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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Christmas being “cancelled”.

185 replies

Stuckhere2021 · 03/10/2021 19:05

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.

OP posts:
NumberNineTwo · 04/10/2021 07:38

I’ve bought all my Xmas presents and sweets and drinks already. Got pigs in blankets in the freezer. Waiting for frozen turkeys to come in stock and will buy one of those too. Xmas won’t be cancelled here. The only thing we might struggle with is fresh veg.

Middersweekly · 04/10/2021 07:49

Not cancelled but I will scale it back. Normally I’m always strung out cooking huge meals on Xmas Day, Boxing Day and the day after. I’m not doing that this year. I’ll do Xmas day Turkey then Boxing Day I’ll do Turkey curry. Usually I do another full roast but I’m not this year. Also my teenage DC had expensive birthday gifts this year so they will just be getting a small amount of presents and DD 10, no longer believes in Father Christmas so there’s no pressure there. DM is also coming to stay so there will already be 7 of us. Maybe we’ll get some board games out etc. I’m really not in the mood to spend hours in the kitchen this year either way. I’ve done it for years and I’m bored with it!

EveningOverRooftops · 04/10/2021 07:50

Maybe change it up and you get your DCs a mix of new and second hand items. I’ve been doing this for years with my Own DC and now is older pointed out I can get you fabulous things, that you’ll love, that aren’t in a shiny new box, that someone else loved, for a lot less and you’ll still be as happy.

Things don’t have to be new. Or even bought!

A couple of years ago I dug up a load of my spring bulbs for a friend because that’s what she really wanted for Xmas but finding out in December made it a bit difficult to source them!

I also make a big point present wise to get more consumable presents - food, soap, drinks - than actual tat so DC feels like they’ve been spoilt but in reality I’ve just stocked up their toiletry shelf for the next 6mths Grin or buy a bottle of the fancy squash DC likes rather than the budget ones we usually have to opt for.

NatashaRf · 04/10/2021 08:10

As long as we decorate (tree and decorations in the loft) and have Christmas films/music on then the rest is pretty flexible.

If November comes and the food situation is looking dire then I'll freeze some sausages/bacon and make sure we have a packet of dry stuffing and gravy granules put aside.

But even eating something else won't mean Christmas is cancelled.

My DC haven't a clue what they want yet but Amazon is still currently working and I've got my Nectar points burning a hole to spend on some toys. So Father Christmas will be visiting.

Currently school fair is planned. And town light switch on. So Christmas is very much happening here!

ChangeAndHelp · 04/10/2021 08:36

Do a Secret Santa. We’ve been doing it in our family for at least 10 years. There is a spend limit and everyone can also write a wish or guide list.

You can then take time to wrap the one gift really nice and focus on food!
There are secret Santa websites or you can draw names out of a hat!

dottiedodah · 04/10/2021 08:43

Personally I think it would be great! I keep hearing about Christmas being "cancelled" though ,and yet here the toy shops seem full of gifts. Likewise SB are somehow stacked to the ceiling with wine ,chocolates and so on! I dont think we can be that unusual surely? (SC)

dottiedodah · 04/10/2021 08:46

RB68 your Christmas sounds great!

Anoisagusaris · 04/10/2021 09:05

Buying local food isn’t exactly cancelling Christmas. My turkey and Christmas tree come from 10 miles away. I buy Irish potatoes and vegetables anyway.

FourTeaFallOut · 04/10/2021 09:10

No satsumas? No nuts? No cups of tea? No coffee on a morning? Just all local?

EastWestWhosBest · 04/10/2021 17:14

@FourTeaFallOut

No satsumas? No nuts? No cups of tea? No coffee on a morning? Just all local?
No orange juice, no champagne, no dates that no one eats…
MorganKitten · 04/10/2021 17:36

This is what my family do every year, but I grew up poor so it’s normal.

LILLYPRINT · 04/10/2021 17:51

Although no kids of our own, I come from a very big family and it got to the stage where buying for everyone was a nightmare. Not only the cost of the gifts but the time and thought it takes to get everything. So last year I rang everyone and explained that we would be buying no presents at all but instead any money we would normally have spent would be given to a charity. Our local hospice who looked after a good friend in his last days were very grateful of our donation.

JanetPondersley · 04/10/2021 17:53

I live in London. Not much is grown or produced locally.

I am dreaming of escaping away somewhere this year. I desperately need a break.

Roxy69 · 04/10/2021 18:06

@suspiria777

What do you think Jesus would prefer?
I think a lot of people would say 'who' it all seems to be about consumerism now. Very sad.
HollyandIvyandAllThingsYule · 04/10/2021 18:10

What you describe in your OP is not ‘cancelling Christmas’; it’s simply toning down the materialism/consumption aspect and making the whole thing more low key. That’s what our Christmases have always been like (although a bigger emphasis on gifts when the children were younger).

And of course it’s not unreasonable to do so.

HollyandIvyandAllThingsYule · 04/10/2021 18:12

Fair enough, just noticed the quotation marks.

You’re not being unreasonable. 🎄🎄🎄

NeverDropYourMooncup · 04/10/2021 18:17

@suspiria777

What do you think Jesus would prefer?
Ah, come on - he got visited by tons of people and had presents that cost a fucking fortune.
Grapewrath · 04/10/2021 18:19

I’m happy to have a simple Xmas and have always done so. I don’t thinks eating locally is particularly realistic but supporting local business where possible is a good idea
If we can’t get all the tat this year for various reasons I won’t miss the bragging and competitive ‘he’s been’ pictures people put up with literally hundreds of presents for their kids

FourTeaFallOut · 04/10/2021 18:20

Jesus always liked a party as far as I remember.

thinkbiglittleone · 04/10/2021 18:27

I know it's cheesie, but seriously all that matters is that you have the people you love around you and you have food on the table, all the rest is just nonsense.

But we have a 4 year old who usually gets far, far too much so we are scaling that back, we are asking for passes to places rather than toys and that. I'm not fussed anymore as I have everything I could possibly want, as does my DH, so we are scaling back on the consumerism but not on the time spent with loved ones, it's priceless.

Bertiebiscuit · 04/10/2021 18:27

I don't really do Xmas as i live alone and only do anything if my sons family specifically invite me - I will be delighted if Christmas is "cancelled" those of us who aren't Christian, don't eat meat, hate Xmas pudding and Xmas cake, and can't stand our favourite shops being full of Xmas tat and playing hackneyed annoying Xmas music would not miss the whole damned charade tbh - I have had Xmas days of doing "good" work, picnicking on a beach, going to a spa, repainting my kitchen, cycling around town enjoying empty roads etc etc etc - cheer up, we might come up with a better winter festival if Xmas was cancelled

OtherInfo · 04/10/2021 18:31

I think it depends entirely on what age your children are. When you're were young you were prepared to queue in the rain for some overpriced piece of plastic. I'm going to suggest you'd have been devastated at the thought of a cancelled or pared down Christmas then. If that's what you wanted you could have had it any time.

BritWifeInUSA · 04/10/2021 18:35

Virtue signaling? Nice try.

Have the Christmas you want, with whomever you want, and eat whatever you want.

ittakes2 · 04/10/2021 18:35

We have a large family. Everyone buys a present and the oldest person gets to chose something to open and we go down from there. People are allowed to pinch and swap other presents. So for example my dad opens the present he has chosen and its a toy car - one of his grandchildren opening a present and can insist he swaps the toy car for the present they have just opened. Oldest first and children last means that the children can swap presents for children's presents if they want to.

1forAll74 · 04/10/2021 18:36

All the manic buying of too many things, all the panic that people have, when they can't get everything that they think everyone want's for Christmas, People never stop to think, how ridiculous things can get. Not to mention people putting up a Christmas tree at the end of September, ( I have already seen one in someones living room )