If men were left to organise Christmas themselves

[Fiddlesticks32]

AIBU to think it would be an absolute disaster?

And what would it look like?

What happens on the 6th?!

I thought the reference to a 1st December box was sarcastic.

Apparently they're a thing.

Women.
Are.
Fucking.
Stupid.

Obviously NAWALT.

There must be something, but as someone whose Christmas doesn't really start till just before Christmas Eve, I don't know the answer.

Perhaps the 6th is a special day when some of these daft men work out how to switch an oven on and what supermarkets are.

Oh yes. And people make special breakfasts that day called North Pole Breakfasts with special shaped pancakes and all sorts. I'm with you on the fucking stupid.

Oh my god, did you see the thread on the Polar Breakfasts? I opened it because I thought it was about an expedition 😂!

I dared to comment on one of the December 1st Box threads - I wouldn't again! 😧

I find the small details make Christmas as they do any other event. It's personal taste but definitely not futile. Take them away and it's all transactional and a but soulless.

Things my dh would not do, and I would miss: home made Christmas delicacies, laying a beautiful table (or laying one at all), colour-coordinate the tree decorations, shop around for the best deals. Does it matter? Not really but without it all feels a bit empty. Many of my best childhood memories are around the home made pin wheels and canapés, the cosiness or sitting under the tree in the december evenings, gathering the foliage to make a wreath, stencilling out Christmas designs with artificial snow on the windows. The bah humbugs may think Iceland canapés and ready decorated trees are just the same but not for me.

DH has already bought us advent calendars though :)

Personally, I think it's more ridiculous that so many women think Christmas must be done their way or it's automatically wrong and a total disaster.

Yes I agree with that - but not knowing what time of year it is? Unable to work the oven? Come on

colour-coordinate the tree decorations
I think colour-coordinated trees are the opposite of cosy and comforting. Any curating of the tree takes away from it. Haphazard and mismatching, decorations from different places and different times all the way.

I wasn't referring to the truly hopeless, more the ones who just wouldn't bother with all the "extras" or the ones who would prefer to cook X instead of Y.

I think a lot of people fall into the trap of thinking their way is the way and aren't really willing to bend, or do something different. I guess it's easy to get used to your own traditions and ideas and forget that your partner will have done Christmas differently and will have their own ideas too.

I think this kind of proves my last post - one persons idea of the "perfect Christmas" is anothers' idea of awful/tacky/miserable.

I know I would struggle to be with someone who felt like they needed a perfectly curated Christmas, including Christmas markets, carols, perfect trees etc. It would take the fun out of it for me!

Yeah, that's true! I'm just blown away by the number of lazy incompetent men on here unable to do basics! Extraordinary.

It's depressing isn't it? Imagine marrying a man who can't turn on an oven or buy the right things from a shop!

It's always brushed off as "lol, silly men" too - personally I'd be embarrassed to be married to someone so pathetic.

I would too. I'm in my 60s, my husband is 72. I'm amazed that younger women have such a low bar. Things seem to have regressed over the years. The men in my family would never dream of leaving it all to the woman in their lives and be such lazy fools.

I'm with you. I think of my widowed FIL who's 80 next year - he cooks from scratch, does his shopping, cleans, maintains his house, does DIY and even does the odd bit of childcare and dog care. When he was younger, he regularly had the grandchildren and took them on days out.

He'd be mortified if either of his sons were incapable of using an oven or following a shopping list!

Many men are like him - independent, competent, capable, and he's managed without his late wife pretty well. My husband would be horrified if our son was like some of the younger men on here.

I'm just blown away by the number of stupid women on here unable to read!
Extraordinary.

Maybe it explains the other current thread where many (presumably female) posters are fine with men who are functionally illiterate.

Oh god, what thread is that?!
So many threads where the men can't care for their own children or do any housework or shopping.

Sorry for your loss It's great he helped out by cooking, but how about the rest? I was hypothesising what Christmas would look like without any input from women - no help, prompting, reminders or requests. Imagine we were all beamed up somewhere in mid November and didn't return until Christmas morning.

Some people have low literacy levels. What can you do? There are just so many daft men on here and silly women who enable lazy behaviour.
All the men in my life are perfectly competent!

Can I come to yours for Christmas please? @mathanxiety Looks like you've found a nice balance.

You reminded me of a few more to add to the list:

Wreath making workshops
Baking mince pies and chocolate Yule log
Extra stocking fillers, individually wrapped (including small items like pens)
Secret Santa gifts for colleagues
The dreaded work Christmas party
Movie marathon sleepover
Charity fundraiser event

For those with school aged kids, extras to consider might include:

Practicing lines or music and making costumes for the Nativity play/concert
Gifts for the teachers
Writing Christmas cards for the whole class(es)
Mufti/Christmas jumper/themed day
Christingle and/or carol service at church
Christmas fair
End of term projects
Party/lunch/disco

Some of the activities on these lists might be small or trivial but they still need factoring in and it all adds to the mental load.

Thank you.

I wouldn't say that he just helped out. He was older than me and retired first. As soon as that happened, he took on the housework. He was very good at organising everything else.

He did ask me to buy the presents for his side of the family - only 4 to buy and we discussed it.