To remind people that the shops are only shut for one fucking day?!

[GlitteryHair]

Please, give me strength. Why do so many people panic buy, pile their trollies Sky high and get rude and stroppy with retail staff at this time of year? No, Armageddon isn't coming, it's Christmas! The shops are shut for a grand of one day, 24 hours later they will open again on the morning of Boxing Day. Please consider this when you are filling you're trollies with about 17 pints of milk and 20 loaves of bread or having a go at a sales assistant for ruining your Xmas. I wonder how people coped back in the days when the shops shut for several days?!

My Facebook feed is full of stories of people fighting over sprouts and having fights in car parks because they are so busy. I went passed my local Morrisons earlier and the traffic was backed up around the car park and onto the road.

Quite frankly if you leave it all until the last minute to do your shopping you are a knob who needs to be more organised next year, and honestly the sky will not fall in if you don't have sprouts on your plate come xmas day.

People need to getting a sodding grip!

Hmmmm, let's see.

Xmas Eve I'm providing food for the departmental Xmas quiz, a buffet for about 10 people. Then I won't be in the shops because I'll be working. Xmas Day, I'm at work, and will be bringing some items for the sharing buffet. When I finish my 48 hour stint on Boxing Day morning, I won't have the energy to hit the shops. Then the next day my relatives start arriving to actually do Xmas, and I only want to have to nip out to the shops briefly (fresh salad and probably fresh bread). Monday will be Xmas dinner. In the next week, I plan to only have to do that one run for a small number of items. So, yes, I've bought rather more than normal. Because I'm feeding a lot more people than normal, and don't want to be doing more shopping.

MN is the only place I see a good few people saying they've huge numbers of people to feed at Christmas, and speaking as if they make a variety of meals too. Really?!!! Yet during the year come all the posts about not having/wanting anything to do with family so its about their own little nuclear unit.

Because it is the same people in both groups????

My FB feed is full of people getting ready to welcome guests or who have travelled to celebrate together.

YANBU, I completely agree. I worked in a supermarket today and my God, the amount of people stropping over there being no parsnips or whatever was unbelievable - its Xmas eve, what do you expect? And then moaning because the shops are so busy!

Over the past week I've met people who - are not going to think about shopping until Xmas eve,because it'll be cheaper. Including presents for their children. Are they worried about not getting the stuff they want? Apparently not. I've met people who have spent 500 pounds, I asked are they having family over - no, only them and 2 kids. Others buying trolleys full and when chatting, they're going to someone else's for Xmas - 'thank goodness, it's brought our bill down a bit.' They still spend over 300 quid. Not to mention people who seem to think buying 14 pints of milk, 7 loaves of bread and around 9 bags of potatoes is normal. It's one day! And then some people say they don't have everything they 'need'. I feel like saying 'love you've spent 500 quid, I'm sure you won't starve.' Of course, I smile sweetly. But it does bring out the worst in people, and poor checkout staff get blamed, because of course it's their fault the queues are so long. Never mind the fact they haven't had time to do more than have a quick sip of water for their throat, that they've been standing for hours because there's not enough chairs to go around, never mind they're bursting for the loo but it'll be at least an hour before they get a break. No, they don't want to help - they have purposely hidden all of the parsnips! Some people really go over the top.

MN is the only place I see a good few people saying they've huge numbers of people to feed at Christmas, and speaking as if they make a variety of meals too. Really?!!!

Yes really!!!!!!

Just because you can'take be bothered don't it doesn't mean others don't.

Some people really go over the top.

Some people's complaining about what others do is over the top too!

What people do or don't spend is actually none of your business

Yanbu. Went to Sainsburys yesterday to get milk. Just milk and it was like hell on earth - literally. A woman made a lady on the butcher counter cry... Ridiculous! X Merry Christmas x

My ex Mil was also one of the people with two/three trolleys pilled high, my ex and his sister used to take her shopping.

Christmas Eve was a buffet, for anyone who wanted to drop in (large family/lots of friends/neighbours).

Christmas Day, she'd be hosting at least 10.

Christmas night would be party time and open house, again.

Boxing Day would be open house again, especially for the older relatives and neighbours that wanted tea and biscuits rather than booze. Ex and Sister are nursing hangovers at this point, so no going anywhere.

Why the outrage at people buying multiple pieces of beef etc? Perhaps they are a small employer/manager and give them as presents.

My friend is a Reverend, over three Churches and heavily involved with other small local charities, he often goes in and clears the shelf of UHT milk. He is putting on Christmas Dinner in one of the Churches and also a pick up service from his other Churches, so there's tea and snackes on the go all morning, then dinner and cake gifts to take home.

Pound land/Lidl/Aldi are often better value than Wholesale suppliers.

I'm going shopping today and to pick up stuff on C&C I like the atmosphere in my city centre. I'll have a cocktail with my DD in a couple of pubs. I'm all done in every other way. I don't have young children. Just because you're out shopping a few days before doesn't mean that you are panic buying or stressed.

I can understand why people buy lots because they don't want to go shopping over the festive period. I on the other hand don't really have lots of people visiting so I have only stuff that me and immediate family might like. If you are buying for lots of people then you are going to have lots in your trolley. I used to also think ffs, Its not like the shops are all shut and then i thought, who wants to go shopping during the festive period? and then i thought me, me, me...because its quiet!!!!!! So i have bucked the trend, only bought what i need and will get stuff for NYear after!!!

Wasn't it the Romans who gave us feasts lasting several days? Maybe they should take the blame for those not wanting turkey sandwiches on Boxing Day.

What have the Romans ever done for us?

I do always have a when I drove past our local Asda in the week before Christmas. I do get that people have people to cater for, and I do get that some people don't want to go to the shops again on Boxing Day (although why do the queues stretch back for 50+ cars on Boxing Day if that's the case?...) I just don't see how it can be enjoyable - today, we're going to soft play then having an open house this evening. I'll make mulled wine and do a cheeseboard, quickly clean the loo and trust that our friends are coming to see us, not inspect the house / food. Roast dinner at mum's tomorrow, but it is a roast dinner FGS, no need for starters and I'm doing a cheesecake for pudding to be supplemented with Ferraros galore. Each to their own but I can't imagine ever panicking about Christmas - if mum served up a lasagne or chilli tomorrow it wouldn't alter my enjoyment of the day.

I want fresh food for Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

No. I don't have left overs for Boxjng Day. Not every one does. We don't have turkey so not tons of meat left. I don't eat meat at all anyway. And on Boxing Day we feed more people and I have a proper cooking session making fresh food for my guests.

And who wants to go supermarket shopping a day or two after Christmas Day anyway??? Far better to get it done just before Christmas and be able to not bother again til later.

Luckily mine all came via online supermarket delivery yesterday bough I did call in yesterday evening briefly - have to say it didn't seem that bad at all!

Glittery hair - why can't you understand why people make another meal on Boxing Day??

Can't you see that people might do things differently to you for different reasons?

Maybe they don't cook a huge meal in Christmas Day.
Maybe they have family or friends coming round in Boxjng Dag?
Maybe they don't like turkey.
Or in case of a couple of people I know - it's their/heir child's birthday and obviously they want to do something nice and new that day too.

The whole point was to see family whilst chilling out after the madness and formality of the day before.

---

You see - why the faff and madness and formality on Christmas Day??? Not everyone's traditions are the same. Surely you can see that?

Not everyone had a mad chaotic Christmas Day. Some keep that day quieter, but then do things bigger or for more people on other Days around the festive week.

I think that's the difference - for some people it is about just one day, for there it is more about the whole few days around the 25th.

We have beef on Boxing Day. Any leftover turkey is made into a soup or frozen for another time.

I went shopping today for some last minute things. All was calm and there were no fights over sprouts etc. I haven't hosted Christmas in a while so want to have all the fresh ingredients ready for prep today.

""Wasn't it the Romans who gave us feasts lasting several days? ""

It's always been about feasting and drinking. Christmas/Festivals were never "for the children", if they got in the way they were sent to the forest aka "Krampus/other Demon got them".

If you want a "traditional Christmas" you should be frigging off the present buying and loading your shopping trolley with Rich food and Booze.

Waitrose is shut on Boxing Day in most towns.

Lots of people really do massively over-cater. Every January my workplace gets loads of mince pies, biscuits, chocs etc brought in. All left over from Christmas and now spoiling the New Year healthy eating regime.

I have visitors (in different combinations) for five days in a row - 23 to 27 December. That's a lot of food! And I don't give visitors leftovers - those go straight into the freezer for next week, when I will want a break from catering!

Bloody well, wish i had relatives like some of the people on here! I would come visiting more often. Open house full of food - for several days in some cases!!!! Wow...I'm lucky if i get a coffee and a mince pie when i visit relatives. Sounds lovely but exhausting tbh.

*Bloody hell

I'm just about to hit the bakers.

There will be a queue. I don't mind.

I am making hot pork rolls for 16 tonight. If everyone eats two I would need 32 but I gurantee some of the teens and big blokes will want more.

So I will need at least 40 and I'm getting them today so they will be fresh. Why wouldn't I?

My husband popped out to get some last minute supplies & has been gone for 2hrs!

It was actually quite civilised in the bakers.

There was a queue but the owners have everyone tea/coffee and mince pies while we waited.

Apparently port was served to the queue to collect at the butchers this morning! Dp was driving, though ...

I never used to go out Christmas eve and couldn't understand why people would want to. But after reading MN it makes sense, people still have hotels, churches etc to run. Tesco was pretty civilised this morning. Apart from a Que for the milk