To hate Christmas

[missiondecision]

Several reasons why...
And yet, I still become a sheep following “tradition”.
Anyone less?
I hate it because it’s forced, I know I don’t “have” to strictly speaking but my dc would suffer and feel different. Like they had been too naughty for presents.

I don't hate it, but I also don't buy into a lot of the traditions. This year I've cut a few more of them out, and it's so cathartic and destressing.

No advent calendars (they're harder to buy here in the US and I just never made it to the British Good Store)

Not doing stockings - they always just end up full of tat that no one needs anyway and this year I'm not buying any tat or filler presents

Not having family over or visiting anyone

No Christmas Eve boxes or matching PJs

Kids are getting a certain amount spent on them, and no more - if that means they only have three presents then so be it.

People are only getting gifts they've asked for unless I happen to have other really good ideas

For the family abroad I've sent everyone the same thing

If the children want to buy presents for each other, friends or DH I've pointed them towards Amazon.com and Target.com and left them to it

DH and the children got the tree and did the decorations

I did pretty much all the Christmas shopping in one day

If there's anything I forgot then it won't happen.

I had a sudden and unexpected bereavement (my mum) on Christmas Eve a few years ago, so it’s become a bittersweet time of year for me.

I remember the Christmas Day after she died and having to take my dad out for a walk as he really needed to get out of the house. We marched around avoiding families in case they said “happy Christmas” to us. None of them did actually. I think they took one look at our faces and realised.

So, I see why it isn’t always as happy as it is supposed to be, for lots of people.

That said, this year I’m getting into the swing of things a bit more and there is something quite lovely about it. We are having a nice breakfast, going to church, maybe stopping at the pub on the way home and then having dinner a bit later. I’m starting to really look forward to it.

Though, I’m lucky in that my memories of childhood Christmases are all very happy. If I’d not had happy Christmases I’d probably feel differently.

Also, we don’t go in for any of the following:

1. eating too much (we have a nice day and eat what we like. Don’t set out to be stuffed iyswim)
2. pointless or tacky presents
3. this year it’s just dh, dc and me for dinner for the first time ever - really looking forward to it!

I hate every minute of it

I love some aspects because they make me smile and hate others because they make me stressed . So I only do the bits I like.

I love:

Special traditions of our family: eg smoked salmon on delicious whole meal buttered bread, with fizz as a mid morning snack.
We don’t do that on any other day of the year so it’s special.

We always do our own special Xmas eve meal just the 4 Of us. Doesn’t have to be hugely fancy but we lay the table nicely, pull a cracker, enjoy nice wine and dessert. Xmas day is spent with extended family so I just enjoy that Xmas eve time.

We chase the Round Table Santa sleigh down the street when we hear the music. Every year. The kids are teens ha ha!

We always have special food in, “naice” ham, lovely cheeses, chutneys and pates, lovely wine. just things that are a bit nicer than normal. I love this and feel grateful that we can do it.

We always visit both sets of grandparents on Xmas day no matter where we have Xmas dinner (both live in same city so it’s easy). It used to stress me out a bit, the rushing round especially when the kids are little but now I actually think it’s part of Christmas, seeing your loved ones on Christmas Day and wishing them well even if it’s just popping in.

Things I hate:

Writing Christmas cards. Hugely pointless in this modern age of emails and Facebook.

Presents. Too much pressure all round. Hate the disappointment of receiving things that are not me/ I won’t use (it’s more that I feel guilty that the person has spent money on it). Hate buying for the same reason. How can I tell if someone needs/wants that item or if they already have it/don’t need it? Have I spent enough or willthey think I’m skinflint (as some threads on here suggest). I hate the consumerism aspect and the environmental damage. The crowds in the shops and the overall frenzy to buy “the perfect gift.” The “aren’t I a lucky girl” show off posts on FB, the photos of kids in front of huge piles of presents which suggests that the poster is just trying to proclaim “look how much I am giving my child, they want for nothing”. Yuck, all of it.

That’s about all I dislike really.

I think the whole thing is a load of rubbish.
I especially dont see the point of relatives you never see from one decade to the next sending presents you dont even want/like. We get 10 massive bars of chocolate from one and its getting rid of them thats a pain. I wont eat them due to my weight and teeth problems.
Also I dont like the roast dinner aspect, I'm having just normal things.Theres the issue of the lack of public transport as well. So if you dont have a car you have to be bored shitless stuck around your local area.

Thanks everyone, I’m streamlining Christmas, that seems the best option.
Do a couple of things and enjoy them
The rest can fuck off.

I hate the constant visitors. Sister in law staying Xmas and boxing day. Pinlaw all boxing day...when all I want to do is just chill out and enjoy company with dh and dd but I am forced into overnight guests and visiting because it's Xmas.
I also hate the amount of gifts that I end up wanting to give away because people have got it totally wrong. I'm not ungrateful but I hate clutter and hate the guilt of not enjoying someone's gift they have spent money on...knowing it's a total waste of money and effort.
I would love Xmas if it wasn't for all that.

I hate it too.
The hours spent packing and unstacking the dishwasher
The obscene amount of money spent for one day
The expectation and often disapointment

I'd happily fly off to the sunshine but DH and the DC won't have it.

Love love love it

Why? I don’t try to make memories.

My brother, two young children and I, relax, open presents, eat lovely food mainly purchased from M&S so minimal preparation, and then go for a long woodland walk, then back for a film and hot chocolate.
Boxing Day is playing with Christmas presents, more lovely food and then another beautiful walk.

Seriously, what’s not to love?!

I've mostly been indifferent to it but gone with the flow. I've been single for 2 years, after a very long relationship, and this will be my 2nd Christmas as a single person, spending Christmas day pretending to be ok, when I'm actually feeling very alone and just wish I could bypass the whole thing.