Women spending Christmas alone, what nice things do you have planned?

Inquiring minds need to know: what's Billionaire's Baileys?

" Absolutely nutless" made me laugh so much. Christmas is also the only time I have nuts but I hadn't ever really made this observation

What happened to OP?

That sounds tough 💐

I’m sorry to read you lost your dog. They are our great companions, whereas teenagers and young adult kids can be horrible sods 💐

Will you consider getting another dog?

That's the reality for me, but I'm quite happy about it. I have turned down offers of hospitality on Christmas Day because I would rather be home alone.

All I'm saying is we are all different, and while I feel sorry for those who are alone and don't want to be, for some of us it is our preferred state and doesn't "get old very quickly".

"I like to start the day with a tiny glass or two of Chambord."

By itself? Not with Cava?

I had several Christmas days alone before meeting DP, then a few where he had the day with his family and came to me in the evening (I was invited to his family but felt like it would be intruding). I did something along the lines of:

Lie in until mid morning
Open presents
“Nice” breakfast of eg croissants, bacon sandwich, something a bit fancier than usual
Long bubble bath with a new book, new pjs
M&S food, again, stuff that felt treat-y but not necessarily Christmas food
Soaps
Wine and snacks, usually watching something not particularly festive - one year I did an In-Betweeners marathon

For me the trick was to be well stocked with nice things that felt a bit special, and also to stay off social media. I always felt the anticipation of the day - and people giving the head tilt when I said I would be alone - was worse than the actual day, which was usually fine.

I spend huge amounts of time alone.. it gets old very quickly.

There’s only so many long baths or films you can watch, walks mean coming back home to an empty house or seeing other people together when you have no one, meals alone are an every day occurrence so they are lonely and quiet at times.
That is the true reality for many.

Me too.

Easy to comment from the position of priviledge of having a choice. "Oh if I could do Xmas on my own I would......" but you wouldnt. Because none of us do. We dont cook and eat a gourmet feast for one, what is the point? We buy stuff that is easy to eat with no effort and grow our arses on the sofa. Yes we could volunteer but what is the point? There are waiting lists for people wanting to virtue signal on Xmas day but are nowhere to be found the rest of the year. Better to leave the proud instavolunteers to it and give our time in January when its really needed.

When you can moan about having to cook for 12, but not mention the joy you get from being with family or friends its not the same as "Same as every other fucking day I spend on my own"

I agree

Only read the first page and gosh, there are a lot of posted with their imagined days of wonderful solitude who are not spending Christmas alone, but feel it appropriate to share their imagined plans if they had to. Just why? That’s not the question.

My day is going to consist of a turkey crown with bake at home bread. Buffet food, some treats. A bottle of Aldi's billionaires baileys, their clementine baileys, their ordinary baileys, peanutbutter baileys and lots of my favourite TV. I've got new PJs for Christmas Eve and Christmas day. I'm sure the day will pass quite quickly.

Id have no problem doing this....I'd Def get better presents that way! 😁

I wish I was on my own all day but sadly i'll be at work til 8am.
When I get in though I will sort out the dogs then quick shower, chuck on my Christmas outfit and start in on the bucks fizz with pastries.
Open presents, phone family and friends to wish them all a merry Christmas.
Traditional dinner (well, vegan version) of the usual turkey and trimmings.
Watching cheesy films whilst munching on festive UPFs followed by lots of alcohol and slipping into a food coma will probably end the day.

I always spend Christmas alone. Sometimes I'm into it, other years I ignore it completely.
Just so happens that this year I'm feeling festive as f**k!😆

That does sound difficult. I feel so bad for all of the carers who, as you say, have neither good company nor the freedom to self-indulge. I hope you can order yourself nice food or listen to Christmas carols or get some sort of enjoyment out of the season. Take care.

Just found this straight after a row with ungrateful late teen and young adult children. Instead of turning myself inside out in an unappreciated effort to make things Christmassy, warm and festive, I would fuck off to the far north of Scotland and car camp for the entire Christmas period. Just me and the dog, if the dog hadn't died last month. The dog was the only one who was actually pleased to see me.
I am a great camp cook so the dog and I would have a decent dinner and walk for miles, then we'd snuggle up under a pile of duvets and blankets and eat treats and listen to the radio until we fell asleep.
I wouldn't have to bother with trying to make anybody happy bar the dog, and he was happy enough just to be with me.

I'll be alone. And it's not nice. It's never nice.

Yes I agree with this. I already spend every evening at home alone. It’s not a novelty to sit at home by myself watching crap TV or reading my kindle.

Technically I’m not “alone” as I’m a full time carer for my disabled and autistic teenager daughter who rarely comes out her room and will just chuck any presents on the floor once she’s torn off the wrapping paper. I won’t get any presents or any cards as I don’t have any friends or family. I won’t even get a text from anyone! Maybe a “Merry Christmas from Vodafone, have you thought about upgrading?”

But I might as well be alone, in fact it may be worse as she can’t be left unsupervised so I can’t even go for a walk or to church or anything.

At least I have my cat…

I'm stealing all of these ideas to create myself the best Christmas ever!

Just a thought, but if anyone would like it, I am happy to host a session from 12:00 to 1:00pm on Christmas Day on AIBU... we can raise a glass to old friends and family, no longer with us... and share what presents we have discovered under the tree.

In the meantime, I might have a small quilt kit on Etsy, that I am currently pretending I will not buy, but it will be on its way to me in the morning!

Thank you.

I hope you have a good day. Christmas moves are a good chance to get any necessary sobbing out the way and then you can relax!

Christmas starts at the solstice. Tidy everything and chuck out rubbish. Change the bed clothes however recently they were out on. Candles and other lights. Get a book want to re-read, like The Box of Delights. On the morning, sit in bed drinking a quiet coffee. Walk a neighbour’s dog. Have breakfast, walk in the valley. Have lunch- whatever I feel like. Read, listen to a play. Bask in the quiet.

I understand. My main point though is that you and your partner don’t have to let your family estrangements rob you of pleasure at Christmas. As I said, we’re not very into the OTT of Christmas, but those of us with roofs over our heads and the means to buy nice some nice food etc, can do our own version and have a nice Christmas with the person we love who is with us.

Sounds lovely 🙂