What WON"T you be doing this Christmas?

[Eleusa]

I love Christmas and enjoy spending time planning the decorations, presents, what I'm going to cook etc. But after years of experience there are a few things that I definitely won't be doing-

• filling my own crackers. Did this one year- it cost an arm and a leg and no one seemed any more pleased with their carefully chosen personal gift than they would have done with the usual dead fish game and mini screwdrivers. Same goes for buying very expensive crackers.
• doing a stocking for my parents who were staying in the house. Dad came downstairs announcing it was "silly" and nearly dropped the "Santa's not real" bomb to DC on Christmas morning. Thanks, Dad!
• making some sort of elaborate Scandinavian baked pastries for Christmas breakfast. They were lush but the kids had already eaten a metric fuck-tonne of sugar after opening their stockings so not much got eaten. Elaborate Scandinavian baked pastries another day, however, are a fabulous idea.

What will you not be doing this Christmas? (Just being nosey about what other people do and don't like- definitely not suggesting that people shouldn't do things just because I don't!)

I won't be doing a turkey - I find it quite bland, so I'll probably do beef or lamb.

I probably won't be drinking this year; I've cut down on my consumption of alcohol quite significantly.

I won't be putting up with my ExDPs shitty moods. It's just going to be me and DD this year and I am so looking forward to it!

Putting 5 of my favourite old glass baubles on the tree after last year's fell over and smashed them Still gutted 10 months on. One of them my DD made when she was 3, she's 14 now but doesn't fancy making another one. Sob

I normally buy and love a fresh door wreath but after being charged £60 last year I won't be buying one. Xmas 2020 and 2019 it was £30.

Already announced I am not buying presents this year.
If I am on the rota at work(supermarket) Xmas eve, I will keep a large space in the freezer for the 75% off turkey price. Not buying turkey otherwise.

Cooking a proper Christmas Dinner. Stopped doing it last year when it was just husband, me and the kids. We rather spent the time playing with the kids, none of us is actually a big fan of turkey. We make the kid's favourite food and cook and bake things we all enjoy.

Christmas. At all.

I tried it last year for the first time in a decade. I just ended up with a mountain of roast dinner for days.

This year I'm going back to my own traditions.

(I'm not a complete Scrooge, I genuinely hope everyone has a wonderful time and I often choose to work to ensure colleagues can be home with their loved ones. I just don't want all the hoohaa for myself)

Anything Christmassy other than on Christmas Day. Even then, we will be going to a very nice Indian restaurant, rather than eating a traditional Christmas lunch.

I'm hoping we get invited to my DS's again cos covid meant no family Christmas last year.

So I am not planning on cooking on Christmas Day!!!

@Hbh17

sounds a bit miserable to me

why won’t u be seeing family?

Probably not seeing our daughter as she's in Scotland and may not get enough time off work to be with us. First time in 26 years won't have both kids with us and I'm feeling miserable already.

I can imagine these at a children's party. Brilliant auto-correct I assume. 😂

I won't be doing ANYTHING to do with covid. Covid has ruined the ambiance and build up of 2 Christmases. We have family living abroad, and it was stressful. This year no testing, no distancing, we are having the family round, we are going to the theatre, carol services, shopping and it's going to be flipping brilliant.

I want a Dolphin Nose potato

Any form of secret santa!
Leaving the house - we are hosting both sides of the family this year in our new house 😁 I can't wait, I love being the host, hate travelling to other people's houses.
Drinking bucks fizz... pregnant!

Honestly tho I'm so much more looking forward to all of the new things that we will be doing this year as opposed to the things i wont be. I love Christmas 🎄 ♥️

Not buying turkey - overpriced and not nice enough. Free range chicken for dinner.
No secret Santa at work, no work night out.
Not buying a special outfit to wear or any more lights or tat for the tree.
Not ferrying relatives around.
Neither of us will be working. Yay.
Giving adult dc money and three presents.

I won’t be doing xmas !
I’ll be having a lovely day with my pets, drinking nice wine and eating a lovely cheese board, going for a splendid afternoon dog walk, and reading my book.
John Lewis and M&S won’t be sucking me in this year !

I won’t be doing any more light trails. Expensive, dull and always feel disappointed. Kids never enjoyed one yet. Everyone seems to rave about them but I don’t get the appeal been to a few different ones and there all the same like Christmas markets. Snuggle up in front of the fire with the kids, dogs & a movie, toastie warm and dry.

I won't be going to any over priced festive 'experience' they're all the same. They're all a little bit more shit than last year. We're doing a pantomime, cinema trips, Christmas light walks, cupcake decorating. Just nice, simple stuff. No elaborate, expensive experiences. That usually involve being led around by students in elf costumes with varying levels of enthusiasm.

I definitely won’t be buying as much food.
And I won’t be sending any cards.

Dragging my poor toddler around every single demanding relative! We do it all the time, for every occasion! This year we are going to say our house is open for visitors, keep stocked up on tea, coffee and mince pies and let my little girl spend all of Christmas relaxed in her own home, enjoying her new pressies, and not stuck in very non child friendly houses bored out of her little mind for everyone else's benefit!

Felt really good to get that off my chest 🤣

-Buying excessive amounts of food
-Spending silly money on gifts- all budgets are halved as we want people to spend less on us too in the coming years- setting an example and all that.
-Allowing DDs to open up every item they unwrap before they even decide they like it- ex. Last year they had 2 spyrograph type sets- they opened up both unnecessarily and then used neither after that. Regift!!!
-Eat the same meal 2 days in a row. I did the dull British boxing day tradition of gammon and potatoes only for my mum to do the EXACT same meal on the 27th- it was the same people at both events 😆 and I did the bland food to satisfy everyone else.
-Putting up 4 reams of Xmas lights on our tree

Buying a load of shite for adults that they clearly don't need

You sound so brave. Sending flowers and hugs. 💐💐

Cooking a Turkey dinner and Christmas pudding

Family decision, we'd prefer a good joint of beef or pork and a lighter dessert.

Aww I hope it turns out ok.must be tough,but your outlook is so brave and inspiring.
coild you do all the things you did together or he liked.favourite songs,foods etc.the movies you watched together.