Anyone else wish christmas wasn't a thing anymore?

[Tacali]

I like christmas for my DC but I wish it wasn't a thing anymore.

Anyone else feel the same? I know I'm probably the minority.

Not sure what you mean by 'wasn't a thing'? It's a religious celebration for many (though appreciate many others don't treat it this way). I think personally it should be a bit more understated and treated as what it should be as most other religious celebrations are. It is being used now purely for commercial purposes. I have been to some lovely Christmas celebrations in parts of Europe and much more intimate and definitely less money spent. More about being with the family.

Keep it simple and focused on what really matters. Even with kids we haven't bought into all the current 'must do'trends - no elf, no Xmas Eve boxes, no overpriced/rammed Xmas outings, no new 'decor theme' each year. We take time together to decorate the tree with a mix of ornaments collected over the years and from friends/family, the kids write their lists and get a reasonable not crazy amount of presents, Xmas Eve we spend together, prep food for next day, Xmas day we open presents and give kids time to enjoy their presents while we cook a regular Sunday lunch style meal. We go to church on either Xmas Eve or Xmas day, sometimes both. We chill and watch tv / play games / go for a walk. Socialising is minimal.

I adore the school Christmas Nativity, don't like pantomime. Was ripped off at a farm event four years ago when I treated five grandchildren and parents. £300. I'm not falling for that again.

"I choose coloured lights and tat on my tree over an instagram one."

Why do you assume everyone but yourself is on Instagram? So arrogant

keep trying to think of ways of cutting it down and making it less stressful
@Julianatree I don't bake for Christmas, I buy the cake and mince pies ready made. I have a plastic tree too, not too big 4ft and it sits in the corner of the living room. Takes around 2hrs to decorate on 1st December and I don't do any other home decorations. For cards I save a Saturday mid December and sit to write them all then post the same day. I make it so it's the only thing I do that day, except sitting around watching TV, so there's no chance it won't get done.

I’m a total Mrs. Christmas but even I don’t get bogged down by all the unnecessary extras.

I adore the exciting build up. The tree goes up early at the end of November, I choose a fancy Christmas candle or two and I like getting cosy. We might watch Christmas films and tv shows but don’t feel the need to go to Christmas markets, pantos, grottos, carol services and the like.

We don’t feel the pressure to have family over for some big fancy lunch. It’s just us with a roast chicken dinner and a few different extras. We’ve never gone overboard with expensive presents or felt the need to buy the fanciest festive food or booze. We have cheap crackers, our usual crockery and we wear what we want. I might have a Xmas jumper on but DH and DS2 will more than likely just have a pair of shorts on like always.

We might pop in to see relatives or they’ll pop over to us at some point but no pressure to ‘entertain’. We’ll swap cheap gifts and share a cuppa, a handful of celebrations and a Prosecco if we’re feeling fancy.

When the kids were little we had hardly any money but we always had amazing Christmases. We do things exactly the same as we did then just with fewer family members alive now unfortunately.

The pressure is only there if you feel you have to do more than you’re comfortable with.

Yes!!

Christmas is such a lonely time for so many people, compounded by all the relentless hype. It’s too much

If you don’t like it then either don’t do it or change it so that you just do a Christmas that suits you - it’s not compulsory.

I do a Christmas that suits me. My 18 year old still loves Christmas, so I do it for her. Otherwise I just wouldn't.

It's all just a bit much really

I find it hard but I think it serves an important purpose and actually that would be a hard time of year anyway.
I think we have Christmas because it helps us through the winter. As I've got older I've found comfort in the seasonal holidays throughout the year.
I think obviously they have become far too commercialised and now there's so much financial pressure on people.
Should really just focus on spending time with loved ones. Maybe cooking some nice food and playing some music. Decorating the house with bright colours and lights. Just to remember positives at a dark time of the year.
It's hard tho. Tensions inevitably run high and something that's meant to make you hopeful and focused on positives in your life.. ends up making a lot of people reflect on what they don't have and what they think they should be able to do etc

I hate going into a shop and being assaulted by awful Xmas Muzak which even the staff have no control over - they have to listen to it all day.

No wonder the high street is dying and people prefer to shop on line.

Expensive

I like the gathering of family and friends… that’s it! Hate the gifts … it’s rubbish

My intellectually impaired son adores Christmas. He loves putting up the tree and deciding on food.

The rest of the family could take it or leave it. DD comes or doesn't come depending on her mental health. DH has learned not to bitch at me at the very little we do do. We have nice food because I like nice food and a few presents.

I love Xmas but struggle to find the money for it with only one wage coming in. It's financially draining 😞

I love Christmas. It’s my favourite time of year. I don’t celebrate it in a way most people would like to celebrate it though. So if you don’t enjoy it, then change it. It doesn’t have to be like everyone else’s or like the adverts say it should be etc.
Dreading something for months every year is awful for you!

I mean you can just skip it or make your own traditions

we take it as an opportunity for holidays - we both are lucky enough to get the time off at Xmas for a week anyway so adding an extra week or 2 annual leave on means 3 weeks hols

we’ve flown Xmas day 3 times to Asia and South America

weve a toddler and a baby and we don’t do the big Santa present thing either

Santa brings one small present for all and we provide 1 or 2 things

dont make a big fuss about it

I just don't bother.

But I don't have children.

I actually moved country to get away from it! I really really don't enjoy Christmas. We are child free by choice and I'm an only child and everything in the UK seemed to be geared towards huge extended families enjoying feasts among twinkling lights. The months of ridiculous build up and the dreary weather made me so miserable.

We don't celebrate 'xmas' the event and now we are in NZ it's easy to escape. Bit of tinsel in the supermarket and that's it. We don't buy gifts or decorate but on the day we have cocktails on the beach with friends and the dogs. We then have a lovely gathering of 20 or so friends for lunch and eat drink and be merry in the sunshine. It's so lovely. No stress, just a lovely holiday.

It is what people make of it, I thinks if we remove every single celebration or school or other social event because it is 'too much' or 'I don't have the head space/time' or ''it gives me anxiety'

Do people want life to be school, work, shopping on the weekend, box sets and 7 or 14 nights laid on a sun lounge and that is it?

I've always hated Christmas. It holds horrific memories after some very bad experiences. I could just about cope when it was a week or so (a few days before and after the 25th), but now it seems to properly start in November and go on for weeks. It's awful.

If you don't enjoy it then don't celebrate it.

Or change it to how you'd like it.

All within your power

I like certain aspects of Christmas, not others, so I choose to do the things I like and not the others. I love the fairy lights, cosy evenings leading up to the day, Christmas books and films, lovely food. Thankfully DS is older now so we don't have to do all the Santa, Elf, Grotto stuff.

On the day, we go to family for Christmas Dinner and it's very low key. No pressure, no stress. It's lovely.

What does make me sad, is that everything is in such a rush now, to get to the next thing. We haven't had Halloween or Bonfire Night yet, but Christmas stuff has been in the shops since August. Then on a Boxing Day, the Easter Eggs are in. St David's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, then we're back round to Autumn again.

The time seems to fly because we're always rushing to the next "event". I'd like to enjoy Autumn, my favourite time of year, without being bombarded with Christmas.

Totally agree. It starts too early now and goes on and on. I still have DC who enjoy it but I won't be doing anything til Dec. Once my dc grow up I will stop. I have spent too many hours of my life rushing about buying stuff, decorating, writing cards (stopped that during covid, bloody relief), wrapping, cooking. My DH never bothers and I look forward to matching his efforts.