would you cancel Christmas if you could?

[ffsfindmeausername]

It always surprises me each year when engaging in conversation with people about Christmas at how many people say they really dislike Christmas, myself included if I'm honest. Everyone seems to say the same things that it's so stressful,expensive, pressure to make everything magical etc. Lots seem to say they wish Christmas didn't exist! I also feel this way and I actually dread Christmas coming around each year and feel huge relief once January comes around.
How many actually feel this way and if there was a national vote to cancel Christmas then would you vote yes?

What it has become, yes.

What it was, no.

No! I get to see family. Everyone is in a good mood and I like lights and jolity.
What don’t you like?

Not enjoying the expense this year as have recently retrained and taken a temp pay cut but I do generally love it and am looking forward to some family time so wouldn’t cancel.

I think Christmas should be like the Olympics. Go all out once every 4 years. Perfect

Yes, I like the gifting side, it's just because it forces me into contact with someone I'd rather not see or sit alone like Scrooge, as I am not inundated with options

Yes. I’d go a step further and cancel the entirety of winter.

I wish it could be less commercialised. If it was just one small gift each and all the nice food & drink. I hate the pressure of getting the perfect presents for everyone. Also my family go completely overboard on clothes & presents for my dc and I find it so stressful having so much clutter around. Trying to find room for it all. Ah the thought of it now is making me shudder in advance 😫

I don't hate it, but maybe not every year?

I'd love to be able to get excited, put up fabulous decs and a tree, have a hoolie and all that jazz, but let's face it..... I'm a grown adult and a lot of it is fakery and forced now. So I have grown up and out of it all, and clear off out of the country to a place that does a very low key Christmas, very muted. You can take it or leave it. I leave it.

I'm not hurting or upsetting anyone. I do supply gifts before I go. Then when I return it's all over and life goes on.

I love Christmas but it's expensive and it's quite hard work. I wouldn't cancel it, but sometimes I feel like it's become a massively overhyped festival. And the Christmas stuff in the shops since September takes the magic out of it a bit. Sometimes I'd like to go back to the simple Christmases of my childhood. But maybe they were simple because I was a child - they were probably stressful for my parents.

I think it must be a really difficult time of year for those who don't have friends and family to celebrate with. And for those who have lost loved ones, it must be a very sad time.

Nope, I love it even though I'm often working for some of it.
But I spend Christmas alone and so don't have anybodies expectations but my own.

No I love it. I'm confident in my own skin and with my own values though so don't kill myself trying to make it perfect or host. I'm also very anti waste and don't buy in to excessive levels of consumerism.

Love it. And one of my favourite things is that my MIL and SIL come and stay for 10 days - not very MN but true.

If you don't like it - don't do it.
Just ignore it.

Yep!
Wouldn't miss it at all!

Every other year would be better.
I do enjoy Christmas now as don’t make it too over the top. And DH does the lunch.

No, I love it.

I get to spend whole days of quality time with ds. I enjoy buying him things I know he will appreciate. I have time to cook properly, to relax, to watch cheesy films and sing Christmas carols. to decorate the tree, play board games and wrap presents and see friends and family. And to eat lots of treats.

What's not to like?

No. Purely for the time off and my DC. Christmas is what you make it.

There is no need for stress and expense if you don't want stress or expense.

We really enjoy Christmas. But we don't have kids. We also don't have fucks to give about competing in stuff with others.
So ours are very pleasant, relaxong, delicious, sparkly experience 😁

Cancel it for yourself and your family, fine, virtually everything is optional.

Not for other people.

Yes. I wouldn’t miss it at all. I love it when everything goes back to normal in January.

I love Christmas in lots of ways, but I feel it comes around so quickly now and starts so early, it doesn’t feel as special as it used to
Maybe if we had it every two years 🤔

Yes! I can see why Christmas would be important to Christians so wouldn't want you to really get rid of it but for non-Christian's, I'd like it to become an end of year relaxation period with no gifting or social expectations!

I hate what Christmas has become. The capitalist festival of shite. The way the shops start playing Christmas songs in November and that there’s at least a two month build up. I hate the pressure to spend it with either side of the family and that you have to eat X Y and Z and all the bullshit societal pressure of it. I’d prefer to spend it watching films and eating whatever the hell I want. Yeah I guess I probably would cancel it for adults if it was up to me or maybe just take it back a few decades to when there was less shite to buy.

Gosh no! I’m not big on presents (have a no-presents deal with literally everyone apart from DH and my parents - but I love choosing all the silly little things my DC will love!)

but I LOVE everything else. I love making decorations with my DC, putting up the trees, decorating cookies, Christmas parties, mulled wine, all the festive baking, hot chocolate after long muddy dog walks, time off work, catching up with friends.

my extended family are a motley crew - but I still enjoy the ritual of cooking for everyone (then I know I’m going to have nice food rather than the bland, vegetarian Christmas curry my sister surprised us with one year when she offered to host 😆) and laying a nice table.

I understand it can be lonely for some people, and that people feel pressured about presents - but there are so many free activities (Christmas lights with a thermos of hot choc!
local libraries have loads for kids etc) + easy fun ways to do festive things!