What would your dream Christmas look like?

[LadyGreyandlemoncurd]

After reading lots of AIBU threads where people are frustrated that they can’t do what they want for Christmas because they need to cater to other people, I’m really curious what people’s dream day actually looks like.

Are you holed up in a snowy cabin with just your partner? Are you lying on a beach? A massive family Christmas with everyone you love in your house? A quiet day with just your immediate family?

If you didn’t have to worry about price, other people’s preferences/needs, or practicalities what would you do?

Mine would be:

• Christmas Eve with my DH and kids. It would be snowy and we’d go for a walk in the woods. Then we’d go on a surprisingly unbusy Santa steam train ride. Followed by hot chocolates in our favourite cafe. Arthur Christmas film and a cheese/charcuterie board for dinner in front of the fire (which my toddler magically won’t want to touch). Then out for snowy carols outside the church with mulled wine and mince pies (ideally a reindeer will show up and the kids will perform a cute nativity or sing a Christmas song). Then home to read some Christmas bedtime stories.
• Christmas Day, early stockings. Quiet breakfast whilst the kids play followed by a dog walk. Then my parents and siblings (and their wives and kids) come over for a big Christmas lunch that’s exactly how I’d make it but I didn’t have to cook it. Presents after lunch. Then we all go out for a walk as it starts to get dark so we can see the Christmas lights. Home for mulled wine and watching the Julia Donaldson film as a family. Then everyone else goes home/to bed and me and my DH watch the Christmas Peep Show episode with our Christmas chocolates.
• Boxing Day- Spend the day with my in-laws. This probably falls outside my dream Christmas but I do like them and I love how much my kids love to play with their cousins and how happy it makes DH. If I’m purely selfish then we probably wake up in the Maldives instead without any hassle of traveling with toddlers 😂

Obviously no-one gets tired and the kids don’t have any tantrums 😂

The only thing I would really want to change is the food.
I HATE traditional Christmas dinner (last year I had sausage and mash - had to separate some of the potatoes destined for being roasted).
I think it dominates the day. It makes the house smelly and stuffy.
I really can't stand it.
Perfect Christmas dinner would be a takeaway pizza (but I would feel mean for the workers having to work xmas day so I would order on Christmas Eve and re heat).

Dream christmas would be at the ritz or equivalent, in snowy New York, having room service bringing us an English christmas dinner, with lots of toys for dd 🙌🙌🙌🎄🎄🎄

Sounds lovely op!… esp the unbusy entertainment 😆

We’ve never hosted for Christmas, or been hosted. Which is how we like it! Although as the kids are getting older, it can be a bit less magical.

My fave Christmases are the ones where we’ve been away abroad. Usually somewhere sunny/dry. But I’d love to do a cold proper snowy location

A ski chalet somewhere with closest family and friends. Skiing. Sledging. Gluhwein.

On a beach somewhere sunny.

That the love of my life didn’t die at the end of August and we’d be together doing whatever he wanted. I wouldn’t care in the slightest what that was 🥺

So sorry @AlexandraJJ . My family have lost members in recent years. My perfect Christmas would be to have everyone in my family together again - food, presents etc not in the picture at all.
Sending love to you, so sorry for your loss x

I would love to host my parents and siblings but my mum is not ready to give that one up 😂😂 to be fair she does an amazing Christmas, would also magically make the distant between where I live and the rest of the extended family live closer so I could do party/drinks with extended family Christmas Eve then host parents and siblings at ours Christmas Day, then big family walk Boxing Day. Obviously it would snow too!

We have adult children who we have to share with their in laws. Just having time together as a family is so precious, whether it’s Christmas Day or another day over the festive period.
When they were teenagers who were rarely home of an evening / weekend due to hobbies and active social lives. it was a rare whole day spent as family, eating, playing games, watching a film.
That to me looking back through older eyes is the most important of all.
Other thoughts: making sure that everyone has something that makes Christmas special for them. For our DC, it was having things to eat/drink that we avoided on a day to day basis: J2O; Appletizsr, ocopops; Nutella spring to mind. And eating chocolate from the stocking before breakfast.
When our parents were alive, it was working around their watching the Queen’s speech, and buying a whole bottle of Bristol cream sherry even though they’d only have a small glass each.

Hate to say it but I think I always have a more fun Christmas when my parents don’t come. They have very set ideas about how everything should be and are constantly telling children off etc for absolutely nothing. It just make the whole day quite stressful. I’d like my sister and her family to come and maybe other family:friends to pop in for a drink.

@AlexandraJJ I’m so sorry for your loss. I can imagine that this Christmas is going to be difficult for you. I wish you peace and whatever gets you through it, a minute at a time if that’s what it takes 💐

A dream Christmas is pretty much what we already do. DB and his family are coming over for lunch, so we get to see the magic of Christmas through our nephew’s eyes who is young enough to fully believe. They’re very laid back and don’t require any running around; if they want drinks etc, they’ll help themselves. They don’t care if DH has a snooze on the sofa after lunch. It’s very relaxed and very lovely and full of counting our blessings. It would only be improved by a bit of snow. At some point in the next few years, the stars will align so that Christmas falls during DH’s off days (he works in retail so annual leave is difficult) and it’s his brother’s turn to have his DC for Christmas and we’ll go to the in-laws and take my DB and his family with us. They’ve got loads of room, and all the kids get on brilliantly, so that’s a dream Christmas for the future. A few of us have had some health issues and some relatives are getting on a bit, so every Christmas we have where nobody is missing, is pretty wonderful.

So sorry Alexandra, from one widow to another. Sending love.

I’d love a big country house, decorated beautifully with a smattering of snow (enough to
look pretty but not block the roads).

All the family arrive on Christmas Eve and its drinks, Chinese takeaway, board games and catch up.

A walk across the fields to a delightful church service on Christmas morning. Open presents with Baileys and sherry and then a late afternoon Christmas roast. Everyone slobs about having some quiet time before everyone has a relaxing evening with port and cheese board either playing board games or watching tv. Disco and karaoke later for the tipsy night owls.

Boxing Day morning walk followed by lunch at the pub.

Nobody falls out. Presents are all bang on. Everyone mucks in and are in good spirits.

I would love to stay in a snowy log cabin. It would be decorated to my taste, aside from the tree which I’d get to decorate with DD. Christmas Eve would be a dog walk (did I mention my teleportation machine)… log fire, movies, pizzas, nuts, crisps, stollen, early night for DD, wine.
Christmas Day we would open presents from Santa, prepare the dinner together, eat, play games, dog walk, more games, trifle! more wine! Friends would pop by throughout the day, including an eccentric aunt that would wrap up random gifts from charity shops.

Boxing Day, another dog walk, cook another dinner together, pint in the local pub, more games.

Sadly the reality is most of my family have passed away, DM is still with us but won’t travel. FIL has dementia. MIL will be with her partner elsewhere in the U.K. (4hours away). We used to have marvellous Christmas’s though- all of the above minus the snow. I’m lucky to have those memories. Wishing those who have lost loved ones strength.

In a 5 star hotel in Goa, swimming, sipping cocktails and a feast of spicy prawns for dinner.

Snowy log cabin here too - this thread has a theme!

I like to host so I’d be more than happy with a houseful of friends cooking, eating, playing games, chatting shit and getting slowly wasted.

We’ve done a couple of Christmases in SE Asia and they’ve been magnificent, too.

I'd quite like to try one of those country house hotel Christmases where they organise everything, including sleigh rides to carol services, drinks and games and boxing day sandwiches. All in beautiful period (yet with modern conveniences) surroundings. I'd want to take it to the next level if possible, and be assigned a lady's maid and a flattering, appropriate wardrobe (wellies for the walk, perfect dress for sherry and mince pies by the fire, etc.). I'd just bring the family and presents.

This is easy. That my Mum and my 24yr old DS were there. Both passed away recently.

A big 1930s country house party a la Agatha Christie with glamourous guests, servants, plenty of gin & champagne, no smartphones and an interesting murder to spice things up.

We once got stuck in a lovely Inn in Somerset due to flooding between Xmas and New Year. We sat by the log fire with a lovely Xmas tree, drank lots of wine and ate delicious food and then only had to go upstairs to our room. I'd like to be there for a few days, do some walks, play Trivial Pursuit and Cards Against Humanity with no shopping, cooking or cleaning. https://theholcombe.com/events-escapes/christmas/

Country cottage, open fire, pub serving good food just a stroll away, frosty or snowy (anything but rain!)
Just me, DP and our pet, from 22nd-29th December. Favourite DVD's/Netflix films etc, Must do's
-Carols from Kings Christmas Eve, Nine Lessons and Carols at Church,
-Church Christmas Day,
-Pub lunch Boxing Day.
free and easy around these 'musts'.
Walks on the moors for the week, no major cooking, (bung in the oven some pre-prepared one pot stuff) just cheese boards, cold platters, good bread, fruit, and lots of wine, decent coffee, Classic FM and books.

We have only managed this twice in 40 years due to having to work Christmas, and family commitments, and this year have booked it again, the only thing we cant plan is the weather ,but hey ho, fingers crossed.

This looks amazing. It’s actually very close to my parents so I’m tempted to book a couple of nights there next year (it’s my husband’s birthday just after Christmas)

I’ve loved reading everyone’s ideas- fancy hotels in New York or London have been added to my daydream list!

@AlexandraJJ @guestofclanmackenzie I’m so sorry for your losses

This sounds wonderful (apart from the murder!)
Hopefully there will be a good Agatha Christie adaptation on TV over the festive period at least