Christmas things not worth doing

Hate Elf on the Shelf. Have never done it and refused to join in with it at nursery (we were supposed to take it in turns to move the elf and cause mischief but right from the start I said no). And Secret Santa. I never knew what to buy the other person. Thankfully I'm a SAHM this year so no Secret Santa and no bloody elf.

and no one has mentioned the matching jumper for the dog !!!

or those dog owners that feel the need to dress their dog in a Father Christmas outfit etc.

yes my dogs have jumpers and coats, but for a reason - either to keep warm ( one is 17 ) or to keep dry ( yes I do have towels but it is easier just to dry heads and paws and not whole bodies )

Those light trails. Just find out the best lights displays around your area and drive around them. Go on your Spotted group and ask where are the houses with the best lights displays and you will get answers.

🤣🤣🤣

People who wear PJs without underwear baffle me. Doesn’t the seam of the bottoms go up your bum crack?!

Drinking these pretty looking christmas coffees or hot chocolate. 99% of cases they taste awful, not worth the money and calories

What's paper tape?

@SerafinasGoose you mean recycling bin, right? I thought everyone switched to paper tape and plastic free wrapping paper years ago, or reused gift bags

Christmas light trails/walks.

I wonder if its just a mumsnet thing (like going on a hike in the rain) but I just don't get it. They are cold, muddy, busy and woefully underwhelming... Id rather go to Blackpool and see the illuminations if I wanted to look at lights (but let be honest the electric fayre was over 100 years ago, electricity is standard now and we have all seen twinkly lights before).

I'm certainly not wandering the local streets aimlessly peering in peoples gardens/windows to get a glimpse at their lights either.

As mentioned in another post, I have 8 of them plus t-shirts. Wore them at my last job. Most were purchased in the sales (ours were sold in sale 22nd Dec). These are my version of Xmas PJs.

I dare my former colleagues to wear the Lidl Xmas jumper at work.

Elf on the Shelf.

Just say to the kids that their special elf has been called up to help Santa and he will be needed throughout December. That way the kids feel special he has been called up to help Santa and you don't have to think of 24 ideas what to do with it. Win Win.

Advent calendars. For grown up children. I'm taking a stand this year. No advent calendars or Christmas stockings for grown ups.

Santa Grottos are crap now.

When I was a kid, in Leicester, there was a department store, Lewis' (not to be confused with JL) and the queue to see Santa was amazing. 3D animated scenes of a fairy tale with text to read (or parents to read if DC too young) and there was much to look at which ate time. As part of the gift you got from Santa was the Ladybird book of the fairy tale - I remember it was Little Red Riding Hood and Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Ladybird books were made in Loughborough, 20 miles north of Leicester.

Also

Christmas Jumpers that you buy new, wear once and chuck out/donate to charity like everyone else.

When families post a photo all wearing matching christmas pjs. It’s giving Disney Adult.

Elf on the shelf. Hate the sinister concept. When the kids ask why the elf doesn't come to our house we tell them they have already been signed off for the good list so don't need the Elf to check up on them.

Any sort of box.

Massive piles of presents... ....which aren't really presents just wrapped up stuff the kids needed anyway.

That damn elf will never enter my home.

We do a pared-back version of Santa - Santa brings each child one medium sized gift and some stocking items. Everything else is wrapped under the tree from humans and gets opened after breakfast (or whenever we see the giver). There are some deeper reasons for this but it also makes keeping up “the magic of Santa” far easier. I’ve never quite understood why some parents have almost everything come from Santa.

We do family gifts for extended family (no individual gifts between cousins/adult siblings/ in-laws, etc) and don’t usually exchange with friends beyond perhaps some homemade cookies or fudge. I enjoy giving gifts or treating people to meals through the year but feel like everyone gets more out of it separate from Christmas… having a checklist of 30 people to account for sucks the joy out of it all and it just becomes work and stress.

Winter. Wonderland.
It’s an overpriced funfair marketed as an amazing festive experience. Fine if you want to go to a funfair but the marketing makes it look amazing. Granted I haven’t been since the 2nd year it opened but it put me off for life.

Shit santa’s grottos that cost a fortune - at least the shopping centre Father Christmas of the 80s/90s was priced correctly.

Christmas eve boxes are excessive and i think dampen the excitement build up on christmas eve.

Elf on the shelf is an absolute chore that I was guilted/peer pressured into starting 😂🙃 I wish I could stop but i dont have the heart

I absolutely love christmas and december otherwise (honestly!)

@Lemonadeand what's a "Jesse Tree" (or is that a typo?)

Have to agree with this tbh. They are so expensive and there's rarely anything there i acrually want to buy except food and drink.

Making Christmas cake (never gets eaten).
Jesse tree.
Homemade/fill in the pockets yourself advent calendars. Just buy the little chocolate ones.

That’s about it. The other stuff I enjoy 🙂.

@Auburngal A curse on the houses of Carol Aebersold and her daughter Chanda Bell!!!!

I like the lockdown idea - might send ours to the North Pole forever for a few days 😂

This. And also festive light trails. I've a decent income but £100 for a family of four and then to spend all day stressing about rain. No thanks.
I did when the kids were under 5 and I could take them for £25 for a ticket for me but not anymore. Also, they are EVERYWHERE.

@Pottedshrimpy Four years ago, we were in lockdown for the first few days of December. My friend put the elf in a cage with a note "its lockdown" Then for 10 days, put elf in another cage "I'm self isolating" note attached with friend's lateral flow positive test strip. I cannot remember exactly when certain parts of the UK went into lockdown due to the tiers. Think friend lived in the first area to get the highest tier. Back into "Lockdown" cage.

Well said. I refuse to start it. Absolutely no way.

Pantos
Christmas markets
Christmas cake, brussel sprouts, Christmas pudding. Most Christmas food actually

I love doing the elf on the shelf. I've done it for 7 years now and still enjoy it almost as much as the kids do.

Far from goodwill most look like they are about to throttle someone or spontaneously combust.