Spending Christmas alone. Any ideas please?

[Downnotdown]

My DH will be working abroad this year over Christmas and New Year so I'll be home alone. We normally do very little for Christmas anyway and usually when DH is away I'm fine on my own but I'm just wondering how I'm going to feel on the day.

Is anyone else doing the same? If so, what plans do you have for the day?

If I was alone I'd relish the peace- little traffic. Early morning walk, church service for company, lunch of crusty bread and soup, fire and a movie, cheese and wine, bed. Im a bit jealous! Have a wonderful day

Buy the loveliest food and snacks from M&S. Arrange to meet friends on Christmas Eve for drinks. Save all your best Christmas films for Christmas Day and snuggle up and watch those.
You could do some volunteering? Food banks or soup kitchens may need extra staff over the festive period.
Meet friends for a walk, do you have a dog or like dogs? You could offer to look after a dog if it's owners are away for Christmas - it will certainly keep you busy.
Sorry just reread your post, not sure you're looking for ideas to fill your day/week but I think this is what I'd do. Hope you have a lovely Christmas.

I've spent quite a few on my own over the years.

But with zero £. I would suggest getting yourself some super treats? Eg ordering in food from the top supermarket, or if not veggie butchers etc. I'd try things I've never had like caviar and get best smoke salmon..

@coronafiona

If I was alone I'd relish the peace- little traffic. Early morning walk, church service for company, lunch of crusty bread and soup, fire and a movie, cheese and wine, bed. Im a bit jealous! Have a wonderful day

This sounds like the perfect day!

It's always a bit odd, as you know most people are doing things and you aren't. I get a range of food and drink in so I literally have whatever I fancy. I don't go out, there's nowhere to go, so I just chill out for the day. It's just 24 hours though and when you factor in a lie in, it goes quickly. I find Christmas Eve harder I think.

I did this a few years ago, DH called out of the country at short notice, adult DC with partners parents, extended family already gone off to holiday cottage .
Xmas morning took dog to beach early to see the sun coming up, stayed for a couple of hours chatting to friends.
Home - used lovely bath oils , put on lovely comfy clothes then videocalls started , that took care of another couple of hours. Then one film, dog out again ( looking at light displays around village) then home to lovely nibbles & Xmas TV.

Eat cupcakes, have a fruit and cheese platter for tea, watch a film or cheesy telly and drink red wine. Oh and blankets are a must. A early breakfast followed by a longish nature walk, a quick lunch then a nap then shower before tea, the main meal of the day. Biscuits, toasty old fire and wine and some crackers at night.

Once on a thread like this here, someone suggested fostering a dog over the Christmas period, and since then I have had that filed away as my back up plan if I ever need to do a solo Christmas.

I’ve done a few Christmases alone. I normally get myself extra special food, what I would really love, rather than a Christmas dinner type thing.
I get up when I wake up, go for a long walk, message friends, have lunch. I speak to family in the afternoon, have a few treats. I do like a final amble about at dusk, to see Christmas lights coming on, before I go home, put on a couple of feel good films, and settle in with yummy food.

I've done a few on my own - and had a great time!
Sort yourself a little timetable:
Am:

• nice walk
• speak / message people, so it's all done and you can relax. pm:
• bubble bath

• nice dinner (whatever you want) / champagne ( or whatever you want!)

- exactly what you want to watch, sprawled out on sofa

• snacks

- bedtime The perfect day!

I once spent Christmas Day alone when before we had kids and DH was working. My parents were abroad and I could have spent the day with my siblings and their kids but I really couldn’t be arsed. I ate monkfish and scallops and watched TV all day. Bliss.

I am usually alone on Christmas day, Just because it's Christmas day, it doesn't mean you fall to pieces, and need to know what to do.

I’m alone much of the time, children now grown and gone. I find plenty to do on a typical day and holidays as well. Lots of good ideas on this thread! Having spent years doing busy family Christmas celebrations I find this quiet time of life very enjoyable. Plan ahead and enjoy your day!

I can you see if you have any friends who are in the same position. Then maybe you could spent Christmas together?

I used to spend Christmas alone in my late teens early 20s - it was amazing - nothing to do except eat lovely food and watch films all guilt free!

I don't actually celebrate Christmas (different culture) so have spent many Christmas days alone/not being Christmassy. I suggest take full advantage of the enforced "day off". I try to have a morning walk, have some lovely snack food (from M&S etc as suggested by PP), take a relaxing bath, put on my pyjamas, treat myself to a Baileys or similar overly indulgent drink and settle in to watch all the Christmas specials without worrying about housework, roast dinners and family drama.

It depends. I usually worked/volunteered on Christmas holidays unless there was an unavoidable family event. (But, I loathe Christmas.)

I don't know if there's still time to volunteer for some of the major events if that interests you.

Otherwise, my idea of bliss would be going out with some friends for a canoe trip (if the sea conditions were OK) and having a packed lunch wherever we put in.

Failing that, a good fish dinner, some favourite films and Christmas music.

I once spent Christmas Day just me and dd. Obviously it was great during the day but once she was in bed - I wondered how I’d feel about that. But I loved it! Had loads of leftovers (from M&S) and have plenty of great food in so had the rest of the luxury prawn cocktail with tiger bread and cheeses etc and watched all the Christmas specials. It was a lovely evening!

Been there a few times when I was single. If you don't have friends to join or make plans with, I've done movies on the couch with Chinese food, a nice scenic walk, just out and about where people are.

Relax at home with champagne, chocs and TV and just think of all the others out there - slaving over a big dinner; being with people they don't like/hate; having to eat someone else's disappointing food they don't want/like that's badly cooked and/or served too ''late'' etc; difficult children making a fuss etc; having to drive miles because of family/friends; then having to clear up all the terrible mess; eating turkey for days etc! Lucky you!

What about one of those Christmas Day tours of london. Lots available if you google

@Downnotdown

My DH will be working abroad this year over Christmas and New Year so I'll be home alone. We normally do very little for Christmas anyway and usually when DH is away I'm fine on my own but I'm just wondering how I'm going to feel on the day.

Is anyone else doing the same? If so, what plans do you have for the day?

Oh this sounds my ideal Christmas, you lucky lady xx

Prep your dinner in advance and batch freeze it, then you can reheat as much or as little as you want without any slaving away in the kitchen...

Buy yourself some treats and treat yourself to a gift you really want

Make zoom Christmas day appointments with loved ones and give each person a time that is acceptable for you and them...

Watch all the Christmas TV shows and movies between your zoom calls

Buy yourself an Amazon/etsy gift card and treat yourself to a shopping spree

Basically plan your day, set aside time to catch up with others, time to watch TV shows, time to go for a walk, even time to visit neighbours with a Christmas card

Make the day a day that is all about you and enjoy it

When I was on my own for Christmases (and on a bit of a downer anyway), I did all the things suggested upthread but, and this was the important thing for me, I managed to ignore the fact it was Christmas Day and treated it more like an old-fashioned Sunday when everything used to shut. Thinking about past family times and everyone else in the road having a whale of a time could have pushed me over the edge! I planned the day in 2-hr chunks, had yummy food and drink in and downloaded a couple of new films to watch.

I’ve done it a couple of times before. Apart from the year I had flu and slept through the whole thing, it has always been bloody lovely.

Preparation is important. Have a think about what is going to make you have a lovely day. Whether that’s posh bubble bath and candles, staying in bed with a good book, watching telly and scrolling MN etc and make sure you have everything you need for that. It would be rubbish to fancy eating something you don’t have.

I’d be down the beach early, with a big coat and a flask, and have a walk to blow away the cobwebs. I’d come home and make myself a stupendous full English breakfast and then a combination of phone calls, reading, crafting and tv until about 5pm. I’d put a butterfly leg of lamb (Sainsbury’s, £9, absolutely lush) in the oven with some stuffing and pigs and have it in a baguette. A really long soak in the tub with nice bubble bath and a face mask, then toddle off to bed with a flask, a box of chocolates and my book.