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?

No. I love it. Mainly everything closing on Christmas Day and the chance to eat good food, be on the sofa etc. it’s very small with my DM and DS. But I love it.

No, I enjoy advent and Christmas.

We don't do anything we don't want and the things we do are great.

It's a month of nice stuff, it's not pressure just nice small things that add up to a nice bigger thing.

There's a lot of pressure for it to be wonderful and that's hard when you have family members who are seriously ill, or are worried about money or having relationship issues etc. I think many of us expend huge efforts to mask how much we're struggling and to put a happy face on. It would be nice not to have to do that.

I guess it's like most things - great if your life is otherwise going well and awful if it isn't!

I loved it until I got married. Now we have to spend it with my in-laws and it’s like sitting in God‘s waiting room. Absolutely bloody awful. But DH is an only child and they have no one but him so we have to.

It's not for me. Over hyped nonsense that starts earlier every bloody year.

Cancel the kitchen scraps for the lepers and the poor, no more merciful beheadings, and call off Christmas!

I like Christmas but have never felt the need to go all out with the gifts and all the other stuff that a lot of people seem to stress about and it doesn't cost a fortune.

I think it should just been seen as something for kids, that way adults would be able to enjoy it more as there wouldn't be so much pressure. So I wouldn't cancel it but I'd change it.

Absolutely agree.

Snap but it’s just me - no partner to off load to.

And whilst I do have siblings, they are married and have kids so they claim a ‘get out of jail’ card. Every year. I hate it and would cancel Christmas in a heartbeat. I let out such an exhale when it’s all over.

I wouldn't cancel it altogether as I like the rhythm it gives the year but I'd ban everything plastic from shops, including contents or packaging. That would remove about 95% of the rubbish and tat.

I enjoyed Christmas in the 80s and 90s but that was because so much was a treat. With excessive consumption the whole year round it just feels like everyone tries harder and harder to capture the excitement, but it simultaneously slips further and further away. I once heard someone explain how we overeat junk food because the first bite is wonderful then we try, and fail, to repeat the pleasure. Christmas feels a bit like that.

Just stop doing it all!

I love it but I really wish it didn't start until December.

No but I'd have it every other year.

Imagine December with nothing other than January or February on the horizon.

Even if The Day itself isn't what you want (youre alone, you're with people you dislike, youre with people who dont like you...whatever) the festive period always has the heartbreaking potential to be amazing. I think Id rather have that aching nostalgia than February.

I imagine this every year and I don't have a problem with it.

Actually, that's exactly right. Treats being everyday ruins them - the more we have, the less we value.

No I absolutely love it tho this year won't be very happy due to an imminent death in our family and last year was the same. Hopefully next year will be easier for us.

I love it but it’s been simple and relaxed…
family walks, Christmas films, stripped back presents and we don’t go wild. We just enjoy time together. We’ve done the whole Santa trips to expensive places and they weren’t great so we’ve sacked them off! A nice walk and a drink in a pub with family board games is much better !

Would definitely cancel Christmas if I could, it's not the same now days, too much commercialism,and too much expectation, can't wait for the day I can sack it off completely.

Christmas isn't compulsory. No need to cancel it for the rest of us just don't do anything yourself. I never do anything for valentines or halloween doesn't mean others can't through.

No I love Christmas, dc too. We’ve had the same traditions year in year out and the kids love it. We don’t put pressure on ourselves, we know what to expect. Christmas is what you make it. Don’t let others dictate it for you.

I love it but it's only DH and me so it's fairly low key and easy.

Maybe it could be like the Olympics - every four years.

I like Christmas. I no longer stress about it.

I shop 2 weeks before. I add extras in the weekly shop and only buy fresh Christmas week, so only on quick short trip to a supermarket.

We buy token gifts.

There’s ways to make it easier and not be swayed by the ramped up advertisements.

I would love it to be every other year. It's just too much and we are hardly over one and another comes along!

It starts, commercially at least, immediately after Halloween so there is a 6 week lead up. Then the week of Christmas itself, then the post Christmas week when there are decorations to be put away etc. That's a total of 8 weeks associated with Christmas. 8 out of 52. That's 15.38 percent of our lives. A fairly whopping percent if you don't enjoy it.

Yes - never enjoyed it as a single parent as most of the time I'd be alone when the kids were at my ex's.
Kids ended up hating it too as they never got to spend the whole day at home and were ferried about.

Nowadays tree goes up about 2 days before Christmas to make it shorter (though when they were little it was about a week before so they didn't miss out - I made more of an effort then).

Just a really depressing time of year.