I want to go away next Christmas and do no planning, no shopping, no stress

[Florally]

It wasn’t a bad Christmas, in fact, all pics, experiences and reviews from attendees would probably say it was a great Christmas.

But I’m so tired, I kind of don’t see the point. Spending thousands of pounds (I would imagine if I added it up) and a hamster wheel of cooking, clearing, dishwasher, dishwasher, dishwasher, tidying, start again for dessert, start again for tea.

I just want to go somewhere where they make Christmas dinner and maybe there’s some entertainment or something in the evening.

Everyone is against this of course 😂

Am I wrong?

It’s all a bit ‘what’s the point’ isn’t it?

We went to New York years ago for Christmas and it was magical! We ate breakfast at the hotel and wandered around to see the shop windows and ice skaters all morning. We had slices of pizza. Then a late lunch at Central Park, then back to the hotel.

I bought my DS gifts to unwrap at home but I did nothing else. No tree, no food.

I would love to do it again or something next year.

Where is home? Remember, you’ll not be doing much on the tourist front, unless you like walking, and even the weather may not be fit, so your best bet is to look at hotels within an hour or so’s drive and find out what they offered this year.

In two years time, neither of my DC will have exams looming in January ever again. Then the sunny Christmas break will be mine!

We stayed in York.

just back, was lovely. Went to the minster, drove up to Whitby to see the abbey, did Leeds royal armouries.
great restaurants in York as well,

We came away Xmas Eve for a week to a coastal cottage. Weather is glorious. Haven't cooked all week. Totally relaxing.

We came away( in U.K.) yesterday and it’s been nice to be on neutral territory with adult DC just enjoying beach walks, card games and pubs. Ideallly I’d like to hire a big house for Christmas and everyone just bring a dish. No big roast etc. We did it once for my DM’s 75th and it was so much fun. Problem is at Chriatmas they charge a fortune.

We’re just back and it’s been amazing! I’m a massive convert and think it’s unlikely I’ll ever do a Christmas in the UK again.

My kids didn’t want to go but even they said it was the best Christmas. I think it helped that we went to Christian country that celebrates Christmas so it still felt Christmassy for the kids.

But feeling the sun on my face and it not getting dark at 3:30pm was a massive mood lifter!

I would look at a Christmas Cruise. All food, drink & entertainment sorted. Can stroll round ports if you want, or just relax whilst being waited on on the ship.

Where did you go? What did you do on Christmas Day?

We are right in the middle, sadly ☹️
I love Northumberland ❤️
Northumberland Yorkshire too
Have a quiet christmas at home, then a week near the coast

I’m totally with you on this, OP! I’m absolutely shattered too. I feel like all I’ve done is shopping (including all my husbands shopping), wrapping, cooking, load the dishwasher, unload the dishwasher, cook again, load the dishwasher again, unload the dishwasher again, and drive my mother and mother-in-law around. I’m so tired and about ready to kill someone!! I suggested going out next year for Christmas dinner and my MIL (who does nothing and helps with nothing) objected to the idea. I might go and take myself off to a hotel on my own for New Year before I explode with rage.

I went to Center Parcs twice when the DC were younger and they were amazing Christmas’. I’ve also been to Italy on a ski holiday over Christmas and really missed being at home.
I may try a UK country hotel one year if it’s ever just my DH and I.

I feel the same way. All the money I usually spend could be put towards a lovely holiday. We could do a secret Santa so everyone just buys one present. I found the present buying and expense really stressful this year.

Get it booked, OP! And if nobody else fancies it, then go on your own.

We went to Seville. It seems that a lot of Spanish people go to Seville for Christmas. The streets were bustling with people all day, every day including Christmas Day.

The streets are all decorated beautifully. All the restaurants are very festive. Everyone is really celebrating and happy.

On Christmas Day we wandered around the beautiful streets and parks doing a bit of sight-seeing. We went into a few bars and cafe’s then we went for a lovely big lunch at a restaurant. In the evening we went and watched a Flamenca performance.

Everything is open as normal, unlike in the UK.

It was mid to late teens temperature and beautiful clear sunny skies.

One year pre kids we did a whole family to Spain on 19-26th Dec. Only bought presents for the children. It was nice but we shunned the hotel turkey dinner and went for paella at a beach restaurant. Was lovely and my mum loved not cooking.

We visited Sham El Shit during Christmas, and it turned out to be one of the worst holidays I've ever had. The sea was freezing, and the place was dreadful. That was thirty years ago; it may have improved since then, but I would never go back.

I wrote a list in early January this year of things I could change to improve Christmas and it worked really well. I also only buy for my DC, DM and DH so present buying is stress free.

Who is doing the cooking?

Aha well Seville is good any time ( not summer as too hot) so I can imagine. What I liked about Spain at Chriatmas is they don’t go mad and close down. We walked into a beach restaurant and got paella without booking (10 people)

I want to do the same. We have really toxic extended family members and every year they are like a tag team taking it in turns to stir the pot and cause issues.
Im also fed up of all the cooking. It just feels like it’s the time of year where the workload increases. I’d love to go away next year and remove all of the stress. But then I wonder if hotels etc will be really busy with everyone else escaping the stress and it would end up just being stressful people overload anyway!

Completely agree re everything being open. I was really surprised and made me wonder why on earth we shut everything down for the day. Spanish Christmases for us from now on!

We go away to the seaside every year and eat out for Christmas dinner itself. It’s lovely, very quiet, we eat out a lot and have a walk in the beach Xmas day afternoon

I’ve never found that. My experience has always been really chill. Sometimes, we’ve met people to talk to, other times it’s just been us. Either way, perfect.

We’ve done that in the past. A lunch plus evening buffet on Christmas Day, tidying up and packing Boxing Day, then off early on the 27th.