If men were left to organise Christmas themselves

[Fiddlesticks32]

AIBU to think it would be an absolute disaster?

And what would it look like?

I've been with my husband for 47 years, and in all that time, he's never bought a card or present (I've done it all), wrapped or written anything, posted cards, put decorations up - nothing (yes, it's my fault). He actually said we ought to just buy gift cards for all our family members, including the grandchildren.............😂

My DH does all the food shopping, prepping and cooking. I literally don’t have to think about that. I do presents. A fair split in my view.

My late husband was far more in to Christmas and certainly organised better decorations and gifts than I do now - with a sense of proportion about what actually mattered. But I am good at food and wine!!! The best Christmases we ever had were generally with (male) gay friends, who stereotypically I know hosted the most amazing relaxing, convivial and yet perfectly on-point days. So no, I don’t subscribe to your theory. Quite the reverse.

My husband would buy about 15 overpriced fancy Christmas cakes of different types (which no one would eat) buy huge normal sized presents as stocking g fillers and decorate the house in 1970s ott decorations

Food would be great. No decorations, no activities, no gifts

Everything would be a little more last minute and stressful without my husband. He does the majority of the gift shopping, 90% of the wrapping and most of the cooking on the day. I do the food shop and I'm designated driver for parties.

When we met he had a tree I hated. All matching decor and boring. We now enjoy my annual Christmas tree melt down where I weep over broken lights etc.
he does the food shop and all the cooking. I do presents. He’d be fine. I make it more magical I’ve decided I do.

Idk. I'd like to see what they looked like for comparison's sake.

In this house Christmas dinner would look the same. Presents would be bought later but with less of an eye on budget. Christmas decorations would go up later. The finishing touches, Christmas cards/crackers/ Christmas bedding probably would be lost. There definitely wouldn't be that driving force of needing everything to have achieved some godly level of neat and tidy so that everything would look just-so. There'd be no guilt over any dropped balls.

Fuck it, it sounds nice.

We'd go to an amazing and very convivial pub for drinks.

There would be lots of social and cultural stuff arranged.

Plenty of booze and nibbles.

Decent but rather haphazardly wrapped presents.

A few cards sent. No decorations.

Crisps for dinner (although he'd probably arrange to impose on a relative in lieu of cooking dinner)

Mr Monkey is very good at sorting the social side of Xmas. He has no real interest in the "big day" or a fancy meal.

Lower key, less perfectionist, less martyrdom, less guilt about whether the kids have got enough or alternatively too many presents, more boundaries about not spending Xmas in a way you don't want to etc ...

Men do have plus points!! We need both men and women.

If I didn't have my DH to ground me our Xmas would be totally neurotic 🤣

One of the best xmases last year was when DH and his three brothers cooked Xmas dinner with us girls chipping in with getting drinks etc and handing them round to the older folks and trying to contain the kids.

It was not perfect but if was a lot of fun!

My husband does the Christmas food shop and the all the cooking, he also lugs home the Christmas tree. I’m generally in charge of decorating but he does help, especially with the lights. I do the Christmas presents, he’s not good at lots of little gifts, he’d just be very extravagant, which isn’t a bad thing but just expensive.

Tbh I’d be happy to leave him in charge of everything, we’d have a great Christmas. It’s me that would be the problem, if i was in charge of food, well it would be edible but it wouldn’t be great! And I would pad it out with lots of M&S oven food rather than the proper home made stuff.

It would be brilliant. It would be much less fuss. DH and I are relaxed about Christmas. It is just a day. Like birthdays, weddings etc. Don't care about food, gifts or decorations. The expectations seem to always be from women in society.

If my DP was asked to organise Christmas he'd go out on Christmas eve and spend about four times more than I do with my frugal planning and bargain hunting. He'd buy what he felt like for each person in accordance with his perception of what they'd like, with no thought to being 'fair' or proportionate. So the neighbours might end up with a case of champagne, and me a cat calendar. The food would be all treat stuff and the biggest turkey available and maybe sprouts. Other veg and basics wouldn't be bought because "we have them, don't we?" He's a good cook but very very slow so the food would be ready by boxing day. However, he is the best fun. So whatever happened it would be a blast. In fact I'm talking myself into putting my control freakery aside and handing him the reins.

The food and drink would be brilliant. The tree might not happen, or decorations. Cards definitely wouldn't happen. Presents would be a last minute, hastily wrapped collection but no less thoughtful or lovely for that.

DH does most in my house too. I do like buying presents for the DC but one year I even left that too late so he went to Smyth's on about the 22nd and bought it all at once! He said he really enjoyed it.

I have been in the horrible sick tired phase of pregnancy at Christmas twice which probably helps as that was the push that got him to do dinner the first time. But he did a fair amount of his own accord.

Brilliant! And maybe a cow pat.

My OH arranges most of it anyway so if I were to do it I suspect I would miss things out.🎄

Sounds like much of MN could use to do Christmas the simple man way from ghis thread.

Ours would be more or less same. Less decorations most likely and more food. I taught him Christmas. He knows good standard only, no one ruined him before😂

It’d probably be a lot more of a laugh.

Lets be honest, a lot of it is doing stuff you think you should do not stuff you actually want to do.

I’d prefer a curry to a Christmas dinner, but guess what, I’m getting Christmas dinner.

I think men would be much more open to doing what we want.

There would definitely be plenty of booze .

If most men were left to organise Christmas by themselves, Mary would have given birth on the back of the donkey about two miles out of Nazareth...

It would be perfect! DP did xmas when I was pregnant with twins. We had my parents one day and his 2 days later..it was.amazing and I did nothing!

Very much depends on the man.

My DF, there just wouldn't be a Christmas. He wouldn't care.

My DP would work really hard to make it happen. Well chosen, well wrapped gifts, lovely surprises all of our favourite food including a full Christmas dinner, a full house with everyone mucking in.
He'd also make sure DC’s are responsible for clearing up after the meal. ( as he does every year)
He was married before I met him and he always layed on Christmas ( and all packing for holidays) when he was married, for his family and four DC’s
He is a well trained good one!

My husband's other wife! We have a very low-key Christmas but if it was up to my husband we'd have a non-existent Christmas, I think. Would not be the end of the world. We've already more or less given up on gift giving (adult children get bank transfers to spend as they like) and cards. Decorations limited to tree. Special food is my line in the sand, and I really enjoy sorting all of that out. Husband lights the candles for Christmas dinner. That's about it.