to think that christmas is a pain in the arse.

[HObloodyhoagain]

Spending tons of money on presents that are forgotten about the minute the wrapping paper is torn off.
Overcrowded Shops
Over heated Shops.
The relentless screechy Christmas music blaring everywhere from October onwards.
The shitty adverts on tv.
Rain. Never snow (like on the cards) always rain.
Even worse mild and grey.
January diets because of all crap consumed at Christmas.
Trying to keep everyone happy.

Who's going to who's house When.
The dreaded words: ''SO, WHO'S TURN IS IT THIS YEAR?'' to play host and feed the 5 millions
Family feuds.
Grabby relations.
Ungrateful relations.

This is the reality of Christmas for most people.

AIBU to want to ignore Christmas altogether this year?
I don't have children, so it wouldn't affect anybody other than myself.
I wish it was more acceptable to say Im not doing Christmas this year, without everybody thinking you're a weirdo.

If you want to escape without a complaint, just go away - preferably to a country where they don't celebrate it (at least, as much, anyway!) like India or Morroco.

YABU but if that is your Christmas, maybe not.

It isn't ours . I really love Christmas.

Shop online, much easier. Put your foot down about where and with who you spend it. How much you spend etc. Make your Christmas less stressful and you may well enjoy it.

If you don't have Christmas you don't get the joy of thinking it's all over in January.

I agree.
It can be a very difficult and lonely time for some people who have lost family. All the same songs that play every year are inescapable and just a reminder to some people of those they've lost.

Of course it's a magical time if you are blessed to have a lovely family but some people react absurdly when you tell them you don't want to celebrate Christmas.

Yanbu at all I feel much the same but have lovely relatives!

That was what Christmas was like for me until I decided to just enjoy it. I buy presents and wrap throughout the year, I make my plans clear early on too and I don't step foot in a shop from mid-Nov onward.

I used to love it but I'm becoming increasingly grinchy about it. Mostly because I'm sick of hosting.
So fecking what if we have a big house that can accommodate everyone? I don't want to host it every fucking year.
I love my relatives but I don't want them staying over messing up MY HOUSE!

I love Christmas and am very much looking forward to flying home and seeing my family. I did most of my shopping online, and I like wandering around the christmas markets with a gluhwine and hearing the christmas carols. And where I live it's properly cold (currently very sunny but no rain; if it does anything it will snow as it's minus two this afternoon).
However I've a friend who finds christmas exactly as you do. Last year she decided to go to The Bahamas. Said it was her best christmas ever! I'd hate that, but it would be very boring if we were all the same :)

Yes to scaling down, doing it in a way that you feel comfortable.

I do cards. People never write to each other now. It's all electronic and instant. So I do write a card and sometimes a wee letter to those I don't see often. Maybe with a small picture of the kids.

Do a lot of shopping online - three children!

Decs are kept to a sane level and tasteful. I love traditional Christmas carols so will play these, but avoid the tacky songs which remind me of drunken, moody Christmases with my family when I was a child.

I refuse to host large numbers. Not in touch with my family now but will go to my ILs some years. This year it's just us at home. Some family coming Boxing day but that's easier. I would refuse to travel long distances trying to squeeze everyone in.

I keep social engagements to a level I'm happy with and only buy/cook food we will eat and enjoy.

I refuse to fall for extras not needed - Elf on shelves, Christmas hampers and bedding. Jumpers, PJS etc. It's ridiculous and obscene.

DH hates it so I keep it low key.

Things we do:
Tree, cards, watch nativities, a couple of well chosen days out, trip to theatre, nice roast dinner, stockings, couple of parties (I don't drink though).

Don't do:
Crowded shops, presents for neighbours etc, tree chocs, elf on shelf, pj boxes, lots of decs and fat around the house, special Xmas crockery etc, hosting large numbers, table presents, secret Santa, massive food shop. Presents are quite modest.

I want to rent a big cottage next year with family for Christmas week (but only the ones I like!)

TAT around the house

Popped to garden centre yesterday to let the children choose one new decoration each (family tradition). Couldn't believe the amount of poor quality expensive tat on sale. We left pretty quickly!

I'm like OP, although I made a conscious decision not to celebrate it for many years now. I don't do the family thing anyway and as much as my friends think I'm a grinch they offer to have me and my DD round, although I have decided to fly off to have a holiday instead to get away from it all. Telling people I don't celebrate Christmas and it's not for a religious reason look at me like I've grown another head!

Oh god yes, its awful, the constant jingle bell music in shops, I can imagine it being played in Guantanamo Bay.

Being forced into spending time with relatives you hate.

The plastic crap, everywhere. And all the lying to children. why, just, why?

I love Christmas.

I don't spend a fortune. Just a few gifts and clothes. I try and get it done before December to avoid the busy shops.

I bake loads and really enjoy cooking the Christmas dinner with my bottle of sherry .

I only send a few cards out to distant family members.

My family is quite small. Everyone is grateful for their presents.

We all relax, watch some of the crap on tv, play the occasional drunken game of Cards Against Humanity, watch dvds etc.

I buy non-perishables when they are on offer and keep them for Christmas.

I know some people have awful families who seem to become more so at this time of year though.

I preferred it when I had no responsibility for it. When I was at university, and then when I was single and living in London in my twenties, I only had to worry about booking my train ticket home and buying a few gifts (very small extended family, just two elderly aunts and one cousin). My parents took care of organising Christmas and I had fun. Now my parents are frail, I have a husband and children, and it's more draining and less carefree.

It's getting more and more commercialised and is starting earlier as others have said.

It's a terribly painful time for bereaved people or for those who've fallen out with family or recently separated from partners. That was always the case historically of course, but it must be harder now, when the let's-all-be-joyful Christmas period lasts for six weeks rather than for a few days.

It's the commercial hype that fucus me off.
I'd like Christmas to be a few days in December with a few token gifts and time spent with people I love. Time. Time. Time.
Sadly most of Christmas "time" is spent shopping and preparing for it and nowhere near as much time spent with loved ones.

Why the fuck does the frenzy have to start in October??? Shirty commercialism rammed down our throats and shops churning out the same Christmas cap year after year. Some fat cats laughing all the way you the bank.
I'd love a simple Christmas from maybe 22nd to 27th December but despite what I found in my own house in I want to buy loo roll from October onwards crowds and Christmas shut is rammed down my throat.

Ahhh Damn auto correct. My phones not as sweary as me!

I love Christmas because I keep it for Christmas.
No tree in November.
No Christmas songs until the 20th
Online shopping.
I enjoy writing cards so will do that from Dec 1st onwards.

Spend advent eating less (so can enjoy eating lots at Christmas time)
Try to go to midnight mass as it's a special childhood memory.
Going away with DW for a week to the lakes for some peace and quiet.

It easily gets ruined if you spend 5 weeks gearing up for it. No other holiday has such a long and hyped build up. I do my best to ignore most of it until the proper time.

I dislike it but never let the children know.

Financial pressure. Guilt. Expectations. I'm not even keen on roast dinner.

YANBU. If I were young and single I'd do something completely different.

I always imagine a picture perfect Xmas.
picture this.

Visited the Xmas market. So busy you could hardly move, never mind see things. Massive queues so dd didn't get on the kiddy rides. 20 quid for a family of three to go on the big wheel.
My Bailey's hot chocolate was knocked several times by passers by. Restaurants all full so spent an hour trying to get somewhere for lunch.
plan a nice evening after work with dd to watch Xmas films. Put on elf and all the way through dd is whinging because she wants tiny pop on and went away to her bedroom to play. NOT FESTIVE.
So the perfect December is just nothing but stress in reality. Too much money spent, end up with too much stuff and half of it you don't want or like (not been ungrateful) but it's true.
the big mess after Xmas.
the shops are the worst and God forbid you need a pint of milk on Xmas eve. You get swallowed into a hole of last minute bucksfizz shoppers!

And I've scaled right back. Only buy presents for dc and their cousins. Don't send cards.