To be so f*cking over bloody Christmas.

[lifesabitchandthenyoudie]

Was already feeling like this, muting adverts etc; then yesterday I watched this: (Planet of the Humans by Jeff Gibbs) and I'm so done with the human race now I just want to hide in my little house and forget the world. I've been away from work and just know when I go back on Tuesday we'll already be overrun with fucking xmas music, decorations etc... I have gc and already feel angry about how much crap they have. I would buy them books but they literally don't even read or look after them. I get called scrooge because I only ever put up decorations (if I bother) in the week before, ffs! Is there anywhere on this planet that's xmas free, please?

I think I love New Zealand a little bit more @HairyMcLarie. I did sign the official UK government petition before it was removed to declare war on NZ and then promptly surrender forcing your government to take over the running of the UK during Covid.
I thought we would just improve our disaster strategy and the environment but if everyone had known you'd reset Christmas we would have swiftly met the threshold for a Parliamentary debate.

Bored of it? It’s once a year! And surely with each year that passes with a growing young child - it’s actually quite different.

What are you doing that all this Christmas stuff is bothering you. I love Christmas and it hasn't even blipped my radar yet. I just tune in at end November.

It might be once a year but it's a two month celebration for some, with decorations up in November.

Though, to be fair, and according to threads here, those people even get bored themselves by that point, and are usually the first to take them down on Boxing Day.

That might have been me

By that I mean saying that decorations shouldn't be put up until 1st December. I don't even have a child and I've never been on TV

mountains of 'gifts' including the ridiculous 'eoas'

What does 'eoas' mean?

I have a friend who literally buys all new decorations every year and throws the previous decs away . It's terrifying how much they get through each year they just don't care.

I would love to see wastefulness being socially unacceptable the way that say, smoking is, @Wiccan.

Where I live, the kind of OTT excessiveness is viewed as too try-hard or vulgar. You'd often see that the wealthier households are the ones who are more sedate about Christmas and it's the people who are on social supports who go nuts.
My mother and her family were terribly poor so they all now buy to excess and constantly send perfectly good stuff to landfill that they were just bored with and fancied new décor or whatever. Christmas that side of the family is insanely excessive and it feels like each family within vie with each other to outdo one another and of course it's all splashed all over facebook. I know many of my cousins take out payday loans to spend far more than they can ever afford, on shite that never gets used or appreciated - just for appearances.

I have a friend who literally buys all new decorations every year and throws the previous decs away . It's terrifying how much they get through each year they just don't care.

why on earth don’t you offer to take them and drop off at a childrens centre or charity shop?

My new stuff will last for years and won’t date it’s Holly berries that sort of thing my tree advent calendar are three years old this year they’ll see me out.

She's not what I'd call a close friend and she is the type who would see that as being told what to do and I really don't want the aggravation. also if she doesn't understand by her own choice then i think it's the local council that should enforce this on her. ME taking her unwanted items to a charity isn't teaching her anything apart from I'm offloading her crap for her. If she cared she'd be doing it herself .

she must have some bloody good qualities for you to regard her as a friend when she behaves like this and would see a suggestion of charity as “being told what to do”

Well I was being polite when I used the word friend as some mumsnetters would obviously take offence at the description I intended to use . But this thread is not about her qualities I simply used her as an example of consumerism. I do not wish to become her personal unpaid refuse collector .

@NC12345665 Elf on a shelf... (had been mentioned so I thought it would be ok)

@Wiccan gosh I do love the mn judges on here, don't you!

@ItsaMetalBand would love that too. I don't understand it at all; we were never wealthy growing up but I never felt hard-done-by or like I had to compete.

Just existing. Don’t know about your area but saw Christmas stuff in shops where I am at the end of September. Then came the emails the first few weeks of October and a catalog from somewhere that we didn’t ask for posted through our mail slot about buying for Christmas. I love Autumn and don’t mind Christmas but the months of talking about it before the middle of November hits gets old very quickly and I know I’m not the only one having heard the same from others when running errands and shopping especially those who have had to listen to Christmas music for weeks.

The only retailer that has my permanent business now is Moonpig for allowing me to unsubscribe from emails about Christmas and I wish more companies offered that as an option instead of almost daily emails about shopping for Christmas.

Out of interest, what’s your plan for the day?

@lifesabitchandthenyoudie was just thinking that myself🤔

@phoenixrosehere thanks, answered much better than I would have! My colleagues are putting up the work decs tomorrow... 😣

@Gumreduction not sure just yet, this is what I mean; my dcs are grown up and scattered about a bit; we never have gone anywhere visiting and so there's no pressure to visit them, etc. I'm just starting to think about what I might get the gcs, if not money (and I'll ask the parents for ideas). They will get a small gift each. I might arrange to visit a bit over the week, we will definitely zoom or something over the holidays. I might get our ancient tree up with the lovely decorations mainly made by the children, it makes me smile to see it; I struggle with my health though so I may not. I might make something nice, and I might make a pudding if I get around to it (we love those and often buy them cheaper after the 25th and have them through the year!). I'm not diametrically opposed to the day itself, and having fun etc, just to the hyped up frenzy that is all around us.

My fav thing to do is go out for a ride, just me, since the kids grew up. Then me and dp will cozy up on the sofa with a film, probably. A mince pie or two might come into the equation...

We did often make more of new year; if we're with family (esp when dc were young) we always saw the old year out and played trivial pursuit/scrabble, with a varied interpretation of the rules depending on how much lemonade had been drunk...

....and will also look up volunteering opportunities, as some have suggested. Even if it's a zoom chat it might be helpful...

My fav thing to do is go out for a ride, just me

Do you mean a bike ride?

Before I had kids and I was younger I really loved Christmas.

I was always excited about having kids and Christmas. The reality is, nerves and anxiety from July. What to buy everyone, affording it.

It has totally ruined it for me. I can’t remember the last time I felt excited for Christmas, it’s just a major ball ache on top of everything else.

I would so love to just enjoy Christmas. Must be 17 years since I have. It’s totally shit. Sorry

@Lalalaleeloo oops no, should have said 'on my horse'. Obviously I never did when the children were at home, but when they had all left it felt very special; partly because my dad and I did that together... (the kids rode a bit growing up but not much).

@Workinghardeveryday it's become more about stuff and so extended it's all-consuming. I think I did manage it ok when the kids were growing up by keeping boundaries, much like other posters here (not having internet for much of it helped!). You have to find what you really want out of 'the holidays' and stick to your rules - but it's just getting harder and harder! I also wonder what we're 'giving' our kids when we are getting them so wired up over several months, for one day of excess.

@lifesabitchandthenyoudie

are your close to your children and GC?(not geographically I see but close relationship)

@Gumreduction I see why you're asking! It does appear like I'm not at all, I can see; we do have a very good relationship and chat often, we all care about each other and are there for each other, especially in trauma. I do love them deeply but don't feel like I 'need' them, I suppose; same with the gc. I've always been a bit of a loner really. I love our time together, feel sad if I've not seen them for too long, but that doesn't mean I need to see them on a day the rest of the world says I should do. It's a bit like valentine's day. My dp is under strict instructions NOT to do anything on the 14th. If he wants to show me he loves me he can do it in a multitude of ways, not because society tells him he has to. (which he does...)

Arrgh! need an edit button; not 'the rest of the world', maybe 'most of the society I live in' would be better...