Why are Christmas events in the UK so lame?

[SaturdayGiraffe]

Location after location I read the reviews, some happy, most upset and cross about having spent so much money for variations on:

• mud
• disinterested staff
• cold hot chocolate
• overpriced food
• low quality food
• cheap decorations
• short light trails
• bad parking
• expensive
• sad reindeer
• grotty grottos

etc etc

It's all so depressing! Families are spending so much money on a couple of hours entertainment, and being fleeced. Do other countries do it better?

Is this the weekly ,the uk.is crap.at everything compared to.the rest of the world thread?
And now we can't do Xmas right either ?

I’ve done the Christmas markets in various towns and cities in England and Europe, agree that some of the German ones weren’t as festive as I’d have liked and sold tat.

There’s a great Christmas market/event held locally to me the third or fourth weekend of November which has a Mother Christmas and dog, all the shops get involved, there are stalls and they have music and mulled wine.

I’ve liked a Christmas fair in Hampton court but last Christmas seeing the lights there with DNephew I was distinctly unimpressed, but then I’m not 5/a child! Carol services are nice.

Seems like it?! You do wonder at some people from other countries whinging about how we do Christmas, like it’s a national sport for them to do this.

We came joint first or second in the league of binge-drinkers (female) only this very week!

Either move to a country that apparently does it better or stop complaining, enjoy it for what it is and remember that people generally tend to write reviews when they're dissatisfied with something. Comparison is the thief of joy and all that.

You get those shitshows because unscrupulous types know they can make a shedload of money by hiring a bouncy castle and some bored teenagers and buying some fairy lights and claiming they have a 'Magical Christmas experience'. And charging £120 per family.

My favourite bit of Christmas (in my town) is when Father Christmas arrives by lifeboat... he then gets pulled through town on his sledge by the local youth rugby team and he does the official light turn on for the town!! Usually reindeers in attendance and choirs at different spots. It's just lovely. And towns around me go all out decorating... lights in the harbour, a whole village decorated, little stalls selling lovely bits and bobs / food stalls etc. nothing expensive. It's lovely to see whole families out together pottering around.

I am not recognising what you are describing @SaturdayGiraffe The ones in my town - and county - are wonderful.

@x2boys · Today 15:24

Is this the weekly, the uk. is crap.at everything compared to the rest of the world thread?

And now we can't do Xmas right either.

Yep. This. ^ Tedious isn't it? 🙄

Many of these sound utterly delightful. And in a very different league to the type of thing OP is referencing.

Our little market town where we used to live when my children were small did a lovely little event for the turning on of the lights. Nothing too fancy but a parade, a little market, various community projects all coming together to make a happy afternoon for everyone (especially the children). It was always lovely and it wasn't expensive.

It's the cynicism, greed and tat purely for maximum financial gain that make the horrendous events so horrendous. It really doesn't have to be that way.

I think you just have to pick and choose. Places like winter wonderland are hell on earth and if you go there you kind of deserve what you get! I see those as places for teens to hang out rather than to have a lovely family day.

Every year we go to a panto or theatre performance, even though the kids are now young adults. Yes it has got more expensive but we have still seen high-quality shows. We occasionally do an ice-rink. Somerset House is always beautiful.

I happened to be in Covent Garden yesterday when they were switching the lights on. There was a lovely carol concert and everything looked so pretty and sparkly at night. Such a nice atmosphere, tourists and kids around too. It felt incredibly Christmassy and I did not spend any money.

In London at Christmas, we enjoy one theatre performance, spending time with family and wandering around central London looking at the lights. I don’t spend any money on Christmas markets. It’s lovely!

Why shouldn’t people complain? I love Christmas here but it doesn’t bother me one bit if others don’t like it. There is no harm in sharing the rubbish parts and highlighting the good aspects.

Everyone needs to boycott the expensive markets and do the nice bits instead!

That's a shame. Your friend must have been to a different Kew Gardens Lights Trail to us because it was fantastic, including toasting marshmallows over a fire pit. We go each year because it's so good

First post that's ever actually made me laugh on Mumsnet 😆

Nowhere in the UK is more geared up for ripping people off than Edinburgh, most of the year.

I feel they things that are Christmassy but not specifically marketed as such are what we do best. So small markets that might be in all year but at Christmas time can be lovely for example. It's the sort of Lapland (but in Kent) or Winter Wonderland proceedings that are usually shite.

I like a light trail. But I'm shocked by the prices. We are a family of 6 and we were looking at over 100 quid for one at a NT place near us. No chance.

But nothing is OK in the UK ever for some simpletons! We don't have the same climate as those countries that do Christmas better, even if we have snow it's not 'proper' snow, the sort that eventually wears away rather than going slushy. Because so many people are gullible huge Christmas markets have been imported but generally don't work although even in Germany food prices are horrendous but I do miss the slices of pineapple in dark chocolate and the garlic mushrooms in creamy sauce.

😂😂No shame at all! It was definitely THE Kew Gardens light show! Hilarious. I guess everyone has their own idea of what constitutes a 'good' event...

So true but didn't have to feed instawottsit with lovely photos to validate the expense!

Christmas in my town is lovely. We have lots of lights, a big switch on event when all the local estate agents give away mulled wine and mince pies, a one day/evening Christmas market with fair, music and independent craft people etc. carol's services, carols in the town centre, Santa tours the streets on the fire engine and my favourite, brass band in the pub with a sing-along. It's not flashy, it's local people.

We don't do much.

Just a panto (which also has a winter fayre attached... yes its wet, cold, expensive but the fayre is free to enter... £18-£20 will buy a ride each on something which is usually enough for them).

We also see the free shopping center Santa... its usually fantastic, a real looking Santa, chatty friendly elf (usually this nice American lady with a strong and thick American accent that fascinates the kids) and the give out real gifts.

Never needed to do much more.

We have some amazing things going on for Christmas here. I hate this UK bashing. I’ve spent several christmases abroad & no they didn’t do everything better!

Most of us spend our lives rushing about, busy busy. It's one day where we can indulge in some time with people we might not see much of. I mean, FFS, these days everything is only closed for one single day, out of the whole year. Some places still open.

What's so wrong with spending one day (two if you are lucky) eating and drinking and not feeling obliged to go out, except perhaps to visit friends and family?
This is our tradition. I like it, because it's one single day when we step out of the rat race. People who spend all year serving other people in big supermarkets that are open 7 days a week, 364 days of the year, are grateful to have one day where they know they get the time when everyone else has it.
It's how it's been since a time when, for many, it was the only day they got off work that wasn't a Sunday.

Your country does it differently. It's got it's own history and purpose behind it. I am sure it's lovely, but this isn't your country. We do it differently, here. Given the fuss that's kicked up when some supermarkets began opening on Christmas day, it's how we want it. One day when the commercial world takes a day off. I don't want people to have to serve me instead of spending time with their kids/extended family or just not having to be anywhere. I want to be at home, with the people I love. While they are still here. Because goodness knows, I get sod all time the rest of the year to just eat, drink and be merry.

Try to stick to local Christmas events. We are gojng to the kids party at the local cricket club. The village lights switch on, Carole service, the local church stuff. One local Santa visit for the youngest.
We used to go to Dunham Massey but that has got too big and commercial now.

Go to your local church Christmas service. Go Carol singing. Volunteer at a homeless charity. Go for a walk on Christmas morning. These things will bring you genuine Christnas cheer. Not events that are designed to bleed money from you, are usually overcrowded and disappointing.