Weirdest, least christmassy Christmas ever

I'm (probably)in perimenopause so everything just seems dull. Christmas felt like a thing to get through. My child is a teenager, bought our first house this year and my dog died so I feel exhausted. Probably drank too much as well. Ah well.

Feel your pain OP. Solidarity.

I'm really sorry to hear about your Christmas and your mum. Yes, you're right, I have little ones and have just had an absolutely lovely Christmas, probably one of my best ever. As you say, different stages of life, and doubtless mine will shift as yours has. I do think one of the reasons why things generally feel so glum more widely currently, though, is partly a demographic imbalance - it's normal for enthusiastic and optimistic young people to become older people who are wiser and more realistic but who do have a strong sense that the best is behind them. But the balance between the two right now is unprecedented in our society, and I do think it explains a lot about our politics and general mood as a nation that nostalgia is so outnumbering youth.

I agree it's part of getting older.
I've had 56 of the things now, and while they're perfectly pleasant, the family time, food, gifts, all very nice, it would be silly to imagine I'd feel the excitement I did as a child seeing my full stocking, or as a teen going out in my sparkly dress and getting a Christmas kiss from my crush, or a young parent watching my DC wait for santa.
It comes round with frightening speed. It's very similar every year, and sadly it takes more than that these days for me to 'feel' something rather than simply be here for it.
Next year we're going to travel somewhere else exciting instead. Because I will feel that.

Agree. Weird non-event this year. I'd happily give the whole thing a miss in 2026.

I finished work at 7pm on Christmas Eve and was back at 9am today. I also felt decidedly unChristmassy this year.

"Christmas" has been running on fumes since we ditched Christ in favour of the secular consumerist tat-mas. Without the miracle at the heart of it, it is just another day, devoid of any of the glory, mystery and awe a true Christmas is about.

Getting older, too much adulting.

I actually think the Christmases I enjoyed the most were when I was a young adult / 20s - plenty of spare cash, time spent with friends, pub on Xmas Eve, some friends and family had small children so seeing them all excited, a feeling of “coming home” as I worked in an industry that shut down for two weeks and my parents still hosted, lovely days of reading and walks and more pub.

but after that it all just piled up - grandparents dying, moved into a bigger house and started hosting, friends moving about and starting families and staying in their family units… it all happened slowly and now I’m the adult and my parents are getting older and my in-laws are very elderly and work is 24/7 through the festive period and I have less money and less time and more stuff to do and it’s not the same and I wish it was 2005 again and I could go to the pub & eat chocolate and read instead of cleaning the kitchen on fucking repeat.

We haven’t felt Christmassy this year, started off well but fizzled out very quickly. We put it down to DS being stabbed, thankfully wasn’t life threatening. Then we all had the awful flu and got a chest infection, now I’m a the 2 week pathway for a biopsy and some bloods have come back off too. Grandma died two weeks before Christmas too. Youngest DS also has his ASD assessment which I need to finish the questionnaires on. I’m not even going to say happy new year because I’m dreading January. Yesterday felt flat and I was in the mind of what if it’s my last.

It starts earlier and earlier every year for some stupid reason so you’re happy to get it out of the way. If we didn’t start celebrating it till at least a couple of weeks before it would retain its allure but Xmas music from mid November is just batty

It’s just part of getting older, we get less good at faking it. Then we get sad because we feel like we’re missing something that only really exists when you’re a child or in movies.

No, though it was lower key than originally planned as we should have gone to visit my family in the States this year, but my son couldn’t get the time off. So just the three of us but they are used to it (I’m a widow). But in my youth there was the five of us and always a few waifs and strays - my parents were ex pats and always invited a few who were very far from home. It was always a big celebration. But now in my 60s it’s quiet if not abroad, but my kids (20 and 22) don’t seem to mind.
Christmas is always a bit anticlimactic though - so much build up and then it’s done.

Last Christmas, I was recovering from abdominal surgery. The year before that, I was undergoing chemotherapy and spent all of Christmas being sick/laying on the bathroom floor. With all this in mind, am sure it is not a surprise that I was very much looking forward to Christmas this year. I had little planned, just a nice day at home, some good food, a little tv, and thoroughly enjoying not being in the midst of chemo/post-op. But, it felt really flat, almost like any other day/Sunday and not remotely Christmassy at all.

Felt a bit like that. I’ve been excited for Christmas for ages, like as soon as Halloween’s over then I start getting excited… I was… until I wasn’t . It wasn’t the decs, the music… I just was really festive until about a week ago when suddenly I wasn’t any more. I can’t explain it. Kids enjoyed it so that’s all that matters to me. DS turns 18 in 10 days so looking forward to that.

Then I go on twitter and this is the first thread I see
https://x.com/i/status/2004635002261369274

Sorry to hear this, it sounds a tough time for you all; your son sounds lovely x

I too think it's this.
We need to reduce the amount of infections that are circulating. DS has had four viruses since September. It's shit. He hadn't fully recovered from the last one and started with a cold Christmas day. He was in bed literally snoring at 6pm tonight. Not like him at all. He's 19, not a little kid. He's barely been out,I don't even know where he caught it 🤷
And huge sympathy to everyone who is dealing with more serious stuff than this.

It goes on too long imo. That condensed two-week period of festivities that felt special and something to truly look forward to is trying to be stretched out over 2-3 months and it's inevitably diluting it. Starting it in October and basically ending it on Boxing Day with the world-weary removal of decorations as if they're such a pain to the person that put them up on 1st November.

The screenshot you shared nails it for me OP, and the people who say it felt like they were acting. I have two young kids so should have felt festive but it all just felt ‘not Christmassy’. I think partly because I took on too much in December and was working right up until 4pm on Christmas Eve so by the time yesterday rolled around I was just exhausted. We’ve had a nice time but I definitely didn’t feel festive. We have more family over tomorrow and I feel tired just thinking about doing it all again! But then we are going away for a few days over new year which we don’t usually do so I’m hoping that will make this Christmas a nice more stand out one for me than the day items.

I also agree with PP about getting old, I said to my DP last night that the problem is the more christmasses you have, the less of a novelty they are!

Do you think it’s because there’s so much sickness around? Everyone is tired

Wasn't bad at all but didnt feel festive at all. Felt like we were acting 🤣

I think this is a big part of it, it seems to get worse every year! I am sure when i was younger shops would have christmas stuff from 1st Dec rather than before the summer holidays have even ended; sick of the sight of it by christmas.