To think some people are taking Christmas far too seriously...

[Lagoonablue]

I don't normally post on here and yes 'each to their own' etc but seriously when I see some of the stuff about. Christmas on MN I am astounded.

Who has the time to devote to 'Xmas Eve hampers'. When were they invented? Agonies over how much to spend, whether to give baby a present or not, when to put the tree up........

Sheesh. I like xmas, it is fun! don't want to piss on your chips but some of the dilemmas aired with regard to ONE day are staggering. If you want roast parsnips as well as roast potatoes just bloody have them! If you can't decide between Polar Express and Arfer christmas as 'the Xmas film' then watch both!

I am prepared to be told to stay off the Christmas boards but the posts keep cropping up in active convos and honestly,I find myself clicking on them to see what very important dilemma needs to be sorted out before dec 25th.

Yes I know.....mind my own business. Bah humbug!

[TheSitChewAceChien]

*I'm

Quite relaxed about spelling too it appears.

[TheSitChewAceChien]

I quite relaxed about Christmas. Some presents the DC will like, a big ol' dinner, and a lounge on the sofa eating chocolates, and watching telly without feeling guilty is all I need!

I do the Christmas eve hamper though, mainly because (and this is v shallow) DS gets very attached to his pjs, and without 'the elves' leaving him a nice smart pair, he would go to bed wearing manky, too short ones, and I would have to try to avoid them showing in photos the next day!

[ElfontheShelfIsWATCHINGYOUTOO]

@ wordfactory

Both the Hamlet and the fatiguer are just ways of garnering attention arnt they, both as annoying as each other.

I think you get out what you put in, I have had a few xmas by myself when younger, didn't bother me, now i have DC i go to town more.

I do have a reli though who does nothing, and sort of hangs round bored on the day, doesn't like buying gifts, like pulling teeth to her, fair enough...but then waits for me, and my family to sprinkle some xmas magic her way....

that annoys me. her and her husband don't really seem happy shunning xmas like they do, but then seem miserable on the day, becaue neither has made an effort to make it special then come and cadge our xmas, with long faces then moan xmas is miserble for them.

[Golddigger]

StepAway. Ditto re traditions.
One daughter has now announced[even though she lives miles away and wont be back for days], that we not to put the decorations up, because she will do it when she gets there! [aka just how she wants them!]. So we are supposed to look at an empty house till she gets here!!

[Arabesque1]

YANBU. The problem, in my view, is that the run up to Christmas is so long nowadays that people have far too much time to worry about it, analyse every aspect of it and invent problems around it. In the 'olden days' the run up was about three weeks which really just gave people time to buy and wrap presents, hang up a few battered and well loved decorations and queue for a turkey and ham.

[StepAwayFromTheEcclesCakes]

beware making what you do xmas traditions. you will have to do them forever if my boys are anything to go by (17 and 21) last year there was nearly a mutiny because we dared to get out of of bed before stockings, they made us go back so they could come in and sit on the bed to open stockings 'cos that's tradition' followed by the wtf breakfast scene when DH and I wanted eggs benedict instead of smoked salmon scrambled eggs and croissants 'cos that's tradition'

[pudseypie]

D0in just do what I do and don't put them up at all! I actually love Christmas I just don't like decorations and faff.

[D0oinMeCleanin]

I'm itching to get mine down the day they go up

I love christmas, but hate the decorations. We do a big declutter and clean up around now, every year. It's the only time of year my entire house is clean and tidy at the same time. Then people go and stick glittery shite all over it, the cat is constantly attempting to climb the tree, the children steal all of the tinsel off the tree to wrap around the bunk beds and DH sticks things to the ceiling with blue tac, which inevitably melts, so they all fall off again

[Snowbility]

Sorry just to explain further on the hamper idea - it's a cardboard box -wrapped....no proper hamper....just a box of stuff for Christmas Eve.

[KatoPotatoHoHo]

What about my 'Boxing Day box for the Bubs'

[ZombieMojaveWonderer]

I was poorly last Christmas and this year will be the first time I get to spend Christmas with my brother in 20 years so I'm super excited and hoping it goes well but I am not going to make a huge deal out of it. I'm not going to get stressed, I'm just going to enjoy it for what it is

[BlackBorderBin]

DoinMeCleanin bet the mum who made the 'miserable' comment will be itching to take the decorations down by the 27th.

[D0oinMeCleanin]

I got told off on the school run for being miserable last week. Dd2 asked why everyone has their decorations up and we don't. I replied "Because it is not Christmas yet, it is November. It's supposed to be the 12 days of Christmas not 12 weeks! It gets longer and longer every year, before long people just won't bother taking their decorations down" Cue the little girl in front of us asking why they had their decorations up if it's not Christmas yet, mum loudly replied "Because we are not miserable, darling, that's why!"

[BlackBorderBin]

The school is now covered in decorations.
The Xmas jumble sale Fayre was last week.
Carol concert in school, carol concert when they troop down to church.
Panto done in school
God bothers special assembly
Class nativity
Watching other classes special Jesus assembly
Art is nothing but cards and decorations
Support local shops trail heavily promoted by school
Class parties in school and Christmas trip to soft play

That's all I can remember off the top of my head - pretty much a daily mention since half term.

As Athiests and people who shop for necessarties rather than as a leisure activity it's overwhelming on both accounts.
We will have a nice few days, decorate a tree, celebrate the middle of winter but it would be all the more special and out of the ordinary if it had n't been dragged out for weeks before.

[wordfactory]

I think everyone should make as much effort/fuss as they feel comfortable with.

If peeps want a magic-orama, month long fandango, then cool. If peeps want to give it a miss, then cool.

But what I can't abide is people making huge amounts of effort, then whinging endlessly about fatigue and stress!

Similarly, those who don't want to make a fuss but walk around like bleedin' Hamlet for the duration, ruining everyone else's vibe, wagging a patronising finger...fuck off.

[MILLYMOLLYMANDYMAX]

Its a (vegan) roast dinner with nibbles and presents for the kids. The tree is put up on the 14th December and decorated by the kids with tinsel, baubles and tree chocolate and looks like an explosion in a tinsel factory.
Df one year actually over wrapped all the presents from other people in either red or gold matching wrapping paper so they would not stand out when she put the presents under the tree. Everything had to be colour co ordinated

[D0oinMeCleanin]

[Golddigger]

Drr. You posted in between there D0oin, and ruined my post to boot!

[Golddigger]

Ah, another mumsnet myth!
There seem to be a number of them. As I have said before mumsnet is a whole other world to me.

[D0oinMeCleanin]

My sister makes and sells x-mas eve hampers. I just give her the money. I have no idea what is in them, I always work on x-mas eve

There's usually porridge and glitter on my front step when I get home, so I assume that has something to do with it.

She does quite well from them, afaik.

[CaroBeaner]

No one I know in RL does all this Christmas eve hamper business, or elevates hot chocolate and pyjamas to some sort of sacred status.

[noblegiraffe]

I have actually bought new pjs for wearing on Xmas eve because I like the thought of them wearing something nice in the photos in the morning. Because it will go on Facebook

I'm trying to think of any Christmas Eve traditions we had as a family, but I can only remember me and my siblings going drinking Christmas Eve and turning up to midnight mass and singing all the carols very enthusiastically. Not sure that one will catch on.

[Golddigger]

Teeny tiny xmas tree?

[pudseypie]

Someone pass the humbugs over here please... I'm in a strop as dh said we should have a xmas tree this year now ds is 2. I don't like the clutter of decorations and my house is tiny. Normally just put a wreath on front door and some berries on mantelpiece. Have managed to have a xmas tree only twice in last 12 years living with dh...

[Golddigger]

Some of these things catch on because your child comes home from school and says "mummy/daddy, can we have a xmas hamper/christmas pjs like molly's family"?