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

[MerryChristmasyouarsehole]

Christmas…

I mostly love it, I love doing it with/for my dad's, the only bit I'm starting to dislike/resent it buying gifts for my nieces and nephews on dhs side. None of his siblings make any real effort for my kids, and I'm at a point now I'd rather they didn't buy for mine instead of the shitty amazon tat they give them. I'd rather I spent an extra £30 each on my dds and we didn't buy for other kids

*dds not dad's

A mix, love the sparking ice, festivities, a reason for all to make that extra bit of effort to be jolly, atmosphere but also so stressful getting things sorted, esp with so many birthdays either side of Christmas! I love giving presents and meeting up for the special occasion but do find myself saying I just cba to go to the next one. It's very intense for me, so many extra things to do and go to, but seeing our DC loving it makes it all worthwhile. So important to be with family and take some time out, when we eventually get to the celebration stage after all the prep and build up! Than come January I'm ready to take all the decs down and have a bloody good sort out lol. X

We do t have extended family so it’s just the kids and I . As they’ve gotten older it’s been harder and harder to make it into a special day and not just a normal one.

xmas is way overhyped and I wish we had never started celebrating it if I’m honest. I live the lights and the tree but that’s it, I don’t even appreciate the food.

I live my life like this all year round 🙂🙂. Churches, choirs, little gifts all the time, nice cafe time and concerts, working shifts, nature walks, I just love God and life. No need to be fake.

I fucking love you let’s live together

I enjoy it a lot. Time off work, good food, swilling about drinking baileys, socialising and all that. I definitely wouldn't enjoy the whole christmas with little kids thing. Seems nothing but stress!

I do a low-key Xmas so love it. I have 2 weeks off work, drink most days. Get to see friends and family. Love watching the kids opening their presents. I don't cook on Xmas day, we have a takeaway.

I like almost all of it. I do sort of have to force myself to start somethings because they seem like such a faff and I could just be MNing() but then we get started and I enjoy it and I’m glad I did it.

There are times when it all goes wrong (DC melt downs mainly) and I get unreasonably annoyed when my DH wants to do something that I also want to do (mainly cooking) but does it differently to how I like it. But overall it’s good. Still looking forward a bit to the kids being adults and it being more low key, though.

I have always loved Xmas but this year- nope.I am miserable sad and flat. I have bought all the food, bought and wrapped everyone’s presents, cards etc etc
my dad died 3 .5weeks ago. Funeral was a week ago. Ds1 and his partner not coming down for first time ever due to work. Every meet up/celebration type thing we have arranged has been cancelled due to illness/Covid. Me and she had Covid over the funeral so couldn’t have a wake. Dh has not got me anything at all for Xmas. This is fact. And whilst I slightly don’t care it’s made me feel extra shit and down that in this time where I have really made an effort for everyone and to make it lovely etc despite my grief, no one seems to have thought about me. The last year or so , I think poss since my mum died, I have started feeling depressed and miserable on my birthday and now I feel like Xmas might be having the same effect on me

Bloody stressful.

I'd rather not celebrate it.

I would happily spend it on my own.

I normally really get into Christmas, but there’s not even a tree up yet. This is the last year that my SDCs will be with us for certain (Arrangements Order) so I should be trying to make it special, but a combination of things has sapped the joy out of me!

I don't like knowing what's in all the presents. I like Christmas Eve rather than Christmas Day. I enjoy December as a whole

I’m a serious grinch when it comes to Christmas, but my DP loves it. I haven’t even put the tree up yet. We don’t have any children yet, so I’m hoping that when we do I’ll get a bit more in the Christmas spirit. I’ve told DP that I would love to go abroad next year if we’re still child free (I had a miscarriage in November and while we’re not ‘trying’, we aren’t preventing a pregnancy). I’m a year 1 teacher and do have to fake it for the kids at school, but this time of the year is so stressful, trying to get 30 children to complete assessments while they’re all hyped up for Christmas is like trying to herd cats.
BAH HUMBUG!!

Christmas is fine and I enjoy it but it all goes over the top with the ridiculous amount of stuff and people bring expected to be super happy. It is all about selling us more stuff.

I fake it. I don’t like the change in routine, the clutter, seeing relatives, the stress in the run up to Xmas day, and the come down after. I only do it for the kids! It makes me anxious, withdrawn and tired.

I used to enjoy it more but we've had a few sad associations with this time of year (late miscarriage, relative death, hospitalisations) which have meant it's more difficult than it was. This year was already going to be a bit weird due to shift patterns but then my mum was admitted to hospital this weekend so I had to dash to the other end of the country to be with her. It's tough for her and also has completely upended this week for me with the kids.
Still going to make the most of it and hopefully some mince pies and baileys will make me feel a bit more cheery.

Hate it - hate the forced happiness of it all - the adverts showing the huge family round the table at xmas - the table full of food - the kids opening their presents - all delighting in each others company - when in my opinion you don't necessarily wake up on christmas morning feeling all is amazing with the world. Growing up - because of my dad's job every other year was spent my mum and I - (no siblings - grandparents all dead) - so it was always quiet. Also when I was young there was a lot more of the spiritual side to it - birth of baby Jesus - the manger etc - now it's just so commercial- and I feel especially this year when there are so many problems in the world and the energy crisis. I'm lucky - we now go abroad every year for xmas and new year - since my parents passed away - sometimes with friends - sometimes not - and it's just another day - everyone is on the slopes having fun and there is no turkey pressure - you can relax and just let the day pass away - no pressure on being happy - you can just be you! I never plan to have a Christmas in the UK again...... the run up to it with drinks and catching up is nice but the day itself- meh! When you wake up on the 26th - all your worries are still there - all your concerns - and this year all the troubles in the world....... give me New Year's Eve or Easter any day.... at least with Easter the days are longer and summer is on its way!

Mostly fake, but then now and again find I'm genuinely and unexpectedly enjoying a part of it.
It has very sad associations for me and I struggle with it, so my expectations for enjoyment are very low, and I'm sometimes pleasantly surprised.

Yep, same. Low key Christmas here too and I love it. I had awful Christmases growing up and it makes me happy to rewrite the rules and have a nice time.

We've been invited to celebrate with family friends this year, but if we don't get invited elsewhere, DH is Jewish so we do 'Traditional Jewish Christmas" which is a Chinese and a film - either at home or pre-DC at the cinema. It's so chilled out and fun when you just do as much or as little as you feel like.

Both. I always have issues around Christmas. Bouts of random sadness, crying,guilt and other shitty stuff like that So I fake it a lot around work, DD ,even OH . However , that means I can't wallow (which only makes it worse and in the past I've done stupid things because of it) and the episodes are a lot more short lived. That means I actually get to enjoy the pretty tree, buying presents, preparing , DD's excitement etc.

Faking it this year. Crippled by anxiety.

Struggling this year, my much loved FiL died 8 weeks ago, 96 years old and he loved Christmas, it's tough for us all.
Sadly I've been down a similar road before, 31 years ago my then MiL died on Christmas Eve while I was heavily pregnant.
It makes everything so much more difficult emotionally for a good few years.

Fake it. Fucking dreading it this year.

I enjoy it when it's just husband and our children.
Really don't enjoy it when we have an in- law staying with us 4 days or when we have to pack up everything to take to an in-law.

I find it stressful doing food shopping, making more interesting meals, the constant tidying after meals.

I don't enjoy buying presents for my mum or my siblings as nothing is ever right and is never accepted graciously eg I buy a gift and get told "that's not something I'd use at all", "not my thing" or barely even acknowledged or no thanks from nieces and nephews. It's a gift FFS, accept it and don't slag it off in front of the person who spent time, money and effort thinking you'd like it.

I really enjoy my own company (get a bit lonely some times though) and find it all a bit intense but on the other hand, feel like the kids are missing out if we don't make an effort booking in family to stay or go to stay with.