To really, really, really HATE Christmas?

[alicetrefusis]

All of it - from the schmaltzy music, to the tacky decorations, to the awful three day family lockdowns?

[dexter73]

You are definitely being unseasonable!

[forbiddenfruit85]

YABU.

I LOVE Christmas.

Why not try and find the joy in it? How it really does everyone together?

You might even find yourself enjoying it

[nokidshere]

Its not compulsorary - just don't do it!

[SantaWearsGreen]

Yabu.

Its the most wonderful time of the year lalalala...

[Hobbitation]

I can understand lots of people finding Christmas difficult. Particularly the recently bereaved or separated. I think it's a time for joy but also sadness as we remember people who are no longer here. Also brings out a lot of family disharmony and disappointment at Christmas not being as good as portrayed on TV.

[mumof4sons]

I hate Christmas too. I used to love it, but discovering your husband is having an affair on Christmas Eve and then your step father dying on New Years Eve (thankfully not in the same year) tends to rather spoil what should be a happy time of the year.

And to top it off this year, I am moving house and country just after the new year, so Christmas is rather inconvenient.

Luckily, DSs aren't to fussed and we've decided to have spag bol for Christmas dinner, because we know everyone likes it. Dominoes pizza was the first choice, but we didn't think they would deliver.

[Allergictoironing]

Playing Devil's Advocate here nokidshere, but it IS sort of compusory!

Mandatory bank holidays and in some jobs a complete shut down from Xmas Eve until 2 Jan (anyone who works on a day rate therefor misses out on over a week's pay)
Public transport reduced or closed
Xmas tunes blaring out over crap loudspeakers everywhere
Massive areas of shops taken over by "gift" or "seasonal" sections, meaning other stock lines taken off sale
Supermarkets jam packed for days before, so you have to queue for half an hour just to get parked only to find that staples like milk, bread & eggs have been sold out & the staff have no time to restock the shelves
Items put in Xmas packaging and immediately going up in price by 25%
Turkey (normally a cheap meat I enjoy any time of the year) trebling in price
The pitying looks you get if you say you're spending Xmas day alone, even if by choice
The expectations that gifts will be purchased & given, and mutterings that you are mean if you don't however broke you are

You may not celebrate the day itself, but there WILL be a big impact on your life like it or not!

[NotWankinginaWinterWonderland]

No comment, not a big fan either, I blame my hormones. yearly

[butterfingerz]

A three day family lockdown? I like yo families style!

[Sparklingbrook]

I find it incredibly stressful.

[outtolunchagain]

I loathe it , it was fine whilst the children were small now it's just a pain, dh becomes obsessed with lists and we are already not speaking. At least one of the family is ill ( every year!) and I end up exhausted from the effort of being nice/annoyed at being ignored . Three years ago I ended up doing the ironing on Xmas day

[Sparklingbrook]

I got told off by DH for hoovering on Christmas Day out. I always put a load of washing on too, don't care what day it is.

[Horsemad]

I don't like it 'cause I never get the Christmas I'd like.

I usually get stressed but strangely this year I haven't - no idea why, just don't care enough I think

[TessGoesDirectToBethlehem]

You are being unseasonable but not necessarily unreasonable

However, I have learnt to enjoy christmas by not trying to be perfect.

I don't invite people round that I don't like. I cheat with the cooking. I don't care if my skirting boards are dusty.

A lot of the commercialism gets on my nerves but, on balance, I would rather have some twinkly lights to look at on my dark journey home from work than just miserable weather.

[anotheryearolder]

Awwww those poor people who have to take 24th dec to 2nd january off
poor you .
try working it all

[SnowProbs]

It makes me feel anxious, to be honest. It is expensive, the pressure to have a good time and play happy families gets on top of me, and I absolutely hate the anti climax when it is all over. YANBU.

[alicetrefusis]

Allergic - I think I love you!
I ignore as much as possible. Never done the tree ( I mean what the fuck? Trees are much more beautiful outside, not stuck in the corner of an over heated frigging sitting room, or town square) I stopped sending cards two years ago - what a liberation that has been. Those who know and love me keep in touch whatever time of year it is. But as someone said, you can't ignore it all...That's the problem. I would go away - far far away - farther even than the far side of fuck - to a non-christian country if 1. I could afford to and 2. I didn't have demented aged parents to visit.
I am so glad I'm not alone with this. I genuinely, really am.

[OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos]

If you really really hate something that brings so many people pleasure, then you sound a bit horrible.

[alicetrefusis]

Allergic - I think I love you!
I ignore as much as possible. Never done the tree ( I mean what the fuck? Trees are much more beautiful outside, not stuck in the corner of an over heated frigging sitting room, or town square) I stopped sending cards two years ago - what a liberation that has been. Those who know and love me keep in touch whatever time of year it is. But as someone said, you can't ignore it all...That's the problem. I would go away - far far away - farther even than the far side of fuck - to a non-christian country if 1. I could afford to and 2. I didn't have demented aged parents to visit.
I am so glad I'm not alone with this. I genuinely, really am.

[CurlyhairedAssassin]

The thing that's annoyed me most in the past was trying to book a meal in a restaurant which didn't try to rip us off with a much more expensive than uusual christmas menu with much less choice than normal. Do they think people are stupid? We walked out of a restaurant once after specifically ringing up to check that the usual a la carte would still be running and not just a Xmas menu. Oh yes, they assured us. We got there and we're presented with a Xmas menu - very overpriced and full of usual stuff like parsnip soup or roast turkey with limited Xmas pud style desserts. We asked for the a la carte menu like we'd been promised and were told t wasn't available.

"But this is Xmas food only and we specifically asked if the normal steak and stuff would be on offer. Could we substitute steak for turkey and pay you a supplement?" (Even though they were charging rip off prices for turkey)

"I'll ask the chef." He comes back and it was "chef says no."

"Off we go then." So we went somewhere else which offered non Xmas food as well! They probably wouldn't have been able to give the table to anyone else so they cut off their nose to spite their face.

We stick to Indian takeaway now in December but it still annoys me every year if I happen to look on restaurant websites.

[moondog]

Make it what you weant.
I don't send cards.
I steer clear of shops.
I go on lots of walks.
I cook nice food and drink nice things.

It's nice.

[alicetrefusis]

Ooh sorry about the double post.

Hey outraged - I'll tell you a secret - I am just a tiny little bit horrible actually. I'm kind to animals though.

[CurlyhairedAssassin]

I just went downstairs as not feelin well so early night. Dh had switched all the Xmas lights off, inside and out. I said "bah humbug you big Scrooge! Why don't you switch them off later when I come to bed?" And he said that they weren't on for his benefit and he didn't see the need to have them on if me and the kids were in bed!

I guess some people just don't get the whole warm, "twinkliness" thing about Xmas and stuff like trees and lights.

[CurlyhairedAssassin]

"When YOU come to bed", I meant.

[PacificDogwood]

You should all try a traditional, IME much calmer German or Skandinavian Christmas: less hectic, less buying, less pressure for it to be the best time of the year, less ott partying with all the fallout that entails, less drinking (not no drinking, just slightly less and less desperately "Let's all get totally thrashed as fast as possible"), less flashing lights.

More candles (real ones! ), carols, a more defined Christmas time starting on the first Advent Sunday (whether you are of faith or not, people tend to have an Advent wreath with an additional candle being lit every Sunday before Christmas Day), more of a slow-down towards the big day rather than spinning ever faster before collapsing with too much cooking sherry .

I love Christmas, my Christmas, not everybody else's mind ...