Those of you who LOVE Christmas - can you tell me why?

[nearlyreadyforstatelyhomes]

Child of divorced parents here so I suspect that's why I'm not a huge fan.....

This year I've been really trying to get in the spirit of things but today I've struggled. It all seems so random and pointless and stressful and expensive.

A couple of my besties simply love Christmas and I am genuinely surprised that it brings them this much joy and excitement. I suspect that if I ever experienced their Christmases first hand it would just make me feel sad that mine haven't been or aren't like they are supposed to be that.

What is it about Christmas that's so great?

Family time :) everyone is in a good mood! (In my house anyway)

Spending time with people I love.
DD's excitement is contagious.
Reminiscing over childhood Christmases.

Fairy light
Christmas carols
Red pyjamas
The flavours of Christmas.

I love the lights, the food, the opportunities to entertain, carols, magic, the family traditions (genuine, little ones-not contrived ones like elf on the shelf etc)

I don't go OTT with gifts and I don't like it starting in November ( only put our tree up this weekend)

No idea, I fucking hate it.

My Ddad (deceased) loved Christmas and he passed it on. He loved finding the right gift for everyone. My Dmum (still alive) tolerates Christmas - thank goodness I inherited my dad's festive spirit .

I also find that going to church at Christmas reminds me of being 8 years old and being sooo excited about Santa coming.

It's not about the expense (though it can be expensive).
It's about the process: the kids making snowman soup and gingerbread houses.
My DH stopping on the street to help a homeless person who needs more than a few quid dropped in his cup; buying him a decent meal and a really warm coat.

The local Brownies singing at the old folks' home and a lady who hasn't spoken for two years suddenly opening her mouth and singing along to We Three Kings without even opening her eyes.
The excitement in the eyes of the youngest as she is tucked in on Christmas eve.
Even the grouchiest teen coming down to join us for a sing along and a dodgy film.
ESD's boyfriend who hates Christmas helping to put up the paper chains and acknowledging that there may be something to this Christmas lark after all.
It's a cluster of tiny miracles that make Christmas more than a commercial secular celebration.
It is joy.
It is what you make it.

So many people share in it.

Well if we didn't have something to look forward too this time of year would just be a gloomy decent into early darkness, its in ingenious that Christmas was invented and we can out pretty lights up and dress up house....cheers us all up, shops, houses etc .

I have relis who are not keen and they are flat as pancakes at xmas they put nothing in and get nothing out..

The look on my kids face christmas morning
christmas songs
the tree
the lights
the atmosphere
Family.

I absolutely adore Christmas. I think because it is huge in my family. We don't really celebrate birthdays that much (we give presents of course, but it's not a big thing) so the main event is Christmas. This stems back to my granny who adored Christmas and probably her mother before then.

Even DH who always said that he always enjoyed Christmas, says his childhood Christmases were poor in comparison and he loves the way my family celebrate it. He insists on going to my parents every year, as he enjoys it so much.

We do give a lot of presents, but I think the thing for us is that it is such a relaxed time, we just enjoy spending time together. The TV is switched off for a few days, we play games, relax, laugh and joke about. Most days we will invite people over / visit friends and family for meals or parties. This year, between the 23rd Dec and new year, we have only got one day when we're not hosting or at a party. I think I like the parties more than anything else actually. It usually takes us three days to open all the presents, and even on Christmas Day the presents are spread out so you're opening them from getting up to going to bed, with lots of other activities included of course.

It is just such a magical week that we just love spending time with friends and family, eating, drinking, socialising and opening presents of course .

It's not quite the same with just DH and I and DS but:

The infectious excitement,
Memories of childhood Christmasses - I remember that feeling of waking up and stretching your toe out to the end of the bed to see if the stocking is heavy yet. And the moment you see the tree with all of the presents suddenly arrived under it.
The little special "bits" of food we don't normally have
(When we're with family) loads of kids all together, adults can relax, kids play together. Catch up with everyone, good excuse to get together (We all skype/call if we can't get together, too)
The presents!!! Duh!! I love seeing people I've bought for open theirs and it's nice to get new things for yourself too.
I love Christmas dinner, I love roast dinners.
The idea that it's a sort of "wrapping up" or winding down at the end of the year. You get to start the new year all fresh and rested.

I am just enjoying being a family, fairy lights, being at home, lots of cuddles, nice glasses of port at night

I did my cleaning and shopping very early to reduce the workload, get discounts, spread the cost. Have a newborn and delegated a lot to dh.

Think I will continue to delegate next year!! No point being a martyr ;)

I adore Christmas and for so many of the reasons detailed here.

It's a time of myth and magic and storytelling. It reaches back into my own childhood with memories of my own parents weaving the magic just for us. The memory of squishing my stocking at 3am and knowing that the next 24hrs would be about joy and celebration. Having that joyous time given to me by adults who cared about me and now trying to create that for my children. Knowing that in years to come the tiny traditions and looked-for parts of Christmas in our house will extend into my grandchildren's house and far beyond that.

It's for everybody too. Not like a birthday. I like the world stopping and joining together for a day. It's inclusive and I like sharing it with my family and my community at home and other wider communities online or similar.

I like the solstice/saturnalia side of things in particular. The connection and celebration with nature. The bringing in of the outside and the handing over of my space to wreaths and boughs and yule logs.

The stories and songs and little moments which echo down the years and leave me knowing exactly where I am and who I'm with.

And of course giving gifts. Showing people I care and I want to spend these moments with them looking back and forward.

And the food. The food is superb.

There is always a moment on boxing day when I sit by the open fire with a cup of tea and a slice of Christmas cake, watching the children play/read, music on or somebody playing the piano and I feel completely and utterly content.

I'm always sad at Christmas because I miss my relatives who have passed on.

I don't like the commercialism of Christmas which in my opinion seems to get worse every year.

I do love the excitement of children, its infectious. I love the nativity plays, the homemade Christmas decorations, the carol concerts and the general build-up.

I love having an excuse to stay at home and do nothing other than play with my children and eat nice food.

I love the decorations and Christmas lights. If we didn't have Christmas we would still need an excuse for a midwinter festival.

For me I think christmas is special because I had such lovely christmas's as a child. Now as an adult I love the lights, the smells, the anticipation, getting the tree, choosing presents, the food, playing board games and watch TV with the family...Though this year I'm not quite as excited as there will just be 3 of us christmas day, it's ways been 6+ before

I love Christmas. It's mostly because of family and friends, and just a little bit because of the food and presents! I love my family and my in-laws, we're having a roast with each of them! Church in the morning then roast for lunch with my immediate family, roast for tea and games evening with the in-laws, then we spend boxing day with my extended family for nan's birthday (which also involves lots of food!).

I love giving presents, and I'm a bit excited about a few little bits I know my Dad's bought me this year. We've got DD a smarttrike, which I'm so excited to give her!

It will be a little bit bittersweet this year though. It's my DDs first Christmas, which is very exciting, but also the second year without my mum. She would have adored my DD, so although I'm very excited I'm a little sad that DD and my mum missed out on knowing each other.

I hope you have a good Christmas this year OP, I find it really stressful when I put too much pressure on myself to buy perfect gifts for everyone. I have to keep reminding myself that it's mainly about spending time with those we love, and not about the presents! (And about winning at Pictionary...)

My parents are divorced too, as are my DP's, so it can be pretty stressful trying to see everyone.

What I like about it is the coming together under fairy lights in the dead of winter. That we all really do do it - the whole country basically - even though it's mostly a secular country is lovely. Love the gift giving, spending time with friends in pubs, spiced candles, mulled wine, a Christmas walk. I'm also a tired person and the season of doing nothing appeals to me. I'm v v busy atm so the idea of just lounging in front of the tv on Christmas Day is just blissful. Maybe a book, cup of tea... It's just nice. Cosy, etc.

Hmm, my post earlier makes it sound as though I don't like going to my folks for Christmas. I think 'prefers' rather than 'insists' would be a better word. Although once I did raise the idea of having Christmas at home, just us and DH wasn't keen preferring to go to my parents for the day.

Jesus
Santa
Christmas films
Candles and carols at church
My kids looking at the presents
My toddler DD pointing at the tree and saying "pitties, pitties"
The Christmas ham
Traditions

Family, spending time with those who enrich my life, good food and wine.

I know I'll look round the table tomorrow and give thanks for all of them. Happy smiling faces and huge amounts of laughter.

I love Christmas too.

I love the feeling of switching the world off for a few days and just relaxing

I love that special moment on Christmas Day when you pause for a moment and look around the dinner table and realise that you are surrounded by people are special in your world

I love decorating the tree and hanging the decorations which have been passed through the family.

I love buying presents and wrapping them and making a Christmas wreath for the door and putting holly around the pictures in the dining room

I love doing Christmas stocking too (and my DCs are in their 30s :))

Giving well thought out gifts to people, especially the dc.
Having dh home.
Spending time as a family.
Fact that it's everywhere so everyone's carrying on the magic iyswim? Community feeling.
Fairy lights
Nice little interlude in winter.