Christmas being “cancelled”.

[Stuckhere2021]

Disclaimer - my DCs are now young adults so we are past the “must have” toys for Christmas but have done the queuing in the rain for 4 hours to get a full set of telletubbies/Tweenies/Paul Smith bag etc.

Would it really be so bad if we had to go a bit more “basic” this year? Say we only eat food and veg produced locally/regionally. Everyone makes do with fewer gifts. More time spent playing games.

YABU - Christmas is special and after the shit 18 months we’ve had, we should have something to look forward to.
YANBU - Christmas is what you make it and shouldn’t be all about the gifts / spending.

@EastWestWhosBest

What fuel shortages? There weren’t any, just idiots. And the current situation will be over fairly soon and certainly by Christmas.

Are you talking about your own Christmas or suggesting what other people should do?
If it’s your own Christmas then do what you fancy. But don’t dictate what others should do.

well that's nonsense. There are genuine shortages, exacerbated by panic buying, but we have genuine issues getting fuel to where it is needed.

We've never had turkey and I've had very frugal Xmas but still oozing with festive spirit in a tiny room almost like a junk shop, gorgeous tasty food because dm could make anything tatse nice and the most miserable Xmas ten people sat around table, no one speaking, million pound + large home, freezing cold as our host didn't want to bless us with bloody heat, afraid to tuck in because of our frugal host.

I'll take the small stable Xmas any day.
As long as the house looks different through Dec's, there is music and good lighting and some tasty food that's all you need.
As for dc mine rarely had the latest things and had lovely Xmas, a good gift pile as no one else gave to them but frugally sourced.

I guess you can have poorer people making the best of it.. Having a good time still but you can have some wealthy people doing it on a very tight leach, letting us all know about it and having the most miserable time.

Cancelling Christmas just isn't a thing. December 25th happens come what may, as we live in a nominally Christian country.

I have teenage boys. They're not into fashion at all, and not hugely bothered about music these days (let's face it, most of it's rubbish anyway). I have to nag DS2 to have a shower. Neither wears aftershave. There's nothing the fuck they need or want. THe only thing that makes their Christmas Day is being together and lots of nice food (mainly chocolate). They are very grateful to receive monetary gifts off the wider family (and the wider family prefer that too I think as easier for them!)

We get a real tree too and while they're not bothered about decorating it themselves anymore they like the fact that I make the living room all comfy cosy and that we just hunker down as a 4 for a few days.

I'm not into presents at all. I actively hate the whole gift giving thing. It just gives me anxiety and guilt really. So I'm more than happy that DH, and both DSs aren't into presents either. I think the kids know that we spend on them at other times and we all seem to be of the mindset that Christmas is just one day and daft to put so much emphasis on gifts. It's not what it's about.

That said, we do like our traditional Christmas Dinner so will be a bit disappointed if there are shortages of things.

I would love for Christmas to become less materialistic. Too many of our lovely Christmas traditions just create so much waste. I’m conscious of it but I’d feel like I was completely depriving my family if we did away with the likes of chocolate advent calendars, crackers, all the extra treat food, decorated presents etc, so if it were forced on us and everyone was in the same position, it’d do me a favour.

We should all be a little more like the Whos in the Grinch and remember that Christmas is Christmas even without all the stuff.

@actiongirl1978

That sounds like my perfect menu where do you get your fillet and game pie from please?

We keep it basic, we don’t do a huge food shop we just get a few bits from the local farm shop (things we don’t usually buy), like a piece of meat, fruit and veg, a pudding and some cheese. We have pizza for Christmas Eve and a roast on Christmas Day then it’s pretty much back to normal meals.

These days it’s about quality over quantity, so less gifts but better gifts, no plastic tat and nothing that will end up in landfill after a few weeks.

My dc are 16 and almost 18 and are not that bothered about christmas, food is probably the most important part 🤣.

YANBU, Christmas is what you make of it and not how much you spend on gifts ect

@Autumngoldleaf from our local butcher I'm afraid!

But I reckon most butchers or local farms will do similar or sell direct.

@PaperDolphin

I feel like there is a lot of competitive underplaying of Christmas on here this year. Is it always like this?

Have a Fray Bentos and a cup of tea and call it done if you want to. I don't think they are giving out prizes for the most basic Christmas though.

I will be having the biggest best Christmas I can comfortably afford, same as I do every year. Can't wait.

Try the Christmas board. Those hens are Christmas Craaaaazy

It always depends on your view what a “normal” Christmas is, we are a small family and often don’t see each other on the day so a small meal and not a lot of presents is normal for us.

For me it was the loss of spending time with friends in December and the usual activities which brought it down last year, the day itself is not the main event for me. I miss the market, the get together with friends, the shopping (I go under the week at 10am and am out by noon).

I want back a piece of normality, what ever that is for everyone,

Thank action, butchers can be hit and kiss though.

There is too much commercialisation around Christmas, but I think the whole ‘Save Christmas’ is a massive distraction. I wouldn’t in the least mind a quieter Christmas if I thought that 2022 wouldn’t also be utter chaos. A lovely Christmas present would be life in a stable nation governed by people concerned for our welfare.

@Autumngoldleaf

Thank action, butchers can be hit and kiss though.

Stop thumping and snogging them then

@Autumngoldleaf

Thank action, butchers can be hit and kiss though.

I know this is just autocorrect, but it's made me laugh. I am definitely staying veggie if this is how they are now!

Op, have you literally queued for 4 hours to buy presents?

All this crap in the media about “saving Christmas” is bullshit.

It’s distraction material so we don’t notice what this shitshow Government is trying to do to our democracy.

I really weep for the nation we used to be.

This is how we’ve always done Christmas. We get DD one thing she wants, one thing she needs, one thing to wear, one thing to read, one thing hand made and a musical instrument. She does get stuff from family but we try and limit it. It makes Christmas feel more christmassy to me as it’s more about family than presents

We’ve never done a traditional Christmas with turkey and piles of gifts.

I think every family picks and chooses the traditions they prefer, for some it’s just a winter holiday.

My 6 year old doesn’t like roasts, so we eat pizza and party finger food on XMas Day. Family live far away so it’s just the 3 of us (soon to be 4). We stay in PJs all morning. He has a stocking with a few small gifts and about 5 larger gifts under the tree.

We do the Santa thing (casually) with sending the list up the chimney and leaving nibbled carrot out. And Elf on the Shelf is a nice lead up.

I enjoy decorating with fairy lights and rustic centrepieces for tables and shelves. Eg a wooden tray with 3 white candles, some pine cones and a single lantern. Gives it a hygee Scandinavian feel. Same with sheepskins, fluffy blankets and a branch hung from the ceiling and strung with baubles.

I've suggested scaling back, but DH says MIL likes to buy us presents. Its unfortunate that we get a load of inappropriate crap. He cant be bothered to buy her presents so he gives her money so that she can spend it on something she likes. I've given up trying to work out how this is fare, especially as i do all the cooking.

Christmas can be whatever you want it to be!
We have never had Turkey… I don’t like it. We usually get a lovely rib of beef from the local farm shop. My kids are young enough that they don’t demand all sorts… my oldest is 8 and it’s difficult dragging out of her what she wants for Christmas as she’s not into toys. Not saying we have frugal Christmas’s, we just spend our money on things we actually like rather than what we feel we should spend it on!

Not spending as much for gifts doesn’t automatically go with spending less on food or not doing a ‘special meal’ for Christmas.

Personally I’d say making it a special day is important. For me it’s a family day, a SPECIAL day to spend together.
Special doesn’t have to mean expensive and out of this world. It means keeping with some traditions and getting together. It means being thoughtful when choosing gifts, nit spending lots of money.

Basically there are more answers than the two you are presenting in your OP.

@ScienceSensibility

All this crap in the media about “saving Christmas” is bullshit.

It’s distraction material so we don’t notice what this shitshow Government is trying to do to our democracy.

I really weep for the nation we used to be.

I 100% agree with this.

I think the press really get it wrong with Christmas
All this panic hysteria over 'ten days to save Christmas'- it's one sodding day ive much more concerned about the general future of the country at the moment and couldn't care less if we can't have a turkey etc I'm much more worried about petrol, state of the nhs, long term food shortages , price of fuel etc
I think the press and govt got it vet wrong last year and put so much pressure on giving everyone'Christmas off covid' when they should have said at end of October 'Christmas will be crap this year so don't make any plans and maybe you'll find it won't be as bad as you think to have a very quiet low key Christmas for once' instead they kept saying that everything would be fine and it would be 'barbaric' to cancel it - Everyone I know was not planning a big Xmas and were totally resigned to a quiet Xmas and some quite liked the chance to gave a 'year off' the usual craziness.

I fucking love Christmas. It might be different this year but it won't be cancelled in my house - we're all very adaptable! Plus all the things I love about Christmas- lights, church services, everywhere all decorated, hot chocolate, time off work, family get togethers, Christmas movies, Christmas stories etc etc will all still happen.