sorry didn't see this last night - will post in the hope you get more responses
Leading up to christmas my mum will spend the whole time complaining how commercial christmas is and how many presents she has to buy for people she barely cares about, how much effort it is, how all the presents are meaningless crap and on and on. She ignores any solutions you may put to her. She tells us repeatedly how much she hates christmas and how the 'real meaning' has been lost. SHe also says how she hates presents.
we see my parents on christmas morning till after lunch.
Me and dp have bets on how quickly she can start a row on christmas morning. Last year she topped all our bets, by having rowed with my dad and sis before we got there and starting on us as we walked thru the door.
Then comes the comments on present giving. She wants gradual present opening throughout the day so we can show we have appreciated the gifts and how unmaterialistic we are Alongside this she moans how she wants to see ds open all his presents.
We have a small child and leave after lunch - between present opening and lunch my mum takes ds to church while I cook dinner. Therefore we can't slowly open presents throughout the day. And no good moaning.
She then spends christmas lunch complaining that she wishes she hadn't got any presents, how most of the are just for the sake of giving presents, she doesn't like them and they will only be 'regifted'. She then complains about the church service, most of all the other people there. Finally about christmas dinner 'it was lovely but...'
Several rows will have happened over the course of the morning.
Then we leave. I smoke an entire packet of fags, and we take ds for a run around.
Then we go on to the calm, cheerful atmosphere of christmas with the ILs and all is lovely. Everyone is pleasant to each other.