Why was Xmas more fun years ago?

[loutypips]

I was watching the Good Life Christmas special, and it made me think about Christmases gone by. They were so much more fun years ago, and now it just feels like a bit of a letdown.

What can I do to make the day more special, and more fun for my dd? Unfortunately my dm is poorly and we don't know how many more we will have with her, I want to be able to make lovely memories for my dd.

Part of me wonders if we all think Christmas used to be better because we were kids - we didn't stress about it or worry about gifts etc so we just got to enjoy the fun and magic of it!

I also wonder if it has something to do with festivities starting so early now too - town lights, shops bringing in stock and the hype all start in November now so Christmas is so drawn out we're sort of tired of it by the time the day comes.

I don't necessarily think they were more fun but that there was less expectation back then.

Our Christmases now are so much more fun than when I was younger ( not when very little as it was amazing then, well to me as seemed the norm) because when I was a teenager i remember it was all about Church and rush rush rush plus there was loads of us so quite noisy and at the Christmas lunch table we get told that they'd (our parents) like a bit of quiet so the meal would be in silence and I vowed I would have fun packed Christmases once I left home. We host for us and my DH family and we have the drink flowing (came from a tee total household) and games, laughter and it's magical. We do Santa etc with DD as I never was allowed to believe.

I think both of those are true. Also, a lot of the family that used to visit are no longer with us.
I never usually drink in front of my dd, but I think I will this year!

Expectation was less, plus I think when you're little, some twinkly lights, a box of quality street and PRESENTS even if small, all seem quite magical. And in the days before videos and dvds, let alone 24 hour streaming media, Xmas TV was a thing of wonder! I bought the Xmas Radio Times today and even at my advanced age that signals the start of festivities.

The over-commercialization is what's killed it for me. Christmas stuff is in the stores ages before it used to be, so by the time Christmas rolls around, I'm just fed up with it. The fact that I hate shopping certainly doesn't help my mood, either. Thank god for online shopping.

Partly because we were children then but I don't think even the kids enjoy it so much now because they can't sustain the level of anticipation and excitement for as long as is demanded now.

I think, from building up from October, anything is going to be a let down. It is only 24 hours after all. Plus the expectation, of some, that putting it on a list means they can have everything they want.

I watched back in time for Christmas at the weekend. 60s and 70s were about the best. 50s was still very austere and 80s on just too consumerist. I know my kids think the 80s were the best though as thats the decade they remember as children.

I think social media and the 24hr culture have played a part. We compare ourselves with each other a lot more now, leading to stress.

As much as I appreciate the convenience of mobile phones, email etc I think the inability to close ourselves off from the world is one of the biggest downfalls of modern society.

Because everyone now is trying to create the perfect Christmas whereas when I was younger you just did things the way your family did things sod what everyone else was doing. You didnt feel like you had to have 7 different types of potatoes and sprouts cooked in some overly complicated way involving bacon. You had no idea what other kids 'piles' of presents looked like because there was no social media showing us, so you were happy with what you got. And apart from the advent calendar it didnt start until mid December.

Partly because it didn’t start so early. People didn’t start buying/planning or talking about it until December.

Also expectations were definitely lower and and a nice meal/ crackers/ a new board game and a paper crown was all that was required for a festive atmosphere. Oh and a bit of booze for mum and dad!

Shopping is an activity now. People shop for fun throughout the year. Back in the day, Christmas gifts were things you needed. Now, because buying stuff happens throughout the year, the gifts are practically meaningless and exceptionally hard to choose.

Bunny the only 'fancy' thing we are having for Xmas day dinner is honey roasted parsnips! Everything else is pretty much the same as we've always done.
I've only just put the decorations up- last year we did it way too early.

I used to love looking forward to the usual Christmas films and looking through the Radio Times to see when they would be on but now that I can just watch them on Sky from November onwards it doesn't feel the same.

I think it’s possible to make Christmas more like it was back in the 70s/80s if you don’t become influenced by what you see on social media. We make a big deal out of buying our tree, Father Christmas coming (we leave out a mince pie and a carrot for Rudolph) and about seeing our family. The DC obviously get excited about the present opening but as adults we just try to plan a day that will be a bit of fun, we drink (lightly) throughout the day so we’re all a bit merrier than usual, we let the DC behaviour go a bit more than usual and try to just be a bit sillier and a bit more prepared to do stuff the DC enjoy more than on a normal day. Then when they go to bed we drink a bit more and chat, laugh. We don’t put the tv on, we don’t allow pads or any screens all day, this makes it feel a bit more ‘party’.

Transformandriseup - what if you record them and don’t allow yourself to watch them until Christmas?

For me Christmas of my teens years was a bit boring (especially those tedious visits to my auntie - sorry auntie but yawn) and then I did two decades of retail work. So for me circa 1985 - 2007 Christmas wasn't particularly interesting or fun. I enjoy it now.

@StarShapedWindow I don't watch any of the Christmas films until at least December but I didn't grow up with piles of videos/dvds so waiting until they were on to record them was a big part of Christmas for me which is no longer necessary. It wasn't just the Christmas themed films but the big blockbuster films that used to be shown around then like Jurassic Park.

I think it’s all of the things above. Plus, I’m days of yore, you were more likely to have at least one parent who wasn’t completely frazzled by work so there was generally less stress in the house. Zero hour contracts, shift work, retail work, they all take their toll. Many offices used to close for the days between Christmas and NY. Now, it’s one day off and that’s it. Everything compressed into 24hrs with business meant to be as usual on the days before and after.

When I was little the anticipation would start when school finished. That’s when mum would start on Christmas food shopping: no mince pies in November, clementines for the festive period only, and the slow accumulation over a period of days for food to keep you going for a week because the supermarkets would be shut or low on stock. It made Christmas a time of hibernation and time spent with family. For me, it was wonderful.

Christmas as a kid:
No jobs to do. No gifts to buy. No Sainsbury’s to traipse round with hundreds of people in my way because all the Xmas slots are gone. No furious wrapping. No endless activities to drive to. No climbing in to the loft to get decs down. No mother in law to placate No normal household jobs to do on top of all this.

Of course it was more fun years ago, we are just passing on that fun to the kids now.

Having children ruined Christmas for me.
Liked it before that. Hate it now.
Used to be able to please ourselves, now I spend the entire day driving between various relatives who want to see the children. Every year I campaign to stay at home and people can come to us if they want to pop in and see the dc and every year I get shouted down by dh and his family.
So now Christmas morning we get up, we rush, I drag my children out the house moaning that they haven’t had chance to play with anything and I drive between several family members houses and we don’t get home until about 8pm and everyone moans when we leave. It’s hard work and because I always have to drive I can’t even have a drink to take the edge off it. Dc always shattered and grumpy by mid afternoon. Always up at a stupid time in the morning. I’ve always had enough by 10am. The only bit I like is when they come in with their stockings.
Also it seems to now last a quarter of the year, which is crazy. It’s like I’ve just done Christmas and now it’s christmas again. It’s just commercialism. It means nothing for most people in terms of religion, so what are we doing it for? Retail. Shops. Money.

now I spend the entire day driving between various relatives who want to see the children

In most unchristmassy language - I would in my fuck. Refuse point blank this year and I promise you next year you won't give a shite about saying no. I have had to do it when DD was young (shes 17 now). No way in this world would I drag my children away from their toys. Tell them they are welcome to call to yours if they so wish so you will call over the next day.

Sorry sound as if I am preaching to you - U know how it feels to be at beck and call but remember it is your day too x

No social media meant people were less aware of what they weren't doing or having and in the main people were content with just doing what they did every year........now the pressure to spend or buy Christmas magic is everywhere. And it's wrong.

everything you need to put your novelty sock clad foot down and you need to do it today. Right now.

Get the kids on board as well and tell the supposed adults to stop being selfish, fucking arseholes. Yes. Even your mother in law........... absolutely no way would that shit fly in my house.

And yes, the fall out will be worth it. If the OH can't cope or turns into king Cunt over it then leave the bastard. Honestly couldn't be with a man who can't stand up for his own family, if he isn't prepared to grow a pair of balls then you need to grab yours and put an end to this nonsense.

I put my foot down about all the visiting two years ago. Last year we spent the day in our PJs, the kids played all day and watched a bit of TV and we are are and drank whatever we wanted. It was brilliant and so worth annoying the in-laws for!

As a child you didn't realise all the practicalities belonging to Christmas like shopping, food planning, gift wrapping, visit scheduling. You just went with what your parents told you.

Now as an adult you have all these responsibilities and it is up to you how stressed you are. This year is a nightmare thanks to work and an illness throwing all plans out of the window.

Social media and internet pages like MN are also to blame, there is more the feeling of "keeping up with the joneses" to ensure the most magical Christmas for the children. Visits to Santa are now an elaborate event.