What do you actually do on Christmas day?

[Roccocconut]

Need some ideas to try and avoid another crappy Christmas.

It’s me and OH, no kids, no family within 5000 miles. No friends in the local area, acquaintances further afield all have families so no other singles/couples to meet up with.

I hate being stuck in the house at the best of times. We’ll phone family in the morning, and take the dog on a long walk in the country, but have no other ideas. A day filled with TV or books isn’t inspiring, we can do that anytime. Neither of us are big into cooking - I hate it with a passion and DH isn’t fussed, so it’ll be a regular meal rather than a big spread. Volunteering is out - I’m a regular volunteer as it is but my role isn’t needed on Christmas day.

How do I stop it becoming another disappointing Christmas day? I’d rather just have a normal day being out and about but the world doesn’t agree!

Why is it so rubbish usually? You obviously have expectations otherwise you wouldn't feel so let down.

What would your ideal Christmas look like? From what you're describing, it feels a bit lonely usually.

Could you go away somewhere warm, interesting and exotic? I love my family, the cooking, visiting and being visited that goes on for us on Christmas day but secretly would love to do something different like that.

Do you have the budget to go away and get a hotel to di the cooking and entertaining etc? Or to go out for Christmas lunch?

That's about all I've got if you can't have visitors or visit others. I hope you find a way to enjoy the day.... What about going to the local church service?

Do a different volunteering role where you are needed?

Why don't you book for Xmas day lunch at a nice pub? You could even look for one you could take the dogs too. Saves you cooking but you get to go out and socialise a bit!

When we've had Christmas just the two of us we do breakfast and presents, have a nice bath, cook a late lunch, eat, nap, watch TV, play games and then have some supper. I'm quite happy having a really nice chilled day at home with lovely food.

• Open presents
• Eat/watch loads of TV
• Afternoon walk
• Eat/watch loads of TV

What kind of days do you really enjoy together? Is it possible to do something like that?

I'd pack a really nice lunch and go for a proper hike for a few hours - not just a walk with the dog. Then come back to a bath, ready-made food, a fire, and watch a film or play a board game.

Eat, drink, read, watch rubbish TV, walk the dog... is there something else people do??? Sounds fab to me.

Depends on money and budget but if it were just dh and I would go somewhere wondeful. I'm not a skier but Austria... Gstaad... Somewhere like that or.. The extreme... Thailand etc.

Or somewhere really posh and different and somewhere we wouldn't normally go. Or cosy UK hotel...

Another suggestion to go away. Hire a camper van and hit the road?

Or buy a really detailed board game and play it all day long with Xmas music in the background.

Don't cook if you don't like it. Just buy a huge cheeseboard, olives, nibbles and graze all day.

Mulled wine in the slow cooker and lots of candles and twinkly lights

Childfree Christmas here, and it has sometimes been just me and my husband. We have a Christmas dinner and walk the dog, then play board games with a few glasses of wine.

I go abroad every year to avoid Christmas , can't stand the over indulgence & materialism we have here in the uk it gets worse every year
If you do go away book soon as it gets very difficult the later you get , also be aware even in non Christian countries lots of things shut down over that period anyway I hope you get the best out of whatever you do

Are you near(ish) a beach? If the weather is OK get rugged up, take the dog, a flask of something nice, a picnic of pre bought/made food and go for a long walk there?

Is there a pub near you opening for drinks? We have a lovely city centre boozer which is dog (but not child) friendly and they open for a couple of hours for drinks on Christmas Day.

Board games?

Go out for curry?

I agree with what someone else said, you obviously have expectations, even if you're not conscious of them, so what kind of thing are you looking for do you think?

Go on holiday. Go cycling or walking.
Have sex everywhere
Get very drunk
Order pizza

That's what I'd do if child free!

Church, lovely dog walk through the park. An easy M and S meal. Tv, Cards, maybe a shag.

I would definitely go on holiday if we didn't have kids / parents

My friends, who are Muslim, say they go to the cinema, bowling, restaurants on Christmas day, I suppose they are empty!

Why don’t you go out somewhere nice for Christmas lunch then come home, nap to a Christmas film, eat nibbles and play a board game

Stockings, Mass, get lunch on, open some presents, see MiL who is on her own, have lunch 1ish, go for a walk, have some friends round for afternoon drinks/cake/mince pies, get DC to bed and carry on drinking!

If we were on our own like pre DC, the walk would be a lot longer, the meal would be later after a brunch after Mass rather than a mad early breakfast. We might not bother with the traditional turkey but order nice food from Waitrose/M&S.
There would be more alcohol from earlier in the day.

What would your perfect normal weekend day be? What do you usually do on a day off?

For me Christmas is just:

Nice breakfast
Glass of bucks fizz
Presents
Christmas music and dancing while cooking lunch
Christmas dinner mid afternoon
Board games
Then shitty tv in the evening - I don't watch much tv or read on Christmas day normally do board games and music stuff.

Cheese board before bed

That's an excellent day for me, but i am quite lazy. You could go to the pub for a drink, a longer walk. What about a fancy nibbles spread? Loads of cheese, salami or even pre-prepared party nibbles type thing. No cooking but delicious.

The Christmas is just a homey day, you can still do most outdoor activities, the only thing you can't really do is shop.

I always find Xmas day hard work..I love my kids ,but the thought of just me and dh for a Xmas day ,to do as we please ,ohhh .
Well we'd be up early ,to open a present ,then a church service ,big cooked meal at lunch..nibbles at tea..all the crappy to programmes ..drinks by the tree lights ..lush times...in my dreams

We play board games in the evening. Always get a couple of new games for Christmas. A 'hard' one (have to learn rules etc) and an easy one (often a card type game that can be set up and learnt in a ew minutes).

Its how my Christmas' have been for 37 years! Is it even Christmas if there’s no board game followed by at least one strop and possible tears?

We don’t do a board game as the DC with ASC makes it too stressful but we do buy a big jigsaw every year. It sits out and people can sip in and out, do a few pieces, have a break/some quiet and it gets done over a week or so...