Anyone else not bothering with Xmas?

[Touty]

No decs or presents cards etc?
load of nonsense?
Anyone else?

If I didn't have kids, I'd happily not bother. For their sakes I bother, but I try to keep the expenditure in check.

Fair enough, presumably you offer to work over Christmas so people who do celebrate it as a religious holiday or who have young children can enjoy it, whilst you can just treat the Christmas holidays as normal office hours for yourselves?
😂

Nah, haven't bothered for years and it's great. I truly believe it's just a pushed retail thing.. Stopped the crap when kids were old enough to realise...maybe 6 or 7. I can and like to buy my kids (adult now) things throughout the year if I want.

I see on here loads of mums stressed out and I wonder if men were left to do all this would it die out naturally?

I’ve never liked Christmas since becoming a single parent and dreaded those Christmas days spent alone when the kids were away.

I’m just glad when it’s all over.

Same here.
Hope I'll make it to do what you suggested. ❤️

Agreed. It’s a valid Q not sure why some people get so triggered by it. It’s like they’re the MN post police 🙄

You if you can't see talk speak or spend time with family and friends, any time other than xmas.
What's the point in knowing then at all.
People are all year round not just for one day.

I'm not Scroogey about it, I love seeing my friends decorations and meals, I sent my sister lovely presents, I just don't celebrate myself.

I don't celebrate Christmas, birthdays or anniversary's and don't do anything for them

see on here loads of mums stressed out and I wonder if men were left to do all this would it die out naturally?

I highly doubt that they would be wearing themselves out, and rushing about entertaining the children, present buying, etc, like so many Women seem to do. Interesting.

It is. One of my favourite celebrations - a lovely addition to the build up to Christmas.

I don't understand why people are so stressed. It's wonderful, magical time of year. Nothing to do with retail.

Combination of being with family in morning, children unwrapping presents etc, then rest of day to myself to be immobile on sofa watching and eating what I want, with naps, bliss

Ah ok….I still had a school age child when I had my first GC so didn’t have any gap of no children in family so maybe that’s why it different for me….I’m 60 now and eldest GD going high school next year so maybe I won’t bother a few years down the line when they’ve all got older🤷‍♀️

38, 32 and 30
None of them are planning on having children which is fine by me 😊

Not everyone has them especially as time passes.

I do, but there's good reasons I'm not with them, from distance to estranged, to abuse.

We are doing a very low key Christmas this year but don't make it an annual thing. It's lovely to go away and ignore it, or we once bought some food and stayed at home to redecorate three bedrooms.

Christmas has horrible memories for some people.
Have you not heard of people losing loved ones at Christmas time.

Try telling the family for example whose child was knocked down and killed on xmas eve thats it magical, or the woman who lost her baby.

It really is strange that you dont realise this.

If it wasn’t for the kids I wouldn’t bother this year. Had a hard few years- divorce & bereavement & my heart’s just not in it. I’m faking it and playing along but inside I CBA with it all.

You can’t see why people are stressed.

are you a lone parent?
do you have financial worries
are you grieving? I am, my dh is dead, my parents are dead, my aunt uncle are dead, I have one sibling who lives in Germany and I don’t see.
Are you depressed
Do you have neirodivergence
Are you children neurodivergent?

No?

I am experiencing every
single one on this list, every single one.

And you can’t see why people would be stressed?

Really?

a friend of mine lost her 4 year old daughter on Christmas Day a few years back. I bet she’s really enjoying the magic of Christmas. Absolutely awful

Exactly this! Friends at work can not get over that we like a quiet Christmas. I lost my dad a few years ago then my nana. It's never been the same. I've done the big family get together and it's exhausting. Now it's just the 4 of us and the cat. MIL pops over on the afternoon for a couple of hours and I see my mum and partner just before the 25th. This year christmas dinner will be on Christmas eve and then pizzas and part food on 25th. I love nothing more than chilling, playing games and watching the NBA and NFL with a glass of baileys later on lol 😆 Last year I popped on FB around 8pm and saw all these 'forced' pictures of people getting together. Then everyone moaned a few days later that there were arguments, they were knackered and needed a holiday to get over Christmas. I was chilled and a little sad it was over and back to work as normal 😆

Xmas used to be like this for me. Now I am hosting adult children and their partners plus grandchildren. It’s totally exhausting and I don’t enjoy it anymore. They don’t have space to host themselves.

This.

This exchange encapsulates why I find it astonishing that neurotypical people harp on about ND people “lacking empathy”. So many NT people just cannot conceive of any mindset or context outside the one they inhabit. I hope you have a peaceful Christmas and I’m so sorry for your losses.