A thread for all the Scrooges out there

[WheelieBinPrincess]

I’m not feeling my must Christmassy because we were supposed to be moving out of our rented flat and into our first proper home with our new baby, but the solicitor has cocked it and now it won’t happen.

So I’m going to have a rant about Christmas instead.

I don’t get hot chocolate stations. Our kitchen is not big enough for any kind of ‘station’ but even if it was, feasibly how many hot chocolates would you drink in a day to make it worth having a station? Are you at the station all day? Are there soggy marshmallows and drippy bits of squishy cream seeping across your surfaces?

I think it sounds a right ball ache and the chat about ‘hot chocolate stations’ is making me cringe 😂

So just add your Christmas rants. They can be as petty as you like.

I am Scrooge cos I won't let them have the Christmas tree up at home til tomorrow!

I'd be happy without one at all, but have to please the little ones!

[quote FizzyOrange]@Sparklingbrook I had the pile of presents when DD was little too and my advice to new parents is also not to start it!

My DM and I have a £10 limit for each other and it works well. I've had a £5 limit with my closest friend for about 10 years now, this applies to Christmas and birthdays.[/quote]
Yes, advice to new parents don't start Christmas piles or any other Christmas tradition unless you are fully prepared to do it annually for the next umpteen years.
Also not Christmas related but never put any money in a coin operated ride.

I think it's to much hype for one day of the year. Then it's underwhelming after all that hype.

I also don't like the expectations of having to buy people presents, like I should just be allowed to buy my kids presents and that be it. Not get stupid expensive lists off family members that I really can't afford. It boils my piss.

Also my DH brought my kids elf on the shelf this year......

I’m a single parent and both love and loathe Christmas. I have no family local and no ability to travel due to work.

I get sick of the Insta perfect bullshit.

I get sick of seeing people with partners and extended family.

Bitter, moi? Absolutely.

I've found my people! I bloody loathe it. I think I could tolerate it if it only lasted a few days but FFS it goes on for bloody months. I try not to get worked up though I just refuse to engage or participate. If people don't like it they can lump it.

Some years back I wrote this about Christmas on my blog.

My proudest moment when it was retweeted by Martin Lewis….

attheheartoftheopinion.blogspot.com/2011/12/consumers-night-before-christmas.html

The only great thing about Christmas are the days off 🤷🏼‍♀️

But to add to that, my tree doesn’t go up until maybe the 23rd,and by Boxing Day I’m sick of it.

And the amount of food waste… people coming out of the shops with trolley loads of food they can’t possibly need, but they shop as if the shops are going to be shut for a month, never mind that most of them will be open again by the 27th at the latest but probably the 26th. And the amount of food people must throw out is unreal. Just why?

@Sparklingbrook as someone who didn't grow up in England, the pile thing reminds me of Dudley from Harry Potter when he was going to throw a tantrum over how he got 1 less present for his birthday. I don't have a DC yet and maybe I don't know anything but it seems strange off children to expect X number of presents. My mum used to tell me I should be grateful for any present.

Not from England but we had this thing as kids. I also rather do a pile of smaller things rather big expensive purchases.

@MrsMattMurdock Both DH and I grew up in families that struggled for money, with Christmas presents mainly being one, nice thing, and some chocolate, and a couple of books. We thankfully both have the same attitude about Christmas- presents are lovely, but they mean more when there's only a few, and the time together is what is most valuable. Also we have been blessed with children that are easily pleased!
I agree with you that we should enrich our children's lives all year round.

I should probably have used the halo emoji but I'm honestly not trying to be smug here

Just wAnt to say, for everyone feeling unchristmassy, that a toy exists called “turdle” and it a shitting turtle and people will buy it for their children - and if that doesn’t make you feel a little bit better than nothing will 😬

m.youtube.com/watch?v=RBBR8UuNaS0

@ToughTittyWhompus for you too, because it's never-ending when there's just one adult juggling it all. I hope you and your child/ren have a special day on one when you don't have to work

May I recommend that all the PPs feeling jaded about Christmas go along to the Watchnight service at their local church on Christmas Eve?
Singing carols by candlelight, listening to the beautiful poetry of the readings from the King James bible, and sharing the joy with the congregation as midnight strikes, is a wonderful reminder of the real meaning of Christmas, and a cleansing, calming antidote to the mounds of plastic tat, excessive alcohol and over rich food.
My family always feel uplifted, walking home through the frosted village street under the stars, and it gets Christmas Day off to a beautiful start.

[quote AlternativePerspective]Some years back I wrote this about Christmas on my blog.

My proudest moment when it was retweeted by Martin Lewis….

attheheartoftheopinion.blogspot.com/2011/12/consumers-night-before-christmas.html[/quote]
I love this it's absolutely true for some people. I like Christmas and my tree is already up but I keep it small always have I save through the year then split it between my kids I've never done the Christmas Eve boxes matching PJs jumpers and Christmas bedding etc I don't remember them being a thing when my kids were small so I think I dodged it but I think now I'd be considered miserable for not doing them

I'm going to have a hot chocolate bar, basically I'll make the posh hot chocolate and put the toppings out then I'll put it away when everyone's finished. We also do a stocking for adult children if they're here.

I’ve never heard of a hot chocolate station until now!

I’ve tried to like Christmas, but various family members have behaved so badly over the years it’s kind of killed it for me

@Justheretoaskaquestion91 if my dd was younger she'd definitely be wanting that shitting turtle

I enjoy Xmas normally but we are fairly low key. I hate the stress and planning involved with it though.

This year is a different story, we are also moving OP and its looking more and more unlikely we will be in our new home for Xmas. Everything we own has been in storage for the last 3 months which is so frustrating. Trying to make Xmas special for our kids whilst we are crammed into Mums tiny bungalow. Pulling my hair out.

@AndMatt

I don't hate Christmas, I've never been particularly big on all the commercial nonsense (wtf is a hot chocolate station?) but l like general festivities.

However, DH died this year and I'm finding the run up to Christmas hard. Which is fine, that's my issue to deal with, I can't expect others to cancel their Christmases. However maybe, knowing my situation, I could expect them to stop going on and on and on about their exciting Christmas plans...?

I'm very sorry. I'm not particularly big on Christmas either but I found the first one after my Dad passed away very difficult. It does get easier in time, I promise

I’m fed up with my MIL stressing about Christmas (PILs are spending it with my family for the first time) and saying she will contribute, which I’m sure she will, then not getting off her backside and going to buy the turkey that she’s panicking she won’t be able to get! Just go and buy the bloody thing rather than directing everyone from your sofa!

MIL is a nice lady but I’m getting sick of the fretting and her DH and 3 sons pandering to her! This is the tip of the iceberg too…

I forgot to mention my greatest loathing- Christmas jumpers and Christmas jumper days in schools!
Horrible mostly plastic jumpers that need to be replaced every year because children grow (ok yes, I replaced them with second hand, but it still contributes to overconsumption, plastics use, etc).
Children (especially those with asd) get distraught upset at being left out and then get stressed about the environmental cost too

Solidarity! The trashiness, the bombardment, the grim excesses... all shit. Sending sympathy @AndMatt. People can be very selfish and thoughtless.

@Justtheretoaskaquestion91 😂 Thanks that's cheered me up. I still won't be buying shitting turtles or anything else for Xmas in fact, no decs, nothing. Made that decision in September and feel much lighter now. The kids can make a tree out of the recycling if they feel the need, and I'll put the saved effort into their birthdays.

Aye the last thing this current generation of obese kids need is hot chocolate on tap....

I love Christmas - but we don't go overboard. We do one present only (excluding Christmas stockings which tend to have nicer versions of useful stuff in, like socks, face cream, and chocolate of course!) and we have a realistic and quite modest budget for that. We don't have loads of tat, we don't go into debt, and I plan ahead so there's no last minute panics.
But I need to know about chocolate stations!!! Why! We do have a hot drink station, but that is for practicality. We have a long thin kitchen, but it is quite big. So we have a kettle at either end (one for cooking and one for hot drinks) and we have an under counter fridge at the hot drinks end, (which is at the sitting room end ) with a shelf for the tea and coffee and the mugs and teaspoons within easy reach.