To think life would be better without Christmas

Sorry for long post but following on from what @Ponoka7 said I googled and found this (below).
I think it's important to remember this was originally a people's celebration/marking of the mid-winter - not a religious festival at all.... hence decorated trees, holly and ivy, dried fruit puddings etc. None of this is anything to do with Christianity - it was all to do with ancient midwinter festival and therefore can be celebrated (in the non-Christian ways) by any religion in any way people like. Also, as an aside due to reading this - it seems panto was invented by the Romans. Who knew? Anyway:

''The Pagan celebration of Winter Solstice (also known as Yule) is one of the oldest winter celebrations in the world.
Ancient people were hunters and spent most of their time outdoors. The seasons and weather played a very important part in their lives. Because of this many ancient people had a great reverence for, and even worshipped the sun. The Norsemen of Northern Europe saw the sun as a wheel that changed the seasons. It was from the word for this wheel, houl, that the word yule is thought to have come. At mid-winter the Norsemen lit bonfires, told stories and drank sweet ale.
The ancient Romans also held a festival to celebrate the rebirth of the year. Saturnalia ran for seven days from the 17th of December. It was a time when the ordinary rules were turned upside down. Men dressed as women and masters dressed as servants. The festival also involved decorating houses with greenery, lighting candles, holding processions and giving presents.
The Winter Solstice falls on the shortest day of the year (21st December) and was celebrated in Britain long before the arrival of Christianity. The Druids (Celtic priests) would cut the mistletoe that grew on the oak tree and give it as a blessing. Oaks were seen as sacred and the winter fruit of the mistletoe was a symbol of life in the dark winter months.
It was also the Druids who began the tradition of the yule log. The Celts thought that the sun stood still for twelve days in the middle of winter and during this time a log was lit to conquer the darkness, banish evil spirits and bring luck for the coming year.
Many of these customs are still followed today. They have been incorporated into the Christian and secular celebrations of Christmas.''

Christmas was always so much more fun when it wasn't down to me to plan, organise, buy everything and be the sole point of responsibility of everyone's enjoyment of it all.

I agree. Any mentioned should be banned until December. It’s been ruined by the commercialised, over hyped shit show it’s become.

It became really apparent when I went to Spain the week before Christmas ( they celebrate on the 6th Jan). The city was all lit up, streets and shops were beautiful with decorations but there was no panic buying, tons of traffic or endless buy this 3 for 2 crap. It was calm, cold, twinkly magic. Got off plane back at Gatwick and it was back to endless ads, Christmas music and everywhere was manic.

My life would be crap without Christmas I absolutely love everything about it. I love the Christmas markets, Panto, Winter wonderland. Cannot wait.

The Christmas thread is further along. Off you pop.

We will not entertain Elf on the Shelf. The tree doesn't go up until December. We do not go OTT on presents, either the volume or the amount we spend. We most certainly do not go into a penny of debt to fund Christmas. The four of us spend Christmas morning together (the children are 3 and 7). In past years we had Christmas dinner at Granny's, last year, she went to another child's house and it was just the four of us, low key. Children love the excitement of advent calendars, a token gift on Christmas Eve and their presents on Christmas Day. It's truly magical for them and that's why I enjoy Christmas.

You do have control over every bit of this. You're doing things you don't want to, and you don't have to do that. Why go along? Do what makes you and your family happy. If that means materialism then you've made your bed on that one.

Read the room.

STFU! Scrooge!

Plan throughout the year? Nooooooo!!!! Then I'll never get away from it. I'd like to hibernate from 21 Dec to 31 Jan, when the days get a bit lighter.

plan throughout the year, get item's when its sales or bargains, shop and plan in advance ?

Just do the bits you enjoy. Forget about the rest.

@MyDogsPaws

well it’s either that or giving him a mince pie and I don’t really want to buy mince pies

Yabu. Your christmas can be very special without being materialistic snd hugely stressful. Youre choosing that.

@Longtimelurkerfinallyposts Christmas is as much a cultural celebration as a religious one. I celebrate it as a winter festival, as many do. It was a pagan celebration. The Christian church hijacked it.

I’ve always kept it quite simple and continued the small traditions I had as a child. I don’t put my tree up until I want to rather than feel forced to put it up in Oct/November because of social media. I refuse to feel pressured to do what everyone else is doing on those perfect fake Insta accounts and I have always felt happier for it.

Elf on the Shelf is EVIL more pressure on mums on a daily basis, it's horrible, we did it about twice!!!!

Agree, it's a f ing slog helped by wine, I love New Year's Eve as it means it's all over!!!!!

Hey OP
I don't think you are being unreasonable
The Christmas pressure starts early!
Shops get the stuff out not so people can plan and "spread the cost" but so they can sell sell sell
I never took my DS to see Santa or do any festive days out and he's grown up just fine! It's not compulsory. There's a obsession with perfection at Christmas and that's why people get stressed.
It's one day in December, I get the way you are feeling I really do!
I married into a family who don't celebrate Christmas although I still do with my side of the family, seeing the side my husband is on, nobody is missing out on anything and I start thinking what's the point of still doing it.

My DS is much older now, and we just have a chilled out day! Few gifts, walk, and basically a Sunday roast! TV specials/films and some choccies. Best bit no debt come January

I think you should do Christmas how you want and if that's scaled back, so be it. Your kids don't need an iPhone!

I shall join you OP,

15 years in retail and deal with the public at Christmas, was enough for me. I celebrate it for DS, but tend to do a really scaled back Christmas compared to a lot of people

We stopped adult presents years ago. We decided to meet up and do something christmassy instead. In terms of decorations/pjs they are bought asap. Things are booked as soon as they become available. Only invitations that will be enjoyed with people who I want to spend time with are accepted. I'm second generation immigrant and we didn't do stockings. Drop what isn't needed. Meal plan etc. I've already got my M&S, Sainsbury's and butcher order in. Then you get to enjoy December.

We’ve swoped it for doing experiences/holidays.
We have a very normal 25/12 with a dogwalk and a roast dinner, but have things booked for the year.
No stress, no anxiety, just good times ticking off our bucket list.

Every four years like the Olympics or Leap Year is a brilliant idea, though I was going to suggest five. I really enjoyed lockdown Christmas when I didn't have to bother. Trouble is, if it only happened every years, you can bet it would start in June and not September.

I like Christmas because i keep it simple. Few presents for people i love and like. Nice traditional dinner christmas day. Lots of cheese and Baileys. Few frosty walks to look at lights.

Just dial it back