What's your 'pet hate' at Christmas?

[bigbaubleeyes]

Mine are: tacky xmas lights on the front of houses and in gardens - where there has been clearly no thought into the overall presentation.

Secondly people who do food shopping in excesive numbers - i.e. its okay to have two people there when you doing a big shop but why 3 or 4 they just add to the congestion of a busy supermarket. I am refering to older childrena and adults - NOT young children who clearly can't be left alone at home.

and.... these people who stop in the middle of an exit to talk - move to one side (this annoys me all year not just at xmas).

I could possibly add tescos to this for selling me mince pies last nite that have a 'best before' date today - but then again ive used this as an excuse to stuff in two whilst typing this!

whenachildisbored, you need to spend a christmas away from your family! Next year, book a trip to New York or somewhere glam.

I'd like nothing better Merrypip!! I may even not come back!! But unfortunately they take it totally for granted that they will be parking their lardy asses on my furniture for at least four days every year. I moved house with two toddlers last week and it never occurred to them that it might be nice to give it a rest this year! In fact they haven't even bothered putting a tree up at home, and are bringing all their pressies over here to open!!!!!!!

lock the door and shut the curtains?

Turn up at their house saying you thought they were cooking dinner this year?

book a cottage in teh county next yr!

Whenachild - that sounds like my mam - no matter wot effort is made there will be something happen to put her in the role of the victim.

all good ideas, but my mother is toxic enough at the best of times...oh, but the locking the door and hiding idea sounds fab - I can just hear them angrily rattling the door handles...the sound of them trying to force the back gate....then they would turn on each other: "You said eleven o'clock Michael, she must have meant twelve" "Oh that's right blame me...you're sick you are.." "You always ruin Christmas...." Oh God. Maybe I should emigrate and change my name.

bigbaubleeyes - does she do that whole wounded madonna thing...eyes downcast, low voice.. "I'm being a nuisance, I'll stay out of the way. I thought I was being helpful, but you don't want me in here so I'll go." She goes a certain distance with that tactic...but if she still isn't getting enough attention she just starts attacking people and turns into a vicious gnashing monster...then she cries and denies that she said any of the things she said....

And then we all pull our crackers and put our silly hats on, because otherwise Christmas just won't be Christmas!!!

Can I say that I'm almost dead from laughing so much at WACIB posts...

my pet hate is relatives, esp relatives who sit down and do F**k all alllllllllllllllll day.
starting to think whenachild..'s visiting family is my inlaws. sounds just like their house. they have huge family fight, over cooked soggy dinner, the stress ooooooooooooooooozes from everyone and THEN they enforce party games. ugh.
dh and I are planning an escape one year, just us and the children, cottage somewhere very remote, no phones, blazing fire, lots of OTT food and gifts...........HEAVEN!!!

FIL getting a pole up his arse when we want to watch xmas eastenders (we haven't watched it for ages but still make a point of watching the xmas one to annoy him )

Mine is the families that go complete with children in their early twenties and the whole family are wearing Santa hats and they have to make a show of themselves so everyone notices them (and are presumably jealous of their hats) and they then block the aisles with their trolleys talking to their next door neighbours!

Whenachild - yes she is going to inlaws thru my brother marriage - there will be some grumble but it will be made into an absolute mountainous affair - I listen and counsel and my brother and his wife will be none the wiser as she won't say anything for fear of upsetting them and not seeing grandchild (not that i think they wouyld ever do this) - its a whole points thing, you know they've done this.bought this took him her there and every bloody where - go to the point where I feel like saying I really don't care and so (OMG you've got me started) and what she doesn't seem to realise is that it is only her notices anything.

However I am getting braver - my baby due today so i have promised myself I am not going to put up with it anymore. Ooooooo!!!!!

Ooh and in a supermarket teenagers trying to buy booze and making a show of themselves with tarty little outfits on.

Oh God, have just come back from Sainsbury's and there were vertiable GANGS of people hanging around single trolleys. AND there were loads of abandoned trolleys clogging up the aisles!!

I appear to be a christmastime supermarket 'widow' . Dh went to 'pop' to sainsburys about two hours ago. Tried to warn him it would be busy but apparently a bloke in the office had said otherwise and obviously knows much better than me!

My pet hate on the other hand is being forced to play 'fun' games e.g. trivial pursuit - I hate anything that becomes competitive (and with my Mom on hand, it always does!)

WACIB you need to dump your family

WACIB..love the name (and the posts!)
Rofl at MrsSpoon's categories of older gents ('gent'-that surely is a term made for the retro thread....)

Did I mention how much I hate avian mastectomies aka turkey 'crowns'??????

Don't understand the turkey crown thing - it's just the whole bird with the legs removed surely? What's the problem? I've got a snazzy free range bronze crown from a speciality butcher - is this something to look down upon then? Not being shirty, need to know as I am the most snobbish person going - should I be sneering at myself?

Errr....yes.

Down with da crown I say!

I love the Christmas lights... make the kids smile, that's good enough for me!.

Having to wrap ALL the presents coz DH ran out of time again

having to PAY for all (see above, substitute money for time!)

packing for three kids and 2 adults for three days in a small flight bag coz car stuffed with gifts (guess what I've been doing today....)

Listening to my Grandad and Uncle fight about which Russian Battle in WW2 caused more deaths... won't have that this year, Uncle not coming as Dad packed him into car and drove him to a bus stop 1 DAY before next bus as he was so sick of him. He deserved it, they'd never even invited him anyway.

I still love Chrsitmas though. No idea why, but I do.

I think yukky as you don't get any dark meat where all the flavour is

wrapping presents....hate it hate it hate it

wacib - are you a frustrated novelist?