At what age did you most enjoy Christmas?

[ShelfOnTheElff]

Just that really!

I think when I was under 10, I was mostly all about Santa and presents. I did enjoy it but was very focused on that one day.

I think my favourite age for Christmas was my early secondary school years. Presents were still really important and I still got very excited but I appreciated the season as a whole a lot more than when I was younger, even if I didn't believe in Santa.

With my own kids who are now preteens, I think every year from the time the youngest was about 3 has been great. Christmas with toddlers is really challenging!

Still waiting tbh

Proper started enjoying early 30s/very late 20s. Bliss. Admittedly, we don't have kids.
Collected quite a collection of decs so house looks like nicer grotto, DH who enjoys it too (though doesn't go overboard likeI do), so so peaceful every second year because it was just two of us. I do love Christmas with my family too.
Food exactly as we want, drinks, presents Christmas eve, stocking Christmas day, monopoly, movies, time off, candles everywhere, some small old superstitious traditions.

Bliss. Absolute bliss. And cheeeese.
Fucking love Christmas time.

22 was a good age to enjoy Christmas, lots of loving family time, seeing school mates all back for the holiday.

Bit of everything really

Then I had my children and husband to celebrate with.

Student years - heading home for xmas, meeting up with friends from my home town and school days and still having that time with immediate and wider family, whilst having very little to have to organise other than a few presents and meet ups.

The first couple of years of having a reasonable amount of my own money to be able to buy some of the things for my mother that she'd always wanted but had denied herself.

The first few xmases in what was intended to be our long term home, when our kids were small.

I'm sure there are plenty smashing xmases still to come, perhaps the ones where the kids come back from wherever they're living to be 'home' for xmas, or bringing partners, maybe kids... who knows? It'll be find finding out.

I think about 8. As children we were not well off and the only time we received gifts or extras was birthday and Christmas. My parents went all out at Christmas and we had a large stocking of gifts and then mum would say something like go and look behind the piano and there would be something unexpected like a new scooter or doll's house magical.

Always loved it. Magical time of the year. Loved it all over again when I was old enough to go to the pub

From age 22 or so.

When I stopped spending it with family and started spending it with friends / boyfriends / solo.

Life's too short for stressful Christmases!

When I was college age probably. I had thrown off my unpopular and bullied school self and found my people. Now I'd happily give up Christmas for year round summer. I hate the cold, the dark, the expense. It's also the anniversary of an event that utterly shattered my adult life and I'm sort of glad when it's over, though my DC like it so I try to make it fun for them.

Not well off but had a piano?

Nothing has ever topped the one when I was 4.

Probably under the age of 14. I'm not a huge fan of Christmas now, but will put effort in for the kids sake.

When I was in my 30's with 3 small children and the joy and excitement they bought . Now I've got small GC's the magic is back .

We had a piano gifted by my Nana but were not well off. Can't poorer people have any nice stuff?

@Applesandcream We were poor and had a piano too! It was completely out of tune but came from the pub my parents ran in the 80s which closed after the miners strikes. My dad chopped it up for firewood one day randomly and my mum was devastated.

We had a very similar Christmas to yours. Money was really tight but somehow my parents managed to pull off a pillow case full of presents each for 4 kids. I don't know how they did it.

I have always loved Christmas at all ages. The only time I didn't was when I went to my now DH's family for Christmas. I even cried (privately so no one knew). It wasn't that it was horrible it was just my first Christmas not at home.

As a family we have always had a piano - my Nan had a piano even though she lived in a workers cottage, my parents had a piano although they were not wealthy, we have a piano. It is just part of our lives.

Ahhh that's nice to hear. I'm in my 30s, DDs are peak excitement age really about Father Christmas as they're 7 and 5 and I absolutely adore this time of year. I prefer Christmas now to when I was a child I think and love trying to create a bit of magic for my own children.

About 7 or 8 when Santa was full on REAL.

Then again 18 till about 24. For the most part family members were still there (gran being gone after 20 left a huge gap mind you) and I lived at home but Christmas meant nights out and partying but still lots of family time and gifts and fun. Working in a shop meant non stop Christmas tunes and customers wishing us a happy Christmas.

I don't feel the proper magic right now but I am very excited for seeing DS get his presents and I enjoy being cosy at home with him and making our traditional Christmas sweets etc.

I'm 43. 43. 2 small children, 4 and 1. Brilliant.

As an adult with my own family and home when I could organise it myself in a stress free way without my toxic mother and her drama.

22-35, had my own flat, had money & friends & out all over Christmas but still
had my mum, grandparents & wider family nearby for family time.

About 5-8. Santa was so magical, I was shockingly impressed by the tin of roses and would gaze at it longingly for weeks until we were allowed to open it. Presents were more exciting than they are now. My grandma who was my absolute favourite person would stay and she would sleep in my room.
(my grandmother was literally born in the workhouse and we had a piano)

My children are older now and I miss their excitement but I do enjoy a more relaxed Christmas now without worrying about the sold out toy and waiting to see what will be delivered on time.

no I’m just really surprised

Three or four generations ago – before TV and internet – it was very common to have a piano, even in quite modest households.

Probably mid teens to mid 20s. Like OP, still appreciating the gifts and the togetherness aspect when younger without the Santa magic In my late teens I had a great group of friends and Xmas eve/Boxing Day pub visits were a big part of it all. My older sister used to host a party on Xmas day night which was always fun. And then when I’d moved away to uni and after graduation, that feeling of “coming home” for Christmas and earning proper money to buy nice gifts for people, or do really nice things like weekends away to Paris or a few days in the Canaries before Hogmanay.

Slow changes since then; people grow and change and move and die etc. It’s still nice but those were the golden years. I have a young family now so starting to appreciate the other side of the whole thing, with hopefully many more happy times.