Help me find my Christmas Spirit.

[perplexedpirate]

I used to love Christmas. I loved church, carols, Christmas dos, tree, lights, presents, the lot.
As the years have gone by I find myself enjoying it less and less. It's become stressful and expensive and, to be honest, it all feels a bit pointless.
However, normally by this point in the year I've got a bit of Christmas Spirit and bought presents, thought about putting the tree up etc.
This year I could not be less interested, I just want it to be over and for normal life to resume.
DS (5) doesn't seem all that bothered either and to be honest prefers Halloween anyway.
I don't want him to grow up with no Christmas memories though. What can I do to get the old Festive Magic going?

I was going to post something similar, I was going to ask people to remind me what Christmas is about because DD1 is 3 ans this uear has awked what is Christmas and I am sad to say I struggled to tell her.

We are not religious I should add and we have limited contact with my family.

My family is tiny and I see them all the time, so it's not particularly special in that respect.
We're not religious either. It's a good question: what is Christmas for?

Granted I'm in a bad place this year (partway through treatment for long term depression) but I found it much easier to talk to her about a pagan perspective about end of year, change of seasons than trying to say about Santa, about gifts and about turkeys.

Its DD2's first Christmas too, but I cannot seem to get excited about anything.

Next year we'll do kindness elves and decorate a tree. But I feel as if I should be putting in the ground work this year, paving the way, someone said on another rhread they wished Christmas was every two uears and to be brutally honest so do I.

Can you sing loud and clear for all to hear? Or watch Elf? That always puts me in the Christmas spirit.

My Christmas is brandy. Pretty much everywhere, and especially in the butter.
Mulled wine is also an acceptable Christmas spirit - especially if it has brandy in it!

Seriously, I go to as many carol services and concerts of traditional singing etc as possible!

Christ as spirit, that is!! Ho ho ho!

Brandy, carols and Elf.
Yes. Yes I think I could get on board with this.
There's nothing actually wrong with me, in fact my life is rather lovely. As well as my lovely DH and DS, I've recently got new friends, new hobbies, better fitness. I should be a regular Christmas fairy!
Sorry you're having a bad time Welly. I hope the new year is kinder to you.

Perplexed, if your DS isn't particularly bothered about Christmas, I see that as a good thing. It means he hasn't been seduced by the artificial mercenary and expensive time that it seems to have become. However, that gives you a great opportunity to make your Christmas the way you would like it to be. Strip away all the things you don't want and keep the things that you do and like. The pagan festival involved decorating with evergreens, feasting and drinking with others and most likely singing and dancing as well.

The most important thing to me is not to put pressure on yourself for everything to be perfect, good enough is fine. Don't try to do everything yourself, involve the family. Things are better when people join in, even a 5yo can help with the decorations and simple baking.

If it helps, I feel a bit lukewarm about Christmas at this time of year, every year. It's probably to to with the dark days. I am always fine on the day even though it's just DH and I, we have the luxury of doing exactly what we please, and when!