Anyone else spending Christmas alone?

[Idontknowhatnametochoose]

As the title says. I will be alone on the day, which is fine- I was last year too and ended up watching the first Harry Potter film. It looks likely that i will be alone for every Christmas for the foreseeable as everything is different now my mum has died. I don't mind it as I'm an introvert and enjoy my own company but it's nice to hear from others who will also be alone. I'm not strictly alone as I have my dog and cat.

So...will you be you alone and if so what are your plans fot the day?

I’m alone Christmas Day this year. Divorced 3 years and have a 50:50 custody share so will have my children (10 & 5) back on Boxing Day, where I plan on treating it as our Christmas Day.
im dreading it to be frank, I’ve never been alone Christmas Day before, I love Christmas. I’m no contact with my parents, and my BF isn’t available Christmas Day, so my plan is a lie in, a long shower, breakfast, long walk with the dog, light meal, Christmas movie and early to bed to sleep away the loneliness.

If you can, maybe buy yourself a lovely present and since Boxing is to be your Christmas Day, think of Christmas Day as Christmas Eve 💐

I will be alone with my adult son. It's a tradition.

It's really nice to relax into Christmas Day without outside distractions. (I have no family here).

I always spend Christmas alone. I live rurally and can’t drive and there’s no public transport. I’m not in touch with any of my family and my friends are few and scattered and have family commitments. It’s just me and the cat. We’ll have a huge breakfast, I’ll eat loads of nuts and chocolate and will hang out on social media chatting to people, watching a film or two, and have a sumptuous lunch mid-afternoon. I’ll have presents from friends and also from me to myself and new books to read.

Um not everyone even believes in, acknowledges or celebrates Christmas, so you're the tone deaf one!

I lost the love of my life at the end of August, DD turn to be with her dad this year and he’s not made any allowance given I’ll be on my own so initially I was going to start decorating the house to keep my mind occupied, not that anything works. I was having a panic about it last week so I’ve booked a week alone to the canaries for some much needed sunshine. It occurred to me at the weekend that the hotel will be trimmed up and xmassy so it won’t be the escape that I’d envisaged if trying to get through Xmas without it being obviously Xmas. Is rather be away than here on my own though so it’ll be braved teeth and lots of hope the change will be better than the norm. It’s easier to view it as a holiday than my first Xmas without my very special man.

That sounds like a wise plan @AlexandraJJ . Sympathy on your loss.

I’m so sorry for your loss. That is my greatest fear, so I really feel for you. I hope you enjoy you’re holiday 💐

I love that. Sounds like the perfect Christmas 🐱😊

That sounds like bliss

I do think once you step outside of the normative pressure you begin to really see what a construct it is & how liberating it can feel to not be dominated by it. It literally is a Sunday with a ppsher roast! Esp if you’re not Christian. The tyranny of pity for those opting out is quite humorous really. Each to their own at Xmas. No rules, make up your own. And enjoy! or don’t because after all it’s literally just a day like any other. The pressure put on everyone by it is just ridiculous. Break free!

For anyone alone because they have been bereaved or abandoned, Christmas is extra hard and finding strategies to survive are important. I avoided traditional Christmas dinner (had home made lasagne one year, a leek croustade another time) and stuck to books, DVDs and a classical music station (Lyric FM) to avoid compulsory jollity when I did not feel jolly.

Some years on I'm back to looking forward to turkey + all the stuff, but still planning to avoid the comic capers and sentimentality.

Beyond that, a midwinter break with can be good.

I'm Christian so that helps, the religious stuff including church services are there. I enjoy nature and there are places to see migratory waterbirds, the wildflower hunt to join in. And books books books. Oh, and magazines, I buy the posh glossies like House and Garden and Country Life and let my imagination roam beyond my station in life.

I'm an only child and lost my mum this year. She was an only child and all the older members of the family are dead. I've no children, or partner. The last few Christmases have been awful because of her dementia, but I usually enjoyed the build up.

This year I've no interest in it, and am quite depressed I think.

My friend has assumed I'll be going to hers, and I usually have a good time when I do, but I've no enthusiasm for it this time.

I've put up a few decorations today but it all seems pointless now there's no one at all to share it with. It's a shame because I used to be excited about this time of year. All I can think about is the rigmarole of taking everything down again!

I felt like that in 2023. My mum had died in November and I wasn't in the mood for Christmas at all. I went out for dinner with a friend on the day but my heart wasn't in it. I'd rather have been alone. My suggestion is to go with how you feel and what you want. If you need to be alone then honour that. Your friend will hopefully understand. You may well feel differently next year.

Very tempted to, I turn 30 Xmas eve and have had a pretty emotionally exhausting last few months, last birthday I was so upset by a family situation I almost travelled home Boxing Day but didn't have the funds, I'm going to have a pre Xmas/Birthday weekend at my parents this weekend so I can see them and my grandmother 💚 I think and just make sure I'm stocked up on food for Xmas eve/ and day. I realise it's a bit sad to spend a 30th birthday on my own but actually I've already made a list of things I want to do that will make it more enjoybale than spending it at parents, (no offence they're great, it's just I feel out of kilter when I'm at theirs for various reasons and experience mild physical health symptoms connected to trauma that I'd rather not deal with) . As much as I love the sound of children singing, cheesy decorations and christmas cake - Christmas is extremley overwhelming/ can be an anxiety inducing time of year for so many reasons to so many and I'm sending love to anyone who also chooses to spend it alone <3

I always spend half the day on my own. My kids will be spending the morning with me and then go to their dads and next year it will be the other way around. I used to see family when the kids weren't here but that's not possible now for various reasons. I really like having a few hours of peace and quiet to watch what I want and have a glass if something.

You are so kind to do this for your relatives. I am in the same boat, for the past 3 years I have gone to my parents and spend the day with them. Whilst my H and kids went for a fun day a relatives house. My mum passes away a few years back and I will go to see my dad who now lives alone. Luckily o don’t need to cook a meal though, we just have light food. I hope you can buy yourself a treat for Christmas Day as you deserve it. Sending you strength

I'm spending my first Christmas alone,or at least part of it. My DS will go to his dad's around 12ish ,and get dropped off boxing day. My bf is coming round on Christmas day,but not till about 9 ish in the evening. I'm going to open a couple of presents by myself,watch a Christmas film,and I'm going to make myself sausages and mash with sprouts for Christmas Dinner, can't wait! I could feel lonely or sad about it but,I'm choosing to own the day in my own way. I'll do the same tomorrow as DS is at his dad's till 4 ish tomorrow. Sending love to you all,hope those spending Xmas alone(even in part,like me!)make whatever they want of it 💗

I love Christmas day on my own and would still make myself Xmas dinner. I would browse Boots.com in the main 😆I'd watch whatever I wanted on telly, drink as much as I wanted and eat when I liked.

This year my daughter has unexpectedly moved in within the last week. I knew it was a mistake to buy somewhere with more than one bedroom! 🙄😁

I love this - what a gorgeously joyful and relaxing way to spend Christmas alone - sometimes solitude is bliss!

I'm Home Alone and I'm watching Home Alone 😬

You sound like a very, very kind person.

Nice to read how others in a similar position are spending Christmas and making it positive. I’ll be alone until my kids come back late afternoon. I plan on a lazy morning, eggs Benedict for breakfast, all the snacks and tv and do a few jobs that need doing around the house to make it feel productive as well as lazy

I’ve just finished a jigsaw and after checking the weather forecast I’m going to hit the Lakes tomorrow on a quick trip to tick off a couple more Wainwrights. Low level-ish, and only a 3 hr walk max so as not to trouble Mountain Rescue, but that, coupled with a smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel for lunch, some chocolates, and the a glass of wine with dinner when I get home and I’ll be happy. Plus I’ll be in calorie credit for a day or so 😊

Yep, on a different continent to my family and SO. I have lovely friends here who've invited me, but to be honest since my Mom and the rest of the oldies died I'm just not into Christmas (no kids, rest of family is religiously diverse, so not a huge holiday for us). I'm happy just to skip the whole shebang. It'll just be a chill out day with a few Zoom calls with those "back home". Hope everyone spending the day alone has a happy and relaxing day.