To think the magic of Christmas is BS

[flooddybell]

It's just an excuse to get women to shop more, cook more, clean more, organise more and wait on people hand and foot. If you work, like I do, that suddenly becomes invisible. If you're not well, which I'm not, that's "not Christmasy". If when you've done all the stuff everyone wants while being ill and working as well and you're a bit tired then "it's not magical" or people are "not feeling it".

Just to be clear, I'm talking about adults, not kids.

Also, if you are an adult that enjoys Christmas then good for you.

I've just had it this year with the need to put some perfect experience over a real person to the point where going to bed early or not having as many decorations up as normal has ruined Christmas and seemingly traumatised grown adults.

I'm tired, I've done everything I can. Gifts, work, cleaning, shopping (my tab), decorating, all the food and I have tried to join in the fun but I am shattered. I did the best I could do.

aibu to think that if adult people want a magical Christmas they should shift their arses and help make one? If they don't want an exhausted woman sitting around they could think to themselves, hmmmm, what can I do to make this happen. The magic just means having a servant imo.

Unless their happiness depends on only something you can do , then those people are responsible for their own happiness and if it's that important they can bloody do it themselves. If they don't want to do it then it can't be that important .

YANBU

Christmas is about children. I put lots of effort in for my nieces/nephews and our own DS when they were all young enough to enjoy it (i.e. aged 1 to around 10) - it's magical when they're young and you can do things like visit Senta, go on Santa special steam trains, enjoy their reaction at getting presents of things they've never seen before, and all the other "firsts" such as putting a mince pie and carrot out on Christmas Eve, Santa's footprints in the snow in the front porch, children helping putting up the tree and decorations etc.

Not remotely interested for teenagers and adults where it's just a round of reciprocating with presents of items people can buy themselves if they wanted, excessive eating/drinking of food/drinks we can buy anytime, etc. People feeling obliged to invite relatives they never see and don't like or having to go visit relatives they never see or don't like "just because it's Christmas"! Just a lot of hard work and stress for nothing.

Christmas is for children. Now our DS is 21, we've just had a VERY low key, simple Christmas, minimal token presents, simple food, no visiting relatives, etc. Absolute bliss, even DS agrees (we've given him a shed load of cash towards a car rather than a pile of presents he doesn't need). Happy days!

Ever since my kids grew up the magic of Xmas went. It’s just a day of expectations, feeling trapped in the house.

Sounds lovely @Greensleevevssnotnose enjoy your wine and cheese! I might just have some myself 😀

@kimchifix Yes, I think it's just that I did my best and it's been made clear it wasn't enough and everyone is sooooo miserable because of me when I busted my arse to do what I did do. Everyone has their own particular xmas routine and it's not like I did nothing, I just didn't do the full thing. As you say, people need to be a little bit appreciative.