Have you made Christmas plans yet?

[Rainbowsponge]

I haven’t, just intrigued when everyone else normally does it

We're taking the inlaws to christmas carols in the Royal Albert Hall as we're going to my parents this year - dh and I have also booked Christmas at kew, it's on sale now and some times are sold out already! I would happily leave it to book that later in the year but we wouldn't be able to go if we did

No, not in bloody July.

@Rainbowsponge Did you know there's a Christmas Topic??

Specifically to stop everyone who doesn't want to hear about Christmas all year around. It's considerate to post there so people aren't upset by your threads.

Why is this in aibu?
Surely there is a forum for this crap. It's buggering July, ffs

@RLouiseH

No, no one needs to be mean, but people also need to accept that they're not special. it's very triggering for some so their need to ask about Christmas in July doesn't trump that.

It's also bloody annoying, esp if posting in aibu

I don’t know why people think it’s crazy to be making plans five months out. Agree that trimming the tree and wrapping gifts in July would be a bit much, and of course many people don’t celebrate at all or have very low-key Christmasses, but if you are trying to coordinate visits between 15 people, book activities which sell out months in advance, book hotels and transport etc you actually do need to be thinking about it now.

I think there’s a smug superiority complex from the people saying ‘who on EARTH could be thinking about CHRISTMAS this EARLY?’, as if it’s some kind of silliness and they’re above it all. Really it’s a failure of imagination (or empathy) on their part if they can’t conceive that some people do things different from them and need a reasonable length of time to get things sorted.

I will hopefully be in my new house with a gorgeous wood burner in the kitchen diner!
Must admit I have already thought about where I want to hang my twinkly lights and garlands🤶
The plan is probably everyone comes to me and I spend a huge chunk of the day cooking and getting steadily tipsy with my sister, the kids (all teens) will play games with their cousins and generally just have a nice family day.

I have an amazon wish list where I plonk potential kids presents if I see them. Does that count?

@Sidebeforeself

use your imagination.

consider just for one moment that your child has died (or even a parent/partner etc ) or you've separated from your partner & you're not going to be with your children on Christmas morning or 101 other reasons why You don't want to have Christmas shoved at you in JULY.

its not like posting about gardening out of topic.

I’m so very sorry if this is the situation you’re in. I am too - this is our first Christmas without a family member who died unexpectedly in January and it’s going to be very hard.

That being said, I recognise that AIBU isn’t (and doesn’t proclaim to be) a safe space for grieving. There are other forums I visit which have helped me with that. There are triggering threads posted constantly, it’s the nature of the forum (for example the Southport stabbing thread running at the moment). I hide threads that cause me upset and I recommend others do the same. When my grief feels extra raw I stay off AIBU entirely, because you don’t know what you will see.

It is not selfish for people to post about Christmas. It’s part of the tapestry of life. Like any subject it might be painful to some, but we would never be allowed to post about anything if the rule was that it couldn’t be a difficult subject for anyone else.

I'm clear on one thing- I'm not invited anyone for Christmas Day!

@ToffeeSquirrels

only ONE. Week ago?

they might not be grey & lifeless by CD, it's risky behaviour!!

Godd on them
But this is aibu and therefore not the appropriate place for such crap chat

@Flatandhappy

then read the thread & use your imagination.

Some people on here will have lost their child this year, or parents who have always been a central part of Christmas for them.

nothing wrong with people planning & booking their own Christmas, but not everyone wants it shoved in their face in JULY, hence the Christmas Topic.

someone's curiosity about who does/doesn't plan Christmas in/ before July doesn't trump their feelings.

I'm in the strange position of planning to go to Australia for Xmas 2025 to see the Boxing Day Ashes which is something I've always wanted to do. I've never been out of the country for Xmas before but the kids are grown up now so I feel I can do this now. The earlier you book this the cheaper it will be. Yet I've no idea what we are doing for Xmas 2024 yet.

We're going away long haul the day after Boxing Day. 1st time that time of year. Can't wait to celebrate New Year's Eve on a beach.

We have agreed dates with friends and family for key meet ups etc in December. Trying to coordinate seeing people needs advance planning. And we've already booked the pub for Christmas Day dinner. It's really popular. Books up way ahead.

I'll have a week old likely, normally I host both sides of parents, but this time my mom's cooking since ill be in the middle of cluster feeding.
Normally I think about it September time, then solidify around October, then my brother changes the plans to suit him (and inconvenience us) in November usually.

@Seaglassandchampagne

thank you. I was a few years ago & I was really upset at the constant threads about it in chat & AIBU when I just wanted to escape from it.

yes other threads were upsetting & yes, that's life, but MN did us the great favour of removing a huge chunk of them by creating the Christmas Topic. Sometimes people start threads not knowing, but the OP knows & decided her question was SOooo important she could just post in AIBU no matter who it upset. It's selfish, it's an unimportant question as the replies really don't change her plans, but it's upset others.

once you've read the headline/question you're upset anyway, so ignoring/hiding is too late.

No, I won't be making plans, it'll depend who is still alive by December.

Christmas is a season, not one day. So surely if you aren't having your child Christmas day, you are planning 'Christmas ' on another day, booking a panto etc, so you get the best seats for your money?
Christmas day I'll probably be alone, but the month of December's activities are booked. I've got M&S vouchers and know what I'll be ordering for C&C as soon as the slots become available. I like to enjoy December, so plan ASAP. It's no different than me currently looking at holidays for the Easter 2025, I'll be booking this week.

Not specifically but we know which “side” of the family we are spending the day with as it’s a very well understood rotation. Details usually come clear around September time.

Will see the rest of family in December at some stage and we do a bit of a faux-mas. Large blended families on both sides at opposite ends of country and the fact we are not religious means we treat it very much as a season rather than “THE day”

Yes but only because a friend and I are going on holiday to the same place we went last Christmas. Otherwise I’d be firmly in the “it’s JULY!” Camp!

Not yet I'll probably feel overwhelmed and panic in November

We’ve booked the the theatre, then a restaurant lunch, for Christmas Eve. Our little girl will be five this year so the afternoon will be spent watching Christmas films and tracking Santa.

Perfectly put, couldn't agree more. My favourite day of the year is 2 Jan.