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!

it doesn't stress me at all because.... i can afford it.... i am very organised by nature... i buy early, wrap early and book an online shop early... i only have my dh and ds's to deal with on the day ( family are visited a couple of weeks before) and finally... i buy a LOT of gin

I don't really understand christmas and am horrified at how over the top so many people get about it. I don't encourage presents (I'm an adult ffs) and I never cook on christmas day (often work it anyway). Food is buffet style and the wine flows...no bloody charades or other tedious games, just relaxation with a stiff drink or five.

Completely agree, think some people enjoy making a fuss over nothing, first world problems and all that, load of tosh.

I agree OP. some people are obsessed with perfection. Not just with christmas, but because christmas is the same day for everyone you see all the perfectionists out at the same time obsessing over their spuds.

Don't tell anyone, but we once served SALAD for Christmas dinner! It was alongside other things, but it was definitely the most outlandish idea some of my friends had heard when I mentioned it.

I still don't know what a Christmas Eve hamper is, we managed life without Christmas pyjamas because I didn't know about them pre MN.

We always have soup for xmas eve tea. So that we' re ready to eat on xmas day.
It has become our own tradition. The kids used to hate it, but I think they would now miss it if we didnt do it!
So certainly no xmas eve hamper for us.

Am I supposed to know about Christmas hampers?

I'm always amazed how early people start. Buying so its not last minute is ok. Having the tree up in mid November is not (disclaimer it is up to everyone what they do but really, November? And no it's not someone's last Christmas or anything, the same few do it every year) advent only started today, there are three weeks plus until Christmas. Our tree will go up when we finish school, college and work on 20th. And stay up till 12th night. You see trees chucked out on Boxing Day or 27th. Again each to their own but why?

I am just bored of Christmas.
Have done 100% of everything. Funded, shopped, cooked, entertained and cleared up for 23 years. I don't want to do it anymore.
My DH just refuses to do anything. If the kids want Christmas it's up to me.
BAH BLOODY HUMBUG

I feel like a really boring old fart, My cards and presents are all done and I'm putting decs and tree up next weekend.

I shall not set foot in any more shopping centres and do the same every year.

Just can't understand the fuss some people go to - it's only one day for goodness sake!

You can just hide the Christmas board and then its posts won't show up on Active Conversations. And then if people post Christmas threads outside the Christmas board you would be justified in posting grumpily on them to tell people to take it to the proper forum.

Not going to do hampers or elves on shelves, or added faff. Although we all have Christmas PJs (this means everyone has new smartish jammies on for putting things out for Father Christmas/Christmas morning photos). And I've pretty much done my Christmas shopping, but that's more after the year that is always known as "the year Amazon cancelled Christmas" (roughly, I left it until December to order things, it was the first year that everyone ordered on line and lots of gifts didn't arrive until after Christmas).

I quite like December with pretty much nothing to do other than sit with a glass of wine next week and change the stuff in my Ocado basket from lots of Champagne to actual food, then wrap everything, which I'll do the weekend before Christmas. Oh and put the tree up, but it's still too early to do that.

(We do also have a fabric calander, but that's because DS is odd doesn't like chocolate and this way I get to put his favourite mini gingerbread men in for each day)

Yes, but what are you going to wear on Christmas day, OP? I presume you have planned your outfit? I'm having a nightmare dilemma here as I can't decide which Christmas bra to wear...

For me Christmas lasts until past New Year. I do the bear minimum after Boxing Day. Read books, go for longer walks, visit friends and family etc etc.

@ xmas bra! do those exist?

Tinned

Can you imagine how sad Baby Jesus would be if he knew you were having tinned sweetcorn with gravy

I am very bad. I want a Christmas bra... [tchgrin]
I do my shopping early because I loathe and detest shopping in December and although online shopping is my preferred way the year we had horrendous snow in the run up and most of the presents were stuck in Scotland until Christmas Eve puts me off doing it so close!
Have people really got het up about no turkey for lunch? They would have loved us, we've served everything from fish and chips to bacon and eggs on the day, what's the point of serving up food nobody eats? Last year we couldn't all decide on lunch so I got a 3 bird roast and everybody took the meat they wanted!
This year we're seriously considering a BBQ...

YANBU I like Christmas but the endless fuss about one day just drives me nuts along with the present giving. I do not want any more bubble bath, scarves, DVDs or celebrity cookbooks nor do I want to buy the same things for others. It's such a waste of money. If we could limit Christmas presents to kids only I would be very happy.

I've been planning since about August - buying presents etc. but only because I really enjoy it. We never had Christmas when I was little and DH let's me indulge myself including buying all the presents (except mine).

But we order takeaway on christmas day...

Potatoes.

All of my Christmas stress revolves around those giant golden piles of carbohydrates that I would not eat at any other time.

We peel about 10kgs of potatoes every year. I am pretty sure the rest of the dinner could be missing and no one would notice as long as the roasties and gravy are there.

We do a BBQ and salads usually, except for the potatoes.

I absolutely loathe Christmas but wish I didn't. I'm not religious and I feel a little bit sick at all the money spent and the waste created. It feels like an exercise in greed and consumerism. I have three children so feel like I have to participate but really, it's just going through the motions .

Who delivers Rhonda?! I know McD's is open but there are limits.

I'm not too fussed about the actual Christmas day being ad-worthy. To me it's more of a religious day. I love the run-up to Christmas though and like doing Christmassy activities throughout December.