If you could eliminate one thing about Christmas what would it be?

[Nonplusultra]

I think if I could change one thing I’d eliminate the presents - just have a lovely season of coming together for meals and companionship, without the stress and expense of buying gifts for a certain day.

I quite like giving gifts - I’d just rather do it as and when, instead of trying to find something thoughtful by a certain date within a strict price range.

What one aspect of Christmas would you change?

Deleted.

The song “Last Christmas”

Buying more than one present for anyone over the age of 12!

Ban all the tat. Children are given so much plastic tat that the become overwhelmed. The majority of presents bought for Christmas end up in the bin or being re gifted.

The anxiety of socialising. I always appreciate having seen people when it's over with. But the anticipation is awful. I mean family, not friends.

Also I'm dreadful at just sitting all afternoon chatting to family. The effort for the small talk.

I like the food, the songs, the negronis, the champagne!

Elf on the shelf!!

having to spend it with my MIL .....

Early advertising.

Presents.

Threads on MN about 'Christmas Dinner.' Why do some people make such a big deal over this?

Reading the sentence 'Christmas is for the kids' on here. No, it's for anyone who likes it, not just children.

Father Christmas/ Santa, particularly now - it seems to be way out of hand. Last year, someone asked my barely two year old whether she'd been a good girl, and when I said something like, "Well, she is on the whole," they said, "Oh, Santa will have presents for you then, won't he?"

I don't remember him being such a big deal when I was a kid, and I certainly don't remember any, "Santa only brings presents if you've been good," stuff.

Christmas songs. There’s not one I like after years of them being played in shops. 😬Nothing else for us, we only do the bits we like.

We no longer invite family who are arseholes which makes it so much more enjoyable. I suppose I’d eliminate the obligation that others feel to have to be kind to arsehole family members at Christmas, because I hear of so many people dreading Christmas because of them. I’d leave them in their own misery and eliminate any guilt felt by anyone. 😅

Too early. Trees up around here as soon as Halloween was over. If you have kids that just seems bizarre, to them Xmas must seem ages away.

Greed and dead turkeys.
Too many useless gifts, children expecting loads of stuff and lots to be spent on them.
People stuffing themsleves stupid with anything they can lay their hands on.
Poor turkeys, they have crappy short lives.

Thats awful behaviour from supposed grown ups! Agree just give them token or smaller items. Christmas really does bring out the worst in people.

Presents and expectations/hype.

Presents should get easier as kids get older and more adults and I start doing what my Mum hated from my DGP and has herself done for years giving money/gift token.

Expectations - I think they may get worse especially if older family member lose partners and we then get expected to host and I'm glad we are past primary school years as they seemed to make hype and busyness much worse. I dealt early on with expectation we should travel the country with young kids but then I'm also guilty of expectations as expected DD1 just left for uni would be back - we will see her twice that month one a trip up there and one a trip back but she'll be elsewhere for actual Christmas day.

I think presents gets harder as kids get bigger.
At 4 or 5 they have loads of toys but once they get to 10 or 11 they are mainly past toys don't appreciate clothes. Very little media to buy them Xbox games are all on line, everyone is streaming music etc.

The day. I’d bring it back to Yule.

Chocolate in advent calendars and the way that they have become so excessive in general. Who wants their kid to start every day of December with a chocolate?!

Advent calendars should just have little pictures of donkeys and Jesus and boring things like that.

Oh, and I would also eliminate all those people who show up to Christmas parties with raging colds and make the rest of us sick for the holidays. They are surplus to requirements.

The time shortage. I’d build in a few days off in the beginning of the month to decorate and prep. I know I could plan my leave for that and I even have the days available, but work is always busy and taking time off is difficult.

Yes! This is how I spent last Christmas feeling awful with flu.

Meat.

This must have come round in a cycle, because when I was a kid in the 60s this is how it was. People used to say you must be “good” or Father Christmas won’t bring you a present. It’s sad if that’s coming back again.

Oh god yes, I hate enforced small talk too! And for anyone with anxiety or autism it’s very difficult indeed.

The presents, the waste and the pressure for a perfect Christmas - I have a childless friend who finds it very difficult.

The work! Cleaning the house for guests, cooking for ourselves plus elderly parents who can't visit, so need a separate dinner: thinking of gifts/food shopping etc., trying to budget.... I'd rather just have my feet up in front of the fire with a glass of wine after a long winter walk.