Not to understand Christmas day

[ginorwine]

I love Christmas Eve.
Veg prep , getting the turkey , cleaning , candles , carols and meet friends for carol singing in the pub .
Christmas Day we have a tradition of stockings for the teen dc , then gifts then late lunch .
Then I tend to get twitchy
Clausterphobic feeling

We have been out for a walk but as lots of folk are doing the same thing as we live near a park its quite busy and also I feel the loss of my darling dad more when I see families .
I know thAt I'm lucky to have family and a home .i just wonder does anyone else feel a bit odd on Christmas day ? I know it's known to be a bit of a loaded day emotionally but no one in rl I know feels this .at work it's all 10 sleeps to Christmas etc .

I love the build up to Christmas. Christmas Eve is lovely, we see the panto, have lunch out, my sister visits and we bake and do crafts.
In comparison the big day is always disappointing. It seems like it should be more fun than it is. Likewise the gap between Boxing Day and new year is just depressing. I can't wait for the decorations to be put away and get back to normal.

Love Christmas eve too and not so fussed on Christmas day after we've eaten.

Its so good to share our thoughts !
I hate all the ott stuff ! And office meals too ! False .not me at all !

I always have a feeling of it being 'over' with accompanying sadness.

I love Christmas Eve so much, it's the eternal promise of joy and happiness to me.

I feel you OP. Great for kids overall but harder for those who have lost love ones.

I am with Askijgforapal and intend to cook our turkey Christmas Eve as otherwise I'm like a jack in the box checking the huge bird in the oven and not chilling out with my kids! I just remember my mum in the kitchen all day.

I recommend this blog - not in a 'count your blessings' way but as a reminder that all of Xmas - even the disappointing/boring/flat boys - is what makes it special

kateelizabethgross.wordpress.com/2014/12/11/may-your-days-be-merry-and-bright-and-may-all-your-christmases-be-white/

I've felt like this for years and thought it was just me so it's good to hear I'm not the only one! I agree that spreading out the present opening throughout the day and buying a couple of new board games to play late afternoon helps overcome the 'slump'. A couple of years ago, we had a drive around central London in the early evening to see the lights which was fun (needs someone to stay off the Bucks Fizz though!)

I also think that lowering expectations helps greatly, just assume that the kids will play up, there will be a row with the MIL and you'll be disappointed with your presents - then the only way is up!

I know exactly what you mean OP. Like you I love all the excitement of Christmas Eve, the last minute wrapping, all the family together, making mince pies, glass of baileys......It's the anticipation. Come Christmas Day, by afternoon, I feel "is that it", all this preparing for this. I also think of departed family members and memories of Christmases long gone.
At the risk of sounding a right old misery....Christmas day can be a bit of an anti climax and a bit sad too.

Oh charity that's has made me cry.

The following post, an update from her mother, is so sad.

I know - the whole blog is wonderful and the book, Late Fragments, is well worth reading. Not depressing, really!

To be honest charity stuff like that just makes the whole thing feel even worse. This year started with a good friend dying and leaving behind her 2 year old. This summer friends lost their gorgeous about-to-be 4 year old boy. Life is precious and we spend so much of it performing ritualistic bullshit, working our asses off for the ungrateful etc etc.

Knowing that no matter how lovely you are, life will not treat you fairly is not the perspective I need really.

Lots of good ideas here ! Thanks 🎅

Don't get me started on how much I loathe New Year's Eve ...

I paid - feel free !!!!!

Try and think of it as the ultimate lazy Sunday. Have brunch, have a soak in the bath, read a book, eat Christmas dinner at 5. Play a board game. Make plans for Boxing Day.

I started putting breakfast in my kids stockings made things less of a faff trying to get them to wait for opening presents!

Im with whoever it was that said to do Christmas dinner late. Failing that just do a buffet style lunch that morphs into evening, keep the food out/topped up: mostly cold stuff prepped 1/2 days previously, few nice hot things like the pigs in blankets, that sort of thing. Also makes it everyones task to go abd grab something else from the fridge or stick something in the oven. and minimal washing up if you use disposable. I for one never miss Turkey, and hate even eating it.

I liked someones idea of going to the park. Thats something ive never done on Christmas day.
Last year my entire family went to a pub. There were about 22 of us. Wasnt too bad, but the kids missed playing with their new stuff.

I've always felt like that, even as a child. I loathe being indoors and Xmas day for me has always equated cabin fever, even if I always take time for a run or a cycle.

As Laurie wrote "love Christmas Eve so much, it's the eternal promise of joy and happiness to me"

And as HereThere wrote "Knowing that no matter how lovely you are, life will not treat you fairly".

Christmas Eve is magical, but then it's a bigger shock to the system on Christmas Day, and all those in between days before January gets on being January. It's the contrast when life moves on, sparkle and magic disappears, and it's back to the cold, hard, brutal grey life. Christmas Day is about people who have gone, duty to those who are left, and trying to stretch the excitement as far into the day as possible for the child who needs 'proper' Christmas memories.

Gosh I'll be glad when it's over!

I think there's wisdom in your post Miscellaneous even if the thread in general is a bit bleak.
The cynic in me also recognises that once you've bought the stuff advertisers/our consumer society doesn't really care how the rest of your day pans out (or even if you can get the toy out of the packaging or if it needs any batteries)
Only the TV (and maybe radio) care about brightening up your Christmas Day afternoon and evening - and that's partly chasing the ratings!
I think maybe the day used to be better balanced before we all went quite so consumer crazy?

Yes I really think it was Juggling, and sorry I added to the bleakness... Mind you, you could call it especially seasonal iiiin the bleeeak mid wiiiinter

The hype is an illusion and there's nothing to keep you up beyond the tinsel, so a come down always follows so say the laws of physics.

Church / faith should help, but I don't get the feeling it's a complete antidote as when I used to go to church around Christmas I'd still get the same type of up and crash, but perhaps not quite as extreme?