To friggin hate Christmas?

[Iliveinazoo]

I'm sorry that this isn't in the Christmas topic, seems little point moaning about Christmas there.

It's not actually Christmas that I hate, but all of the commercialised enforced buying.

I love decorating the tree, the fairy lights, having delicious food, excited children, Christmas television, a few days off, Christmas parties.

What I hate is the fact that it's October, I'm trying to enjoy Autumn, and every day I'm getting texts from grown adults asking me what I want for Christmas, and putting their orders in for what they want, sending me links to stuff I can buy them and I'm supposed to think of something for them to buy me back.

It's such bullshit, most of us have far too much 'stuff' already.

I know I sound like a right Scrooge but I do see a lot of it as being so wasteful, every Christmas we end up with piles of packaging and plastic that we don't even want or need.

I don't like Christmas at all. I think every other year would be better. So much of the year is spent thinking about it you don't get a break.
Plus when the Christmas Cards appear in shops in August there's no escape.

I'm a complete scrooge - in fact last year I wouldn't even have had a tree had my mother not come over while I was at work and put it up!

It's a horrific time of year where you have to buy gifts for and spend time with people you don't even like. it's only October and I can't wait till it's done

Agree every other year would be better.

I mean a quarter of the year seems to be spent preparing for Christmas, and it's one day.

Just buy everyone gift vouchers and let them have the hassle of shopping! 😂

Can we not have a vote and make it every 4 years like the Olympics? People might actually look forward to it then instead of dreading it.

I also object to all the Christmas shit taking up space in my house for the rest of the year.

Yup, am with you. The planet is being destroyed due to over-consumption and here we are being manipulated by marketing machines to convince us that we need more, more, more. It’s so sad, like you I enjoy the actual day in a low key kind of way, the greed and spending makes me feel sick

Agreeing with obe side of the family that gifts are only for under 18s, and for the other that we all do a Kris kringle and get each other one gift under £20 has been a game changer for us! Of course in practise there are still a few little extra gifts, but it's more like a nice jam from a market stall, not having to really think about it.
Lets you get on with the fun bits, like the tree and gingerbread and mulled wine.

Ps any adult who is sending you a link for Christmas presents at all is a cf, but especially in October.

I enjoy Christmas at Christmas but it's that it's months of planning. Ok if you have a lot to buy for you need to plan ahead but spending ridiculous amount of money you can't afford buying stuff no one wants just a waste of time .

Just don't do it, I do the bare minimum and I'm not doing that dinner this year either. I don't even like roast dinners and all those puddings and cakes with dried fruit.

When I see all the Christmas stuff in the shops I don't feel Christmassy I get a sinking feeling. I don't know whether that's because I'm getting older and more cynical or whether it's because Christmas is becoming more of a mass spending festival.

YABU. [santa]

It's not actually Christmas that I hate, but all of the commercialised enforced buying

So don't do it then. Seriously. No-one is marching you to the shops and forcing your credit card into the chip and pin machine are they? Or forcing you to shop online.

I buy a few token presents for DM, DSis and DP and toys for my nephews. That's it. Reply to the texts with the link to the Moneysavingexpert No Unnecessary Presents Pact. If people want stuff they can buy it for themselves. No point at all adults with their own money exchanging presents, often that have been specified rather than surprises.

I love decorating the tree, the fairy lights, having delicious food, excited children, Christmas television, a few days off, Christmas parties Add in a few walks in the local countryside and a few too many G&Ts and that's my Christmas too. Do that, relax and enjoy.

I hate Christmas. So much work loaded on so few people. The reason people say it's for the kids is because it's certainly not for the mothers. We've got 12 people staying in the house this year and it looks like I could be in work over the whole week weeps . I've already bought 2 sofa beds and half of IKEA's duvet and pillow supply and started buying presents already. But I can't tell the visitors to piss off because a) if I'm going to be at work then I want the kids to have a fun Christmas with the extended family and b) it was my idea to have them all because otherwise they will all go to my recently widowed 80 year old MILs house instead (she was the one we invited, the rest all followed!).

We totally stopped all presents apart from under 18s, such a relief, we still enjoy meeting up, Church services, lovely meals etc but a conscious decision to avoid all the commercial aspects of Christmas. It's a huge relief (Although I do feel embarrassed to admit I work in retail & it's my most successful time of the year ).

If you stay out of large supermarkets and shopping centres, you barely notice the build up to Christmas. I do most of our shopping in Aldi or Lidl and apart from a few nice chocolates and cakes, that I actually want to buy, there's hardly any Christmas stuff in there.

I need to spread out the cost, as we don't have much money. Next week I'll start Christmas shopping, as I've just paid my mobile phone bill and bought stuff for DD's Halloween mask.

I like the 4 gift rule.

"Something you want, something you need, something you'll wear, something you'll read."

I like the stuff around Christmas. Work Christmas lunch, putting up trees, random carol singers.. What I hate usually is the actual day itself. Whether I'm cooking or going to relatives doesn't seem to make any difference. I dream of one day having a kind of pot luck Christmas Day with friends. But generally I like my friends more than my relatives.

YABU [santa]

I love buying for kids at Christmas because it’s still magical for them, but I loathe buying for adults.
There’s a big group of us in our family who do secret Santa (for the adults), but there’s just as many who won’t do that and insist on getting individual presents for everyone and then expect the same in return! I have one Aunt who because she doesn’t have kids expects everyone to spend a lot on her as she buys super expensive gifts for all the kids (we ask her not to). (She basically says it’s unfair her spending out £££s on all the kids and not getting the same in return. She’s retired with loads of money and no one asks her to buy for their kids, but she does anyway. We all get her presents at Christmas but feel immense pressure to spend ‘enough’ and get her the right type of gift)

Unfortunately I just know that none of mine and dhs family would go for a gift free Xmas.

They'd be really offended I think.

I hate the waste. Every year a certain family member sends us a huge hamper of consumables, there's never a single thing in it that we even like, how I've dropped hints that there's no need, we have enough, we don't drink wine, but still every year it arrives.

Then there's the relatives that spend ££££ and expect the same back.

There's the expectation to buy for adult nieces and nephews who don't even give me the time of day.

Iliveinazoo, bite the bullet & send a group email out to extended family saying in the interests of the planet you are cutting back on present buying.

Or, someone told me they plan a huge family day out somewhere & pay for everyone to go but that's it, they don't buy presents at Christmas.

I'm with you. It's the buying loads of stuff that gets to me, as obviously as a woman I'm expected to be amazing at choosing perfect gifts for everyone when in reality I find the whole thing stressful because the very fact it is enforced and there are so many to get, means there is very little thought goes into the process. I don't like receiving gifts either. Little surprise gifts - lovely! Being presented with a lot of stuff people have stressed over and you ultimately don't need -not so much. My mum always seems to get me things up to a certain value that she has spent on my sister (they are closer) which really miss the mark so I also feel the need to guide her so she doesn't waste her money and the whole thing just seems so pressurised when really I just want to see people, eat treats, play board games, drink Sherry, do a jigsaw, laugh a lot, for 12 days in a row. All the stupid shopping has to be done in the lead up when I'm a single parent with a job and always a more interesting project going on, and I just can't be ARSED!

I hate PresentMass as well. I find it intrusive and stressful. I now do as little as possible without looking miserable for the sake of appearances, but I'm physically ill for most of December due to it. Just low level viral infection type stuff, but I know it's due to stress.

Thankfully, we have no extended family to buy stuff for or have over, so it's better now, but I feel sorry for people who have to go through lots of stress due to having go host.

We don't have room for a tree and the dcs are older/adult, so don't have to worry about toys.

I sincerely hope the population start to rebel against all the crazy consumerism and it gets under control as there's no telling where it might end as the retailers seem to becoming more and more desperate to relieve us of our hard earned cash in order to keep themselves afloat. It started in September in my local Tesco store.

For those who wish to avoid buying plastic crap and boots gift thingys, why not buy consumables or gift vouchers as these are more likely to be used? Or just tell people you're cutting back and they'll probably breathe a sigh of relief anyway.

Christmas things I am looking forward to this year

The office Secret Santa
The work Christmas do
DS1 coming back home for a few days.

We have dispensed with Christmas presents for over 18s and alos we never have Christmas dinner because nobody likes it. Friends and family are welcome to visit but I am not driving about.