How do you spend Christmas if you have no dc?

[BaublesAndGlitter]

DH and I don't have any dc and this is unlikely to change. Our friends all have small dc so obviously we don't see them on the day.
We both have parents close by and our siblings, along with their small dc, tend to spend Christmas with them.

We usually spend the morning with one of our families, afternoons with the other and evenings home alone, and every year we end up feeling a bit flat.

I love the season, I have some traditions I enjoy and I love treating people with thought out gifts. We both enjoy the build up but the actual day is a disappointment. I just feel like we're missing something that would make it better / more enjoyable. I'm thinking we should do something a bit luxurious or out of the ordinary but no idea what.

If you don't have any dc, what do you do to celebrate / how do you spend Christmas?

We have a DS now, but we did two years of Christmas at home just the two of us before he was born.

We’d done years of seeing both families over Christmas - at opposite ends of the country, changing on Boxing Day- and it was exhausting. Now we still see them (and nobody is alone) but a bit earlier and later.

If Christmas Day is going to just be the two of you then you need a bit of structure. So if it’s just the evening make a bit of a plan: food you want to eat, games you want to play and/or TV you want to watch.

DH and I loved it- we’d go to church, ring our families, open presents and stockings, make lunch, eat lunch, watch TV, play games, eat again, have nice drinks.

Why don’t you save some presents for when it’s just the two of you? Record some tv you really want to watch and plan on eating something special or playing a good board game? Then it can be your mini Christmas just the two of you- and lots of fun :)

We always rent a cottage in the middle of nowhere somewhere preferably with no wifi and stay there for a few days. Northumberland or North Wales are our favourites. Full the car with lots of good food and booze. I don't bother with a big roast because the holiday cottage kitchens aren't really catered for it but plenty of buffet type cheese, fresh bread, cold cuts meats, pre made pastries and quiche etc. We bring a laptop and a speaker to watch a few pre downloaded films or listen to music and play cards/read books. Plenty of walks if the weather allows and a big roaring fire. Occasionally we've arrived at the cottage and the owners will have put up a tree or a few fairy lights which is nice but we're not not bothered about the decorations or presents but there's plenty of candles, blankets and hot chocolate to feel cosy.

@CatBatCat that sounds lovely!

We played board games pre child, few drinks, Christmas dinner, lots of relatives and visitors.

Ideally I’d go on holiday! - anywhere if it was just the two of us.

@surreygirl1987 It really is. Our summer holidays are much more high energy and exciting with lots of travel and fun activities but we much prefer our midwinter celebration to be a restful and reflective time instead of hectic busyness. We visit family between Christmas and new year for a meal and giving gifts to nieces and nephews.

Me and DH always spend Christmas with my family. We never really got on with his parents when they were alive and they didn't do anything different at Christmas.

My siblings are both married now with 2 grown up children each, two are married and the other 2 have partners.

We all spend Christmas Day and Boxing Day together. I am in my 60's and never had Christmas away from my parents and siblings and then their partners and children.

Me and DH cook the dinner as we like cooking more than any of the others! After dinner we sit in a circle and take it in turns to open our presents, one person and one present at a time. It takes a couple of hours and we will chat and laugh throughout.

We than normally play games or just sit and chat. About 8pm we will have something to eat, usually a buffet type meal.

We then sit and chat or play games until around 2am. The tv never ever goes on and never has.

I love Christmas with my family and so does DH. Doubt very much we will be able to do the same this year as it is 16 people from 8 households. I will be really sad if we can't all get together

If we are at home we would see my family who live nearby either in the morning or for lunch then go home. Or do lunch at home and see my family in the evening. I think we quite enjoy having just us at times as it can be hectic with kids. But we are child free by choice.

We both like to cook so do lunch at home but the we have some friend without cgil3who go out to a nice hotel or restaurant. I wonder if you feel flat because you want it to be different from what it is? More family focused. In which case could you stay with family all day or invite them to you? Also have something fun to look forward to on boxing day or a few days afterwards.

Would it be possible to spend the afternoon with one family and the evening with another? Have a relaxed morning at home together and then spend time with family later? For me, I think it would be the evening I'd find hard.

I've been thinking about what we will do if both our children end up going to their other halves' families at the same time. (We don't have any other family nearby).I think we'd have a quiet morning at home. Then go to a nice pub for a couple of drinks mid-day; a walk if the weather permits. Possibly a curry instead of Christmas dinner; back home for a film.
Never fancied being away for Christmas. Maybe that will change if I know we're not having either of the children at home

We spend the morning at home and then go to my mums. Throughout the day more family come over. We have dinner around 1.30 and then my niece's open their presents.

Other family friends usually come round on the night for drinks and my mam makes turkey sandwiches and puts out some crisps and cheeses etc.

We stay over so that we can have a drink, taxis would cost a fortune.

If my husband's mum isn't working she will come to my mum's for dinner, if she is at work then we see her on boxing day.

I love Christmas, I hope it's not ruined this year 🙁

Perhaps you could spend Christmas Eve with one family and Boxing Day with another, and do Christmas Day just the two of you? You might feel less flat if you had the whole of Christmas Day to yourselves to do whatever you want, rather than having the mayhem of Christmas Day and then coming home to a quiet house.

Or if family live close by, perhaps invite them to you for an afternoon/evening Christmas Eve party?

Happily? Care free? Bathing in money? 😂 I love my DC but god it's hard core and no longer about me (which is quite upsetting😂)