Do you feel Christmassy?

[Diamondsbutnoknickers]

I dont and no one I know does either, even people who normally love Christmas and the build up just seem so flat and like they cant be arsed this year.

We're only even recognising it because of our kids. But even they are feeling bah humbug. They don't even want Christmas dinner this year! 😪

For us too. We are off to our local Abbey to light a candle on Xmas for DD best friend who she lost this summer, I can't begin to imagine how her parents are coping this week.

I am usually the one who hates Christmas but this year I am thankful to have my DC with me, I don't need to spend a shit ton of money I just want us all together. There is way too much pressure and expectation around Christmas when it is just another day in reality.

No. I’ve got cancer, in pain and a CT scan on 31st December 31st. Thankfully my kids are young adults and we aren’t hosting anyone but them. I want to stay in my bed!

Not in the slightest.

Feels like October

Yep, very Chrismassy here :)

But we don't have children so our idea of "Christmas" is probably very different to most of MN. We have the tree up and fairy lights on, the food shop has been done and put away and we're both off work until January 5th so absolutely no stress or pressure on either of us.

I've just opened the Christmas cheese and am curled up under a blanket with a Baileys watching a film. The Quality Street are on the table and I had a mid-afternoon Mince Pie as well.

Tomorrow I'm off out with a friend for a dog walk and coffee/cake while DH does a few bits in town. I absolutely love this time of year.

I'm sorry to hear that💐

No, and it's a big bummer. I get seasonal affective disorder and Christmas keeps me going, but it's not hitting this year. Really dreading January tbh.

I very thankfully have beautiful baby DD after years of secondary infertility, but i'm feeling very much in the newborn fog and DS6 is being very annoying clingy and I feel like I haven't left town or slept properly in fucking ages.

You're in luck...it turns cold from tomorrow night.

Sorry, cancer is really shit and unfair, as is waiting on a scan.

Sure do! Just spent the last couple hours wrapping gifts. Tree is looking pretty, the mantle candles are lit and yesterday we (my DD and I, I’m a widow and my son lives away and is working through Christmas Eve) had a try of the Yule log (M&S, extremely chocolatey and moist). Tomorrow we bake sugar cookies! So yes we are feeling very Christmassy indeed. How my friends are feeling I don’t know.

No, didn’t last yeat either as kids are older now (11 & 15) not as many “christmassy” things now like crafts, santa visits, parties etc & not the excitement you get with younger kids either. Also we spend christmas day just us and the kids as husbands family live abroad and my parents are dead so no where to go or people to see. Bit lonely although we do try to have a nice day together theres nothing to look forward as as its like plenty of other days so its a bit “meh” no stress & suit ourselves with dinner so no pressure on me but i miss visitors. Thought it might be peri last year as felt flat in general but i think its just that that stage is over for us & next year we are going out for dinner for a change! Might even do a few days away. Take a couple of token gifts to open in the morning. See if thats more exciting and a change be nice

That's interesting, what do you think it will be like?

Yes I do, and my family do too. We have a fairly simple and not too expensive Christmas but love it.
Almost all the houses in my area are decorated with lights so that helps.
The weather has changed from rain to dry and brighter, and this weeks forecast is good.
I'm excited to get the Christmas food out on Christmas Eve

Yes and I'm keeping it fairly low key. Just having a mince pie and saying Merry Christmas while lights are twinkling is enough for me today to make me feel christmassy. Plus getting a Christmas card from my step son saying thanks for being a gentle and positive person in his life meant a lot.

Not at all. Could really do without it. Adult kids that do their own thing a lot. DP works shuts down and he has to use holidays we would prefer to use elsewhere in the year.

I think it's a knock on from the general feeling of shitness and misery that is shrouding this country.

I think on the whole, people feel negative about the future of this country, our children's futures. The government, councils and services are reminding us how shit this country is getting on a daily basis. The country is littered with more and more rubbish, communities are dying, children can't play out in the streets anymore.

It's hard to put on a show of joy and hopefulness when generally there is a feeling of, when this is over, it'll still be winter, everything will still be too expensive, dirty and shit, Starmer the c*nt will still be in power and we're getting older and will be fatter next week.

I genuinely am trying to feel Christmassy though. For my kids.

Not massively at the moment. I've been ill from December 1st and been chasing my tail for weeks while being too ill to make much headway. I was just getting somewhere yesterday when my hoover broke and now I am held up again waiting for the new one to be ready to collect, should have been this morning.

Still feeling very tired but once I get the house cleaning finished tomorrow I'll feel christmassy, got a few movies lined up and have started on the Christmas Music.

For many reasons, no. Not at all Christmassy this year.

I'll be fine on the day and will enjoy our Christmas dinner out at a local restaurant with my DDs and DH. Then I will go to visit my elderly mother for a couple of days but after that no more festivities and I will be relieved.

I hate it starting too early, and only really want to get going a week before Christmas, as it's been around since September. Then suddenly lots of people whip their trees down on Boxing Day because "they're sick of looking at all the tinsel". No shit, Barbara; your bling's been up since the summer. I like it up until into the New Year, but everyone seems determined to begin Miserable January asap. This year, I've felt more festive as everyone else has been less festive than usual!

I think Christmas's gone by and the excitement are long gone. I think community spirit and even pub culture used to have such a big impact on the enjoyment of Christmas where people would meet up with friends and family and have a good time. Shops are struggling and the high street is a depressing place to go these days. Everything is cut back, employers don't even really do a party anymore (which I'm sure is good news to some!)

People buy what they want year round nowadays and kids get things all year round too. People ask what someone would like for Christmas but in reality the things people would love most isn't exactly a realistic gift (as it costs £££s) so they just say i don't mind and recieve candle/smellies/chocolates because that's a realistic price tag. Having things all year round has taken the magic of Christmas away and the same with sales, nowadays shops have sales leading up to Christmas as well as all year round. With the likes of vinted etc people are also unlikely to want to pay full price in the shops so the shops have to reduce their stock to get rid of it.

Tv shows used to be great with Christmas specials where everyone watched them in real time together and there was always a movie premier on Christmas day.

The whole dynamic of Christmas has changed which is why we feel flat about the whole thing. Nowadays we have what we want anytime of year, can have any TV show/movie on demand we want whenever we want, sales all year round, no community spirit, pubs dying out so that's why Christmas now just feels like a hassle that a lot of people only do for the sake of kids.

It's definitely less Christmassy around this year I think.
I can't put my finger on what it is but something feels less this year somehow.

I have definitely noticed more people saying "it's just the 2/3/4 of us this year" or "we're having a quiet one" & I wonder if more people are reigning in their spending this year?

I did but at the moment I feel so bloody awful I couldn't care less.

So much for all my efforts to stay away from busy places and bugs 😪😷

You are right, it’s utter shit. I should be making the most of it, as it could be my last one. But not feeling it.

No but it doesn't surprise me. My DF is in hospital and there's no chance of him coming home anytime soon and my DD moved out this year, and whilst she's here for Christmas day itself, not having her around during the build up has felt very different. Everything is as it should be, presents wrapped, food bought, even a few Christmas movies watched, plans made over the next few days to see people while simultaneously vising DF, but I feel..meh.

I am really enjoying the Christmas buildup and our little traditions, but I do have young children who believe in Santa. I am really excited to see their little faces on Christmas morning!

The only thing I have noticed is that Christmas seems to have come up quickly this year. I also really miss family members that have died. I am however looking forward to a relaxed Christmas with my family, and having some nice cosy days with some indulgent treats!

You see taking the decorations down before New Year is tradition for us. It is nothing to do with being miserable. We like to start the new year fresh, not bringing last year into it in a sense. I also enjoy New year's eve so much more knowing house is all clean and lovely! I must admitt I do see neighbours houses still heavily decorated and think, "god I'm so pleased ours is sorted. We put our decorations up on 1st December, as we enjoy the build up the most, and once Christmas day is over, things do not seem the same. We usually take then down around 28th December. I don't feel sick of looking at them, I actually feel the build up has gone too quickly!