To want someone (anyone) else to do Christmas one year?

[Quattrocento]

Every year we have two Christmas things. One for my extended family around now (tomorrow in fact) and one on Christmas day.

The thing is, apart from the DCs no-one actually helps at all and it gets quite chaotic.

Take tomorrow. A meal for 14. Canapes, starters, main course, puddings, coffees. It takes a lot of shopping and organisation and stuff. Not to mention the cooking. And no-one blardy well helps.

My cousins roll up cheerily with a bottle of wine, head for the living room and merrily get plastered. Aunts and uncles ditto. Mother ditto. Great aunt ditto. When Great Aunt has a sip of wine she is given to making Pronouncements which offend nearly everyone in the room.

So in between sorting out the food I have to run inside and defuse the atmosphere created by a Pronouncement.

I would really really like a member of my family, or anyone elses for that matter to offer to do Christmas. For one year. Or maybe just even help clearing the table ...

AIBU

Okay, I'll try delegation. Not tomorrow obviously, but for Christmas day maybe.

do the delegation on monday.

plenty of time for them to dream up or even go to a shop and find something else.

and why feel guilty?

seriously?

you're providing the venue, the table and chairs and whatnot.

that's valuable, non?

it's about having a good time and feeling you contributed.

so let 'em. if it's storebought, so? you'll still eat it/enjoy it.

And if you can't do delegation, gin and tonic looks like sparkling water. Get it down your neck!

Ask yourself a question, Quatro. Do you enjoy hosting all your family? If it is getting to be a chore, stop it and let someone else take over the mantle.

You have done it for long enough.

I like this response from Expat:-

Seriously, make a list.
Delegate.
Don't like it, tough.
You Brits do too much.
There's no 'I' in 'team'.

Quattro - its also hard work being a martyr to these people. Delegate them stuff to do, if they don't like it tough. Its yoru house, take charge and rope your H in too. And why do they come to yours every year?.

You cook a 4 course meal for 14? *is in awe

Now stop being a matyr (in the nicest possible way) and listen to Expat.

The following drinks are colourless and can be inserted into a soft drink without your mother knowing (unless she actually tastes your drinks).
Vodka
Gin
Bicardi (personal favourite)
Peach schnapps
malibu

Okay, the cooking is done. Possibly six different types of canape was a mistake. I have started a plan for delegating and I have started drinking.

As to why no-one else does it, why indeed? Every year I suggest tentatively that someone else might like to do it. Every year this suggestion gets vetoed.

Anyhow its done now and I shall be drunk by the time they arrive ...

Looking forward to it actually. Even the pernicious Great Aunt.

I like to delegate to M&S, pay huge wodge of money, Christmas Dinner arrives ready to bung in the oven. Very liberating, have lunch party for 10 tomorrow, just have to remember to go to shop, pick up goods, put on oven and chill the wine.

Do let us know how sozzled you get and who Great Aunt offends this year.

Delegate, and forewarn everybody this year that next year YOU'D like to enjoy Christmas too, so you'll be getting the caterers in and it will cost X per head, so everyone will have to stump up the cold hard stuff.

we always go to mil's for eid. she does a big cookup. my sil, who live s with her, probly resents it. but, i did it one year with her, and have no desire to ever do it again.
although i do help set thetable, and clear up. i dont stay for very long. and have no desire to do so either. should mil stop wanting to do it, i wouldnt be doing it.
you have to decide what isacceptable to you. and either do it with good grace, orjust not bother.

Expat - there is a flaw in this geeting drunk plna - standing up is a porblem.

lol

Perhaps this time, rather than 'tentatively suggesting' that someone else does it, you should tell them that you won't be doing it then gaze round the room and ask who is going to step up. Perhaps wait until you have had two or three of the colourless drinks mentioned previously, for courage.