Is this a strange/unusual way to be at Christmas?

[Hesafunnygeek]

Dh, dd, ddog and I live abroad.
This week we’ll finish off doing all the work do’s, school things, friends met ups, kids meet ups…from Monday onwards, I like to sort of half hibernate for Christmas if just us.
This involves a dog walk to the beach on Christmas eve, mince pie baking, carpet picnic, xmas music, stories etc.
Christmas day is the usual…present opening, I make a Christmas dinner for just us, play with toys, watch films, stay in pyjamas. Boxing day, much the same..maybe a dog walk thrown in. Most days of the holiday will continue like this, just us taking the dog to the beach, good food, pyjamas rest of the day, playing games. Dd will usually have a couple of her neighbour friends come to play with toys most days and she’ll
go to theirs. We may have a couple of days out to Christmassy things, although by Sunday we will have done so many of those things
Is it normal to not want to make arrangements or want to see friends etc the whole holidays (two plus weeks?)
When younger, Christmas meant flying home and to Christmassy places, lots of travel and excitement and going out.
Now, I can’t be as bothered with all that

I mean you’re not wrong to want to do that, but when Dd is older/married/living independently will you be happy for her to stay at home doing her own thing for two weeks, or would you expect to see her and her family?

I would say that’s probably the norm for Christmas for most people?

@HerSisterWasAWitch We can’t get back this year, have no family in the country we live in

We have only dc and not really any friends. Your Christmas is how ours has been for a decade now. Perfect..

@Spaceid Is it? that feels a bit better then! I assumed everyone met up with one another and arranged things, that’s how we used to be. Now we tend to do it all just before Christmas and then retreat a little

If you’re all happy, that’s what matters.

@Stormyweatheroutthere I make sure dd sees her friends on the street most days as she’s an only and also very sociable, but i’m happy to hide away a bit

Is this a stealth boast post?

‘Most years we travel to exciting places and do lots of things, but this year I’m just too tired so we’ll have a boring Christmas like everyone else’?

This sounds normal to me. Seeing family etc also sounds normal, but I don't think your Christmas is anywhere as unusual as people might think.

We have some Christmases that are more full on than others. Christmas Day is his family. But one of my favourite ones was when the days off fell well and DH and I had about 5 days off work just us basically dog walking and eating leftovers. I'm not sure I'd want to do it every year - but it was a nice change.

Things change, not every year has to be the same, I've done a lot of full on travelling home for Christmas as I don't live near my family, it's tiring, stressful (it's a ferry and a long drive), weather dependant and then sleeping on a blow up mattress in a relative's house. I'd rather go and see them at a different time of year - when the weather is nice for travelling!

@CautiousLurker01 What?

We don’t usually do that, I said in the past when younger/pre dc-20’s & 30’s…haven’t done that for years as cba. There is no boast there?

@BigDahliaFan Yes, exactly! I used to enjoy all the travelling, but know I’d not like it at all now

You have basically described every Christmas I have ever had 😂

It's normal/commonplace, but not the default, for people to have glitzy, busy Christmases with activities and days/evenings out galore. Being holed up at home enjoying presents, food and telly with an occasional walk is pretty much the definition of Christmas for me and many others.

YABU.

Your wholesome seaside set-up is neither Christmassy enough nor appropriately commercial.

Why aren't you harassing unsuspecting relatives, enduring Winter Wonderland (or whatever foreign equivalent you might have there), or taking on a sum of debt that will take you all of 2025 to pay off, to travel somewhere on surcharge prices where there is an imposter dressing up as Santa? You should not have a day spare.

In conclusion, your ways are both strange and unusual. You should rehabilitate yourselves by consuming influencer content, starting in January 2025, so you can join the rest of us normal (happy) folk for Christmas next year.

See you at Thorpe Park on Boxing Day 2025.

All sounds perfectly good to me. I usually hibernate over Christmas too except for walks and maybe go see some lights or something somewhere. The only thing I don't like is spending all day in PJs. I don't get dressed up but I do like to get dressed.

Isn’t your nuclear family also your family? I find this post odd. Everyone’s different.

Sounds like our Christmas but without a DD/DS! It's lovely and calm and peaceful

I assume that's how most people do Christmas
We don't have family to visit ,so that's normal to us