Is anyone else just not losing their shit over Christmas?

[Undercoverbanana]

Just that really.

No decs - can’t be bothered. Gave up doing cards years ago. Don’t buy crap and plastic tat for people. Refuse to be manipulated by things I don’t want just because they’ve got holly on them.

I’m quite content with life. I’m just jogging along. Everyone else seems to be losing their shit over stuff.

One friend panicking over money. Another friend having family rows about who is visiting who and when. Another couple “have no time at this time of year - so many commitments that we don’t really enjoy”. Christmas work parties - why????? Just don’t go if you don’t want to.

Anyone else opting out?

I'm a regular but NC because I need a properly anonymous whinge. I am semi-opted out. Wish I could opt out completely and just forget about it!
I've had so many crappy Christmases recently that I just don't want to play any more.
Last year, first Christmas after my Dad died. DH got stuck in the U.K. for 2 days because of snow in early December, meanwhile I was going back and forth to the vet with our dying cat, who was eventually pts on the 14th.
The year before I had a friend-turned-lodger staying who I just couldn't get to leave. Promised she'd be away for Christmas and kept putting off her departure. Desperately wanted the house to ourselves for a bit because...
The previous year (2015 if anyone is counting) found out that DH had had a 1 night stand. Spent the next 2 months wondering if it was the end. Was practically at nervous breakdown point even before that because of a non-healing injury and problems with medication
The year before my BFF had a heart attack and a messy divorce and moved to the other side of the world. I was exhausted because I was anaemic.
This year is not looking any better. We have a hole in the roof, water was pouring down the walls all last weekend and our boiler is not working (possibly linked). It's currently -3 outside and about 10 inside. I have a massive flare of chronic pain and can barely manage any preparations. My cleaner has left out of the blue. Did send huge batch of presents to distant (geographically) relatives but still need to write cards, buy stuff for DH and send gift to my mum... and pretend to be jolly to my friends and family when I just want to cancel the whole bloody thing.
Bah humbug!

Not opting out or stressed.
Never over spend or go shopping on Boxing Day.
Apart from DD I've bought 8 presents, sent 3 cards.
Normal food shop with a few extras some special chocolates, pigs in blankets and bits and bobs.
Alcohol has already been provided by DH's clients a case of wine, bottle of champagne etc.
I bake every week so next week it will be Christmassy themed but the same effort as normal.
I love all the decorations and for us the best bit are the parties and going out to Christmas markets, panto etc.
I have a Christmas colouring book and jigsaw on the go- very relaxing.

I haven't done a thing. I have a big bill to pay and no money to pay it with so I'm worried about that and looking forward to January where it's socially acceptable to spend as little as possible. December is just nuts, £10 for work secret Santa here, £10 to see Santa there, nobody wants a cup of tea we all have to have Vanilla Christmas Brûlée Lattes and raspberry pistachio brownies in the shape of Christmas trees. Everywhere I look somebody is telling me i owe money for things that I didn't even sign up for. Thank god DS is too young for winter wonderland type experiences and doesn't get the concept of Santa yet.

I've pulled way back.

Cousins kids I've never met - scratched from list.

Nephew I never see - cash.

Oh I'll stick something in, can't just give him a T-shirt - oh yes I bloody can! T-shirt it is!

It's beyond crazy and I'm being very good this year.

I'm bloody stressed! I'm moving house 3 days before and my main concern is that we won't have any broadband!

Massively stressed about it last year and it was just ridiculous. I'm rolling my eyes at my past self. This year I'm chilled af.

Still 'doing' Christmas but pared back and I'm not doing things I don't want to or that feel like huge chores.

Life throws enough stressful things at us all, we don't have start creating things to be stressed about.

Giving myself permission to do nothing towards Christmas, if I didn't want to, was liberating. Turns out I did want to do some of it so no-ones any the wiser but I didn't feel any stress or pressure about any of it.

If anyone hates doing cards but feels like they have to, just don't do them. Life changing, honestly.

My mum passed away in September. The last couple of years I made a big deal out of Xmas for her cos she was so ill and I wanted to create memories of her and DS (he's 2).

Very low key Xmas this year. A tree is going up but only DS is getting presents. DP fully understands as he's never been a fan of Xmas, and his dad passed away 2 weeks before Xmas a couple of years ago.

I think if you've got kids it's nice to make a bit of fuss.

But we are child free so very lazy in the Xmas front. No tree, no decorations. We have a few Xmas dos but to be honest we go out a lot anyway so it's nothing new.

I don't have many presents to buy so smashed that out in a couple of hours in town. Done.

I am just looking forward to not going to work for two weeks and not having to be up at 5.

Not opting out, but no stress.

DH bought the tree on 1 Dec and DD decorated it (and a few other bits in the living room).

Presents all bought from Amazon and will be wrapped when DD is out with friends tomorrow. Spent quite a bit, but over the last 3 months so it doesn't feel too bad.

Duty visit to family Sat morning.
Having Xmas lunch out with DHs family.
Having a small boozy NYE at home with friends.

Other than that will be relaxing, mainly curled up on the sofa watching TV.

Decs are up, but sending no cards. I am not attending any social events. Having a really quiet Christmas Day. I have bought a few stocking fillers which I picked up when out and about. DH and I have decided to put the money we would have spent on presents - about 600quid, towards a mini break to Rome in the Spring. Not buying much food. Really looking forward to having the time off. Plan to do a lot of walking in woods, or by the sea. Not stressed about anything, I make a nod to the season but not consumed by it.

And I politely declined the Christmas work do. There are very few people at work that I actually want to spend time with, and those that I do, I see anyway because we're friends. It's tonight and I'm so relived I'm not going

Lotta pianos I made this devidisiin two years ago and so glad I did. Hated feeling that I “had” to go.

We’re unexpectedly totally skint this year due to unexpected circumstances, so we’re cutting back and only doing the absolute basic. I was really upset at first, but now it’s come to it, it’ll be what it is and there’s nothing I can do about it. I’m not going to get stressed.

I can't get excited. I've got a tree and have been buying gifts but I'm going through the motions really. Bereaved last year and nothing feels any good any more.

If one more person at work tells me to get in the spirit or calls me the grinch I may scream. I don't want to listen to Christmas songs or wear stupid jumpers, I just want to do the work I'm paid for in peace.

I'm with you, OP!

We're doing tree, Santa visit, school-organised stuff and I also went to my work party as it was in work time!

Kids are getting gifts, but no one else really. I'm trying to spend less and reduce plastic use.

Food will be whatever the kids fancy - probably Mac n cheese.

I love Christmas but it’s made enjoyable by saying no to stuff I don’t want to do.
So yes to big tree, nice dinner and seeing family (on my terms)
No to sending cards, going out in crowds (thank you online shopping) and going to Christmas parties I don’t want to be at.
I’m also very sad and made a Christmas spreadsheet 10 years ago which lists all the people I have to buy for and all the food that needs to be bought which I update from November onwards which takes pretty much all of the mental load away

Also me and DH only do stocking fillers for each other. No point in big presents we have everything we need.

There's no way I'd not make effort to at least decorate the house with small dc. Xmas is small window for them... My dm made it so special for me I couldn't not do that.

However when they get older or if it was just dh and I... Yes! But I do believe what you put in yiu get out...

I made a big effort when the kids were younger but now they are adults there isn't any point. Since they were about 14/15 they have wanted money and I did a stocking too. A couple of years ago I asked if there were any ideas for stocking fillers, particular smellies etc. They both said no stocking, extra £50 instead - OK! I make my sister a box of silly stuff up and post it to her and that is literally it on the present front - no wrapping at all.

My youngest dog was no naughty as a puppy I couldn't put a tree up when he was little and he's my excuse.

Love Christmas decorations, Santa visits, the markets etc but can't stand the giving & receiving token tat gifts for people, such a waste.

This year we're doing massive renovations to our home so have told everyone who we would usually buy for, that we will not be buying for anyone except DS and small gift for each other, and my Mum as she's kindly hosting Xmas Day (as our house isn't equipped this year, and I've hosted Xmas Day the past 4 years in a row). Not doing Christmas cards for anyone except DS, DH, DM/D, again as I think it's such a waste of money & time as they just get chucked in the recycling few days after receipt!

I've loved not having to do the mad rush of Xmas shopping, so much so that I'm considering keeping to the buying for immediate family only from now on ...

Do love the works Xmas Do and festivities with the ones nearest & dearest though.... at the end of the day that's what Xmas should be about!

No fuss about Christmas here either. DH loves writing cards so happy days for me. Decorations are up, done in a few hours with help from the kids. Bought everybody’s presents online so no stressful shopping centers. Christmas dinner will be M & S so no running around looking for this, that or the other on X Mas eve. Booked dinner for the family on Christmas Eve & heading to in laws on Boxing Day. The one thing i am doing differently this year is visiting family & dear friends and I have promised myself that I will stay in the moment and ENJOY the time we have together. Feel calm & happy about it all this year. Middle age is making me Zen like

It is my team's Christmas lunch today. I am not going. They are wearing their jumpers, and one guy (there's always one) has a roast turkey hat on. Oh the jollity. I am off home!

I love Christmas and don't find it stressful in the slightest tbh.

Hmm I have done some stuff but I’m not stressed or worried about money.

I’ve got presents for DD, DP, my neice and nephew, and my family secret santa.

We’re going to my parents for Xmas and they’ve done food, dp and I are splitting alcohol and cheese board buying between us.

I’ve put out some decs but not a tree as we’re away from the 23rd and Mum will have an amazing tree.

Nearly all shopping was done online. Literally no stress at all. I enjoy the cooking and prep on Xmas eve and the day.

Only downside is we can’t drink too much as we still have baby DD in our room and she still wakes in the night!

I usually love Christmas and go all out, but this year have suffered chronic pain in my hip. I'll be going in for a hip replacement and will probably be out on Christmas eve. I haven't done a single thing for Christmas, I'm going to pretend it doesn't exist this year. DS is only 13 months so doesn't have much of a clue and has done some nice things in nursery. DP is ex-JW so doesn't really 'get' Christmas and is happy not to bother.

We are heading to center parcs instead in the spring when i've recovered. Its actually a relief not to be bothering.

It's just DH and me now.

We haven't "done Christmas" for about 6 years.

No cards, no gifts, no decs, no tree.
I love a 6 foot tree sparking with fairy lights and baubles and would usually do that just because I like the look of it but there's no space to do it at the moment, maybe next year.

I'd be lying if I said it began as anything other than restricted budget but we had plenty of money last Christmas and didn't go back to the splurge mentality Yule celebrations of old.

This year's brief nod to Christmas consists of the purchase of 2 x £2.50 Bernard Matthews turkey breast roasts, 2 x £2 frozen black forest gateaus, 2 x 85p packets of Green's cheesecake mix with some tinned mandarins and peaches for topping, 1 bag of frozen sprouts, 2 x 79p boxes of mince pies, 2 extra boxes of £1.20 Sainsbury's gold 80 tea bags and a few normal packets of biscuits for DH.

We don't buy alcohol at all. Sometimes DH will get a gift of a bottle of whiskey or JD from a work colleague and we might have one or two drinks out of it but that's it.

The rest is normal weekly shopping with plenty of fresh veg and the ingredients to bake bread and very simple cakes like steamed sponge pudding.

I know that sounds awful, especially the turkey breast roast. I love a full fresh turkey but what would we do with all that meat before it went off. DH won't eat turkey left overs past the day it's cooked because he nearly died from food poisoning caused by poorly stored cooked turkey when he was a teen and I just don't have the ability to eat a massive amount of anything as my appetite is not great these days due to various health problems.

We are not miserable bastards, honestly.

We tend to watch some films, talk, listen to music, play a few board games, drink lots of tea, cuddle on the bed a lot (I said cuddle people, get your mind out of the gutter... ).

There is a fair amount of pissing about and laughter. I seem to spend an inordinate amount of time at Christmas chasing him round trying to slap his arse or tweak his nips because it makes him giggle like a schoolgirl which makes me laugh my head off.

It feels more like Christmas somehow.