To agree that engagement announcements on Christmas day are irritating

[InspMorse]

Friend has just phoned. I agreed to post this on here for her to see what the general consensus is.

She has been with extended family all day. She had been looking forward to catching up with Mum/Dad family and celebrating Christmas with them as they she lives a good distance away from home.
Sister was there with boyfriend (they live near parents) and announced as soon as they arrived at the Mum & Dad's that boyfriend had proposed/ they had got engaged this morning. Apparently the WHOLE day has been about them. Non stop wedding talk.
Are we BU to think that combining family celebrations/ Christmas with personal announcements are a PITA? A bit like announcing one's own engagement at someone else's B'day party?
Friend is prepared to hear that SIBU but I get her point entirely.

Sorry I personally think YABU! No one owns Christmas, it’s a common time to get engaged and/or tell family news in person.

YABU it's a lovely day to propose with everyone together and able to enjoy their happiness.

Sibu Christmas is often a time people get engaged when their family are around to enjoy it. After all it is only one Christmas.

I think it makes sense to announce it when everyone's there. Christmas isn't personal like a birthday.

We didn't announce our engagement at all, but I think it's nice when other people do.

It's tacky and attention-seeking. Same with doing it at someone's wedding. Or making pregnancy/sex announcements. Some people have to make it all about themselves.

YABU. People banging on about themselves to the exclusion of all other topics is tedious but as someone else said no one owns Christmas. They have as much right to bore everyone stupid with their engagement on Christmas day as any other day of the year.

Doing it at someone’s wedding is FAR FAR worse than doing it at Christmas IMO. Much worse.

I can see what you mean, you wanted to spend time and talk with your parents because you don’t see them much. However it’s nice to share the news with everyone. Think how you’d feel if they announced it when you had gone home.

SIBU about the fact of the announcement, but not about the whole day being spent on wedding talk - after a reasonable period someone should have steered the conversation back to something more inclusive.

I don't understand why people propose on Christmas Day personally but whatever floats your boat.

I think it's lovely when someone gets engaged and I do enjoy talking about it but all day is indulgent/boring no matter when!

I know (she knows too!) She's just so disappointed that the day has been hogged by sister and fiancé.
She hasn't been able to share news/catch up with anyone

Very U.

I was visiting my parents yesterday, and my mum was delightedly showing the engagement ring she has of today been wearing for 60 years. It just added to the special family celebration.

The friend sounds jealous and making an engagement announcement at Christmas is not at all the same as making an announcement at someones birthday party.

Well am sure that the baby Jesus whose birthday it actually is would be very happy two people are sharing their love and plans! So yes SIBU!

What are people supposed to talk about at Christmas? The whole point (as the majority are non practicing) is to catch up with family , friends, common gossip, news and socialising.

Saying people shouldn't talk about engagements is like saying people should leave new babies somewhere because they will dominate the conversation. Simply not going to happen is it?

Frankly, getting up tight over a repeated conversation from a friend about her family dynamics does take the professionally offended to a whole new level

Yabu and your friend sounds childish as jealous, she wasn't getting enough attention

Christmas Day proposal = boyfriend severely stuck for gift ideas in my book.
An engagement should be a separate occasion.

Doing it at someone’s wedding is FAR FAR worse than doing it at Christmas IMO. Much worse

This, getting engaged at someone else's wedding is tacky. Christmas not so much, it's not like it steals the thunder from one person/couple in particular.

Its bog all to do with proposing at someones else's wedding. Its Christmas, not Chantelle and Brians do in Spain.

Surely you all get together at Christmas because you are a loving family and want to share the best of times?
YABU.

An engagement should be a separate occasion.

This is what we were saying! Even New Year would have been better... or Boxing Day!

I think that proposing at Christmas is just as tacky as proposing on Valentine's day, but each to their own. Announcing it to your family, on the other hand, sounds quite reasonable. Same for announcing a pregnancy, Christmas is a lovely time when all the family is together, that's the perfect time.

Your friend is just very unlucky that they had to talk about a wedding for the entire day, sound awfully boring.

I think proposing/announcing is fine. Hogging the whole day is rude, even if it's not Christmas. The only two occasions that it's ok to make solely about your marriage is your engagement party and your wedding.

Sounds like sibling rivalry to me and competing for parents attention.

Is your friend married or in a relationship? And do the sisters have a history of rivalry and competing for their parents attention?

I think that the talking about it all day is what ruined it for her!
Apparently, they turned up and surprised everyone ( he proposed first thing this morning) so mass hysteria from friend's parents.
Christmas celebrations became a day long engagement party!

Boxing Day? Surely a bit weird though, to expect people to wait until boring old Boxing Day to tell anyone about their engagement, just in case other family members find it irritating or tedious?

I’m not even remotely interested in weddings or marriage and I still think that’s harsh (but perhaps you were joking. I am a bit tired and slow tonight ... )