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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Is it me or is Xmas going crazy?

72 replies

Belle1616 · 04/12/2018 07:47

Yes this another moany Xmas thread...

But, all these massive advent calendars, elves, North Pole breakfasts and Xmas eve boxes... every year people are concocting yet more ways to squeeze money out of this season...

I mean I love Christmas, but there has to be some limits!

OP posts:

Jackshouse · 04/12/2018 07:49

There were lots of similar threads about Halloween. If consumers keep buying stuff then retailers will sell it.

BertramKibbler · 04/12/2018 07:50

Just say no. You can have an equally lovely Christmas without if these things don’t appeal to your family.

continuallychargingmyphone · 04/12/2018 07:50

We will reach peak Christmas soon. Surely!

Drogosnextwife · 04/12/2018 07:51

Well people must be buying it.

NotANotMan · 04/12/2018 07:54

I think in our commercialised society, where social media means everyone knows what everyone else is doing, and there is a market for everything, it's hardly surprising that new and more elaborate traditions start.
It's not just Christmas, it applies to most things.

OnlineAlienator · 04/12/2018 07:55

I've reached peak christmas and halloween.

ToastedSandwichObsession · 04/12/2018 07:59

You just need to ignore it. We don't buy into any of this shit and never will. I love Christmas but the old fashioned way.

Twickerhun · 04/12/2018 08:03

I switch off when people talk about Christmas Eve boxes. Or the elf on the shelf.

PiperPublickOccurrences · 04/12/2018 08:04

I reached peak Christmas about 20 years ago. We certainly don't buy into the elves on shelves, christmas eve boxes and the rest of it. I'm secure in my own skin though and comfortable with saying no to the children. I also don't feel that I'm competing with anyone, or trying to prove what a wonderful parent I am on social media.

BiddyPop · 04/12/2018 08:05

But you don’t HAVE to do anything!

Yes, we do a CEH - because new pjs are useful and it helps get dd to bed.

Yes, we do an advent calendar - but most years it involved free printable computing pictures or notes about the plan for that day.

We have never done a North Pole Breakfast, or EotS.

We only spend what we can afford on presents and on food and on outings. I don’t think we’ve ever visited Santa in a shopping center (well, once when we were passing to the supermarket and it was quiet and he invited DD into his workshop to say hello without a present ) but he came to her sports club Christmas party and sang songs with them all rather than presents and individual chats.

Everyone does things differently and you really really don’t need to follow what “everyone else” is doing - you’ll probably find that many of them are not doing everything they say or they are doing it using things they’ve had for years rather than spending money on it.

BrieAndChilli · 04/12/2018 08:05

Social media is to blame...
Now you can see every little thing everyone does, whereas before lots of this stuff was done, you just didn’t know about it!
Also like with the elf, everyone else is doing it so you have to do it so your child isn’t left out!

PylonsPylonsPylons · 04/12/2018 08:12

It's very liberating to realise that you don't have to buy into all of the added crap! No elf on a shelf, Christmas eve boxes or fancy advent calendars here. We don't do gifts for most adults by mural agreement (we buy something for pil, usually an experience voucher though)
Everyone is less stressed and we have more time to enjoy the season doing things together!
Keep it simple and enjoy it more!!!

MickHucknallspinkpancakes · 04/12/2018 08:16

North Pole Breakfast???

What's that?

crochetmonkey74 · 04/12/2018 08:29

In real life though, everyone I know has said they are having a scaled back basics Christmas- so it seems to me that maybe the tide is turning a little bit ( I hope so)

Caprisunorange · 04/12/2018 08:29

There are so many miserable threads saying the same on MN 😭

onthenaughtystepagain · 04/12/2018 08:31

At Halloween I saw 'apple bobbing bowls', £3.99 for an orange plastic bowl, and people were buying them! As long as enough people are stupid enough to buy they will be sold, ditto all these new Christmas 'traditions'.

Santasushi · 04/12/2018 08:31

It’s only crazy if you let it be op.

BatsAreCool · 04/12/2018 08:31

They can only squeeze money out of people if they want to buy them.

I do some things but not others. If there is a market of course the shops are going to provide the service.

WhyDontYouComeOnOver · 04/12/2018 08:33

You don't HAVE to do anything. And some of these things are decades old but the age of the Internet has shown us what other people do.

Our family has done Christmas Eve boxes for 70 years. We've always done a fun Christmas breakfast with crackers and Christmas food halfway through December - it's only recently been known as a "North Pole Breakfast". We've always done a big, handmade advent calendar that my grandfather made 60 years ago. Just because these things are becoming more well-known doesn't mean they're new.

Same as the Easter tree. My relatives are Scandinavian and we've had an Easter tree since before my grandmother was alive. It's not a new thing!

You do Christmas your way. Other people will do it their way. Live and let live. The snarkiness really shows up people for what they really are.

crochetmonkey74 · 04/12/2018 08:34

I think as a PP poster said though, it is social media and the need to label things- my 1980's Christmas had a 'Christmas Eve Box' (we just didn't call it that but we had pyjamas delivered by the fairies after our bath and always watched our VHS recording of 'The Snowman' and my Mum made us a drinking chocolate.
And we always had a 'North Pole Breakfast' on the first day of the holidays- drinking chocolate and french stick with jam but again we didn't show it off to others as no social media and it therefore didn't have a name. None of this is really new (apart from EOTS) but the pressure to do it all is new I think

willothewisp17 · 04/12/2018 08:35

we don't have a christmas eve box, only bog standard chocolate advent calendars, no elf on the shelf and are only doing 'breakfast with santa' you don't have to buy into it op, but it brings others happiness so where's the harm?

crochetmonkey74 · 04/12/2018 08:36

WhyDontYouComeOnOver

We said the same thing!

Willow2017 · 04/12/2018 08:40

Set your own limits.
I have never done any of the things you mention. I dont know anyone who has. Why pile the stress on yourself and keep adding things to spend money on all for one day?

My kids havent missed out not doing all the new stuff that people are buying into. We have our own xmas our way.

Trampire · 04/12/2018 08:43

I don't even know what a North Pole Breakfast is! What is it?

My dcs are teens. We don't go Xmas eve boxes. Normally I'm frantically busy trying to get work finished right up to Xmas so Xmas eve is normally spent frantically wrapping up presents!!

For the first time this year I noticed Christmas Eve boxes mentioned in an TV advert as if it was as usual as a Xmas tree or turkey.

I agree with PP - each to their own.

We have 2 Xmas films I watch with the dcs. Nativity and Elf. We sit and watch with a blanket and ice-cream. I suppose it's a tradition. We all love it and I don't need to buy anything. Result.

Btw, am I the only one who's dcs pyjamas last more than 1 year? Am I a skank not buying new ones every year????

MickHucknallspinkpancakes · 04/12/2018 09:53

@Trampire not a skank, but don't they grow out of them eventually? DS used to get new pjs on Christmas Eve and by the following year they were flapping round his knees.

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