Please try and remember that it is only one day .....

[sandyballs]

...... and it isn't worth getting stressed over. Try and think of it as a Sunday dinner with crackers

You are so right! Last year I spent so much time prepping for christmas and in the end we all had raging flu on the day and the dc's had pizza for xmas dinner!

One day? No it is not.

We spread the joy as much as possible. Certainly don't get stressed about it. Ooh I love Christmas.

Oh I don't cook. I go to somebody else's house and let them cook. That helps. Everybody should do that. Sell it to them as a good idea.

We don't make a huge fuss
no poncery around food either
kids don't care as long as they get pressies
they don't cars if the turkey has been soaking in brandy for six months or the trifle has seventy yr old sherry in it

No it isn't. It's ages! And I like the preparation and the wind down as much as the day

Isn't there actually 12 days of christmas? :)

And advent.

You're wrong, there are 12 days of Christmas.

One day? We start NOW

We have no money and are all aloooooone (cue violins) for Christmas so we start making gifts and making a big deal about stuff we already have like the DVDs or traditions or crafty stuff. That's the only way I can make Christmas special living on a student loan

Luckily we enjoy the poncetastic stuff. DD is a 4yo poncer

No...it's a whole season for me! Yo ho ho

I agree that it is only a Sunday roast with crackers - and a festive centre-piece; table decorations; champagne etc. etc.

But one day? No, no, no. I drag it out as long as possible. Last year we had snow the weekend before Xmas so it had to start then and went on until 2nd January.

Decorations have to stay up until 12th night. 'Tis bad luck to take them down earlier, you know.

Ooooo, snow before Christmas. That's class that is.We only got mingy ol' February snow.

Sunday diner with crackers. With random family visiting for the following two weeks.Bringing randon gifts, and expecting one in return. And nothing decent on TV, and the kids off school for what seems like forever. And no friends around for two weeks, because they have gone off to visit family they can't stand, or have in laws staying.

As you said, it's just Sunday diner with crackers, and a very special breakfast, and high tea for granny. Repeated the next day for family you didn't see on the "actual" day.

Yep. We had friends round for sunday lunch and took the kids sledging in the afternoon. Walking home all the houses were full of twinkly lights.

One day!?!But the Christmas parties, concerts, get togethers & general merriment start in the first week of December! And end in the New Year. It lasts about 6 weeks as far as I am concerned. That's a significant chunk of the year. And if I don't prep well then the boring stuff will get in the way.

I'll go back to the Poncetastic thread now.....

whole month here! We are off to centre parcs on the 6th and it starts then! Won't finish until just before DS birthday in Jan!