What do you love and what do you hate about Christmas?

[Blablabla1984]

I love the build up, seeing lights twinkling everywhere, our annual trip(s) to the German Market in Birmingham. Love hearing Christmas music in the shops, and I don't care how early the Christmas stock appears on shelves. I love our now traditional Christmas morning dog walk. I love thinking of surprise gifts for our sons even though they're now both in the mid to late teens. Mince pies, Christmas pud and Christmas cake, cooking a large ham on Christmas Eve morning. Our carpet picnic tradition in front of the TV, just the four of us, after my parents have gone home on Christmas night.

I hate the week between Christmas and New Year, and I also hate how MIL pressurises my husband to drive a 6 hour round trip to visit her during that week while I stay home with the dog. I hate the food shopping and trying to fit everything into the fridge and freezer even though we don't go over the top with food.

💐 Tootsie I understand, Christmas will never be the same for me either. A lot is still 'fake it till I make it' now and even that took a few years to get to.

Things I love

Lights - my tree lights, other people's tree lights, house lights, town lights, shop lights...lights 😁

Christmas trees
Christmas cards
Christmas decorations
Pretty presents under the tree
Children's nativity
Christmas carols
Christmas markets
Mulled wine
Bailey's cream. (It's not the same home made)

What I hate:

Stressing about finding presents people will love!

Many family members not being here to share it 💔

I love Christmas. I start planning early but keep a lid on any actual celebrations until the 1st of Dec when we decorate the house and put the Christmas bedding on the beds. We do Christmas activities at the weekends leading up to Christmas week (making cards/visiting Santa/crafts etc). It's all about family for me. Last year Christmas was ruined after I found out at a scan on the 23rd of December that I'd lost my baby. This year I want to reclaim Christmas from the sadness so I'm probably going to go all out this year. Hopefully, if all goes well this time I'll have a massive 37 week bump.

Good luck, whatsername!

I love the build up, the decorations, the Christmas carols, thinking of and buying gifts for people. It's my favourite time of year!

What I dislike is Christmas Day itself, I don't like cooking a roast dinner (DP helps), we have 3 children who are too young to understand Christmas still so it just ends up stressful and like any other day just with more food - and the build up is over! Christmas Day is the end of it all.

I love almost everything...
The build-up mostly; everything looking all twinkly and lovely, decorating the house, that lovely cosy atmosphere when you are wandering round a Christmas market, going to choose a tree and the car smelling all piney on the way home.

I hate that it all seems to end much sooner than it used to, like if you go shopping the week before Christmas they are shoving all the festive stuff in a reduced corner and bringing new displays in. I hate the idea that it seems to be over by the day after Boxing Day.

Writing lists of all the lovely food we will have for our Christmas Eve buffet. This year I'm going for Lidl for everything. I can't wait x