Christmas unpopular opinions.

[Kickinthenostalgia]

Can we try to keep this lighthearted as I know some people can pretty savage on this site.
I was on the bus earlier today and I overheard a conversation between 2 ladies about thier Christmas shopping they needed to get. One said she needed to get wrapping paper and another said she doesn’t wrap presents but uses gift bags instead, how it’s saves so much time etc. Now don’t get me wrong obviously everyone’s situation is different but for me gift bags are so anti climactic. For me opening presents isn’t even really about the actual present it’s the anticipation of what’s underneath the paper as your opening it. I couldn’t imagine giving my kids or anyone for that matter, an unwrapped gift. To watch kids faces opening thier present on birthdays or Christmas makes me feel excited for them, even if I know what’s under it.

People not letting thier kids help decorate the tree, this leaves a bitter taste, trust me, as someone whose dad would change the tree around after we went to bed and thought we never noticed. It’s actually a bit soul destroying.

I often see on social media people absolutely ripping into people about how much they do and don’t spend. Christmas isn’t a competition. You do what suits your family. You don’t have to break the bank but equally people should be free to spend whatever they want on thier friends and family. I’m not sorry my kids get more than thier friends. I work hard for my money. I’ll spend it how I want, on who I want.

True! I love Christmas parties 🎉

Wallace and Gromit are shite with the 'oh aren't we clever, look at all the TV references we've made, did you get them all, children?'

Shaun the Sheep for ever.

Christmas Eve boxes should not be a thing at all and be consigned to history.

the fact that the run up to Christmas starts earlier and earlier each year. Especially since Covid when it feels like oh people need cheering up let’s start Christmas.

my birthday is mid November and growing up there was no mention of Christmas until at least a week after my birthday. Christmas adverts or trees in shops or things out for Christmas.. Now it’s way before. Halloween stuff mixed with Christmas stuff on the shelves seems jarring somehow.

I make a Christmas pudding shaped rocky road, much better! Tend to make it a bit festive with cranberries and lebkuchen instead of other biscuits

😋 😋 😋

Wallace and Gromit make people think that protection for Wensleydale cheese was because of them. It's not, I was the first to advocate it in 2001 via a proposal I made that was included in the election manifesto of the Monster Raving Loony Party.

Christmas Shopping is actually a shite experience .

In my imagination-
I have my list , my fold up shopping bags
Drive to insert shopping centre of choice
Have some coffee and a nice almond croissant
Go round the shops , get everything on my list and a few extra things
It is cold but festive . Music playing . (The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl but they never play it now)
Go home .

In reality-
Drive there early to snag a parking spot
Have the coffee and croissant . The coffee shop is boiling hot . I'm starting to regret the coat I chose
Awful music playing . Maria Carey ,
The shops are busy . I have a basket on my arm. Try to find things on the lower shelves .Have to wait till people move
Go to pay queue . If its self service till, it throws a strop at something . Get my purse which I have buried in my bag for safety . Pack things .
Next shop, I habe a basket and a bag . More tricky and busy . People whinge about queues .
I need a pee .
Take my bags to the car . "Are you leaving?" a driver asks . "No, sorry "
Go back out , find a tolet .
Carry on shopping .
Cannot find everything on my list "Have you looked online"?
Get back to my car to find some wanker has parked so close I need to do a 20 point manoeuvre .

The solution-
Buy online ( not good for the High Street but better for my sanity)
Go to the shops for a look about , I get FOMO. Only need to buy a few things or look for surprise things .
Much nicer .
Have the coffee and croissant and maybe lunch . Why not
Spend 45 minutes going one junction on the M25

I agree! Christmas is just getting started for me! We've had the big day and all the excitement, Boxing Day to 2nd Jan is all about relaxing, enjoying our new gifts and quality family time in our house.

OP, I agree with all your points!

My partners family wrap Xmas presents in pretty silk type fabric and reuse, always thought that was a good environmentally friendly option

Oh, this is me. I have such fond memories of late night shopping with my mum after school on a Thursday night and going for dinner and really wanted that to still be true...but it's not!

I tend to get the things I know I need online and reserve a little browsing time for Selfridges and John Lewis on Oxford St. It's nice to find things browsing and not just pick everything from a list. It's so horrendously busy an hour in each place is my limit before I begin hating it, and they have to be separate trips!

Christmas crackers should be abolished along with all the pink plastic rings, metal puzzles and cellophane fortune telling fish, because they end up in landfill. Thousands and thousands of crackers, all thrown in the bin after an hour. We need to evolve our thinking against this type of senseless waste.

THIS!!
Also, trees and other decorations go up on Christmas Eve and come down on 12th night (Epiphany - January 6th)
Except the crib which is there, waiting, during Advent and stays until Candlemas. (The Magi travel around the house & arrive for Epiphany)

This is my thing. It starts so early now by the time Christmas Day comes everybody is exhausted and just wants it over with. When I was a child the period between Christmas and New Years was filled with seeing family and friends. I loved it.

I don't really like it when people "make an effort" with wrapping gifts. Waste of time and paper.

Wider family gifts go in nice gift backs (which than get flattened and wait for the next opportunity. Acrually, they are doing rounds, there's a really pretty one which changed hand at least 6 times in 4 years).

For immediate family we use a bunch of scarves, things get shrouded into them and handed over.

Father Christmas is some patriarchal b.s.

So mum does all the Christmas shopping and gives the credit to some mythical bloke? Nah.

I hate the after Christmas fitness advertising!

Mumsnet telling me I need to spend this Christmas with my in-laws and next year with my parents - no. I’m in my house, or on a beach or doing whatever I please with my children.

Christmas is still magical for me too!! Loved Santa and all the excitement round that when I was young and when there was young children in the family…

I personally have turkey. I only cook it because my oldest son and husband insist on it. My daughter and I would just have beef if it were up to us but I end up doing both

Christmas lasts for far longer than one day. If what people buy in the supermarkets are anything to go by.
It does properly last for twelve days !
I love Christmas Eve, Day and Boxing Day. I love the tree, the cosy evenings, the food, the full fridge, the fire, and the whole festive feel. I love doing the dinner, the wine. The chocolates. Love it all.
I do try to avoid travelling and socialising away from home in the lead up to it. Having spent years and years doing both, the service station at Xmas time has no appeal. Whatsoever. Ditto a train or staying in a hotel. And having had many years of Xmas ruined by someone ill in close proximity ( work do once, otherwise family ), who subsequently made me ill in turn. Thanks. Not.
I even avoid a big collection from a supermarket if I can. After one mad year in Marks and Spencer. It was utter chaos. So bad I will never go again. The young man who was the manager was doing no such thing. I even had to ask one of the even younger assistants to go and fetch whoever was the manager. He wasn’t even there. I made some suggestions to try to help. Which did seem to. But never again.

I like Christmas presents for adults. They don’t have to be expensive - a well-chosen gift from a charity shop is always appreciated. I enjoy giving and receiving presents from a few people. I always have an Advent calendar with pictures and a Biblical theme. I like actual Christmas cards, too. My birthday is in early December and l don’t like decorations up before that. I enjoy Christmas because it celebrates the birth of Jesus and l love carol services - as a musician it is a wonderful time of year. I don’t like most Christmas songs that are played on repeat in shops. I was nine when Slade reached number one with Merry Christmas Everybody and could cheerfully get a pair of pliers to the loop when
“it’s CHRISTMAS” is screeched out for the nth time. I don’t like the Muppets so will not be watching their version of A Christmas Carol. I do, however, like to watch Alastair Sim’s version in black and white, especially on Christmas Eve, which is when I used to watch it with my Dad as a child.

I put some small decorations up on Halloween and am doing the rest today and YOU CAN'T STOP ME.

Everyone is appalled by the very early decs but you know what, I fucking love Christmas, I've had an awful year and I need a little bit of joy. So up they go.

What a dick post.

Picking the OP up on her SPaG is not only rude, it's also against talk guidelines.

Trouble is though, don't you get bored worth it all half way through November.