Who else has a quiet Christmas?

[MamaPizza]

Our Christmas is the same every year: Me, DH and DS. Presents in the morning, roast turkey for lunch, a long walk with the dog in the afternoon and Christmas films in the evening. Boxing day is pj day with lots of films and games. We don't see anybody and just make three close family phone calls. I love it this way, but all those adverts and looking around on the boards make me think that we are 'weird' (can't find the right word) and that we are the only ones who don't spend Christmas with other family members. Is there anybody else who has a quiet Christmas or does everybody else have the huge extended family madness celebrations?

And for the record, New Year's Eve we also don't go out and party. Quiet at home and if we manage to stay awake till midnight we watch the firework on TV.

i do a bit in between. last year i had my sister over, and a good friend with her little boy as she had just had surgery and wasnt feeling up to cooking. plus, me, db and my four kids. it was good. boxing day was mad as i always have an open house and usually anywhere between 15 and 50 people pass through my house for a drink and nibble at some point. but i love it that way. was wierd last year though as someone was missing (my nan who always came for christmas passed away last august)

DH and I have christmas day on our own since FIL died, and even then it was just the three of us. When I was a child it was usually Mum, Dad and me, sometimes part of the day without Dad if he had to work.

DH and I have no parents alive now and are only children, so no siblings or nephews/nieces and no other relatives living close.

We do similar to you, presents, cook roast chicken lunch while listening to classic fm Christmas music/carols, eat, short walk (no dog), wash up. Later have a snacky supper and trifle in front of TV.

We don't think it strange. After all the posts on MN about relatives and arguments to do with Christmas, I feel quite lucky that we are able to please ourselves. Big family celebrations only work if everyone gets on and are willing to help make it good for everyone else.

We don't go out on Christmas eve or NYE unless invited, we wouldn't choose to go out to a big dinner or party at a hotel or restaurant say; but would prefer to see a few friends for a drink at home kind of thing. This doesn't always happen, just depends who's not gone away.

The last big family Christmas we did (DH & I, Dsis & her DH & DC, DM, DF, Sis, SGM) was so hideous I have vowed to never do a family Christmas again. "D"M behaved so atrociously we were all either stressed to the eyeballs or completely pissed. There was no respite and I needed until the end of February to dry out!

The last couple of years we've just had Christmas for the two of us at home, and have had the most amazing Christmases of my life - they were all very stressful at home. We don't get dressed, don't speak to anyone, and spend the day lazily cooking/drinking/presenting/shagging.

This year we're skiing, again just the two of us. The plan is to do this every year as we avoid all the politics and hassle.

i will be having a quiet one, I always do. I have an extremely small extended family anyway so its just me, the youngest two's dad and the kids. My eldest two will spend part of thier day with thier dad and my mum will come for her tea.

Thats it.

Good to read we are not alone. It always seems that it is frowned upon but I really love it the way it is. And no, Natasha, sorry but I won't swap .

I just don't get the hype about all the preparations beforehand, when people try to organize the perfect family dinners, decoration etc.. We eat around lunchtime when we are hungry, and it's just like any other Sunday dinner, just with turkey. If I feel like it we will probably get some crackers, but more for DS to have some fun with. We stay in our (albeit clean) pyjamas for most of the day and just enjoy being a family. Isn't this what it is all about?

Girlywhirly, you are so right. If everyone got on with each other it would be lovely, but whose family is like that? I hated the "pretend, everything is ok" for Christmas and it ended up in arguments with my siblings anyway, so I am glad we are not in touch with them anymore. I wouldn't want to try and please anyone just for the sake of it.

Oops, turning out to be a rant? Sorry. Just wanted to see if others are enjoying the quietness of Christmas :)

I lived in Bucks as my two girls were growing up so we had no family at all near us. Every Christmas was spent with just the four of us. A few years ago we moved back to the North East and now we have huge get togethers and either host or attend several gatherings over a few days. We love it, probably because we had so many years where Christmas was quiet. I don't regret the quiet years at all but I do enjoy making the most of having family near by. There is no right or wrong way to celebrate Christmas, as long as you are happy then carry on.

But for what it's worth not all families are just 'pretending' to get along, some families actually do!

I am already getting excited about Christmas day which we spend quietly at home just myself, DH, and 2 DC's. We barely even make phone calls. One year we woke to find the house enveloped in a thick 24 hour fog and it was as if we were the only people in the world - magical. We both come from big families and will see large numbers of them and other loved ones over the holiday period but Christmas day is just for lazing with the wee boys and we love it that way. There is no other day of the year when we all just chill out all day and enjoy watching films etc together, playing with new toys, eating too much (low maintenance) food and maybe taking a little walk along the shore if we feel like it. Some years we even buy disposable bakeware and fancy paper plates/cups and wooden cutlery so that no-one even has to do the dishes. No ought-to's or got-to's all day. Bliss! I blame (bless) my mum for this - when the first of her children got married she banned him - and subsequently all of us - from spending Christmas day with her and my dad so that we would never have to choose between them, our in-laws or a quiet day at home with our future children. Wise woman because it means we all make time to spend with her together on Boxing Day without fail and she presumably gets the quiet and lazy day she wants for Christmas too.