To wonder if you could get rid of one Christmas Tradition

[Atthewelles]

what it would be?

For me, it would be Christmas cards. They're so much hassle to write and get sent off, people get all worried if they get a card from someone they forgot to send one to, people who no longer have any real contact or interest in each other anymore are afraid to be the first one to break the habit of sending cards etc etc etc
I think it would take a lot of the stress out of Christmas if this tradition ceased or was confined to people you are still in touch with but do not see on a regular basis. So no cards to neighbours, siblings who live down the road, couple you met on holidays 15 years ago and wouldn't recognise if you fell over them in the street......

I love sending cards! But every year there are fewer people sending them so that's probably going to die a death soon. I'd happily get rid of Xmas pudding, sprouts and the disgusting sandwich my mother and aunt make themselves with dinner leftovers whilst they drink sherry and twitter on about their poverty stricken but joyful childhood Xmases. Every sodding Xmas grrrrrr.....

Already given up cards (good riddance).
Still occasionally end up at v v tedious church service with terrible singing. Would drop that.
Also not keen on the pressure to buy presents for ungrateful younger relatives who barely recognise me and never say thank you, even if you thrust the present into their hands yourself.

freddie at my inlaws we have to have 'a little quiz'

I feel like shouting 'It's Xmas Day FGS, just flippin' RELAX and not have every single moment accounted for'

And breathe...

Cards. Definitely cards. As a lover of all things written word, I really shouldn't feel this way, but they don't appeal to my dis-organised self. I always leave it until the last minute because I'm crap and end up getting hand cramp or something for trying to write 500 million cards all in one go.

Oh and sprouts. Sprouts can get banished to the stinky corner and never come out. Yak.

Blue Xmas lights. They make me feel a bit sick and headache-y.

I think cards are lovely, but so over-used now. I.E, one for EVERY member of the year 3/4 classes (DD2, I'm looking at you!), neighbour, his neighbour, and parents neighbour
I love getting cards for my birthday, esp handmade ones. but Xmas ones..? Meh.

Anyone who abolishes Xmas pud will have me to deal with.. Grrr!

We are in the delightful position of never having to have inlaws or family round on Xmas day so we have done away with all the crap we didn't like. It's just me DH and the 2 DSs.

NO turkey (we have roast beef or something)
No sprouts
No bread sauce
No overflow of obligatory extras that nobody eats such as "Biscuits for Cheese" and so on.

I don't mind getting and sending cards but I hate it when people just put their name in the card as if that's enough. I always write "shame we didn't catch up, we are in your area in March, let's meet up etc" or something friendly along the lines of friendship maintenance.

If you just write "from Bob" what's the point?

cocoachannel Tue 18-Dec-12 23:35:28
I have a friend who keeps a spreadsheet of who sent his and his wife cards and if you go two years without sending them one they don't send you one in the third year IYSWIM. I take great pleasure in sending them a card every three years to screw with the anal system.

Are people really this anal? A spreadsheet for finance I can understand but Xmas cards?

I admit I sign cards "From Fry, FryDP, FryDC1 and FryDC2", but these are the ones for family I see at least once a week, so they know what I get up to.

I do add some more for the cards I need to post off to more distant people, but it's sometimes difficult to write something that doesn't feel smug, to me at least (so goodness knows what the recipient might feel).

I keep a list of who I send xmas cards to and who sends me them, mainly so I don't forget anyone and upset them and to remember the names of the not quite next door neighbours who I chat to occasionally. If i haven't physically seen someone or been in regular phone/ email contact with them for a couple of years they drop off the list as sending them a xmas card then seems meaningless unless we send each other chatty updating cards and would meet up if we lived nearer.
I don't send many cards though compared to alot of people.

I love board games, sadly husband hates them so he goes off and reads a book if my extended family are in game playing mode. His extended family don't do board games and I get bored chatting and wish we had a nice game to liven things up a bit.

Blue Christmas lights. Vile. White/gold only please, red gree and yellow if you must.

We have blue lights in one of the little plants outside

The rest are white though.

This year I got rid of Xmas cards for everyone except The Cub's friends.

YouCanDoWhatYouLikeYou'reAdultsTiggaxx

My in laws love board games too. I don't enjoy playing but don't mind hanging round in the vicinity, snacking and refereeing as required.

The obligatory roast dinner that everyone serves. I don't like any of it (except maybe some of the vegetables, as long as they're not overcooked, but then they always are). I am already dreading the nut roast .

I think cards are a bit pointless, but then I just never send any, so it isn't really an issue for me.

Spreadsheet! Good grief! Where on earth would you find time! Would have to be sprouts, evil , rock solids balls of vile dripping in butter! And the need to find hundreds of little silver dishes for " nibbles"

gail - I dislike all the cut trees as well, always have. And trees indoors is just a bit wrong IMO. Though we do have one growing in a pot in the garden that's survived for several years and still going strong :)

the giant 'Santa' Sacs from MIL filled with shite from the market and flammable nightwear - that some how end up at my house despite DH having his own place where he could keep it

Cards here to (using new baby as an excuse not to bother this year).

Also refusing to allow the day to be arranged around an uncle (my mum's brother) who we don't see the rest of the year, and who seems to resent not being at the pub anyway. I used to look up to him but not any more.

I would like to get rid of the ridiculously early marketing of all things Christmas.

Eg Xmas music and light in shops in October, xmassy tv ads etc etc. All way too early.

Bah Humbug!

Definetly cards! I'm generally not bothered about recieving christmas cards and see them as pointless and sending them is all time consuming and some people get the hump if you miss them out.
Also i'd like to see the end to early christmas marketing that starts in bloody september!

I would also like to see an end to 'Christmas menus' in restaurants, which basically seem to mean half the choice at twice the price.

Presents to people I almost never see.
My DMum has been trying to sort this since I was a baby. Her brother and his wife "like choosing things", trouble is they choose utter crap and are mortally offended if you ask them not to.

They are otherwise really nice and on the rare occasions I do see them and my cousins, it's fun.