To really detest Christmas

[Kingoftheroad]

Is it just me or does anyone else feel like this? I go through the motions for the family but I loathe putting up the tree, decorating the house, wrapping, shopping. I listen to my friends talk about their decorating themes for this year, Christmas Day outfits etc etc and just can’t ever conjure up any excitement. I’m heading to the sun the week before Christmas to try to take the edge off but this is now adding to the stress having to think about finishing up my workload and packing.

Any tips to help me get through this

Dancingbadger - your Christmas Does sound stressful. Won’t your relations help at all?
Having said that, when the dcs and the dstepcs were teenagers I gave them a job each for Christmas Day. One of them had to keep topping up the steaming Christmas pudding with water, another was in charge of laying and lighting the fire and keeping it in, another had to clear up the wrapping paper, etc.
Only the wrapping paper was dealt with - the pudding boiled dry and there was no sign of a fire being laid or lit by lunchtime.
I was so irritated and I decided it was easier to do the jobs myself.
My dh is super helpful and now the dcs are adults they are also fantastic so I thoroughly enjoy Christmas nowadays.

I love Christmas. Two weeks off work to myself. I celebrate quietly on the Solstice and remember my mum whose anniversary of death falls on it. I've been slowly stocking up on goodies in the food department for a few weeks now. Christmas Day is happily slobbing around in new pyjamas in front of the wood stove with the dogs and a bottle of fizz, snacking before a good veggie dinner. No one to talk to or listen to screaming at others - bliss. I spend an evening before with a group of people I've known for twenty years at one of their homes eating and blethering, then I spend Hogmanay with university friends, eating, blethering and drinking. I buy the cats and dogs presents, they buy me a couple, and I get a couple of nice small things like candles for the friends I'm seeing. A few nice handmade decorations and some holly from the garden does the house. That's it.

I fucking hate it. My ultimate fantasy is to go on a cruise over Xmas or to Thailand.

I love it, but we don't even think about it until December, buy virtually everything online and focus on all the socialising. I really love those days between Christmas and new year.

I think it’s the pressure that gets to me - trying to make it perfect, please everyone - find suitable presents etc
I enjoy the food and going out for Xmas meals
Hate cards, decorating and Xmas shopping
My Dad died a few weeks ago and DP father died a few days ago
DP also just lost his job so not feeling at all joyful

But it will make his day (his mum, my dear stepmum, has already cried twice on the phone to me to say Thankyou!) and I'm expecting this to be a fabulous year

Sounds wonderful! 💝