Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Anyone else feel like they've just had enough Christmas' now for a lifetime?

45 replies

FishyInTheSeaaa · 25/12/2023 21:49

Kids are older so the magics gone. They're good teens, grateful.

But I'm just bored of Christmas now. It's not fun. It's tiring, expensive, stressful and I'm already dreading next year.

It seems to fly round each year. I'll probably have to start saving in January the way things are now.

I miss it being simple. Santa's minced pies and watching films together.

They're all uninterested and TBH I don't blame them as I'm completely uninterested too.

I could happily not do Christmas again.

One things for sure, next year I'm not cooking a roast. I'm ordering a curry.

OP posts:

theduchessofspork · 26/12/2023 00:20

I love it but do it how you want to do it.

If that’s no decorations, takeaway curry and a few presents and everyone does their own thing then great

PuffyShirt · 26/12/2023 00:27

No. Our kids are young adults and we get to enjoy a completely new version of Christmas now.

Dh and I were in town the other day just as the local panto finished and kids spilled out onto the street. We both said ‘thank fuck our panto days are over!’ Ditto school plays, Carol services, buying a mountain of toys…

Much as having little kids at Christmas is magical, it is blessedly finite. We’ve had the most excellent -adult- day today which is still a bit of a novelty. It was so relaxed, we didn’t have our Christmas dinner until 7pm and have only just stopped playing games and listening to music. We’ve done little but laugh and eat and drink. It’s been lovely.

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 26/12/2023 09:13

I'm with you @FishyInTheSeaaa. I havn't had a bad day, no one has, but I'm not sure that the amount of planning, organising, shopping, cooking etc - almost entirely done by me - is worth it, particularly since I don't eat meat, and we're not at all religious. It feels like a bit of a farce. DC are lazy teens, and dh works away and is very unimaginative. To be fair, DD helped with a lot of food prep on Christmas Eve, but ds made such a fuss about cutting up some carrots that we ended up having a row.

I'd happily celebrate a low key winter solstice. With veggie food! But I am massively over Christmas.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Events & celebrations

Gettingbysomehow · 26/12/2023 09:26

I haven't done Xmas for years. I simply can't be bothered.

ChocolateBiscuit2 · 26/12/2023 09:29

I feel the same.

I used to love Christmas but the last few years have started to lose the magic. If I try and unpack why, I think it’s because I’m a real homebody and the relentless events and outings really drain my social battery, partly my fault too.

This year we had a few days away in Scotland, a few trips to Santa, visiting friends and family parties, two friends 30th Birthdays outings. Especially the last 4 days I feel like I haven’t sat down and I’m exhausted.

I've decided I’m not doing this again next year, I need to learn to say no to people.

drivinmecrazy · 26/12/2023 09:36

My DC are now 18 & 23 but they still want the same Christmas Day they've always had.
We don't really have any family so it's always been a day just for us.
But by Christ I'm so bored of it.
What I wouldn't give to have a non Christmas next year.
It's always the same.
DH and 2 DCs just wake up on the day to their magical Christmas.
There is no joy, excitement or spontaneity.
It's like a well worn path that needs digging up and resurfacing.
I thought that by now they wouldn't still be bound by the expectation that this year will be like the last.
DD1 and DH are working today. DD2 is home from uni for the next few weeks so it's just really her and I.
Im bore rigid.
Need to convince them to shake it up a bit next year.
Every December 25th feels like Groundhog Day to me

Soccermumamir · 26/12/2023 09:37

I'm not the biggest Xmas fan. Prefer Halloween and Easter, however had a lovely relaxing day yesterday and out of all 3 days, boxing day is my favourite 🙂 Can do what we want, eat what we want and enjoy more relaxing time lol

Pigeonqueen · 26/12/2023 09:57

As my children are getting older (11 and 20) I don’t enjoy it as much anymore. We make a huge effort for the youngests sake and it’s a lot of stress, expense and preparation and it’s also very boring! We’re a small family, there’s only the 4 of us and we enjoy going out and doing things. All the odd opening / shutting hours over Christmas and constant Christmas music on the radio drives me mad. By Boxing Day everyone is desperate to get back to some sort of normality here.

Blinkityblonk · 26/12/2023 09:58

Yes, I agree.

TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams · 26/12/2023 10:10

Shook things up a bit this year as no guests staying. We were having a lovely day until some family "popped in" as soon as we'd finished lunch and cleared up and thoroughly overstayed their welcome. Here for 5 hours, talked at us and quite clearly expected us to produce an evening meal for them. They gave up and ff'ed off at 9pm. We had a bit of cheese and watched a film and had a lovely end to the day.

I refuse to entertain Christmas until December, buy gifts only for immediate family and my godchild and have no time for pantos which I loathe and what is often "forced jollity". I love spending time with friends but the in-laws I can do without and the social obligation to spend time with people who make little effort and drain my battery.

Poblano · 26/12/2023 10:21

I don't massively enjoy Christmas at the moment. DC are 17, 19 and 21 so long past the "magic" years. It's nice to have the older two home from university, and we do enjoy watching films, playing board games, going out for walks together etc. But it isn't as exciting as when they were small.

Also 2 sets of elderly parents and inlaws, Christmas seems to really flag up how much they have deteriorated physically and mentally over the past year. Which is quite depressing.

Whataretheodds · 26/12/2023 10:24

OP you miss it being simple - with older children especially is there any reason it can't be? What is proving stressful, specifically?

Whataretheodds · 26/12/2023 10:25

OP you miss it being simple - with older children especially is there any reason it can't be? What is proving stressful, specifically?

honeyandfizz · 26/12/2023 10:31

My perfect Christmas would be to get on a plane somewhere hot and return after it is all over with a fabulous tan. Alas I am a Nurse so end up working the majority of it. Hate the day itself boring, overrated and depressing. Proper Grinch I am!

Nowanextraone · 26/12/2023 10:32

I'm with you on this one OP.
I resent it so much. The expense, the expectations. Hate it

Chocbuttonsandredwine · 26/12/2023 10:36

We do Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve which reduces the stress on the actual day slightly but I’m with you, it’s just boring.l, expensive and exhausting.

I dream of Christmas on a beach.

BlackPhillipa · 26/12/2023 10:37

Yes. I never want to do another Christmas.

I'm 39 and I'm just done, I don't enjoy it at all anymore. It's just stress, planning, organising, cooking, cleaning, logistics and expense.

I'm done.

MargaritaThyme · 26/12/2023 10:38

I reached the ‘had enough of bloody Christmas’ stage 20+ years ago, so I decided to do something about it. We don’t have a tree, or put up decorations, or go to parties, or buy gifts for anyone outside immediate family, or host anyone, or have a Turkey. Yesterday was spent mostly quietly at home. We went for a walk in the morning then visited my parents for a couple of hours in the afternoon, then came home & had dinner. Today, we are going to the racing this afternoon then it’s back to work tomorrow.

We are childfree by choice, which obviously makes it easier to ignore most of the Christmas nonsense.

baileybrosbuildingandloan · 26/12/2023 11:22

If no one is interested why do you do it?

Oblomov23 · 26/12/2023 11:46

Ours was nice. One back from uni and a teen. A couple of presents wrapped, a roast. No stress. Just tone it all down next year and you might enjoy it more.

Flip

1 2