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

[MerryChristmasyouarsehole]

Christmas…

I fake it.
In the last 20 years I have only had two Christmases (is that a word?) when I haven't done the hosting/cooking for fewer than 8 people. One was when I had a 5 week-old, and the other was in lockdown.

Fucking fed-up with it now - nobody ever thinks to invite us over, my sibling never invites our parents, BIL & SIL fuck off to somewhere else, so it's down to me t host both sets of parents and occasionally DH's miserable old 98 year-old granny who never likes anything and spends all her time telling everyone how fat the rest of her family are (they're not but she is).

And they all wait until about 2 weeks before Christmas and then say "what are you doing for Christmas?". I want to say "I'm waiting for one of you lot to invite me over, provide me with endless food and drink and then drive me home, like I have for the last 2 decades", but I never do, I just say "Oh surely you're coming to us - the more the merrier?"

Bah humbug.

Really don't enjoy it, such a massive fuss for a day. Fine if you're religious but we aren't.

I used to loathe it. My own family were scattered far and wide and Christmas was a depressing lonely time, and if there were presents they were thoughtless or after thoughts. Then my 1st in laws were angry critical people who were PA or argued amongst themselves and were so polite to me so as to make me uncomfortable and feel an outsider. My "new" partner's family are wonderful happy thoughtful joyous folks, but my goodness it was loud. Nowadays it's just me and my partner, maybe a friend or two, or maybe just us. It's perfect.

I enjoy aspects of it, but I generally just try to get through it as best I can. It is hard work, especially for the women in the family.

I try not to put too much pressure on myself. Can't be arsed with elf on a shelf, matching pyjamas or Christmas eve boxes. My dc are teens, so don't have to worry about Santa any more. My youngest went to a pantomime with family this year, but I didn't get involved with any other activities. We just have £1 chocolate advent calendars, nothing fancy. I got their main gifts second hand. Try not to go crazy at Christmas. There's no need really.

I enjoy it - but as a family we have scaled it right back. There's no children, so we don't really do presents, unless it's part of a game on the day. We eat, play games, spend time together. We don't do stressful pre-planning and worrying about how much it will cost. We don't do masses of alcohol. We have plenty of food, but don't go daft.

It's great!

He lost me,and I know he will never find himself another girlfriend
he’s on the dole (never had a job as he ‘can’t afford to work’) and he has ill health from drinking too much and being an ex druggie
he sits in his flat,all day long,in a rough part of his home town,doing nothing of worth and has a criminal record as long as my arm which rules him out for a good career
he fights endlessly with his family and has no real mates (what a catch!)

I’ve moved on,own my own home,work full time and have my new partner,kids and my partners family family around me

id say I’m the winner in all this

I absolutely love it. It’s my favourite time.

But that’s because organising and shopping for it doesn’t all fall on me. So it’s a relaxing few days where I don’t have to go to work, all of my favourite foods and sweets are eaten, there are fairy lights and I don’t have to go anywhere or do anything if I don’t want to. We don’t have any pressure from families, there are no expectations regarding gifts for family and the family and friends who visit us are very low maintenance and happy to help themselves to drinks etc. If we go to DH’s family, it’s a much bigger event, but it’s still relatively easygoing. I suspect I’d feel very differently if I did have all that work and stress to deal with.

I like the build up, the rituals - tree, decorations, carols, markets, shopping, lights, seeing friends, parties, the inevitable cold snap, the day itself good food and good company.

The not so good bits, stress, overwork, spending too much, cooking, hangovers, January and that overstuffed bored and cold feeling in betwixmas.

This year I am planning on not eating or drinking much, exercising more so I don’t feel fat, bored, sick AND poor in Jan

I love it. But that is from the privileged position of a) not hosting anyone or travelling anywhere, b) a DH who does 50% of the heavy lifting and c) only one child to buy for on a decent disposable income. We also both get the whole time off work nowadays, for the only time in the year.

It's mainly just about enjoying nice food and drink at home with twinkly lights for us!

Oh, hate New Year though. What a waste of a Bank Holiday. By then I've had all the festive walks I can stand.

Agree with you about New Year.
I don't like it as a celebration either and it's a waste of a bank holiday.

Although I'm begrudgingly coming round to liking it as a way of seeing the family for lunch who we didn't see on Christmas Day.

Enjoy the downtime. But mainly enjoy it because it's a step closer to spring and, increasingly, I long for the spring and summer months like you wouldn't believe. The only joys in winter are the sunrises and sunsets on cold days.

I love shopping,getting things ready and the cooking.But my anxiety is being a pain in the rear .Now dont get me wrong i love making it fun and exciting for the family.I love planning and cooking.But my anxiety all over the place i cant sit still.My brain is on high speed ,i cant relax and i desperately want to non stop cleaning.My sister is coming she has Ocd ,if its not clean she will be twitching =p

I like it. I'm at home on my own a lot (disabled and not working, but studying part time) and over Christmas I have my uni-age dc and dh around a lot, which is lovely. Mil joins us and we get on really well so it's fun having her here.

Christmas Eve we have a lovely meal (doing a fondue this year) and light all our advent candles, and talk through our year and what we are grateful for. This is my favourite bit of Christmas.

Good food, good wine, good company, not too much emphasis on presents as we're pretty happy with a stocking and a few books, a game etc.

I also have seasonal depression so all the sparkly lights and candles are a real boost and I can start to look forward to the days getting longer.

No getting up at the crack of dawn on Christmas morning now the kids are older, and plenty time sitting around watching stuff on tv or just chatting.

Yep, I don't have to fake it!

I hate it

100% fake it. January is the most wonderful time of the year!

I enjoy it: I don’t stress - we do what we want and give no fucks about peoples ‘expectations’. I also get time off work so I get a rest.

I have worked too many Christmas’s when I was single, now it is another day but IMHO too commercialised to spend money which I don’t have and get into debt in the New Year

Not a bah humbug approach just a practical pragmatic approach especially these days.

Debt collectors are a bit unforgiven when they want their money unfortunately 😔

Mixed feelings. I'm lucky (??) that I'm not working atm due to illness so I don't have the nightmare other women have trying to fit everything in around their job.
I don't have the misplaced guilt whilst trying to be superwoman.
I do love choosing thoughtful gifts and making stockings.
I don't actually mind doing all the cooking as I've been doing it do many years I could probably do it blindfold so that doesn't stress me.
But one of my DC died a few years ago and his birthday is in December so I struggle hugely with this time of year. I'm sick of hiding my feelings to please the family and feel very empty.
The day itself is exhausting because of my health.
I also detest the Christmas music and more and more flashing lights everywhere courtesy of DH. I wish it were confined to the one day. I could cope with that.
As it is I plaster a smile on.
I'm genuinely pleased that DC and GC have a great time. I honestly do create a wonderful day for them if I say so myself. But inside I just want to be on my own.

Hate it. I've got painful/complicated feelings and memories around Christmas so I've had to pretend to like it til my DD left home.

I loathe it!!

I loathe it. I’m always glad when it’s over.

I love it, and I feel enormous gratitude that I get to feel like that. I love Advent and I love all the traditions of making wreaths and lighting candles. I love proper, traditional carols. There's something about the idea of light in the darkness that makes the very cynical bit of me button her lip.

I don't much rate Christmas as a season for fuss. I like it quiet and gentle and meditative.

Fake it can't wait for it to be over in all honesty

Absolutely can't be arsed with it the older I get.