WWYD if you were alone for Christmas Day?

[Kat19899]

Appreciate this is really early to think about but it’s popped into my head so want to get some ideas.

I think I will be on my own this Christmas Day with family living out of the country and friends out of the city. I have no DCs and no current partner. I’m looking at it as it might be the only Christmas I “get to” spend alone (as opposed to “have to”.)

A couple of years ago I spent Christmas with a friend’s family but it was a long day with family tensions and no guarantee she will ask again anyway.

I have bad travel anxiety so can’t leave the country but could travel between London and the south coast.

Would it be really weird to go to a fancy hotel and order room service? I don’t really want to be around happy (or unhappy 😅) families and don’t want people to feel sorry for me.

Aside from that or just staying at home, what could I do?? I really like the outdoors, obviously everything will be shut anyway. I looked into volunteering a couple of years ago but charities are really over-subscribed for December.

When I’ve Googled it all the articles assume I’ll be really sad on my own and that I hate Christmas which I don’t. Without going abroad what would you do if you were me?

I spent Christmas Day on my own a couple of times before the DCs came along when DH was working on the day. I loved it. For me a lovely breakfast of smoked salmon and scrambled eggs on brioche, a long walk on the beach, some sort of nice M&S lunch, a good movie, a baked camembert with loads of pigs in blankets to dip and a bottle of prosecco. Bliss. I love my family but sometimes Christmas feels like such an effort!

Have a look at house/pet sitting. There are several sites you can sign up to.

At this late stage there'll be people who for whatever reason have left it too late and missed out out on booking kennels or catteries and will be desperate. You can get some amazing places to stay this way, whether it's posh apartments in London or big houses in the countryside.

You can still have the lovely relaxed day, a stocking, nice food and wine but in someone else's house and pets for company.

I love Christmas by myself, have done it a few times and always enjoy it.

I would either:
Go and stay at the Vineyard at Stock cross, enjoy the spa area and eat lovely food and drink far too much of their wonderful wine selection, then spend hours in the room watching Christmas films in my pyjamas and eating chocolate. And going to church either to Midnight Mass or Xmas morning.

Or, spend the day at home being very indulgent with Bucks Fizz or Bellini with croissants for breakfast, a wander round the local countryside in the morning, then a late Xmas lunch with as many side dishes as I could be bothered to cook and curl up in front of the fire with a good film.

Please can I come to yours on Christmas day? 😁

Sorry to hear this @Kat19899

I stand by my original post at the beginning of the thread. I'd feel more comfortable in my own home, having done a bit of prep so I could enjoy it and planned out a nice day. If I did go away, I'd have to go somewhere near the sea (and self-catering as I couldn't be doing with eating out among big festive groups)

If it were me I would wake up and have a baileys coffee in bed. Get up brush my teeth and put in a hair mask and go for a long walk. Come back and have a nice long bath, face mask etc (I'd probably buy myself some fancy bubbles for the occasion). Get in some nice new pjs, get all food, drinks, snacks etc at the ready and watch tv all day.

Ooh, it would be bliss to be alone and not have to accommodate everyone else’s requirements. Extravagant breakfast then off to Church, back home for a glass of something and open my presents then a late lunch of my favourite things (not a roast as that’s too much work) with another glass or two of a good wine. The rest of the day vegging out with a good book, films on tv and surfing the internet.

I spent a Christmas Day alone once in my twenties - my parents had gone on holiday abroad, my sister spent it with her then-boyfriend's family. I could have gone with her but really didn't fancy spending the day with randoms I didn't know doing Christmas their way. So I booked a cheap hotel and went to London for a couple of days. Enjoyed wandering around a lovely quiet city looking at the sights (didn't entirely appreciate no public transport would be running!), went on a Dickens walking tour thing in the afternoon. Ended up having a migraine and went to bed early but it was a memorable different way to spend Christmas.

I treat it like any other bank holiday or weekend day, because this is what it is to me. I work in the service sector so to have a free day off is gift enough!

In my opinion, too many people have let Christmas get out of control. The amount of money spent is not generosity, but a show of greed, often leaving people in debt.

Buying presents no one needs and many dont / can’t appreciate. The piles under some Christmas trees is obscene. Over indulgence, food and alcohol. In many cases eating and drinking too much doesn’t have happy outcomes.

So for me, a lovely day of stillness awaits. I know many I work with would love to have my Christmas. They dread Christmas from months ahead.

This was one of my favourite posts of last year! What did you do in the end OP?