To think life would be better without Christmas

I agree with you but for different reasons.

I find the ‘large happy family around a laden and fun table before a night of drunken games leading into rousing walks in the country’ narrative extremely hard when I’m a single 50 yr old ‘only child’ adult supporting 2 elderly, and 1 dying parent.

For the ‘you’re so Bath Humbug’ amongst us: Imagine spending the ‘festivities’ with two people too ill / old to do anything but a normal ‘Monday’ but who would be depressed beyond belief if I didn’t spend the time with them and cook them a meal they can no longer eat.

I’ve hated Christmas and the awful ‘awww, we feel so sorry for you if your Christmas isn’t like this’ attitude for years. Years.

I’d like to go to sleep after Guy Fawkes and wake up on NYD.

I agree OP, I'd happily abolish Christmas too. It's just an irritation that comes around every bloody year.

I feel very lucky to have a DP who has no desire to celebrate Xmas at all (having grown up in a country where it just didn't happen), having not celebrated it myself since I reached adulthood as an atheist.

To my mind, it feels a bit hypocritical to make such a big thing about Xmas if you aren't a practising Christian. And if you are a practising Christian, surely you'd want to swerve the consumerism and tat and try to make it a positive family-and-faith-focussed celebration of Christ's birth?

For those who just want to treat the occasion as a non-religious restful time to spend with family, that's great. Why not create some new traditions of your own, eg with an emphasis on home-made gifts and food, recycled arts and crafts, special simple treats and games that involve spending time together instead of just spending money?

Having deliberately given up Xmas, I find late December a peaceful time of the year. It's nice to have a couple of days with significantly less traffic/ pollution, I'm perfectly content doing stuff at home and can live without shopping for a week. We don't bother eating particularly 'Xmas' food, just eat as normal. I'd highly recommend this approach to anyone who thinks they can (it helps if you're child-free or your child is still a baby with no expectations)

Everyone on mumsnet loves Christmas, and has their decorations up for weeks before the festive season. I'm not a particular fan of it though.

If it's any consolation when your DC grow up there is no build up to Christmas at all - no Santa, no Christingle service, no school productions, no school parties or Christmas fairs. It all disappears.

Is this where I admit that I loved COVID Christmas in 2020 😬. So low key!!

Don't get sucked in to all the crap. I never took my kids to see Santa. TBH they thought he was pretty creepy, and wouldn't go anywhere near him, thank goodness. Santa gifts were small bits and pieces they needed, books and sox, bath smellies. We've never spent much on gifts either, small fixed budget. We stopped having family round years ago, as everyone just argued. So now, we have a lovely relaxed day, get up late, go for a walk, have a big meal, plenty of alcohol, and sleep the rest of the day. Bliss.

Sprinking some breadcrumbs and glitter on the grass as ‘reindeer’ food isn’t expensive

Please don't add the glitter - it can fatally injure our garden wildlife when ingested - it's the last thig they need in mid-winter! Lovely idea but stick to wildlife friendly ingredients.

Even I draw the line at pants and an apple 😂😂 I think any lid would be gutted by that!!
Some chocolate coins, a soft toy and a book though…

I've has 2 pretty traumatic Christmas days in my life.

1 - was pregnant with my first child. Ex decided to go home for Xmas as it was going to be the last one he work spend with family. I had hyperemsis (extreme sickness) and my family were looking after me. Ex cheated on me with an old girlfriend in Xmas Eve. Her partner caught them at it and beat him up. I found out at precisely 7.03am Xmas morning.

2 - exactly 2 years later my dad confessed to my mum that he had been having an affair with a woman 20'years younger than him on the night of Xmas eve .i found out again, the next morning at about 9am. My son was obviously born and was around 16 months old. My whole family - grandparents, aunties uncles etc were coming to my house for Xmas lunch. Myself, my mum and sister all pretended everything was ok and my dad had been called out on an emergency. My mum somehow cooked the most amazing Xmas dinner. It was like living a real life episode of eastenders on Xmas day.

However I stlll absolutely LOVE Christmas. Not so much the day but the build up too it. For me it's a good stress. I love the kids nativities, Xmas parties...visits to see Santa. The pantomime! I love it all.

It's January I absolutely hate.

Yes!! I've said exactly the same.

Totally agree OP. Dread it every year. Such a sense of relief when it's over.

YANBU OP. I used to really enjoy it, now just feeling the pinch and the pressure which takes the enjoyment out if it. It comes round so quickly after the last one the older you get!!

Britain just makes it too stressful!!

Decorations in shops since August, people talking about it all year round, the pressure to send a Christmas card ro everyone you know, post a present to every single child in the family/friends circle, cook an immaculate roast, provide an even better dessert, plan Boxing day activities..... Why???

The continent does it in so much more of a relaxing way....Tree is decorated with the family on Christmas Eve, lovely coffee and a roast the next day and presents only for the people in the house.
It's time to relax and unwind there rather than saying I'm so glad it's bloody over (which is what the majority of Brits say).

At the risk of sounding all Will Ferrell, I love Christmas for the Christmas spirit.

my children have never expected piles of presents. Christmas dinner is simply done. We don’t go to loads of parties, shows, grottos etc that sounds like hell tbh.

I don’t receive presents from husband or children, I don’t need anything

Did you have happy Christmases growing up, OP? I love Christmas, particularly now I have kids. But a large part of that is feeling that rush of excitement and warmth that I remember feeling as a child myself, and wanting to pass that on. I also don’t do any shit like Elf on the bloody Shelf and I don’t give a crap

But you said it in your OP? Lights, tree, family.

It is possible to be happy without spending money.

Icing biscuits to look like snowmen doesn't cost much. Neither does cutting snowflakes out of paper. Learning Christmas songs and singing them in the bath is free. Sprinking some breadcrumbs and glitter on the grass as ‘reindeer’ food isn’t expensive, or a carrot to leave for Rudolf is even cheaper. There will be Christmas films free on the TV to watch.

Okay- there presents and food for Christmas day is extra. But just buy for your kids and special food for Christmas day. The rest of the time just enjoy feeling grateful for the live in your life and do some good deeds for others. That’s what Christmas is really about.

We only put a tree up and have a family dinner. The rest is Christmas films, cooking nice things, frosty walks and a few pressies for the kids with a bit of magical 'getting ready' on Christmas Eve.

You don't have to do all the peripheral stuff. Christmas is what you want it to be.

For us it's just cosying up and having a bit of sparkle at mid-winter.

(Baileys, cheese boards and chocolate oranges are a welcome bonus!)

You don't need to go to the school show or the grotto or buy outfits for parties - none of that is needed to make a magical Christmas

And you don't need to spend lots - and make a stocking full of essentials like pants and an apple

Watch a movie , set the kids to make some paper decorations and keep it minimal

I don’t go to Christmas plays - delegate to dad/aunty etc. I hate it, so boring.

I love decorating so do that and get excited.

Presents - kids like things You can make/do together, something like make a board game together, rather than a present. Or let their present be an obstacle course you have to go through and they can make really difficult.

I don’t buy Christmas jumpers, I stick a bit of tinsel on a normal one. Who cares.

food is just going to be a roast. Go to church, they get all the atmosphere right, then it’s very little for me to really do on the day, make sure I’ve got tonnes of crisps in and chocolate.

you can make it so much smaller op, and you can say no to things too!

Agreed, I’ve always said it should be every 4yrs like the Olympics! I find it mega stressful still, even though my kids are older now. The endless stress of what to buy etc - it’s such a massive relief when it’s over

I suspect many people feel the same OP, they just go along with it because everyone else does.

I’ve had some great times as a child & adult. However, it’s become far too commercialized for my liking & I no longer celebrate.

Yabvvvvvvu!