How to come to terms with working Xmas Day ☹️

[Applefall321]

Hello,

Working Xmas day, not able to change this and just looking for others who work Xmas Day's tips and experiences? What do you do to still celebrate the day? I'm a nurse so it is a long 12 hour shift. Feeling really down about it tbh but this is the choice we make in this profession unfortunately!

I've worked many Christmas Day shifts over the years. I remember my first one back in 1991 as a student nurse. I was heartbroken. My mum made me a Christmas dinner on Christmas eve.

Now, I always request Christmas eve off. We have a big family lunch, grandparents, aunties. Cousins, friends etc. We all have a great time.
The bonus is, if I'm off on Christmas day itself, I don't have to cook. We can enjoy the present opening and games playing.

It just makes Christmas less challenging emotionally.

I grew up with my dad working every christmas day - not a 12 hour shift but he would have to go at 4am and work until about 1.

It was fine - we had a present each on christmas eve, and then he normally saw at least some of the stocking mayhem christmas morning and we waited until he was home for other presents.

On a personal level I can understand you being dissapointed but if you're worried about your kids I think its actually easier than parents imagine for them to cope.

I would probably do a European style Christmas Eve if we had the same now but that was his birthday anyway so our Christmas Eve was always his "birthday party" day- but boxing day (which he also had to work) was always also a big family day for us.

I work every other Christmas Day, but would cheerfully volunteer to work them all, because I am not a naturally Christmassy person and I don't have family locally. Christmas holidays and Bank Holidays are my favourite days to work, because the world is quiet and our stress-inducing manager is off 😊

We try to get the big jobs done very early in the morning (i.e. before people's children wake up, so that they can- hopefully!- get home in time for that), go and spend some time at home in the morning, eat lunch (your Christmas dinner of choice) and then go back in and hope that everything goes well so that we can go home a bit earlier in the evening! It's the only day of the year that we're allowed to do that. It makes a change from doing 14+ hour days the rest of the year!

My shifts were based around 0900-1800 days and 1800-0900 nights so 15 hours.

My husband is occasionally working at Christmas, we then have our ‘Christmas’ with family, gifts, Christmas lunch (or dinner) etc. either before or after the actual day depending on when we can get everyone together. I would then spend the actual Christmas day with family or friends. It’s not the same but it works for us, you just have to plan it then you can look forward to it, and it’s much less stressful, more like a Sunday lunch party.

I’ve worked Christmas for many years being a nurse. When the dses were little we moved Christmas dinner around and we did presents early or after shift.

They are adults now and I’ll be working this year so we will probably do something after I finish.

I may do a 12.5 shift, with the hope of Boxing Day off. I really don’t mind, like someone else said, make the most of the Christmas season as a whole. And yes, it does come with the profession!

My son was in hospital on Christmas day last year and I just wanted to say thank you for what you do. The nurses on my son's ward made it such a lovely day for him despite the fact it wasn't the Christmas we were hoping for and we have some lovely memories of that day, especially singing Christmas carols on Xmas eve with the night shift nurses!

My mum was also a nurse, we've had Christmas dinner on all days and at all times. Especially when we got older and my mum swapped shifts with people with younger children or even people who just wanted the time off

As PPs have said it's a number of days not just the one

Nurse working Christmas Day here too aswell. Iv also got a 4 year old and 2 year old but it is what it is when you work on the wards (or community). Have you had to work many Christmases?

my ward is splitting the long day to early and lates this year so those who have to work can either spend the morning or evening with their family. I requested the late so I get the morning with the children.

My DH is working Christmas Eve and Day this year both 12hr shifts, the only good thing is he’s wfh but will be upstairs in office. On Christmas Day he can take his lunch break at 2pm for 2 hours so we’ll have dinner then. It’s just me + elderly parents and adult daughter this year. We’ll make the best of it and enjoy, it’s not ideal but it’s his turn. We’ll enjoy the triple hourly rate in his January pay!!

We always just worked around what ever shift my Dad had but they were only 8 hour shifts. Darnley would involve us getting up before he left to open presents then having dinner when he came on, back shift he’d get up for presents then get lunch before leaving and night shift we’d do presents when he got in before he went to bed and dinner when he got up. Can you do the presents but move the dinner to another day like the Sunday after etc.

My husband is working 12 hour shifts Xmas Eve, Xmas day and Boxing Day, and we have two kids under 5. Also feeling really gutted :(

I often work Christmas Day. I now work from home, so it’s easier. I don’t mind it. But it’s a hard work day, and there is no slacking or taking breaks.

Do you have a sister, a recently deceased mother and a soon to be ex-husband? There’s another thread running at the moment with that fact pattern and if you recognize yourself in it - I’m so terribly sorry for you. You’d be welcome at ours!

We switch it to another day and go big. Something super easy on Xmas day itself.