If you had no commitments at all how would you spend Christmas?

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Due to various reasons DH and I have no commitments and no plans over the Christmas period this year. ( Christmas eve, Christmas day and Boxing Day)

No family visiting until after this time

Elderly family members and adult children are elsewhere this year.

We are both off work for 10 days,

We are not sad about this in anyway as we will be celebrating with family a few days later but for the first time ever we have no commitments at all over Christmas.

This means we can do whatever we want for Christmas without worrying about offending anyone but can’t decide what to do.

We have thought about going away but I don’t really want to spend Christmas in a hotel room, a lodge/self catering maybe an option but prices are really high at that time of year.
Can’t go abroad as we want to see family after Boxing Day.

Local restaurants are now fully booked ( my own fault for not looking sooner) but we could travel to a restaurant

We could stay at home eating chocolate or cheese ( this is my favourite idea so far)

if you had no plans for the Christmas period and could do whatever you wanted for those three days, what would you do?

Any ideas welcome!

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For three days, I'd very happily snuggle up at home with cheese, charcuterie and chocolate.

Stay home under a blanket surrounded by my sparkly lights.
Eat pizza.
Building Lego.

Drunk and at home.

I would sit at home and enjoy each other's company, Christmas tv , food & drink. Sounds blissful!

Every few years, I gift myself a Christmas just to myself, and I basically do little more than walk the dog some place nice, snuggle up and watch old TV favourites (often Ghost Stories for Christmas, but last year I rewatched the entirety of Twin Peaks), read great books, eat lots of nice food, and just chill.

These are honestly my favourite Christmases!

In the Maldives. I've done it 3 times and I would go every year if it hadn't become so extortionate.

Christmas tv and board games and pulling Christmas crackers.

I’d buy loads of picky bits from M&S, light candles, put the tree lights on and snuggle under a blanket on the sofa binge watching a good tv series in new pjs and eating all of the yum food and chocolates with a glass of wine or baileys!

I’d be tempted to book a package at a nice 5 star hotel as your gift to each other. Some spa hotels also do good deals. Or you could choose country hotel or London if fancy something more bustling… maybe with a show on Christmas Eve or Boxing Day.

Or I’d stay at home then go out Christmas Eve for dinner instead if all local restaurants are booked. Then Christmas Day nice walk and then home for easy party food and wine!

You said you're off for 10 days... Can you go abroad during this time but ensure your back for boxing day to see family.

The build up to Xmas in Tenerife or similar will be a great laugh.

Then go home for some cheese and chocolate before you go to visit family and do the usual Xmas stuff?

That is what I would do anyway!

I’d have a side of smoked salmon, truffles and chocolates, watching TV in bed. Might have a winter walk before dark fall and cracking open good red wine and the cheese.

I’m beginning to think that sitting at home with the heating on while eating cheese and chocolate might be the best option!
I’m just not sure if I will feel a bit sad on Christmas Day itself?

I'm with you on the chocolate and cheese. Enjoy!

Christmas Eve meal out and Christmas Day at home sounds really nice, I hasn’t thought of doing it that way around, thank you

Sadly not, the dates don’t work, that would have been a perfect balance.

I want to spend Christmas in a cottage somewhere with snow and a big fireplace for a roaring fire with a characterful pub in walking distance.

My (adult) kids (and their boyfriends) are welcome, but if they decide not to come it’s cool with me.

Lovely decorations, candles, snuggly blankets, food that just needs heating up, long walks in the snow with the dog and mulled wine in the pub.

I actually found such a place - bit of a gamble with the snow, but it ticked the rest of the boxes, but DH is a grinch.

I'd order some amazing food from Dishpatch or another delivery service plus a top up Ocado shop with everything I wanted to eat and drink

I'd put a pile of books I wanted to read next to me on the sofa.

I'd sort out loads of great films or series I wanted to watch

I'd go on some walks, if I felt like it

I'd lie in every day, having stayed up as late as I wanted

DH and I have on occasion both had the time off between Christmas and New Year and essentially been on our own (not for Christmas Eve or Day but for the rest of it). In good(ish) weather and we bundled up warm, kept an eye out on the weather forecast and hiked every day - taking a flask and christmas cake and the dog. One year the weather was awful and to be honest we did start to get on each other's nerves (and the dog's). I wish we'd planned a bit more like a shopping trip or getting away for a couple of days in between Christmas and New Year.

I would go abroad to an all inclusive resort and drink cava on a sun lounger by a tepid pool every year. I did this one year and it was our best Christmas. I'll be doing it again as soon as I can too.

Exactly how I do

with my two teens, in my home I love, opening prezzies, playing games, looooonng dog walks and eating nice (easy ie M&S!) food and then watching films with them both in the evening

heaven

Christmas Eve I would maybe go out for lunch somewhere with lights and Christmas atmosphere, then see if there was a film on in the cinema, come home and have mulled wine and hot sausage rolls.

Xmas Day I would have a festive breakfast, then go out for a walk somewhere really lovely - proper outdoors stuff, not your local park. Take an indulgent packed lunch (smoked salmon sandwiches, mince pies) and a flask, come home and have a great night in. With a luxury candlelit Xmas dinner for two, depending on your favourite tastes. Champagne, Steak, a lobster, duck, beouf bourguignon to heat up, whatever you would really enjoy.

Boxing Day the same - or just watch films and Christmas specials with cheese, wine, charcuterie, chocolates and wine.

Relaxed Christmas jammie day at home. Sounds perfect.

I like the idea of a few days in a chocolate box, picture perfect cottage or lodge but the reality is I don't think I could be bothered and there's no place like home!

Christmas Eve out for lunch in nearest city (which is a traditional, pretty place) and wander round, stop for coffee later, listen to the brass band playing carols. Home when it gets dark, a little wander round the streets looking at the lit up houses, pop into the pub for a quick drink (maybe message local friends to see if anyone can join us) then home for wine and nibbles while watching a film.

Christmas Day, lie in till about 9 then open presents, brunch of whatever special things you like, for me maybe bacon sandwiches or croissants, cinnamon buns etc. Out for a walk somewhere beautiful and not too far away (preferably a beach). Home for an easy to cook special dinner then flop in front of the TV.

Boxing Day - another lie-in, then out for lunch somewhere, either that or a takeaway in the evening, perhaps the pub again at some point. Maybe take books to the pub and chill in front of a roaring fire.

I don't have any commitments and I will be spending it with my sister drinking champagne, eating Mexican food and watching crap 90s films

Go somewhere warm and sunny and not do anything remotely Christmassy at all.