A simpler Christmas

[upfucked]

I hate the stress and consumerism of Christmas. If you have cut back on things, how/what have you done?

We make it more about food and drink than pikes of presents. I actually can’t bear too many presents under the tree anyway, it makes me stressed. So a few presents of things that we actually need and will use. We rent a real tree - that goes back to the forestry afterwards.
Im looking at church services for Christmas Eve, as pp said, I too would like to reconnect with the religious festival.

That sounds lovely

I don't go overboard with the decorations. The fairy lights go up when the clocks go back and stay up all winter. The fireplace gets decorated with things as we find them whilst we're out for a walk. Things like pine cones, conkers, feathers and dried flowers. I won't buy decorations. I'll make and put a wreath on the front door at the beginning of December and I'll stay up till end of Jan. It all goes on the compost heap in the spring. I don't bother with a tree.

DH and I don't buy each other presents for opening on the day. We'll buy gifts throughout the year as and when we see or find them. I always get my mum theatre tickets because I know she enjoys it and its our tradition for our birthday in the following February (we have the same birthday). I'll always get dad a murder mystery book because I know he likes that too. So the gifts are always the same but different each year. Takes the pressure off trying to find the perfect surprise gift knowing they will enjoy it.

@Abracadabra12345

This is the book

The Promise and the Light: A Christmas Retelling amzn.eu/d/53zC2Z2

In case it's of interest to anyone else

We've set a £10 budget for adult gifts and £15-20 for the kids. Small things but useful things, for example a good cook book, or my mum has got my DH 6 of his favourite IPAs and my dad got him a wooden crate to put them in. We're only buying for 5 adults and 2 kids each, so that means total present spend will be under £100. In previous years I'd have spent that on my niece and nephew alone. We have done secret santa in the past but we thought we would change it up a bit this year.
I'm hosting for 12 people so food is being kept simple - pastries for brekkie and a big pot of soup for starter. We also started a few years ago using paper plates for a buffet style breakfast and omg it made life soooo much easier, just put them in the recycling after and there's no washing up!

I like a simple Christmas. It was pretty simple when I was a child but I loved it. My elderly parents always spoke really fondly about their childhood Christmasses and I know they were pretty poor.
Being at home in the warm with family - tree lights on, festive tv and a few treat foods is everything. We all love a winter walk too.

We've always had a simpler Christmas just because we're from a culture that doesn't really celebrate Christmas.
We only do gifts for our own kids, which is about 4 each and we have a big family get together that we all contribute (with food) to.
We'll do things in the run up like seeing the lights, some baking, watching Christmas films and getting together with friends who do celebrate.
We often do ice skating with friends or go to the theatre.
I'd much rather spend any money on doing stuff rather than buying gifts.

Ours is simple but will be getting simpler. 4 young Dc who get 5-6 presents ones a bigger/higher value item along with smaller gifts. Each gets a sticking (the sock sized ones) with a book, stationary, top trumps etc hair clips bits & bobs they need & want but not the stuff that goes into landfill. Dh & I get each a stocking. We go to a carol service now, lots of games & movies with good food but we enjoy making a fair bit. Cutting way back on booze this year and outings including Santa visits. Kids are shattered by the start of the holidays and when asked said they would prefer to not do the light walks, and in a frank chat two admitted they didn’t enjoy Santa as he’s not the real one. We are skint this year too so have only booked pantomime as it’s something we all love & enjoy. It’s the first Christmas in a few years I am looking forward to as it already seems less stressful. Will see how it goes.

We really get into Advent too. Each year I read through a book on Celtic Advent by David Cole from 40 days before Christmas.

We tend to make a lot of decorations- greenery and branches from the garden for wreaths, garlands and the advent wreath. Also origami stars strung across the kitchen on twine. We make our own cards and wrapping paper to make it sustainable (we aren't talented crafters so they don't look amazing, but we have fun!) All the tags are last year's Christmas cards cut up with pinking shears by the DC.

In the Advent calendars the DC have a carol as well as a chocolate and we enjoy a good sing-song each day.

We do limit presents from us/father christmas to a stocking and one tree present. This year they are getting one tree gift to share between them but it is much longed for so I know they will be delighted. We also bought it on nectar points so expense has been limited. But of course they get gifts from family as well. We don't do panto or visits to father Christmas. But we are going to a live nativity this year which I am really looking forward to. There are also lots of walks with friends and family planned. We go to church so there are also Carol services and Cristingle services.

I honestly think our DCs' favourite moments are when they all have to change rooms so the family can find places to sleep and the panic on Christmas Eve when we don't have as much bedding as we thought and everyone has to share, or when pyjamas have been forgotten or a spill has happened and our clothes get worn by cousins or grandparents.

That book sound lovely what’s it called? My advent calendar is a reusable one with 24 pieces of the nativity in it. Next year I’ll get fake candles and do the candles of advent.

That's very nice 😊

What's the name of the book?

@yoshiblue

I only just read the full thread and saw you gave the details already.
Thank you for the info.

Yes seen it too I’ll order next week.

Same here, loads of cooking and crafting. I get really stressed out trying to please people, so I try not to do that any more. It's just about hanging out and keeping it chilled. I try to buy long-lasting stuff for the kids, lots of it second hand.

Glad to see others like the look of that book too! 😊

I have simplified the present buying process for my Nieces and nephews (there's too many now!) and now do:

Want- something they've asked for specifically
Need- something they need (stationary/replacement item etc)
Wear- PJs/socks etc
Read- I always buy a book or two
Eat- selection box or home made gingerbread etc

I don't buy for the adults with kids at all now (more a cost savings exercise though)

We do pot luck for Xmas dinner so everyone contributes to the meal

DD and I are making a Christmas activity advent calendar this year- 24 envelopes in a Xmas box with an activity written on a card inside(Xmas film/make a decoration/Xmas bake/trivia etc) that we open each day 😊 she's writing some and I'm writing some so we can both potentially have a surprise per day! I'm sick of the chocolate ones and always forget to buy them on time so were prepared this year with our own!

Definitely the religious side will be huge now due to me being on my own.

I love cooking and baking but as it's only 3 of us, I just reduce the amount. 3 people don't need 5 different side dishes but I still do special ones.

Presents - again, with just us and sending small gifts to the parents back in Germany there is no overkill. I start shopping when DD comes up with her wish. list and we normally stick to it, plus the odd surprise. No point in starting. in Summer when tastes and needs change over the next months. We also try and go for. presents like experiences, theatre tickets or memberships.
The stocking is just where small items go and it's hanging at the fireplace, so no extra special stocking fillers.

December is a busy month at work so we try and relax at the. weekends with things to do, we love carol concerts.

Presents - DDs are young and DH and I have big families but we have simplified as much as possible. 5 presents each for DDs plus a stocking which is plenty to be honest, they get lots from family members and they really don't need any more stuff. My family clubbed together to get them an annual membership to the local zoo last year which was perfect. The wider family I just try to stick to consumable gifts that can be used up or easily passed on. Chocolate, nice tins of biscuits, bottles of wine, candles, perfume and books are pretty much it for everyone from DH to my parents to aunts and uncles.

Decorations - the main thing for me is I like twinkly lights so as long as we have fairy lights up I'm happy. We've had our lights for years and years and I do use them outside too. I love seeing other people's houses lit up on dark winter nights so I make sure mine is too. We have an artificial tree and decorations that we've had for donkeys years. I love the old, familiar decorations coming out year on year but in all honesty if it wasn't for DDs I probably wouldn't bother with the tree. Fairy lights and I'm happy.

Food - Christmas dinner is a roast with a couple nice extras like pigs in blankets. I try not to go too mad on food throughout Christmas but get a few nice snacks in for nights in front of the TV all cosy on the sofa. Just being with family is the main thing.

For about 20 years I’ve only bought for my DC, DH and DM (DD when he was alive). I think of Christmas as a really nice Sunday, I enjoy lots of Christmas movies in December which is a good free activity.

We've ways kept it simple and focussed on church based services and activities... we enjoy nice food and drink. Never gone overboard with presents but absolutely now have 'no gifts rule'. Our DS (21) will get cash but no one else wants or needs anything. Never spent money on Christmas entertainment - pantomime is my idea of hell. And just focus on the one day. Never made a point of trekking around the country to see far flung relatives- and no expectations on either side which is fortunate.

Agree about pantomime I can’t think of anything worse. I’m alone now but can’t wait hibernating for three four days just chilling out.

Always a few years ago my DH & DS went skiing over Christmas without me ... so many people were horrified but I don't like skiing and had the most wonderful, relaxing time home alone .

That sounds perfect Ragwort

For a good few years now, we haven't bought the "Christmas selection" of biscuits, crackers, cheeseboard, chocolates etc. Instead, I've bought 3/4 different packets of nice crackers and put them in an airtight container to keep fresh as they will be used up over the season. The same with biscuits, I buy a few different packets (some chocolate ones, some plainer but nice like lemon ones or shortbread or favourites like jammie dodgers, some we bake) and we have between 2-4 open at a time for sharing (and another air tight container to keep them fresh). And a few mince pies.

We buy a nice selection of chunks of different cheeses we like - I spend as much as an M&S cheeseboard, and a couple are supermarket (good strong cheddar, there's usually Cashel blue there too) and a couple are from a local cheesemonger/deli. But we get lots more that way than the pre-prepared and pre-portioned style boards.

And rather than cheap chocolate in a tub that we don't enjoy but will just eat because they're there, I spend €10 on a decent sized bag of Leonidas orangettes as our family treat - we really like those!

Is that the kind of thing you mean?