Solo over Christmas? Share your plans

[Anotherdayattheforum]

And perhaps we can inspire others who may be new to this gig. Me first!

I have no close family and prefer to not be the +1 filler 😬

My plan -
23rd - booked a spa day.
24th day at the beach and yummy lunch. 25th cosy day watching indulgent tv and reading and knitting. A little walk to work up an appetite for smorgasbord tea.
26th - hot chocolate and people watch at local cafe.
27th world reopens, normal relations resumed.
And breath!

Not quite the same, but I did a solo Christmas several years ago, I work as a nurse & had a terrible rota that year, scheduled to 24th & 26th, so Christmas Day off but I didn’t live near family, all my local friends were also nurses & working some odd combination of hours themselves.

I slept in, morning bubble bath with Buck’s Fizz, followed by a bacon sarnie, read a book (can’t remember what though) more Bucks Fizz, then take away curry for dinner!

My mum rang me & expected me to be all sad, but I actually had a lovely day.

I dream of that Christmas as busy mum of two now 🤣

Also to add, many moons ago before nursing I was bartender, ended up working the 11:00 - 14:00 shift a few times on Christmas Day, there were many people who popped in on their own for a drink, people would always strike up a conversation with them… so if you do want to see another human being, have a swift one in the pub.

I’m not alone at Christmas but it sounds lovely op.
So does bucks and a bath - just a ‘you’ day/lazy day.

10 years in to living on my own, so will have a walk around the park then pop into my local for a drink and say hello to people,then home to a fire, ham, egg & chips.

No point in putting the telly on as it's just crap on.

2 years ago I had Christmas Day by myself & it was lovely! The children went to their dads, I could have gone to my mums but chose not too. I stayed in bed until about 9, went for a long walk with the dog & then watched what I wanted to on TV, then had an early night. It was a very peaceful & enjoyable day.

No parents or siblings left and no partner or kids. I’m also flying solo for the fourth year - cousin’s girl has had two babies in quick succession and I have no appetite for being reminded by extended family that I failed at being a woman yet again. So I tell them I am away until 29 Dec with friends and then see below.

Break up for Cmas tomorrow. Next week is fairly busy - dinner with a visiting cousin of my late mum, carol concert at the Halle, drinks with a couple of friends. Then between 24th and 5th the main rule will be - hike if it’s dry, declutter if it’s wet. Bit of telly, nice food and visit to best mate in between, and (hopefully by now exhausted extended family) at mine on 3rd for a NY type low key get together.

Then it’s all about waiting for lighter nights and watching for the 500+ spring bulbs I planted last autumn to start peeking through.

Thanks posters for your contributions. Love the idea of egg and chips after a swift one at the pub. Inspired! Also the shared sense of Christmas being, well, just peaceful.

DH is deployed so it's me and the dog.

I've spent many a Christmas on my own when I was single and a police officer and tbh I quite enjoyed them 😂. Usually I'd be working the night shift or similar.

I've agreed to go to the parents this year, and I'm deeply regretting not sticking to my original thoughts of having a solo Christmas and succumbing to emotional blackmail.... 13hr car drive ahead of me for that one, and I'll be coming home ASAP after boxing day.

I love the fact we’re embracing and @PinkFootstool normalising solo Christmas.

I'vw had several Christmases on my own and really enjoy it. Have no family in the UK, now single, no kids. Whilst I do get invitations to friends its not always feasible as I live in London, don't have a car so it means using trains/tube to leave pre Christmas and staying over for at least 2 nights or more. And sometimes I just want a peaceful day in my own home, or some years I've gone abroad on a guided tour trip. This year I can't go away even overnight due to no cat sitter to feed and visit my (very clingy) indoor cat.

So, I will start with my favourite prosecco in the morning, maybe a bucks fizz with fresh clementine juice, then scarambled eggs with smoked salmon, lots of nibbles and treats I don't normally buy and in the afternoon a nice M&S or Waitrose prepared meal to just bung in the oven, accompanied by a bottle of my favourite (expensive) red wine. Chocolate will be consumed. Then maybe some Baileys before bed.

TV will be on most of the day, I'll surf the net a bit, listen to some music and I have some new books to read. I may or may not go for a walk to the park depending on the weather. The cat will get some treats and new toys so we'll play with those too.

Will see some friends Boxing day, then back to work on 27th but have the 2nd off so will get a 4 day break then. I'm looking forward to it.

@JaneAustensCat again, a sense of the calm and gentleness of the day.

I was listening to the radio and enjoying the Christmas music. When I had the busy Christmas of my past life, the music this early used to feel intimidating and stressful about expectations. Not now.

I’ve got nice food ordered for 23 December to last a few days, so I don’t have to venture into the supermarket madness. I’ll then just hunker down and catch up on Netflix, reading, a walk or two, and cuddling the cat. My parents live at the other end of the country so I’ll go down there on 27 December for a few days, it just makes it easier to do that after Christmas with arranging a cat-sitter and train tickets etc.

I enjoy Christmas alone, which is just as well, as when my very elderly parents have gone it will be my norm. I think I would look to go away each year somewhere warm at that point. I’d like to do that now really but would feel too guilty to not see my parents at all over the Christmas period.

We had a couple of Christmases with both the kids working long days. So I decided to start learning Bruges Flower lace. I made my pricking, wound my bobbins and read the chapter in my book in advance and then started work on Christmas Day. It was great.

@Moonstone20 - I spent Christmas in Florence last year, and Reykjavik 2022. I thought about Christmas away again this year but it felt a bit intense. I’m looking forward to a gentler Christmas this year, but maybe as a bi-annual event could be a pleasant balance, rather than a must. I think this is the point of this thread, to be able to suspend the sense of ‘must’ when a time when our bodies are telling us it need calm.

@Mathsbabe inspiring! Yes, planning all the resources needed for a project and the bliss of sitting down to start and as if by magic everything needed is there ready for you. Your own personal Santa experience!

I was getting divorced and spent three years opting out and celebrating Xmas day on my tod.

I really enjoyed it, though to be honest I didn’t do much different than I did most days, apart from treat myself to a very nice piece of beef on the day. One year I didn’t even put any tree or decorations up.

But what I did enjoy was the relief at not being Mother Christmas, and having sole responsibility for all the cards, buying of presents, wrapping, sending, decorating, hosting, cleaning, buying cooking and washing up. December went by in a giddy whirl of relief.

Im now hosting again this year (only 4 others) and though it will be lovely, I find myself thinking fondly of my lazy ass past Christ-masses.

Pizza and decorating plus a run. Just a normal day off!!

I haven’t had a solo Christmas in a while, but I’ve always thoroughly enjoyed them. One year I spent it in a cottage on the coast, had a magnificent beach walk in chilly sun, then retreated indoors to light a fire, admire the sunset and drink mimosas. Another year I spent Christmas in the south of India. When we lived in London and were childfree we often used to go out for an Indian meal on Christmas Day.