love everything... the build up, the 12 days, and spending time with the people I love most.

I don't stress about Christmas because I plan for it, and I save throughout the year.

The only thing that irks me is that there are some mardy arses about who always whinge that Christmas is commercialised...and it will be commercialised if that's what you make it. It can also be about simply celebrating the birth of Christ, about celebrating Yule, about blowing the budget or about doing nothing at all.

There is a reason behind the season so choose to celebrate Christmas in whichever way suits you but remember that your choice is as valid as anyone else's.

[wobblywonderwoman]

I used to hate Christmas - I was often. Single and felt lonely. I didn't bother putting up decorations.

Now I like it. I have two gorgeous boys abd I love decorating the house. I don't like the expense I suppose.

I bought two ride on toys the day after boxing days down from over 100 to 30 and am so glad I did.

[Blablabla1984]

I agree Paperblank, people do whinge a lot about Christmas. The funniest thing is when people go: don't talk about Christmas, it's only July!!

Right, but people do talk about other holidays and birthdays all year round so what's so bad about Christmas? :D

[Farfromtheusual]

My mother is what I hate about christmas. She hates any kind of celebration but Christmas is her most hated. She doesn't let anyone else have a good time and just brings the whole mood down, going on all day about how much she hates it, constantly moans about my grandad having to come for dinner (even though she's an only child and my nan died 2 years ago, and he literally has no one except us), she moans about cooking, even though my dad or sister does it now, and anything else she can think of, she will moan about it. Up until I got with my DP I used to hate it too because she ruined it for me as a child. I enjoy it now and just ignore my mother and let her get on with it in her own bitter way. Especially looking forward to this year as it will be our first xmas with a baby (am currently 34 weeks PG)

[PaintedDrivesAndPolishedGrass]

We celebrate Yule which has nothing to do with Christmas. Hth

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Prepares for Essay:

My DMum was never a Christmas Lover (I'm 50) when I was a child/teen it was much more low key. There was a tree with lights, some cards, small number of presents. Much more manageable.
We had a family friend staying and between him and me, we did the cooking.
But my DMum (and I suppose I blame her childhood alot) always said things like "Oh, I like Boxing Day better" and "I want to go to sleep and wake up when it's all over"
She didn't like putting decorations up and worse, putting them away.
It was really because I saw the Christmases my friends had and grew up thinking we weren't worth the bother and effort.
Of course , when I started doing cooking/decorations, it because My Job.
BTW, my parents are devout Christians so it all has special meaning, just my Mum didn't like the work.

Now, fast forward all these years, I get pi**ed off with all the people who "Hate Christmas" and say "It's too commercialised"

I love the planning. I don't want to be serving up an M&S ready meal. I don't spend £££ because I save my Nectar points and buy from July onwards, mainly stocking gifts and decorations.

I'd love some crisper weather, maybe some snow?
But last year I was shopping in a jumper (hot flushes) no coat needed.

And peoples bad manners don't improve either.

[Blablabla1984]

I love being organised and I don't see anything bad about shopping all year round. But some people seem to have a big problem with it.

We used to decorate the house in the beginning of Deb. But my little one was born on the 18th of Dec so now we wait until after his birthday to put the tree up. That way his birthday is 100% acknowledged and Christmas starts afterwards.

[BiddyPop]

I love the cold, the crisp air, the nice music on offer all over the place, the chance for a break and visiting family and having long walks (I always fit in a walk on Christmas Day - even at 40wks pg, I waddled halfway down the local pier (it's loonng - over a km each way) before I had to give up - it became apparent much later that night just why I had felt such an urge to walk as DD started to make her appearance!). Nice foods (some bought, some HM family traditions), a chance to read by the fire some afternoons without guilt. I also actually really like some time to take the time to think of others, some of that at home, and some of that in Church, and some of that in actually doing some things for others (within the family or others in need in different ways).

I hate the family dramas. And there are plenty of them between both our families. But I am learning slowly to not get dragged into them.

Christmas is a lovely season for me, and I work on preparing for it in spurts all through the year. So while there is some work to be done right at Christmas itself, a lot of it is already thought through or even done in advance, and I get the chance to enjoy what is being done, and the chance to take the break over the season, without the mad stress that some seem to have.

[pollyblack]

I don't like christmas, apart from time off work and mulled wine.

That said i make it fun and exciting for the kids. I am really happy boxing day onwards!

[yomellamoHelly]

I like the dc being at home. Decorating the house, organising lots of fun things to do, having a box full of treats to raid, making gingerbread houses, having lots of kids around...... Don't like eating turkey but enjoy all the other bits that end up on the table. Am also usually glad when it's all over and everyone is back at school as I'm knackered!

[IslandLife]

I used to hate Christmas as I worked every Christmas Eve and Boxing Day. Now I'm not working, and will have DP and a 2 week old (ish) to celebrate with

[FellOutOfBed2wice]

I don't like the 6 week+ build up we seem to have now after Halloween and then the lull afterwards, always find 27th December - 5th January pretty bleak and depressing. Hate new year. If it was just a weeks fun build up before, celebrations and fun for a few days and then back to normal, I could handle it but it just goes on for too long for me.

That said I come from a long line of Scrooges and some even took up Jehovah's Witnessdom, probably to avoid Christmas, so maybe I'm in the minority!

[OhNoNotMyBaby]

I've just never lost the excitement I felt as a child . We weren't well off and we didn't get masses of presents - my father used to make things like stilts.

I loved it even more when the DCs were young. We still laugh at how DC3 just couldn't spot her much longed-for bike, with ginger in the basket, hidden behind the curtain. [[http://www.usborne.com/catalogue/farmyard-tales.aspx?area=FA It was Christmas Eve on Apple Tree Farm and Poppy and Sam were ...]

I hope for snow every year. We go for a walk on Christmas Day with the dog. We do exactly what we want and just relax. No-one gets wound up because it's all planned and prepped in advance and it's just me and the DCs. Things will do doubt change as the DCs find partners and move elsewhere and have their own families. I will still enjoy it.

[OhNoNotMyBaby]

link fail: It was Christmas Eve on Apple Tree Farm and Poppy and Sam were ...

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Things I love about Christmas:

Our family traditions, built up over a period of time and altering as the DC get older.

My DS Birthday is the first week, we have a Tradition of a meal out (always Carvery, his choice)

Getting out the Christmas Bedding (winter bedding until after DS Birthday then I sneak the Christmas fleeces on)
The Christmas PJs (we have Christmas Eve Hampers and DD likes winter pjs in the run up)

DH and I go shopping , we will have bought most things but this is a chance to last minute wander.
We used to have a family shopping trip but I don't think we'll do it this year (DS doesn't do shopping, DD shops are the type her Dad doesn't want to go into)

I love the Christmas Cake - from the weighing and leaving the butter out to soften, lining the tin and the mixing. The smell of it cooking............. mmmmm then decorating with home made marzipan and icing.

Choosing a (hopefully) perfect present for someone.

And the Christmas Dinner itself. Planning the menu, prepping the veg, setting the table, the candles.

And Christmas TV. Watching those schmalzy films (where it always snows )
And the Christmas Adverts

I buy the Christmas magazines (usually "Good Housekeeping" "Woman & Home" and "Prima" ) but not the January issues (in Dec) because they're all full of holiday/diets/horoscopes.

So from the 1st Dec when the bedding goes on and the Advent Calenders go up, we drift through December , enjoying it.

[ShesAStar]

Love yearly Panto trip, the visits to Father Christmas with the DC, getting presents for everyone (except FIL because he's so hard to buy for!) making Christmas biscuits with the DC, the excitement mounting, filling the stockings, reading Christmas stories to the DC at bedtime, the advent calendars..... all of it! I don't feel the pressure that some others seem to (SIL!) - I just want to have fun and time with my family

Not keen on the wrapping and really hate all the people who wallow in how much they 'hate Christmas'. Hate all the discussions about who's going to who and the noses put out of joint if you don't comply.

[happystory]

The excitement at work, as I work with young children, the glitter and glue and the Nativity. At home, love Christmas Eve, both grown up children home, everything ready, invariably friends popping in, the house looking festive. My dh's amazing cooking! Not so much - the debate over where my mother is going to spend Christmas, and if it's with us, the grumbling and bitching and talking over everyone.

[shaggedthruahedgebackwards]

Love - Mince pies, Xmas Cake, Xmas Pud, Xmas dinners, Xmas parties, receiving cards from old friends etc

Hate - pretty much everything else. Especially hate - Xmas shopping, wrapping, basically all the tedious planning , shopping & cooking. Also hate all the OTT marketing & advertising that goes with Xmas

I would much prefer if it was every other year only, or even better every 4 like the Olympics. Think I would enjoy it more if wasn't every bloody year!!

[ASAS]

I love this thread! Love Christmas too.

Hoping Alexis had a great Christmas in July if you're here Seven

[HolaWeenie]

I love the build up, especially now with kids, so so magical. The actual Christmas bit can be a wee bit anticlimactic, with two young children we spend an awful lot of time packing and unpacking our car to visit My family on Christmas Day and oh's family on Boxing Day.

We just moved this year and now have the space to host ourselves, but I'm under no illusion this would be any more enjoyable than hauling our stuff everywhere! But we shall give it a go.

[HolaWeenie]

Oh and writing Christmas cards, I hate it! Thinking of donating to charity the money I'd usually spend plus a bit more.

[Dozer]

Like the children getting excited and the build up, school christmas shows and lights. Like celebrating with family, especially when am not cooking!

Don't like all the domestic and wifework" involved.

[annandale]

Love the buildup, love going to a show in London with family, adore Christmas Eve, love the food and the darkness and the lights and the tree and the music.

Struggle with balancing all the family needs plus I do bits of work in lots of different teams, can't afford more than one evening out.

[MiddleClassProblem]

Packing up afterwards. Such an effort, I might just leave it all up this year

[lollyj84]

I love the whole build up. Picking presents, wrapping them. Decorating the tree and house. Eating lots of goodies. Listening to all the music. Seeing santa with the dc and their excited faces. I love going to my parents on xmas eve and having our traditional buffet and opening one present.
i hate having to put everthing away on 6th of jan.