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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Which bits of Christmas are you not fussed about?

169 replies

Invasionofthegutsnatchers · 06/11/2021 15:15

For me it's:

Christmas eve box
Advebt calendars
December 1st box
Breakfast with Santa
Crackers
Pantomime (love musical theatre though)
Bread sauce
Christmas pudding and cake. Love a yule log!

OP posts:
AliceMcK · 09/11/2021 17:24

Mince pies
Christmas pudding, though I do like Christmas cake
Chocolate liquors, mint matchsticks
Stollen, panettone
Loved a good panto as a child but not fussed now
Pugs in blankets, but the DCs like them so I buy them
Christmas dinner, always hated turkey until I had turkey at a friends for thanksgiving and it was so nice. Wouldn’t bother doing one myself. Christmas dinner is what ever I buy just before the shops close for Christmas.
Stuffing
Tins of chocolates, crackers and biscuits, waste of money there are always ones no one eats. I prefer just buy the ones that we actually like. Unless I’m after a new tin to store decs in, then that’s fine.
I never had advent calendars growing but, but I do splash out on my kids now.
Never done adult advent calendars, but considering getting DH one this year ( what can I say peer and consumer pressure has got to me). I actually never knew they were a thing until I moved back to the uk a few years ago.
Pressure to spend Christmas with other relatives. I’m not fucking dragging my kids away from home Christmas Day or the day after to see a bunch of people just because I’m expected to, not when I’ve spent months planning, shopping and spending on the perfect gifts for them to enjoy at home.
Soap and glory, ted baker and Baylis and Harding obsessions
Christmas Eve and 1 December boxes. We do like Elf visits in our house though.
Christmas markets

mam0918 · 09/11/2021 17:37

'Pressure to spend Christmas with other relatives. I’m not fucking dragging my kids away from home Christmas Day or the day after to see a bunch of people just because I’m expected to, not when I’ve spent months planning, shopping and spending on the perfect gifts for them to enjoy at home.'

100% my views on it... this is the part in mine about people who insist it's all about the big family get together, it really not for us and I can't think of anything worse.

Shy of a fire or gas leak nothing is getting us out of our house on Xmas day, it is the one day for just sitting around and relaxing comfortably in our own home - no hosting, no draining social engagements, no inevitable disagreements, no sitting uncomfortably fully clothed in jeans or dresses, watching what someone else dictates should be on telly etc...

languagelover96 · 09/11/2021 17:46

Mince pies
Advent calendars
Christmas crackers
Panto experiences
Gravy
Pigs in blankets
Soup
Elf on the shelf
Christmas paper hats
Candy canes
Hot toddy
Spiced mulled wine
Cheesy Christmas music and movies etc

For me Christmas 2020 was perfect. A box of nice chocolates, some non spicy wine, games, and a chance to relax is all I needed.

UndertheCedartree · 09/11/2021 18:03

Things I'm not really bothered about:
Turkey (veggie)
Bread sauce
Christmas TV
Christmas Cake
Pandoro
Chocolate Yule log
Ready-made crackers as just plastic rubbish gifts (I make my own from a kit)
Elf on the Shelf! I never wanted to do it but DD was given one and got the idea about it moving about as they have one at school! Luckily she's happy with it just sliding down the bannisters/climbing up the tree etc so I don't need to do any elaborate scenes!
Cards - they get in the way and fall over!

I love
Christmas dinner (we don't have a roast very often.)
Christmas pudding with brandy butter
Pantomime - we always have a laugh when we go
We have 'Christmas Breakfast' on 1st December
Getting the Christmas books out
Watching the Muppets Christmas Carol on Christmas Eve
Christmas Carols
Stollen

TrudyRuby · 09/11/2021 18:06

Christmas dinner - I like it, it's a pimped up Sunday roast and I have one every Sunday but I'm over cooking that style of meal on Christmas Day. I prefer help yourself, sit where you like, just need a fork type of meal. So guests can sit on the sofa, stand up, find a seat at the table and just relax.

TrudyRuby · 09/11/2021 18:09

Bailey's fans...

Can of condensed milk, tub of Elmlea single cream, 10fl oz whisky (it's an old recipe I don't know it in mls) and 1 tablespoon of instant coffee. Dissolve coffee in whisky, stir in cream and condensed milk.

You're welcome 😉

GoodnightGrandma · 09/11/2021 18:10

I think the roast is too much to do on the day, I’d rather do it Boxing Day and just graze on the day itself.

Invasionofthegutsnatchers · 09/11/2021 18:14

@User527294627 Baileys. I don't want to drink something that tastes like a drunk person drank a pint of cream and burped

Grin I love Baileys but it makes me fat so I have to pretty much avoid it! Hate mince pies with a passion though

OP posts:
BeefSupreme · 09/11/2021 18:23

Christmas food. It’s all disgusting
Stocking filler tat
Pantos
Elf on the shelf
Christmas Eve boxes
Matching family Christmas pyjamas
Christmas markets
Whatever a December 1st box is
The fact the day never fucking ends. I really like my mil but after 8 hours of the ILs I just want peace and quality time with my dh alone.

Crikey, that’s quite a lot of things I don’t like. I must be more of a miserable sod than I realised.

lazylinguist · 09/11/2021 18:26

Want, Need, Wear, Read - On the same note the holier than though 'no tat' crowd because think of poor Timmy whose mom could only get him a woolly hat for Xmas because they're lower class (I live below the poverty line in the poorest area in the UK and everyone has big Xmases. in fact, studies show the lower classes go bigger at Xmas than the middle class so stop fetishizing 'poor' people with made-up nonsense).

I really don't think the mc 'anti tat and huge piles of presents' people are doing that because they feel sorry for poor people only affording a woolly hat. They know full well that the 'lower classes' often go big on Christmas and they look down on them for it. A woolly hat (preferably artisan or homemade) would be seen as a much more suitable gift! Not that I'm knocking homemade hats - I'm currently making one for dh!

DivingBoardInGuernsey · 09/11/2021 18:27

The bits I like:

Advent calendars for kids
Iced fruit cake
Mulled wine
Listening to carols

Last year as it was just DC and I, we decided to each have our favourite foods for Christmas lunch: one person had giant Yorkshire pudding, sausages and gravy, and another had pasta. Was brilliant, am hoping now we've broken the tradition we'll never go back!

Mediocrates · 09/11/2021 18:30

Adding to my list:

Feeling the need to explain/justify choices (that applies to anyone feeling their need to justify. For me specifically that's feeling like I need to explain how we don't go massive on Xmas day compared to many; our 1st Dec and Christmas Eve boxes count towards our present budget. For others that might be explaining why they don't do X, Y, or S)
Plastic shite in stockings that ends up in the bin
Buying stuff just to "bulk it out"
Getting to Christmas Eve and having the guilt that I haven't bought enough

garlictwist · 09/11/2021 19:24

I'm not fussed about any of it. Don't have a tree or anything and only have dinner if invited to family.

However I love love love having time off work. My work shuts down for nearly two weeks and it's the longest time I have off in one go in the year. That's what makes Christmas for me.

AliceMcK · 09/11/2021 20:00

@mam0918

Reindeer food - I'm not an eco-warrior type at all however this boils my piss, food mixed with glitter and sequins that you throw outside to kill wild animals and dump plastic everywhere? and for zero purposes or reason... utterly disgusting (yet our kids bring the damn stuff home from school every year and I have no idea how to safely dispose of it)

Fancy or wooden fill your own advent calendars - just do £1 chocolate ones

December 1st box - nothing against them but not for us

Crackers - we have them but I'm jaded by how crap they always are

Crazy amounts of money on food - we spend £20 max. on Xmas dinner... its just Sunday dinner but with parsnips lol

No idea what breadsauce is, never had Xmas cake or mince pies tried a bite of one once and it was rank

NO elf on the shelf - I just don't get it, Im whimsical and up for most things but seems like a PITA

Xmas markets - cold, crowded and overpriced

Secret Santa - I love the idea for workplaces but I always get shit with zero effort or thought

Crazy-priced things - I'm happy to do 1 or 2 things but they should be under £10pp really, I don't have money to shell out 5 lots of £30pp to see some lights or Santa when you only get a selection box (I like breakfast with Santa because it's usually under £10pp and you get food and we could easily pay that for just food - cheaper than grottos and wonderlands).

Queen speech - never watched it

Cards - bad for the environment and useless

Christmas Bedding/PJs - never knew it was a thing till mumsnet... sounds batshit to me (new normal PJs in general are fine but all matching special Xmas themed ones are stranger).

Carols - basically just like hymns, I can't sing and never know the melody so it's awful

Boxing day - I never know what you are actually supposed to do on it but people act like it's a big special day (from research it just seem like you tip your postman, milkman and window cleaner and we don't even have two of those lol).

Christmas jumpers - why? especially embarrassing cheesy ones. My winter jumper is just lilac with a touch of sparkle in the wool and some subtle silver beads on the neckline, which can be worn any cold day any time of year.

Boxing day sales - hectic, the only time I went someone wrote off my car when it was parked.

Mass - not for me, I'm religious but have no urge to take attendance.

Christmas day long walks/hikes - mumsnet seems to love this but it's honestly my idea of living hell.

The idea that Xmas is about 'family' and not gifts (that everyone spouts in a holier than thou way) - We don't and never have had big family Xmas, it sounds awful to me (hate people in our house, leaving the house is a PITA and social events are emotionally and physically draining signed a family of introverts).

Want, Need, Wear, Read - On the same note the holier than though 'no tat' crowd because think of poor Timmy whose mom could only get him a woolly hat for Xmas because they're lower class (I live below the poverty line in the poorest area in the UK and everyone has big Xmases. in fact, studies show the lower classes go bigger at Xmas than the middle class so stop fetishizing 'poor' people with made-up nonsense).

People who insist 'Xmas eve boxes' didn't exist until post-2005 even though there is a clearly searchable long history of them and many people personally had them - obviously their lack of experience override everyone else's actual experience.

Wrapping everything - we only wrap a few under the tree (growing up nothing was wrapped) and there's so much waste. Who has time, energy or money to wrap everything + so bad for the environment

People who try to dictate other's gift-giving - for example TELLING everyone no one is doing gifts this year because they want to stop (you can be a miserable tight arse but I'm going to continue buying gifts) or providing lists of what you must get them... so rude.

I actually do far more than most but this list sounds like we do nowt lol.

Haha love most of this especially the holier than though 'no tat' crowd and want, need read bull shit.

Coming from a poor family everything was wrapped to make it look better than it was, I still do this but admittedly I will bunch things together to save on time. I justify it by the fact I reuse wrapping paper and gift bags where ever I can.

I also love the elf’s, I know not everybody’s cup of tea but my DDs look forward to them so as long as they want them I will happily do them.

ilovemykids5 · 09/11/2021 20:47

All of it.

Stress of finding pressies for everyone.
Rushing around to please everyone.
Food is just a Sunday lunch with extras.
Hate it all.

Lightisnotwhite · 09/11/2021 21:16

Dislike there’s so much choice/stuff these days.
Much preferred a simple whizz round town and getting some stuff without worrying that it was half price two weeks before on Super Sunday or there’s a much better version online but only if I find a discount code and a free P&P voucher.

Christmas cake.
Taking the last decorations down and putting the, back in the attic.

LillianGish · 09/11/2021 21:23

You only need to do the bits you like and you only need to eat the stuff you like. I like advent because I like counting down - lighting candles, getting the twinkling lights out to cosy up the dark days, unwrapping the Christmas decorations which were carefully packed away in tissue last year, getting a real tree for the scent of pine, peeling satsumas for the same reason. I don't need Christmas pyjamas, Christmas bedding, Christmas crockery or elves or boxes so I just don't bother. I like cooking so I cook a ham on Christmas Eve and and turkey on Christmas Day, but we only eat stuff with it that everyone likes (so no sprouts here!) - I'm finding it hard to think of things that I don't like because we just don't do them. They don't form any part of our Christmas, but I certainly wouldn't judge anyone for doing things a different way. Each to his own.

LadyMonicaBaddingham · 09/11/2021 21:25

The fuss starting in November.

UndertheCedartree · 09/11/2021 21:41

Also not bothered about Adult advent calendars.

And I forgot to say I love taking my 2 to see FC. We go to the same place every year and always have a lovely time. Their dad always comes too. My eldest is 14 and still wants to go this year!

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