Do you actually enjoy it or do you fake it a bit?

[MerryChristmasyouarsehole]

Christmas…

Generally love it.

Everyone just being jolly and festive, lots of nice Christmas food, everyone just happier, etc.

I think sometimes though (and I do understand this when people say it) Christmas can be depressing for some people because them feeling sad, lonely or depressed is in sharp contrast to the over exaggerated festivities, constantly pushing pressure on people to enjoy and have fun. And if people don't want to, I can see how this could be difficult for them.

It's a tough one, I don't think people should just stop enjoying or celebrating Christmas, but also think sometimes it's important for people to think about taking into consideration how others might be feeling during this time.

I fake it. I'm not sad or lonely or anything at Christmas, just normal me. Christmas just doesnt do it for me.

Now I have kids I genuinely enjoy it and get really excited for it, I'm as bouncy as they are, I get the same way for their birthdays, maybe slightly less as there's less build up, decs go up overnight etc, I love gifting, especially to my kids.

The years between moving out of the family home and having my own kids I always felt a bit lost at Christmas, I still enjoyed it but it wasn't such a big event

I'm sure how excited I get will vary depending on what life stage I'm at, once my kids are no longer excited little kids, once I start loosing close family members etc, but for now, yes absolutely love it

I find it really fucking stressful. Just a whole load more to organise, host and buy on top of an already stressful workload and kids (one with SN). I like the idea of Xmas until I realise it's all down to me.

I enjoy the advent season, preparing for a modest Christmas and the week run up to Christmas, but by the end of Boxing Day I'm ready to have the house back to myself again.

What I don't/wouldn't enjoy is a month of pre-Christmas trips, endless Santa grotto trips, booking lots of (expensive) festive experiences every weekend, jumping on every new Christmas tradition like Christmas Eve boxes, elf on the shelf, matching family clothing, and the pressure of having an expensive, gift heavy Christmas. I'd find that stressful

I detest the whole shebang and don't bother with it...

Or fake it in any way, shape or form

I absolutely love it…usually. Just not really feeling it this year. Too much horrible stuff going on.

I have to fake the conversations at work with 'oh yes, were all set for christmas' and try to change the subject when in fact the reality is we do nothing at home to celebrate. No tree, no turkey, no presents, no visiting family its just a day off work its just more hard work trying to explain we don't do anything. Secret Santa gift for work colleague is the only thing that I've done for christmas and glad that's over with already.

I love it!

My kids are adults now and we have no young children in the family but I still enjoy the lights, tree, decorations, music and family time.

I don't enjoy 99% of it, and I've stopped trying to fake it. I enjoy Christmas day and the couple of days around it, mostly, but we have a very very small Christmas, just me and my parents, some nice food, some presents, but that's about it. We aren't a family who drink much or who do party games, and there are no children. So Christmas is very subdued really for us. All the stuff around Christmas though, the build up all through December and the jolly work parties and the relentless music in supermarkets and the endless adverts and the inane tv, that stuff I almost can't bear. I find it depressing and lonely, and I just avoid it all as much as I can.

I genuinely have no idea. I've always enjoyed it in the past but then things happened last year that made for the worst of times. I am trying to enjoy it this year but I am struggling.

I hate it
its the money-I start buying again Boxing Day for next year
im not a fan of the food
i don’t drink
the stress
the wrapping the presents
i hate the forced jolly-ness of it all

we lost my dear darling grandad just before Christmas in 1994 (nobody seemed or cared to notice his empty chair that year) and we lost my dear darling fil March 2021 (that Christmas was hell)

for years my ex partner would batter the hell out of me and I’d be sat with bruises and broken bones,while watching the kids open their presents and faking a smile

i only bother now because we spend it with my amazing mil-but I’ve made it clear that when she goes-so does Christmas
we will do the presents and a basic meal of our choice but we won’t celebrate it as such

Haha.

I love it'

@BamBamBilla Why not, if you don’t mind me asking?

@Dogsinthecradle So sorry you had to go through that

90% fake. It’s a hard time of year, but it’s nearly over so there’s a silver lining.

I can't stand it so just do my best not to have a resting bitch face for too long.

I enjoy it now I stopped doing what everyone else wanted us to do and just do what I want to.

Some years enjoy it, some years fake it. This is a fake it year, I just don’t feel it.

There is nothing about Christmas I enjoy.
I don't enjoy shopping for presents, everywhere is full of idiots spending money they don't have on shit people don't want or need... Of the adult.on your life wanted that tchotchke you think they'll like, they'd have bought it for themselves, they haven't so it seems obvious they don't want or need it.

I despise wrapping gifts with every fibre of my being.

I hate visiting arseholes I have no interest in seeing and sitting there bored stiff for an hour making awkward meaningless inane small talk.
The expectation some have that everyone is festive and cheerful really REALLY gets on every last nerve I have.
Then there's the overly festive fuckwits that call other people miserable for not sharing their Christmas cheer'.. they can shove their tinsel and Christmas cheer so far up their rear end their tongue sparkles when they yawn.

Oh, and I truly truly despise and hate anyone that uses "But it's Christmas" as any kind of excuse or justification to be a Fuckwit.

The only reason I put any effort in at all is because of the daughter, of it wasn't for her I'd do none of the festive shite I despise so vehemently.

I hate Christmas... Is what I'm trying to say, if the above wasn't quite clear..

@MerryChristmasyouarsehole Its just DH and I, no children in our families. We buy each other gifts throughout the year when we see or want them. Don't need a surprise gift to open on a particular date. We eat a good dinner but its not an over the top roast lunch. Don't need a tree as we have lights up throughout the whole of winter. There is nothing more to get involved with.

I find it's ok but I have an image of one family Christmas as a child that I loved and every year just pales in comparison. Dh and I also have different traditions and I find mine are increasingly seen (by DH and DC) as boring so they don't get done.

@Dogsinthecradle I'm so so sorry , I hope your ex got what he deserved

I enjoy everything! Decorating, trees, presents, family, friends, food, drink, tv, Christmas specials, shopping - days out - time off - Christmas parties!

I don’t get why anyone does anything they don’t enjoy or spends time with people they don’t like.

you only live once!

I love Christmas... although I do tend to drink too much and put on the pounds, but to hell with worrying about that.

It's a really lovely time to get together with people.