To think the biggest difference between family Christmas' is whether you dress up or not

[Namechange234567]

This is a light-hearted one after some frankly depressing threads this morning!

But after having a few blended Christmas' now the biggest difference doesn't seem to be when you eat, whether you have turkey or not, if you have alcohol from 6am onwards but whether you dress up. My family is firmly in the pyjamas from Christmas Eve to boxing day camp, we might throw on some different leggings to go for a walk, but hey we're wearing big coats so is it really needed?! But we then go to some houses and suddenly everyone is super fancy, wearing heels inside the house and maybe even changing again for dinner.

I feel like all Christmas invitations should come with a dress code!

YABU = No clearly there's something else to watch out for with a Christmas invite because other families are crazy
YANBU = I've also been incorrectly dressed at another family's Christmas

I can't stand or understand PJ's in the day! Do you wear them with underwear?! Do you keep them on when you go to sleep, or change into different PJ's?! If it's between 9am and 9pm and I'm in PJ's I just feel yucky.

Equally I think heels of any sort should be blasted off the face of the planet. Why would you wear them anywhere let alone in the house!

I never knew I had that strong feelings... We do Christmas jumpers and jeans/leggings/whatever :)

I’m really curious about where on the thread you saw it suggested that people should wear pyjamas to visit someone else’s home?

As a child we used to dress smartly from the 23rd to 27th. I absolutely loved it and have carried on the tradition with my own DCs. I'd feel so scruffy in pyjamas for days.

I didn’t say it was the only joy in life.

Heels?! Ridiculous

So it seems there's definitely more people in the dress up bucket!

Couple of bits to answer...

We're a very spread out family so when I say we're at other people's houses or they're at ours it's always a minimum of arriving on Christmas Eve leaving the day after boxing day not leaving our house at midday to pop to someone else's. In those situations I've come down in leggings and a Christmas jumper and everyone else is super fancy or they've stayed at ours and arrived downstairs suited and booted for breakfast.

And for those asking where the joy is if you can't dress up, we just have different things bringing us joy! I hate dressing up, it reminds me of being a child in uncomfortable clothes I can't get comfy in! PJs all day brings me joy!

Sorry forgot to answer the other frequent question about underwear and how long!

So everyone still showers, but not necessarily first thing but in dribs and drabs through the day. Putting on clean PJs/lounging about leggings after. And I always wear underwear with my PJs! There was another thread on that recently, I can't remember the divide it ended up with but there was definitely people in both camps

Jeans, are not comfortable.
If the house is warm you dont need to get all dressed up in jumpers etc, you end up getting all hot anyway.

You need to feel comfortable on xmas day especially if your eating Christmas dinner too.
I've heard it all now a colored dress code for the day.
Why do you need to.put pressure on people and try and control things
That is what a dress code is. Just let people where what they want too.

You said:

‘Aw if you don’t dress up for Christmas Day where’s the joy in life?!’

Well, erm, in lots of other things for many other people.

You are nit picking. It means its part of life’s joys not the only thing.

I’m in the pj’s camp definitely

I’m not. To question where the joys are if you don’t dress up for Christmas, which is what you did, is to imply people don’t have any. There are loads of things to find joy in, so why question it?

Up, dog walk in scruffs. Shower, and nice casual clothes.

Pyjamas in the daytime make me feel tired!

Merry Christmas

Back in the day, we always dressed up (if dressing up extends to my Sunday best essentially). Now I put on some nice jeans and a Christmas jumper.

I'm in the "you do you" camp. I like dressing up and do. DH in pyjamas camp so he does. Extended family who come christmas day and our own DDs love it as with 2 extremes anything goes!
😊

Clothes is a huge one, but I think present giving and Father Christmas is bigger. If all-presents-come-from-Santa mixes with Santa-only-brings-the-stockings that is potential for meltdowns from literally everyone.

Absolutely this! Love a bit of Christmas dressing with bucks fizz in hand! Makes the day feel more special.

I would wear something comfortable but Christmassy. I wouldn’t dream of going to someone else’s house wearing PJ’s but I assume you are taking about in your own home? Also would depend who you were with. I would feel really odd inviting people round who would probably be dressed in clothes suitable for being invited to someone’s house for dinner and greeting them my PJ’s!

Nice outfit for church in the morning but not hosting this year and not cooking this year (M and S oven food) so will be in my clean and new pj’s by 2pm watching tv.

Are the apostrophes after the word "Christmas" supposed to be decorations or something?

I’d feel like a scruff if I didn’t get up, shower, do my hair and makeup and change into something half decent

I never thought of it that way. I might have a pyjama day on Boxing Day but on Christmas Day I like to be fairly dressed up, even though I’m the one cooking! My husband likes to be comfier but he’s not the pyjamas type- he’ll be in shorts and a t-shirt or polo! My daughter quite likes to be in jammies if she isn’t going anywhere and one of my sisters is very firmly in the pyjamas camp! So in my house it’s a bit of a mix and I don’t care!
Other things I can see that differ between families include what time to eat (from the 12/1pm weirdos- sorry- to anything between 4 and 6pm- us), when to open presents, how to open presents (one at a time or a free for all), wrapping paper or no wrapping paper, secret santa or everyone buys for everyone, loving or hating turkey, buffet style or sit down meal and what time it’s considered acceptable to open the baileys…..

We were always fairly smart at Christmas. My ex-in-laws really dress up.

After separating from XH, I introduced a "glam to jam" rule, so DC could choose to dress up or just wear pyjamas all day. Personally, I do like to make a bit of an effort. After all the prep etc, I want it to feel a bit special. No jeans, though. Loose-ish dress to accommodate all the eating!

Now we do a blended Christmas with DP and his DC (we don't live together), I say the same. Though both sets of DC are now teens/young adults. They're generally more casual about dress, but my DC might feel like PJs, might feel like Christmas jumpers, might feel like dressing up, depending on their mood.

The main difference I feel is that we're a games and low tech on occasions family, and DP and his DC are watching films all day types, so the biggest compromise for us is finding a middle ground on that.

When I have time off to actually spend with the family, I'd like us to mainly be doing things together and then have a film and maybe something else on TV later, but I hate just sitting in front of the TV all day!

Have never worn PJs during the day,I have to be showered and dressed for my brain to function even when my babies were newborn.
Christmas Day I wear smart trousers / jeans and a Christmas TShirt if at home and cooking or a smart glittery jumper/ shirt .