What do you NOT do at Christmas?

[camelfinger]

What do you not do at Christmas time that you believe most other people do? Mine are:

• Attend/host a Christmas party at someone’s house where there are loads of expensive canapés and people are dressed in sparkly dresses from Next
• Have a starter on Christmas Day
• Have unexpected guests turn up expecting dinner and gifts

Visit family. Family can see us after Boxing Day and before new year if they really want to but actual Christmas and New Year is us only. There's various reasons for this and I enjoy Christmas much more since I we decided to do it like this.

Also my children had pizza four years in a row for Christmas dinner. They'll eat a Christmas dinner now so we got there in the end.

See anyone! I choose to spend Christmas alone and I love it

Go to the work Christmas party. I’ve been to a few over the years but not the last few and I’m not going this year. Even though it’s subsidised it ends up costing lots of money for a dress plus drinks plus taxi home

Watch the queen's speech. I don't know if many mumsnetters do, but oh my god everything stopped for the queen when I was a child.

Loads of things:
Elf
Bucks Fizz at breakfast
Invite neighbours round
Starter
Eat so much we can’t move
Sparkly cocktail dress
We still have a lovely day though.

Cook on Christmas Day
Go to anyone else's house on Christmas Day
Christmas Eve boxes
Christmas jumpers
Make Christmas cake or pudding
Watch Queen's speech

We have never hosted a Christmas party...but are having one tomorrow (well, more drinks & dinner for 15 family members). I’m cacking it .🎄

Also don’t do elf on a shelf, North Pole breakfasts, Christmas Eve boxes and all that lark. I like the nice, low-key 1980s style Christmas of my childhood, basically .

I don’t buy sparkly clothing items especially for the season.

I don’t decorate my house with festive furnishings.

I don’t hate tinsel .

I don’t hate my in laws and there are no forced family functions with people we hate.

I don't go to Boxing day sales. I did in my younger days but if I'm lucky enough to have the day off I spend it with family still soaking up festivities. I love a bargain and in past I have been guilty of queing at next at 5am or standing outside of boots waiting for doors to open and as I've got older it's become less appealing.

Same as most people here! No turkey we have a normal roast at 5-6pm as any other day, never listened to the queens speech, no parties or dressing up, I don’t get to open a present of my own (sob!), no visits or visitors we don’t leave the house, no outside decorations that many of my neighbours seem to outdo each other with either but it’s the perfect day for us

Elf on the Shelf
Christmas Eve boxes
Making Christmas cake or pudding myself
Advent calendars for adults

Play Monopoly
Make my own Christmas pudding
Carve the turkey at the table
Watch Eastenders
Wear anything with sequins on it

Eat sweet stuff. No Christmas cake, no Christmas pudding, definitely no chocolate for breakfast, urgh.

Cook turkey- just don’t like it so do something else
Dress up- can’t be arsed
Go to loads of parties- I’m a hermit and I’m ok with that

That sodding elf.

I don't go out and get drunk on Christmas eve.

I don't do anything on boxing day.

I’ve never in my life watched the Queen’s Christmas speech.
Never been to a fancy cocktail party at someone’s house like the OP describes - I’d have to buy a sparkly dress from Next if I was invited 😅

Buy for anyone outside of my house, or visit/invite people over (we happily have no family or friends).
Have a Christmas dinner (we are vegan).
No alcohol.

Wear Christmas jumpers. My office is boiling so I'm still in summer tops.
Too hot!
Elf or eve boxes.
My dd is past that stage but we never did it.
Write cards. What a waste of trees to end up in the bin.
I wouldn't mind participating in a carol concert though...but my anxiety soon stops that

Don't

Drink sparkling wine before / with breakfast
Eat smoked salmon as a starter
Eat Christmas pudding (it tastes like poison and DH is foreign and can't understand it)
Watch the queen's speech
Wear dress up clothes (most likely my dressing gown)

The friggin elf - who started that? Is it American?

I don’t drink alcohol for some reason (I like a tipple usually but for not Christmas Day).

Turkey - we have beef or goose instead.

We don’t do

Church
Elf on the shelf
Christmas Eve box
Gifts for friends
Make or eat Christmas pudding
Drink mulled wine or any alcohol for that matter
Host a party

Elf on the shelf
Xmas eve hampers (maybe pyjamas- if DC actually need them)
Alcohol before lunchtime
Watch the Queen's speech
Midnight mass