Is this sad?

[tiggerkid]

Is it too sad to spend Xmas day with just your family, i.e. no in-laws and none of your own side of the family either? I've never done it before but this year, for some reason, I really fancy just a quiet and peaceful Xmas with just my family. Whenever I tell people I am considering that, everyone seems to look at me as if I've grown 5 heads with at least 10 horns on each of them but is it really that wrong or that sad?

We always did this, nothing odd about it.

We always did this, nothing odd about it.

I just wonder if everyone looks at me as if I've gone mad because my family is quite small: it's just the three of us.

YANBU!!! My husband and I spend every Christmas just the two of us. We can eat what we like, when we like, stay in pyjamas or get dressed up, have Buck's Fizz and go back to bed if we want, open our presents. We love it!
We used to go alternate years to his parents, but stopped that several years ago. I care not a jot what others think.

me and my husband always spend christmas just us and then see family on boxing day or christmas eve. this year we will have a newborn so may go to my mums so we don’t have to worry about cooking and so my mum and nan can see baby but we may just have the three of us and visit in the evening.

YANBU!!! My husband and I spend every Christmas just the two of us.

This sounds great to me :)

I would love to do that. But am being dragged against my will to another house where they have funny ideas about what constitutes Christmas dinner.

Flashing You need to elaborate on the food situation!

I love a busy hectic Christmas but I can see why a quiet low key one would be nice. You need to do what you want to do. It is your Christmas too!

God, not another "my little family at Christmas" thread. These are getting so tedious and there's another ten weeks to go!

Read all the posts on here about Christmas and peoples stresses, you'll see why you aren't mad at all!

I also just spend it with my DH. Perfect!

We go out with family (15 people) to a restaurant for dinner, then come home and spend the rest of the day alone together. The perfect compromise.

Well I’m sure I’ll get accused of being a terrible glutton but I’m my opinion Christmas dinner should be a feast. This particular relative makes enough to fill everyone’s plate and no more. Not an extra roasty nor sprout. I don’t like parsnips but can’t substitute for something nicer because we all have an allotted veg limit. And the only day of the year I’m interested in gravy is December 25th but this relative feels no one wants gravy, bread sauce and cranberry so just serves one, allocating 1 spoonful each.
I thought i had it cracked last year. I offered to bring the sides so arrived with enough for a feast. None of it was served. I’m told it fed them for a week.
No starters and only Christmas puddding. Worse things happen at sea but it’s miserable.

Why do people feel that they need to have a whole lot of family around to make it special? Or drive around from one in laws to the next just to please grandparents because they need to be worshipped.

Op yanbu. We spend it just our family of 3 and its bliss. No running around cooking huge amounts of food, hosting people, driving around etc.

I tend to avoid Christmas threads but consider this: I won't have Christmas with my DC this year and I will be alone. That's sad. What you have described is perfect and I wish I had it.

One of my best Christmas’s was just me and DH; we could do what we want and loved it. People were a bit surprised but we did see our families either side

We went away for Christmas last year just me DH and the kids. It was wonderful, my fave relaxed Xmas ever!

My Christmas is just me and my grown up DD, We have a great relaxing day - we do all the food prep in advance (not that there is much with just two people) and on the day we exchange gifts and just chill out in our PJ's, watch telly and eat chocs.

Also if anything goes awry, you can just have Christmas on another day because there's no travelling rellies to account for (year before last I got Noro on Christmas Eve so Christmas was postponed)

What's not to like?

We do this, have done every year since children born. Love it, love it. We are the only family I know in RL who do this. The other unusual aspect is my DH takes over all the cooking (he loves doing it). I basically waft around with a glass of fizz and tidy up the wrapping paper. I do Boxing Day (mainly reheat stuff ).

YANBU, if that's what you want to do then do it!

Every year I want to do this. Not have to get up early, and dress up and sit in someone else's house. I want to sit on my sofa, in my PJs, eating chocolate and drinking bailey's with my dog. Never get to do it though.

Normal life - no other family

It's sad if it will leave any of your relatives on their own on Christmas Day. Otherwise, nope.

We did it once, when DH and I first moved in together. But never been able to since. My in-laws and extended in-laws would be too hurt. We'd never hear the end of it. But I've grown to like it now tbh and would now find it a bit weird and sad! if it was just me, dh and ds. I quite like the chaos and laughter among all the huge gaggle of family all squeezed into a modest living room. I think I'd miss it.

Nothing wrong with it. I don't get why everyone and his dog have such strong opinions on other people's Christmases

Sounds great to me.

I love Christmas just our family! That's how it was growing up too for us. Nowadays we alternate between my family, DH's family and just us lot. I love the bigger Christmases too but it is so nice to not have to travel and do what you like all day when it's just us.

We alternated to begin with, but find it’s much less hassle just staying home and enjoying Christmas without family drama.