Aibu to think the Middle Class have a much nicer Christmas from the run up to the event itself?

Money? everything costs a bombe. Of course money helps.

We would be perceived as MC but don't earn much. When we do have spare money it goes on Tombolas/raffles at the church Xmas fair and Christmas school events or community things. I do not believe the magic of Christmas lies in our wallets but it does help. We go for Xmas light drives with snacks and hot chocolates so hardly MC by MN standards. A PP said, if you want to find £££ for something you will, regardless of "class".

I can’t think of anything worse than scheduled Christmas activities/events.

We were on a very low income when my dds were young. Our Christmas festivities started in November.

We went to every free event going, there wasn't a weekend where we didn't do something. We went to messy church, church fayres, school fayres, free light up events, looked at lights, Christmas Carol concerts and more. We used to get cheap train/bus tickets and go to London or other cities and see the lights and go to free events.

I would book early and cheap panto tickets, so often got £5/£10 tickets. And go to the lesser known ones for even cheaper tickets.

We visited Santa at the free events or places like a garden centre where it was cheaper or sometimes free.

I think rather than income it depends where you live. We lived in a very community centred area with very quick connections to 2 larger cities and only 1hr from London so lots of options for free and cheap events.

We also did alot of Christmas crafts and activities at home.

Just because you can throw money at it doesn't always result in having a good time. Often read on here one parent, usually mum, plans things for the family that cost hard earned money then dp /h sulks about something and doesn't want to go or one of the kids play up.

In that case they're picking well outside of the guidelines.

How do you define middle class? Do you mean people with money? If so then yes if they don't have money worries they will enjoy Christmas more.
But many people I would consider middle class are not particularly well off financially

Yes! They also do cinema showings of live recordings that are cheaper than theatre seats.

Setting aside the recent thread about a lady whose hedge was cut by a wreathmaking CF, I am sure that most people have in their head "its only me and I only take a little bit" But when multiple "only me's taking a little bit" visit the same area and take the little bit, that is where it gets problematic and places do get stripped. I live in a rural area near a large city and I see it every year.

I can't imagine anyone is stripping anything but it is worth bearing in mind the law of course.

Here are the woodland trust guidelines.

www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/things-to-do/foraging/foraging-guidelines/

You mean people with money and time rather than middle class surely. Plus I thought money and class were separate things? Some of the wealthier people I know are tradesmen with not much education beyond GCSEs.
But experience fosters actions and if one grew up experiencing trips to Santa's grotto, pantomimes and skating trips then you are likely to repeat that with your own children.
But my most happy memories of Christmas don't include any of that - it was just getting the tree, making ornaments, wrapping presents (I still remember and am forever looking on eBay for my favourite 70s papers), family (and I'm as middle class as you can get). Actually one really fond memory was the animatronic Christmas village at our local department store - which was free.

I feel like those views are strongly based on stuff off Instagram.
We have more than enough money and we are not doing any of this stuff because.... it's a waste of money 😂😂 !! £120 for a wreath?!?!
For that price, it better recite poetry and serve champagne. Honestly, grab a plain one from the garden centre, slap on some decorations with your kids, and boom—same festive vibe without the absurd price tag or the obligatory “festive lunch” that costs more than your weekly shop. And don’t even get me started on London at Christmas.

Shows, ballets, and all the “magic”? Sure, if by “magic,” you mean fighting through crowds and paying £5 for a lukewarm cup of mulled wine. I work in London, and the idea of voluntarily going there on a weekend in December? Hard pass.

Please do not go out and strip public or communal spaces of greenery for your own use. Its not usually legal. The usual argument is "oh I am only one person and I don't take much" but if its ok for you then its okay for everyone and then the lovely green space is trashed and the berries that would feed wildlife are gone. By all means go for lovely walks and enjoy it but LEAVE IT THERE.

I think you might be mistaking it with people who portray themselves as middle class.

I’m not sure about class but money certainly helps me have the pre Christmas I really enjoy.

I’ve just returned from a Christmas market mini break in Europe and have back to back parties, concerts,theatre trips, meals out etc to look forward to and lots of festive outfits to wear.

I love my Xmas movie, candles and Baileys evenings inbetween too.

I finished my Xmas present shopping before my trip and will do a big M&S food collection on Monday 23rd.

I think your reply is unnecessarily condescending. It's very obvious you're a southerner with no clue.

There was plenty of FOMO and it was in your face just the same because you'd go to school and people would be talking about the same event or party they'd all been to that you didn't go to. One time the teacher even had the class write about an event that "everyone" attended - I couldn't write anything because I hadn't been and tried to ask other people what to put and got told off.

It is no different now other than things are more expensive and there are more of them. Kids always talked about what they did and where they went, and the parents always bragged.

YANBU. Money helps make everything a little easier. There are so many more "traditions" starting up in recent years too (elf on the shelf, Christmas eve boxes, Santa visits) that are simply too much if you have a lower income or a larger family.

However... we make lots of paperclips and other decorations and go for evening walks to see the Christmas lights, so there is plenty of Christmas cheer in the run up without the more commercial elements.

I grew up in a small Northern (formerly) mining town but have gone on to join a traditionally middle class profession, meaning that my children have had rather different childhood experiences to mine.
For the kids I grew up with Christmas treats were likely to be a trip to the local am dram pantomime, seeing Father Christmas at the Church fayre, or, if you were really posh, at the nearest department store. Christmas decorations were bought from the market and your tree was probably a smallish silver tinsel creation about a decade old, covered in mismatched baubles. My children's friends are more likely to have been taken to see the Nutcracker, a Christmas theatre show or at the very least a professional panto, seen Father Christmas in Lapland, bought their 7ft real tree whilst attending a wreath making session at an NT property and decorated it with beautifully matched items according to this year’s colour scheme.
Is either option intrinsically more "magical" though? I don't think so. I think the best childhood memories of Christmas are to do with spending time with family and friends. One of the most exciting times I can remember was the first time I was allowed to attend the "midnight" (I think I was 10pm actually!) Church service on Christmas Eve. I still love doing that in fact. And memories of Christmases that didn't go quite according to plan still make my siblings and I laugh til we cry.
I think if I asked my adult DCs about their best memories one that would definitely feature would be the night it snowed for the school carol service and we had to abandon the car and walk through falling snow to a candle lit Church full of their equally excited friends. They still talk about thar 15 years later - it was more magical than any of the Christmas "experiences" we paid for.
Of course money helps because it allows choice. I love going to buy a real tree and a tastefully decorated NT property with a choir singing appeals to me more than panto. But I don't think they are intrinsically "better", just different. One person's magic is another's boredom. Tasteful to some is tacky to others. Christmas can be a very happy or a completely miserable time regardless of your income or your class. Having a lot of presents or expensive trips can be wonderful of course but doesn't guarantee happiness.

The best thing for me this year is that I've saved some annual leave and am able to take 2 full weeks off work.
Rest, family, games, exercise.....can't wait.

So people with more time and money are able to do things they enjoy more than people who have less free time and money.
We see this at Christmas, holiday times, the houses people live in, the retirement lifestyle they are able to have.

A certain socio-economic status affords these things. It was always and will always be thus.

Was about to say the same!

I don't agree. If youre going to generalise about class, my experience suggests that working class families with money are far more likely to lavish it on their kids in terms of presents and special Christmas outings, whilst the middle classes are downpaying mortgages, or saving for something (pensions, holidays or university fees).

Lot of envy posts at the moment

Hmmmm I don't know about that, definitely more options for things to do if you have more money but a lot of it is crap overpriced stuff anyway. I think time is far more important.

I see some of my friends who have one toddler and are stay at home parents or work very part time and they're out doing loads of lovely free Christmas things, events like Christmas toy swaps, going round to different shopping centers to see the free Santa's etc. I have 2 toddlers, the youngest is 12 months and in a really difficult phase at the moment, I'm constantly tired. We've gone to one or two pricey Christmas activities and it's been fine but I think I'd rather be strolling around the city at my leisure and soaking up the atmosphere, attending all the free/cheap community Christmas family events.

Is it really a surprise that more money equals doing more fun stuff? Weird thread.