Weirdest, least christmassy Christmas ever

[Eyeswithoutafacey]

Did anyone else feel like this?

Someone posted this on threads & I totally agree

Then I go on twitter and this is the first thread I see
https://x.com/i/status/2004635002261369274

Felt a bit like that. I’ve been excited for Christmas for ages, like as soon as Halloween’s over then I start getting excited… I was… until I wasn’t . It wasn’t the decs, the music… I just was really festive until about a week ago when suddenly I wasn’t any more. I can’t explain it. Kids enjoyed it so that’s all that matters to me. DS turns 18 in 10 days so looking forward to that.

Last Christmas, I was recovering from abdominal surgery. The year before that, I was undergoing chemotherapy and spent all of Christmas being sick/laying on the bathroom floor. With all this in mind, am sure it is not a surprise that I was very much looking forward to Christmas this year. I had little planned, just a nice day at home, some good food, a little tv, and thoroughly enjoying not being in the midst of chemo/post-op. But, it felt really flat, almost like any other day/Sunday and not remotely Christmassy at all.

No, though it was lower key than originally planned as we should have gone to visit my family in the States this year, but my son couldn’t get the time off. So just the three of us but they are used to it (I’m a widow). But in my youth there was the five of us and always a few waifs and strays - my parents were ex pats and always invited a few who were very far from home. It was always a big celebration. But now in my 60s it’s quiet if not abroad, but my kids (20 and 22) don’t seem to mind.
Christmas is always a bit anticlimactic though - so much build up and then it’s done.

It’s just part of getting older, we get less good at faking it. Then we get sad because we feel like we’re missing something that only really exists when you’re a child or in movies.

It starts earlier and earlier every year for some stupid reason so you’re happy to get it out of the way. If we didn’t start celebrating it till at least a couple of weeks before it would retain its allure but Xmas music from mid November is just batty

We haven’t felt Christmassy this year, started off well but fizzled out very quickly. We put it down to DS being stabbed, thankfully wasn’t life threatening. Then we all had the awful flu and got a chest infection, now I’m a the 2 week pathway for a biopsy and some bloods have come back off too. Grandma died two weeks before Christmas too. Youngest DS also has his ASD assessment which I need to finish the questionnaires on. I’m not even going to say happy new year because I’m dreading January. Yesterday felt flat and I was in the mind of what if it’s my last.

Getting older, too much adulting.

I actually think the Christmases I enjoyed the most were when I was a young adult / 20s - plenty of spare cash, time spent with friends, pub on Xmas Eve, some friends and family had small children so seeing them all excited, a feeling of “coming home” as I worked in an industry that shut down for two weeks and my parents still hosted, lovely days of reading and walks and more pub.

but after that it all just piled up - grandparents dying, moved into a bigger house and started hosting, friends moving about and starting families and staying in their family units… it all happened slowly and now I’m the adult and my parents are getting older and my in-laws are very elderly and work is 24/7 through the festive period and I have less money and less time and more stuff to do and it’s not the same and I wish it was 2005 again and I could go to the pub & eat chocolate and read instead of cleaning the kitchen on fucking repeat.

Feel this 100% too x

"Christmas" has been running on fumes since we ditched Christ in favour of the secular consumerist tat-mas. Without the miracle at the heart of it, it is just another day, devoid of any of the glory, mystery and awe a true Christmas is about.

I finished work at 7pm on Christmas Eve and was back at 9am today. I also felt decidedly unChristmassy this year.

Agree. Weird non-event this year. I'd happily give the whole thing a miss in 2026.

I agree it's part of getting older.
I've had 56 of the things now, and while they're perfectly pleasant, the family time, food, gifts, all very nice, it would be silly to imagine I'd feel the excitement I did as a child seeing my full stocking, or as a teen going out in my sparkly dress and getting a Christmas kiss from my crush, or a young parent watching my DC wait for santa.
It comes round with frightening speed. It's very similar every year, and sadly it takes more than that these days for me to 'feel' something rather than simply be here for it.
Next year we're going to travel somewhere else exciting instead. Because I will feel that.

I'm really sorry to hear about your Christmas and your mum. Yes, you're right, I have little ones and have just had an absolutely lovely Christmas, probably one of my best ever. As you say, different stages of life, and doubtless mine will shift as yours has. I do think one of the reasons why things generally feel so glum more widely currently, though, is partly a demographic imbalance - it's normal for enthusiastic and optimistic young people to become older people who are wiser and more realistic but who do have a strong sense that the best is behind them. But the balance between the two right now is unprecedented in our society, and I do think it explains a lot about our politics and general mood as a nation that nostalgia is so outnumbering youth.

I'm (probably)in perimenopause so everything just seems dull. Christmas felt like a thing to get through. My child is a teenager, bought our first house this year and my dog died so I feel exhausted. Probably drank too much as well. Ah well.

Feel your pain OP. Solidarity.

I think there are a few factors contributing to this.

1. Nobody has any fucking money, except the rich. So it was either scale down your Christmas or take on debt to provide some extravagant Christmas. Most of us chose to scale down.
2. Damn near everyone has been sick in either November or December, and a lot of the effects lingered even to Christmas.
3. People are getting more… insular, maybe is the word I want? I became a lot more gregarious and cheerful once I knew I wouldn’t be around much longer (might be my last Christmas) and I noticed 95% was me wishing people a happy Christmas and not them starting the greeting. (To whoever said no one said “merry Christmas” to them on their morning Christmas walk).
4. People, especially mums, take on SO MUCH in December. Wife work and the mental load seems to be increased by a factor of ten (everything from sending Christmas cards out to finding a present for Great Aunt Edna). Mums, and especially working mums: do you think Christmas would be better if your DH or DP took at least half the Christmas-related extra work?

Since I got ill, I have had some TRULY horrible Christmases, stuck in a flat with my exDH and the OW (I wish this was a joke, but I was disabled and he was my carer so we couldn’t just separate). In comparison to those, EVERYTHING feels festive. I don’t even get angry about stores starting in September - it’s just something to have a laugh over, as most of life is. And sometimes, yes, it is a choice of “if you don’t laugh, you’ll cry,” but even then, a laugh helps me through.

I’m absolutely not judging anyone who struggled this Christmas. It was a tough Christmas, for the reasons I’ve mentioned. It’s a tough world right now. I mean, we turned on the news Christmas Day and it was about Russia bombing Ukraine; no, that’s not going to make anyone feel festive. But every day is another chance to do the things that make Christmas special - have a nice family meal, think more about being kind and compassionate when dealing with others. The true meaning of Christmas IS something that can last all year, I promise you.

B&M was stocking Xmas products from August so it fees like the longest run up to Xmas this year and by the time it came I was just ready for it to be over

We are having the best Christmas in ages.

Late start, tree up on the 20th, visiting adult children and partners arrived 23rd. Long walks, country pubs, board games, fabulous Christmas dinner at home, family visiting for food and drinks.

Tonight, cosy sofa, fire and candles on, left over food, a Baileys and chocolate.

Looking forward to a couple of days of tv, jigsaws, before the NYE firework event.

Bliss!

Lots of the things we do at Christmas are things which were done at Yule, which pre-dates the Jesus-based festival. Lights, feasting, drinking, singing, Yule log, giving gifts, evergreen decorations. And telling stories. To many of us who are 'culturally Christian', the birth of Jesus is just a traditional story. Personally I very much enjoyed my family Christmas. I don't think there was any tat tbh.

I've loved it. We have one DD who is 17 now (Xmas eve birthday), but I still love seeing her face opening her presents.

Still have plenty of little ones in the close family to see their excitement of Santa being real.

I love having the free time and visiting friends and family who have time off the same time as I do.

I love cooking Christmas dinner and feeling so super relaxed, not commuting to work for a couple of weeks.

Eating decadent food (which I know you can do any time, but it seems more special at Christmas).

I'm glad you had a lovely Christmas. "Cultural Christianity" is far more than stories. It's the values our civilisation has been built on.. People think they're only stories but don't realise the water they're swimming in is actually different from other waters.

I honestly think the structure and traditions of Christmas Day are kind of shit.

The centrepiece of the day is…a roast? Then we sit around for hours on end with family who we likely see or at least talk to very regularly? And if we’re very adventurous there may be…a walk.

I mean, what is to get excited about? I’m pretty sure it cost me a grand and I didn’t enjoy a single minute. I’m not doing it this way ever, ever again.

It's been an awful year.
I've spent 12 months supporting an elderly frail relative,
2 x dc who had serious issues due to stress and college/uni work,
Dh who is stressed with work,
supporting a bereaved fanily member...
I'm utterly done in.
We had a nice Christmas, but I'm really tired.
I think I need to step back a bit from supporting next year...I don't have anything left to give tbh.

I didn’t feel ‘Christmassy’ once:
Mild weather
Christmas tat and terrible Christmas music in all the shops far too early
Kids all grown up and married - no grandchildren yet so no little ones around

We had a lovely Christmas spending time with family and a few days out, but none of us felt particularly Christmassey this year as we've all had the horrible cold going around which put a bit of a dampener on things :(