Do you think Christmas as an event as had its day & will it look very different in 5 or 10 years?

[NalPolishRemover]

Reading through MN over the past few days it's struck me how many threads are so negative about Christmas, too much work, too much stress, spending time with people you don't like, hating the gifts you've received, hating buying gifts, hating the traditional foods, taking decorations down on boxing day, erasing all signs of Christmas as soon as possible, not doing Santa, or if doing Santa doing it as minimally as possible etc etc

It got me thinking, most of us have sort of trundled from one year to the next doing what we've always done in terms of our own family culture/ tradition but covid has disrupted everything. It's broken lots of cycles for people. Do you think it's perhaps started a decline in Christmas and over the next 5 - 10 years Christmas will no longer be recognizable?

Given how much everyone was (claiming to be ) longing for their traditional family Christmas gatherings last year, I thought this year the boards would be full of happiness & joy but they seem overwhelmed by frustration.& disappointment instead.

Maybe Christmas is actually over?

@plinkplinkfizzer

No I really don't think so . Look at the Christmases of ww2 when rationing was in place many Family either fighting or dead , or bombed out . I just think so many people are brats about presents . Or too much pressure put onto one family to do Christmas . I think the younger generation need to pull their finger out and stop laying it all at the feet of Parents .

I’d love to do a quiet Christmas

But I get all the guilt from the parents when I say I don’t want to attend their events.

It’s not just the younger generations at “fault”

DH talked about this last night, and decided it will be our last year of a roast dinner because a roast’s just not that special, we can do it any time, and why should I spend 3 hours of my day in the kitchen? Please don’t suggest he does it, we want to be able to eat it were thinking maybe just a load of M&S party food, nice drinks etc, play some games etc the ILs and DM won’t like it but they cooked Christmas for years and we had to have it how they wanted it, now it’s our turn.

*DH and I, he’s not a dictator (like to see how that would work out for him )

I think everyone has different Xmas experiences and all make it their own. I couldn’t imagine not sitting down on Xmas day for a Xmas dinner or not having a family buffet on Boxing Day. I always stress that I’ve not got enough or done enough and am never organised enough but somehow it all comes together. Just so sad this year that my 11 yr old tested positive on the 20th so Xmas has been very different for us this year, I’ve missed my family so much, we always get together at some point and my son’s isolation isn’t up till 31st

I hope me and my family continue our usual Christmas’s as I really enjoy them

I think you have a point @NalPolishRemover

When I was young, things like a huge roast dinner, cakes and sweets were really special as they didn’t happen all the time like they do now.

Same for the presents. In general people have much more now, don’t just buy at Christmas.

Communication is so much easier so keeping in touch with relatives is too.

I think times have changed a lot.

The only thing that's changed in my Christmas celebrations compared to those of my childhood is the diminished no of Christmas cards and I get a crown rather than a full bird.

I'm 47.

@Shehasadiamondinthesky This is exactly how I feel.

Covid has put a big strain on Christmas, but I think it will survive and maybe even become more important as a family time. It has made us more aware of what can happen to come between us.

Yesterday I thought so much about my late parents and enjoyed the feeling of doing time-honoured tasks like peeling potatoes, fussing with getting the gravy just right and watching my grandchildren enjoy their new techy gift. It just felt right, like part of my DNA is taken up by memories of Christmas past.

I also tried hard this year to match a gift to the person, and not over spending. Not easy but it seemed to work out. And I did it online as facing the shops was just too much. Being able to do that is a huge change over the past and I think a good one.

So no, I believe Christmas will stay. There is something so special about that feeling of warmth and continuity.

Even without Covid, life has changed over the last several decades.

More people divorcing, not having kids, moving further afield, even having work commitments, then a divisive pandemic on top.

I enjoy Christmas to some extent but would quite happily opt out some years. I only have my elderly mum and 17yo DD so no big family celebration. It'll be years before I'm likely to have grandkids (if at all) and have been single for 5.5 years so not holding my breath re meeting someone.

I imagine there will come a point where mum is no longer here and DD has other commitments at which point I will probably (Covid permitting) sod off somewhere all inclusive with my Kindle for a week instead.

@LoveFall you see I totally agree with you & I love to continue the time honoured traditions of my family Christmases by preparing the traditional foods & customs with my dc & it binds me in good ways to my past & I very much view it as setting a blue print for my dc to follow (or reject, who knows yet)

It just struck me that so many people post here about hating doing those tradition things - prepping dinner, cooking the roast & opting to discontinue all those elements altogether in favour of takeaway or party food etc that it made me wonder if Christmas will morph into something else entirely

My great grandparents would 100% recognise my version of Christmas though would be disappointed I do not celebrate the religious part or write cards.

They would not recognise reheating take away or eating premade canapes instead of dinner or putting up the tree in November & taking it all down on the 26th or giving lists of 'gifts' you want or not wanting the presents you did receive etc

I don't know if all these changes make things better or worse?

For me it was important (though hard to quantify exactly why) for my dc to be part of a more traditional Christmas. All sitting around the table with the traditional foods & grandparents/ siblings present if they can be. Being part of a continuation of something greater than ourselves.

There needs to be a new festival, that also falls on the 25th December, but celebrates Humanitarianism. A day of Winter mindfulness perhaps.

Hmm, well the shortest day of the year falls around the 21st December, so perhaps people could celebrate that - they could call it the Winter Solstice or something. Not sure if it'll catch on, though.

I don’t know why so many are offended by your question OP, I think it’s a good one!

Personally think we will see roasts become less popular on Christmas and people deciding to have the food they like even if that’s not ‘traditional’. Possibly more people looking to have the food delivered or made by restaurants as well rather than cook. Would definitely suit those in small houses and flats better.

The pandemic will probably accelerate the trend of people having towards smaller family gatherings. I’m a millennial and a lot of my friends stay in their own homes or just go to family for the day. I’m knackered by the end of December and just want a rest not driving round the country when there are 51 other weeks when people can see me.

Environmental concerns should accelerate us to more sustainable options e.g. recyclable wrapping paper and less packaging waste. I know I’m wanting less gifts each year and next year will probably tell family to not get my anything as I just don’t need more stuff and would rather go out for a meal and spend time with people.

I think Christmas ‘experiences’ will become bigger, especially in the run up to the day. Seeing lots of people go to outdoor light shows etc. People like going to things they can share on social media.

Kids who get bought everything they want all year round may not see the point of Christmas once they are out of Santa believing years? Years back you’d wait for Christmas to get the trainers or jumper you wanted but that doesn’t really happen now. I can see a lot of young people not seeing Christmas as important especially as they are so plugged into social media and the internet that they don’t really like a day when the country stops. I honestly think eventually, there will be people questioning why things are ‘closed’. We are not really a Christian country anymore so why not have cinemas and bowling alleys open? Why can’t you get a coffee or go for brunch? We have people that settle here from all over the world and that will drive different demands. People will look at countries like the US where Christmas is celebrated but is more of a family day with lots of things still open so you can enjoy the day how you want. Essentially, individualism which already permeates our society will grow further in my opinion.

I think more people will look to go on holidays too. Why stay home when you have two weeks off and you’d prefer to experience things and travel than be forced to sit in your grandma’s lounge for two days because it’s ‘tradition’? People work hard and will want to make the most of time off and will prioritise that over tradition in my opinion.

Op Christmas is a very old tradition and won’t be going away on your life time

Decades ago, people didn't have social media. If they had, that too would have probably been filled with Christmas grumbles.

Nope. We had a really lovely Christmas with all our usual traditions, but because there was no drama I didn't need to start a thread for support. MN is always full of negative threads over Christmas from those who need support. I don't think this year is any different.

@SovietSpy you have summed up very well what I have been trying to express (obviously v badly) & I agree with all that you say

@Bluntness100 I don't imagine that 'Christmas' will disappear more that it is changing rapidly into something else. A different type of celebration. I think the 'traditional Christmas' is actually at risk as so many reject it now

Again this was not a thread about people experiencing Christmas family dramas but rather about people dropping the traditional elements in favour of things that they prefer & how that might change or effect what we consider Christmas to be as we go forward.

I think the 'traditional Christmas' is actually at risk as so many reject it now

But do many reject it? Pretty much everyone I know IRL celebrates a traditional Christmas and my social media is full of people celebrating what would be considered a traditional Christmas.

It's a time when many people return to tradition.

@SpinsForGin that's pretty much my question?

We do the 'traditional Christmas' but reading MN it would appear that an awful lot don't in many respects - non traditional foods, grazing on party food all day as opposed to sitting around the table, specified gift lists, not observing the 22 days of the season etc and I wondered how wide spread it is in life outside MN

12 days not 22 - that might be too much for anyone!!

[quote NalPolishRemover]@SpinsForGin that's pretty much my question?

We do the 'traditional Christmas' but reading MN it would appear that an awful lot don't in many respects - non traditional foods, grazing on party food all day as opposed to sitting around the table, specified gift lists, not observing the 22 days of the season etc and I wondered how wide spread it is in life outside MN[/quote]
In my experience, not very widespread.
In fact, I'm seeing more people returning to a more traditional Christmas.

MN really isn't representative of society as a whole.

I would say mainstream has already shifted away from 12 days to the current focus on Advent.
And away from baking your own stuff in the run up to buying in "party food." Eating out in a restaurant for Christmas day has been around for quite a few years now too.

Can't speak for others, but I can't see myself ever not celebrating Christmas. Without it, the winter months would be pretty dire.

However, my version of Christmas also does not involve more efforts than I'm able to make. I've always scaled it to match my circumstances. And it's a personal celebration first, which only involves others if they want to join.

Finally... My Christmas is about Christ (and the winter solstice), not Santa. That particular kind of Christmas I can see enduring a long time. The commercial holiday? Not so sure.

I think the 'traditional Christmas' is actually at risk as so many reject it now

But what is "the traditional Christmas". Christmas is celebrated in many different countries, in many different ways. Some countries celebrate it in summer so much of what you consider "traditional" is quite different. However, wherever people are the basic premise is the same. I've just had my 62nd Christmas, and mostly it was the same as it was when I was a child. I hate the rampant commercialisation of it and also the festival being rammed down my throat from early November, but I love the day itself. However people celebrate it is still something special, and I don't think it has "had its day"