Anyone else craving a quiet Christmas after last year’s lockdown Christmas?

[McOrange]

I have a lovely family, but a big family and every year we seem to spend the days driving around to see people or hosting ourselves. Which is quite nice, but all the parents / PILs have small guest beds which we have to share with the children who don’t sleep well etc etc, which means it’s not very restful and I never feel very relaxed or refreshed going in to the next year.

I am really craving a simple, stripped back Christmas where we do day visits only, no overnight stays and perhaps just do Christmas Day in our own home with no visitors. Just a nice dog walk in the morning, some simple presents and a nice lunch and that’s that. Maybe visit family on Boxing Day and a few days later but make the most of a quiet few days.

Anyone else feeling like this?

We normally have just me and DH and it’s utterly blissful. We do what we want, when we want and it makes me really excited about Christmas.

This year, we’re going to the in laws and we’ve said how much we’re going to miss our day. I think you’d be mad not to have Christmas just the way you’d like it.

Do that then! I do think it’s a bit odd that it took making household contact illegal for people to decide what they do/don’t want to do at Christmas and act upon it.

I know, but there comes a certain amount of expectation of seeing family over Christmas doesn’t there! Feel like I’d be letting people down a bit to say we won’t see them

I only have to see my parents who arrive on Xmas day for 48 hrs and ILs who we see for lunch at somepoint before Xmas or during twixmas..

I'd bloody hate having to see loads of people. You are not being unreasonable.

No, I have to say I'm desperate to have my normal Christmas visiting family, seeing friends, going on work nights out etc. Saying that though, your 'stripped back' Christmas sounds much like my norm. I don't see anything wrong with going to visit people but going home that night, it's not like you're refusing to see anyone and shutting yourselves in the house alone for two weeks being anti-social. It sounds like a nice balance.

God no. The only two times we've done Christmas just the 4 of us (once a few years ago to see if we liked it, then once due to lockdown) we all agreed it was really boring and a massive anticlimax. We love being with extended family for days at Christmas and NY, even though it means lots of driving (all our family live at least 4hrs away!).

Are your family close enough that you could go home and not have to stay overnight? In which case I'd definitely do that! I love seeing family but hate staying overnight at other places....even hotels to be honest.... I just love my own bed!

My family live 4 hours away so we do stay for a couple of nights but usually visit in-between Christmas and New Year. We see DH's family for a big pub meal on Christmas Eve and usually for a NYE party as they live about an hour away but we come back home and don't stay overnight.

Christmas Day has been a staying at home day since we had DD1. We just like relaxing and having a day off where were free to do what we like. It's a delight!

Pre Covid our Christmas was: Christmas Eve drinks with dear friends.
Christmas Day- always here and my parents, MIL joining us. I set visiting hours as 11-6.
Boxing Day - just the 3 of us.
Last year was just us with a brief chilly visit from my parents for distanced champagne and presents.
Can’t wait to resume plan A this year. All adults are jabbed twice ir three times already. Half the children have had Covid and all have been exposed loads of times. It’s as safe as it can be and we’ll go ahead regardless of what Boris says. Lateral flows
Christmas Eve morning maybe.
I am so glad we have a local family so no trekking up and down the country either.

Our family live close by so we do days but not nights. It’s a busy few days but its fine

Not at all.