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......

Grr. Good thread.

The tradition I'd get rid of is the one in my house where every year something goes shitwards.

Last year it was my sodding oven (trying to cook a massive, home made Beef Wellington, put it in oven, went back to find beef wellington not cooked at all, cold oven and Dsil's helpful remark before going for her dinner was "can you not microwave it??" )

This year, we felt weird for days. Started to think it was norovirus, but its actually a massive gas leak. Our house is now like the arctic, we can't have a bath, cook, or boil water for coffee (me and my stove top whistling kettle love is now looking really twattish actually as we have no sodding electric kettle).

No idea when or if it will be fixed by Christmas Day as LL is useless.

So, can we ditch Christmas epic fails which bitch slap us?
Ta ver'muchly

We didn't really do cards this year anyway. We designed a family christmas e-card and set that round, and wrote only a couple of cards for older friends and relatives who don't use email.

The strange tradition we swear we won't have next year... every year.

That is the tradition of still wrapping presents as midnight strikes on Christmas day

Would like to banish the word 'Santa'. It's 'Father Christmas' ffs!

Would also be happy to see the back of sprouts and Christmas pudding.

Love buying presents, including for adults, but have a small family so probably much less stressful for me than for some of you.

CARDS

no more presents for adults, or for other people's kids.

just do stockings for the kids, and that's all.

The adults enjoy getting together for a nice meal, most aren't bothered about the presents, and its a huge amount of effort to buy it all. The kids get too much, by the time they have had presents from all their aunts and uncles and grandparents.

Would be lovely to scale it back a bit.

I'd keep the sprouts though, I love sprouts

chickensarmpit

I would add turkey (too dry) and christmas cards (can't be bothered) but I've already stopped both of those. Will have a nice roast pork.

I also agree with whoever said about shops opening on Boxing day. There really isn't a need for this. They used to be called 'January sales'. Can't we all have a few days off after the December excess?

I agree pourmeanotherglass I don't understand how people can be frantically buying absolutely masses of stuff in the days before christmas and on boxing day they're back at tesco buying piles more

I also hate the Boxing day shops opening thing. Let's have a few days where we can all cosy up with our families instead of having people off to the Next Sale and filling the bustling streets that have only just stop bustling late on Christmas Eve. Our lives are soo busy these days, let's slow down and have a breather over Christmas.

Also, I would ban Christmas Pudding. The last thing you want after a HUGE roast dinner is an incredibly rich and filling pudding that tastes like a giant gluey mince pie filling.

I don't know anyone who likes it, and nobody ever fancies it at any other time of the year. Have you ever heard anyone say "It's a pity you can't buy Christmas Pudding all year round, I really fancy some".

I love cards!
What I can't stand are those A4 typed 'Round Robin' letters from distant cousins boasting about Dc's latest academic/sporting/musical achievements followed by news of exotic holidays and pets that have passed away! Anyone else hate them?!

Yes musical, I can't bear them. I get one from a woman I have seen once in 25 years and it's vomit-inducing. I couldn't believe the stealth boasting. Why would you do that?

"Dear all, I'm bloody great, the house is posh, DH is loaded and gets awards all the time, the kids are being head hunted by Eton and Cambridge, We support charity but don't like to talk about it, and by the way, how DO you get organic bread sauce off a solid rosewood floor?"

"Dear all, I'm bloody great, the house is posh, DH is loaded and gets awards all the time, the kids are being head hunted by Eton and Cambridge, We support charity but don't like to talk about it, and by the way, how DO you get organic bread sauce off a solid rosewood floor?"

I love it!

I (genuinely) love sprouts. With almonds and bacon, especially.

I would get rid of the 'tradition' of idiots getting pissed at the Christmas party then driving home.

We've already got rid of a few of these:

We now only send cards to people we don't see much of and who live far away, I stopped giving them at work - this year someone had a good idea to put up a Christmas message poster in the office and donate to charity if they preferred to do that rather than give cards.

Stopped presents for adults a few years ago, even if we receive them (I'll buy friends drinks when out or something like that instead) - it's expensive enough buying for our 3 DCs. I'll buy for my little niece if we all happen to meet up and see her but not post a present overseas if they are not coming to the UK!

No Christmas pudding here either, have yule log or cheesecake, or trifle.

No shopping on boxing day here either - we go for a walk and are depressed seeing queues of traffic to and from the local retail park. I get 1.5 weeks off work - give the retail workers proper TIME OFF!

in our house it seems to be a tradition that one of us is ill christmas day - that has to go!

other than that mince pies I find their taste, smell and look disgusting but am constantly offered them at other people houses!

I like blue christmas lights. It's never occured to me to buy them, we have white ones, but I think they're pretty when I see them out at night.

What Greythorne said.

And eggnog

I too would ditch blue lights, they don't look right.

Agree about ditching Santa as its Father Christmas, not an anagram of Satan.

As for sprouts dd age 9 reckons her xmas isn't complete without them. Weird child.

I would ditch the story of a baby that was born to a woman who had never had sex (coz, clearly sex is such a BAAAAAD thing and a 'good' woman is a 'pure' woman.)

Too controversial?

ok, I pick Christmas cards then.

I'd get rid of most christmas cards too.

We've already eliminated sprouts and xmas pud but that's a simple per family decision whereas the cards really need for everyone to reduce the number.

Donteatatthefiggypudding !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wonderful. Am jealous I didn't think of it. To me christmas is about family and friends and the tree and giving presents and food. Forgot it had a religious source!

Spoons I'd go for blue lights too. Blue lights are only associated with emergency services in my mind, not jolly at all.

This made me laugh! Our neighbours opposite put up some of these a few weeks ago, and they flash 24/7. DH said tonight "I'm just never going to get over thinking there's an ambulance in the street, am I?"

I'd like to ditch the virgin bit too and the first reading in 9 lessons and carols where it's all Eve's fault.

concession,
we have blue lights, I'm not sure about them either.