AIBU to think that Christmas should be a four-yearly event?

[PineappleDanish]

A bit like the Olympics, or the World Cup.

For the overwhelming majority of people it's not a religious celebration. And of course if Christmas is about religion for you, you can still go to church. But AIBU to think the whole thing would be better if it was once every four years rather than annually, starting the first week in September?

Total ban on decorations, present buying, consumption and spending for the sake of it, no elves, no christmas jumper days, no cheesy music, no pantomimes, no trees, no stress, no works nights out, just none of it.

Would be amazing.

Off you pop to Narnia.

Scrooge.
You don’t have to start Christmas so early. We don’t do any Christmas stuff until December, bar the fact I’m thinking about it and start buying presents usually on November. I dont find it stressful either, but I find it a wonderful time of year

YABVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVU

brilliant! September is far too early though. It should start 1 December and finish 1 January

Or On Twelfth Night, as is traditional.

That's exactly what my husband says to the point i think he's registered on Mumsnet to say it.

Does no one else get asked for 'lists' daily from late October onwards? I appreciate these are people who love us and want to buy us gifts but it's another thing on the to do list. As well as feeling all hope is lost if you haven't started your own Christmas shopping by the 1st of December.

@PineappleDanish you sound like my mum! She ruined every Christmas for us as children with her sour puss attitude. It ruined every single Christmas. We didn't let her ruin the years after we moved out though and she was told to either turn up in good spirits and not ruin everyone else's fun (not to constantly complain) or stay at home.

Think what you want about Christmas but for gods sake please do not ruin it for your children.

@StealthPolarBear We used too and then we changed it too money. I felt that it came across a little grabby at first but I felt a breath of relief over my extended family.

Everyone gets £20 in a card and a token Dairy Milk Bar/Terry's Chocolate Orange and we are all happy.

Maybe every other year would be okay!
I say it every Christmas but I really do need to spend less money. Should have given it some thought when I had 4 kids
I love my tree and lights. I am the person who has them up in November.
Am trying to scale back a bit - we now do presents for children only, I'm trying not it over buy food, since the shops are only closed for two days. I have bought lots of expensive things for the kids but they are sensible purchases, not tat.
We never did all the Elf bollocks or Christmas Eve boxes etc.

I'd love that but the suggestion would not go down well :(

Unless you were born in a leap year and have birthdays every 4 years, then go right ahead and celebrate every 4 years.
I on the other hand love to celebrate baby Jesus's birthday every year by getting drunk, eating until I cannot move and receiving gifts

Merry Christmas

I don't think it should be every 4 years but I like to see it calmed down a bit. Everyone gets so stressed and there is so much pressure. I've really scaled down my present buying and try my hardest to avoid the crowds now.

It would make the cold dark winters in the far northern hemisphere very long if xmas was only once every 4 years.

I completely agree OP!

The problem with the whole 'you don't have to join in' is that you end up feeling guilty because its so very very EXPECTED of you.

Peer pressure si a right fucker.

Bloody misery guts. Why does anything like that bother you enough to post about it?

I love Christmas but we’re doing our tree and decorations today. You don’t have to like Christmas and also do absolutely every suggested thing from September onwards.

You don’t have to start Christmas so early.

Please tell that to shops, the media and early house decorators.

I love xmas - you grinch! I suggest you head to the North Pole for December & let the rest of us enjoy our tacky festivities. I love a midwinter celebration involving family, friends & food - with booze, decs & pressies thrown in for sheer perfection. What is not to love?

I'd like it twice a year! Christmas in June and December. But me and DH are Christmas daft. Love all of it, apart from the religious aspect.

What a grinch - -YABVU

And I love that Christmas stuff starts coming into the shops in August 😁😁

For the sake of kids yabu.

I assume your post is light-hearted, but it reminded me of a conversation I had on a business trip a couple of years ago. I had to go to Asia with 2 colleagues, one was a graduate who we decided to take to increase their experience. It was January time so we were just back from Christmas and NY holidays.

One evening we were chatting and he asked us what we did at Christmas, both me and the other colleague spoke of wrapping presents for our kids, decorating the tree, big family meals, watching Christmas films etc.. I asked what their family had done. They said their mum had cancelled Christmas that year (apparently this wasn't an infrequent occurrence) as they "had too much stuff in the house". Our colleague had set up a small tree in his room so as not to annoy their mother, but so their sibling could enjoy some Christmas things. We were pretty shocked at the time, so it does happen. My message would be you don't have to be the life and soul, but don't spoil it for your children.

If we could ban everything Christmas until the 01st of December, I would be happy.

It's ruining it for most people to bang on about it from September or earlier, or people planning their Christmas gifts from January! Utterly ridiculous, they are free to waste their life away for one day, but don't inflict that on the rest of us, who don't live for 1 day of the year.

The stupid thing is that some shops have actually ran out of Christmas stuff this weekend It's barely mid-December and they are already moving on.

I like all the Christmas activities and everything, but in December, not earlier.

Can you imagine the pressure for a "perfect day" if it was 4 years til the next one???
Scale it back, and enjoy the time with your family.

BUT Christmas should be banned until 1 Dec.