Aibu to think the Middle Class have a much nicer Christmas from the run up to the event itself?

[Mincepiesorpigsinblankets]

Just from observing friends & family. The more mc ones seem to have a fabulous, jam packed festive period with lovely events scheduled & nice traditions. Aibu in my thinking?

I'm middle class and we don't do anything at Xmas! Arguably, the more MC you are, the more understated you're likely to be. But this is where we have to add that class is nothing to do with money - what used to be called the "nouveau riche" are not MC (channelling my inner Jilly Cooper here!).

Great, another class thread. 🙄🍿

Not sure you understand the meaning behind Christmas if this is your take on advent, I don't recall any mention of class in the Nativity story. Perhaps you could enlighten us?

Maybe the moment Mary and Joseph were able to drop their bags off at the stable, they used the down time during early labour to erect a display of outdoor lights with such gaudy working class abandon that the three wise men were in no doubt about their whereabouts but there was local mutterings about how they were jeopardising the house prices?

Money make thing easier - with more money when kids were growing up would have done more pantomimes, theaters trips and markets ect than we did - so agree there.

However middle class is harder - more groups/activities all of who do Christmas events/parties I suppose - when my DC were doing a few of those I just found it stressful more stuff to buy things for and remember about though kids enjoyed it but years since they stopped doing things like that don't seem to miss them.

Sort of depends though some mc friends come from music/am dram/church more community minded backgrounds - so they have a historical family links to activities around this time of year- that's not just "middle class" but a certain section of it and they tend to get very busy.

Duh. You think a story that begins with a family with someone who gives birth in a stable because they can’t find accommodation in a journey, then become refugees because a ruler institutes a genocide, and whose child grows up to be an itinerant preacher who hangs out with prostitutes and, tax collectors and other lowlife types, preaches in favour of poverty being a virtue, and who is executed as an incitor of rebellion isn’t about class?

This is an awful POV. We are firmly working class and have a lovely build up to Christmas.

Well, I’d say YANBU.
when my kids were little the children in their class with more money did tend to do more ( particularly things like Christmas panto )
my kids had the Argos catalogue - which they absolutely loved I must say

I always thought that when I was growing up, the more 'working class' the family, the more festive they were. Like tons of decorations everywhere, massive tree, lights, excess of gifts, everything up on 1st Dec.

I guess maybe there weren't so many of those Winter Wonderland style places years ago. If there was something like that then you'd still go, but only be able to buy one treat. Now I think a hot chocolate is a tenner or more?
There used to be more free activities and stuff at Xmas I think.

The more posher families I know always seem a bit less christmassy. More understated.

It isn’t necessarily money. We’re MC and always have a packed December but many of the events are free or inexpensive. I’d never spend £100+ on seeing Santa and we avoid Christmas markets like the plague. We go to the local national trust Santa which is way more affordable and do things like watching a street nativity play, carol singing, illuminations, maybe a trip to the cinema, the Christmas tree farm is also a big event for us and just decorating, baking and enjoying the fun. A lot of it is also endless school and extracurricular Christmas events so it feels like it never ends.

We have a lovely time. You are totally wrong to claim money does not matter though. We walk around looking at lights people put up. You get the occasional house really decked out, but most are nowhere near as good as paid light trails. That is why people pay for them.
We have already been to a christingle service, a xmas tree festival at a church and are going to a carol service this weekend.
These are all free, which is why we can go to them. They are fun.
But I would LOVE to have the money for us all to go to the Nutcracker. I have been once and loved it. I would love us all to go on a light trail at a stately home. But even though there are always people saying it "ONLY" costs so much, that ONLY is too much. So we do what we can.

Most people do not seem to understand the nativity story.

I have always enjoyed the week before Christmas more than Christmas itself and I try to book things to make sure that we have lots of fun and interesting things to do.
Rather than presents and stuff which I think if you’ve got to be a bit more careful financially you probably do need to buy some new shoes, jeans coats, hats, gloves, pants iPads, etc as Christmas presents.

Agreed!

Congrats, I guess?

Nothing to do with class and everything to do with being organised.

In my experience it’s more w/c people who pay to go to Lapland UK, see the Christmas lights at a stately home, do all kinds of activities. Upper middle class people might do a panto or a visit to a local Grotto, with a church Crib service or Christingle on Christmas Eve.

It's my WC friends who do all the pre-Christmas nonsense like markets and elf on the shelf. My MC friends dont bother!

Isn't that the same all year round and I think it's more related to disposable income than anything else. Our kids are already doing lots of fun xmas stuff at school. I've booked a light trail back in September for us to do in a fortnight. I booked this years panto last December, it's in Edinburgh and is expensive. We've decided that next year we will go to a local panto instead which will be less than half the price for a family of 5. Next year we are going to do a local light show(it's in the town over from us, it's free but they ask that you give a donation to charity). I'm taking 2 of our kids to disney on ice this weekend and we are all going to the Irn bru festival on boxing day. My dh is taking 2 of the kids to a hobbycraft event next weekend.

We would normally do a light trail, panto and the irn bru festival every year but because they are booked at different time throughout the year I don't feel the pinch as I would if they all had to be paid for in the same month. We also don't do much in the way of entertaining specifically over December apart from Christmas day as we are Muslim so no shelling out on toys or gifts either.

I think the big divide is people with close families Vs those without at Christmas. It's much easier to have a busy, full, happy Christmas if you have lots of close family. You host one day and then probably go to multiple gatherings/ parties/ meals in return. If your more on your own then it takes a lot more effort and money to make that festive feeling.

I know what you mean. It's not class as such but finances. I've seen Longleat festival of light, then a trip to Lapland then it will be matching pyjamas and expensive gifts and an instagram worthy display of perfect tables and decorations and expensive gifts.
I just can't afford to do things like this, Christmas has always been basic, minimal spending on activities because I just can't afford it.
We had traditions when my children were younger, but they were free things like making cakes or visits to garden centres. The only time we went to a pantomime was when I won tickets in the local paper.

I think if you have money to spend it's always easier but doing events depends on other things as well. Eg my children are teenagers now and I'm enjoying not being stressed out trying to get to all the different events. We have one big family get together and that is it. I would like us to go ice skating between Christmas and new year but I don't know if we will have time as my older teen only has 2 weeks off and wants to spend time with friends etc. I don't think going to the theatre at Christmas is a class thing necessarily but depends on how much money/ time you have.
I don't have any spare cash but I also don't have the time to do lots of events. Xx

I don't think it's about class, but how much time you have. Obviously more money means more options and things to splurge on, but there are a lot of free/cheap events a working class family can do.

All the Christmas crafting bollocks, gingerbread houses etc, I've never had time for it. Christmas comes around quick if you work full time.

We don't have traditions in our house really. We just do what we fancy or have time for.

It's got nothing to do with class. It's just money. People who can afford to do lots of nice things - whether they're a builder or a lawyer - do them, regardless of class background.

The 'Middle Class' is a huge generalisation. The term covers much from ordinary, struggling, comfortable to rich. Therefore I don't think what you say is accurate though it may be so for your personal friends. Plenty of people with young families feel the pinch regardless of their social status. I know we did back in the 1980s/90s, money was tight. We did our best and tried to have a good time but it was an anxious time. It's no different now, everyone's income varies tremendously.

Why be concerned about it? You just do what you can for your family and don't worry about others. Comparison is pointless.

Oldies like me can discreetly give a helping hand to younger ones, that's one advantage to getting old :-).

I’m working class, always have been, but I’ve always had great Christmas times. 🤷‍♀️

I got a £15 plain wreath from Dunelm and added some bows I made from cheap Temu ribbon🤣very much working class. You don't need a £120 workshop.