ok who does'nt like christmas/or does'nt even bother with celebrating it?

[chickenanchips]

anyone? or is it just me who hates this time of year?

bah humbug.

I think most parents would at least make an attempt to "bother with celebrating it" for the sake of their children (and most of us are parents on here!), unless they don't for religious reasons.

You have to put your own feeling aside and make it special for the children surely?

Why?

Can't understand your perspective. What's not to like?

I technically don't celebrate Xmas as Muslim convert but my family do, so I make the effort, still buy presents for them and they buy for us and for DS and then when its our religious festivals (Eid) they make the effort back to us - so its a nice compromise all around

I find Christmas difficult (my mother died six days before, funeral on Christmas Eve, with mil about to die any moment, although she eventually died in the January - this was 9 years ago).

We do, however, still celebrate Christmas.

That's great Crookshanks.. what a nice family you have! And you all get the best of both worlds too!

oh i do celebrate it..ive got kids so ofcourse i go with the flow. its just, well, i just confess i don't actually enjoy it very much. its lovely to see their faces when they open their presents, their excitement and all that..but thats about it for me. i hate all the shopping,wrapping, worry of how im gonna pay for it all..along with visiting family who don't bother with us the rest of the year but make a big fuss for us to go to them beacuse "its christmas". last year i tried to get over this hurdle by inviting them all for a party on boxing day. they all came,ate the food and then sat round argueing about where they were going next and how they were going to get there. s pent the whole time dishing up food and then clearing up afterwards. not my idea of relaxation and felt totally unappreciated..

Buy less.

Buy online if possible.

Don't bother to invite the rest of the family and enjoy the time spent with your own children.

Make sure you do something nice for you.

well we are planning to make christmas extra special this year as it will be DHs last one, i am struggling to get motivated thou

I don't like christmas
I try to arrange to be at someone elses house so that my dc get the excitement of the season that I just can't give them
We will have a real tree, but that will be it

everyone has their reasons, please don't judge us for not 'fitting in' with how you wish to celebrate

dont judge//
ar e you mad?

I would never judge anyone on how they celebrate it.. but I might be a little judgemental about people who just don't bother to, when they have kids.

I too stress over money, arrangements etc and am sad that I just can't view it in the same way I used to.. but of course I grew up; it can't be helped.

No cod, I am not mad. I have my reasons for not celebrating. I don't bother with it, I won't do cards or decorations. The finance is a huge issue for me this year, but it is also a time of year that has been very upsetting for me in the past. As much as I try to get over those problems for my children, it's not that easy, I have spent many christmas days in tears before now and will quite likely this one too. I have asked for help from the Christmas Appeal so that the boys will have the celebration that I cannot afford to give them, but if that thread didn't exist they wouldn't be having much of a christmas at all

i dont like xmas day its an anticlimax and shit. but every year i hope this year will be better but it never is.

Could you make a few decorations Pillock? Bake some bits and bobs with the kids.. make each other some home made gifts.. create a few "family customs" just between yourselves, to overwrite some of the bad memories of Christmases past?

It might make things easier in Christmases to come and help you to make it more fun for the kids.

Yes I agree Custy. Christmas day used to be the be all and end all.. now.. an anticlimax. I do take pleasure in some of the run up.. the kids' excitement.. seeing plays, taking them to parties etc. And I try to impress on them the real meaning of it all.

i like homemade decorations the best - trying to get the kids into the spirit of things - snokflakes with white paper and glitter costs next to nothing - crepe paper twists or colding the crepe paper at right angles intil you get a string of box looking decorations.

i have been told a xmas tree can be bought for £1 at asda

onlyjoking. shit ive suddenly got things into a bit more perspective

I have decorations, I just can't bear to put them up. We live right next to one of the main 'real' tree supplies so I have made it a familty tradition that we will have a proper tree. We go right at the end and get one once they are cheap, it look like it needs some serious loving but we don't care
but believe me, that has taken some doing!

I hate the tat of christmas - the commercialism, the tv ads, the music in shops downtown, the excessiveness, people putting huge amounts of awful lights outside. It's so wasteful and has lost its meaning.

But I love the holiday, spending time with people you love (we spend christmas day with friends, and see family beforehand), and, er, that's about it really.

I agree you should make your own traditions for your family. I don't feel we can carry on the traditional eat too much, argue and buy lots of crap as a family....

onlyjoking - I really sincerely hope that you have a lovely Christmas for you, your children and dh. It will be difficult though, I'm sure.....

i think our situation does give us a different perspective, christmas has never been a massive thing in our house but this year will be different.

Much love to you all in the onlyjoking household....

I love Xmas, I don't spend a fortune, I don't get stressed, I don't spend all my time in the kitchen whilst everyone else drinks (we all do a bit), I don't put loads of lights up outside or even loads of decorations inside (just a few), only send cards to people I won't see personally. Whats not to like? I have a lovely day with the people I love most in the world.

Last year I had no Xmas - in a muslim country without most of the family, if anything taught me that I love Xmas it was that.

Onlyjoking - I hope you can have a lovely Xmas despite your terrible situation.

((((OJ)))) and clan. You are in our thoughts. xxxx Wishing you a peaceful and special Christmas