To wish Christmas was like the Olympics... once every four years?

[SingingSands]

Just that.

Some years are good and I'm prepared and feel on top of it. Most years are like this year - feeling unprepared, overwhelmed by family dynamics, paralysed by indecision and too many decisions, all the exhausting mental energy that it takes.

Then there's the guilt around consumption of material goods and the massive corporate companies that have a stranglehold over us. The fact that it is mostly women doing all the work/arranging/organising. The expectation of children. The crushing shame and sadness felt by those who feel they can't live up to the glossy TV adverts. The commercialisation of everything - paying £££ for a "festive" experience.

I had a thought this morning that if Christmas wasn't an annual event, would it be better? Or would it be worse because the build up would be even bigger?

Is it just me? Am I turning into a humbug? Deep thoughts for a Wednesday morning!

YANBU. My fantasy of a wonderful Christmas is a lazy day with maybe a microwave Christmas meal and lots of alcohol. But the reality is that it's not going to happen for an awfully long time, if ever. So keeping it to every couple of years would suit me nicely.

The crushing shame and sadness felt by those who feel they can't live up to the glossy TV adverts

People don't think adverts are a reflection of real life, do they? Surely not?

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ and therefore happens every year. If you find it stressful and expensive take steps to spend it the way you want to

NO. It's the most wonderful time of the year.

@SilverGlassHare

NO. It's the most wonderful time of the year.

I've got that song in my head now

I would hate that, it's my favourite time of year!

Could you plan to have a big all signing / dancing Christmas every few years with much more quiet, toned down affairs in between?

Thank god, muslims dont have the stress of Christmas
Amd Hindus and Sikh and jehovah etc

I actually agree! I think I would do Christmas every year for the children (they grow quickly and need shoes/ clothes/ different age toys plus the fun of it) but I would prefer to receive gifts never and give gifts to adults every 4 years yes. I have a good idea once but most people have everything they need anyway!

I agree , it's seems to be all about food, alcohol and presents its quite laughable really that's its called a religious occasion I bet most kids think santa is Jesus .

Yabu.

You can make Christmas as big or as little as you want it. If you find it over whelming, minimalise it.
Why does cooking a roast dinner have to be so much effort.
We literally cook a roast as we do every Sunday. Theres not much prep that goes into it. No need to do starters, mains, pudding and a buffet after.
Don't put it all on yourself to clean up either. Get those to help around you.

Christmas for me is the build up. I love Christmas day but the festivities beforehand with family & friends is more exciting.

I love the basic elements of Christmas. Singing carols, cosy days with no school or work, seeing family, decorating the tree, pantomimes, midnight Mass.

I hate gift-giving and receiving, beyond just immediate family. All the commercialised hype. Most of us hate it. We all just need to fight against it and make it stop.

It's a turkey. Some Dec's. Some presents. I refuse to kill myself over it any more.

I've scaled right back. Kids are happy with 1 or 2 presents and we cook an easy meal on Christmas day so everyone can relax and visiting other people happens on other days. It's what you make it I certainly don't miss the big fuss I used to make over it.

No, it will. just create a "once in a. lifetime. Christmas" event then.

Think what you enjoy, tell people what you. do and if you want to visit anyone do it spaced over the weeks.

We are only the three. of us, family lives to far away and work means taking time off is really difficult. Maybe that's why I enjoy it. so much, we do what we want to do, not what people expect us to do.

I am miffed that I had to. buy carol concert tickets in July, that I missed out for tickets to a light walk when they sold out in June. But the majority of things. we do is local, don't need a lot of booking and is low key.

I love baking and decorating the house, the lights help me with SAD, January is my idea of hell so I am soaking up as much feel good as I can in December.