Alone at Christmas... How do I make it fun?

[AverageGayLadAtChristmas]

I'm going to be alone at Christmas, uni student so not much money, just me in my flat

How do I make this fun???

I can't drink so can't even get sloshed

I'm already stocking up on Christmas Yankee Candles!

Most Uni's put on a Christmas dinner for students who are not able to go home at Christmas. My DD offered to bring several international students home for Xmas but in the end they chose to stay at Uni and join in the fun and games there!

Averagegaylad, you'd be very welcome to join my parents house for Christmas. They always have loads of people (like 20/25) including close family, further away family, friends but there's always a few odds and sods as it were- foreign students who my brothers have met who were going to be alone, or random single people who my mum has heard will be alone.

If you want company- genuine offer. You'd be expected to muck in with peeling potatoes etc. and would be encouraged to join in with hearty countryside walks (but not compulsory). Everyone goes to church in the morning, but again, not compulsory.
Oh, lots of kids around, and dogs. So if you hate them, not your best choice!

I So envy you, I've wanted a Christmas alone ever since I was a teen.

I know exactly what I would do.

If I were organised, virtuous and courageous I would volunteer. And slob in between, playing Christmas songs, eating Stilton, yummy bread and drinking soup. With the odd bit of fruit cake and maybe an apple for virtue. I would read trash and get on MN. I might watch the repeat of Miss Marple, sound of Music or whatever ham is on. I might go to midnight mass somewhere, otherwise I'd listen to carols from Kings at 3 pm on Christmas Eve.
If I were organised, courageous and a bit less virtuous I would do shift work and get paid and feel smug at the money and that nice me had let other people have Christmases with their families. And the rest. And put on the stuff that I had already unwisely bought with the proceeds if the shift work in advance.

If I were just me, I'd slob. I might, just might, feel that I should go and get a walk, and might do so on Boxing Day or the day after.

I'm not offering odds on which would be the most likely..

There should be some info coming round in November or so about what's on offer in your town / city for students who'll be there over Christmas. The Students Union probably writes it - ours puts together a lovely email with suggestions with one thing to do for every day of the Christmas holidays. You can either gather with other students to do them together, or go and do them independently.

If I were to be alone this Christmas, I would:
Buy and wrap little gifts to myself.
Make myself a Christmas card
Have a small tree, but fully decorated.
Eat cheese - especially a pepper-covered soft cheese i found in Lidl last year, eaten on a cracker with membrillo - a chunky kind of quince jam. My god I could eat that every day
Go for a long walk.
Read a really good book while listening to carols - from Kings or just Walking in a Winter Wonderland type stuff.
I'd have a shower but wear fresh soft flyffy super-comfy and warm jammies ALL DAY
Keep my phone on silent and onlyvrespond to whatsapps and go on MN.
I'd avoid the tv (I'm abroad. Last year on the kids' channel they showed the Halloween episode of Spongebob.... Wha??).

I'm in Spain. Christmas lunch is fat pasta soup, giant prawns and canelone. Just no. I have to try and cobble together Christmas food that I recognise by visiting expat Xmas fairs and getting my lical butcher to saw off and save for me all the fat off varois livers for me - no suet here for mince pies. And I have to grate it myself

All the online sales start on Christmas Day, so you can either shop or cough up a lung laughing at the sea of polyester frump that is M&S Per Una. Come to think of it, I haven't seen an MN Per Una thread for ages.

IIRC M&S do a Christmas meal in a box. It might be two portions but you could eat it all like I would have some on Boxing Day

Young people today, I dunno. I would have got a shag at the endless parade of Christmas parties and spent the day itself in a sex haze. With chocolate and movies.

Its probably different now. Is nothing sacred?

Morris A lot easier when you're straight, believe me.

poshme That's such a kind offer but I wouldn't want to burden you! and I have a dog phobia

I'm seriously just going to print this thread.

AGL

Please can I send you a Christmas Card ?

Start a thread called the AGL Fan Club or something equally daft and silly then stick the link on here - we can all pop on and mother you, tell you off for frittering money on Yankee candles, and keep you company!

Where am I starting this thread? and when?

If you want to of course you can send me a card, I'll send one back!

You should find another solo mnetter (bound to be lots!) and then you should buy each other a small gift with a max of £5 or something and send to each other - for a suprise!

As a student with no plans on Christmas, I'd be looking to see if anywhere needed temporary serving staff in restaurants/pubs. People tip well at Christmas!

I'm sure any uni worthy of the name is crawling with lovely gay fellas looking for diversion. I'd want my money back otherwise.

Cough grindr cough

If you've got any pub or restaurant experience at all, you could probably make a decent amount of work signing up to work Xmas with a temp agency. Even if you have no experience you might be able to get kitchen work.

A variation on some ideas above - grab a huge sock/ stocking and buy something to put in it each week between now and Christmas - don't peek, don't check what you have already - little packs of sweets, chocolate, pot of olives, CD, DVD, Doctor Who magazines (serious grown up ones or the kids ones with free daleks etc - or both ), tub of pringles, nuts (and nutcracker), Christmas (or Doctor Who) socks, miniature bottle, etc etc - and make sure you get a satsuma to shove in at the last minute... hmm I may do the same for myself - except the olives

Grain I think I'll do that, thankyou