Handing on the baton

I wish I had some one to hand the baton onto, it’s getting mighty heavy

I am 75 and still going strong. If I begin to struggle, I will look for ways round it, buying ready made rather than cooking, getting guests to earn their keep.

Thirty years ago when I was working full time and doing Christmas , I drew up a spreadsheet that spreads the preparations for Christmas over several month to make the Christmas period easier and this works pretty well. This year I succumbed to the modern pattern for getting Christmas decorations up in early December and spread doing it over 3 weeks rather than a full day of hard work and rushing round the Sunday before Christmas. It is a pattern that is now on the spread sheet.

Occasionally we have been to a DD for Christmas but our home has the bigger dining space.....

Thank you for all your comments. They have given me food for thought. Especially Far North's and Notanan2. I agree about giving plenty of notice Far North and I've already put out a few feelers. I did say yesterday, quite light heartedly, when they were leaving, that I thought I might stop at aged 70.

I also agree with you notanan2 that I shouldn't expect anyone else to take over if I want to stop. The thing is they all love the day as it stands and DD definitely not up for it and not enough room at her place anyway.

For next year ideally I would like us all to go out for lunch then all back to our house for present opening, drinks and easy small buffet in the evening. Don't think they think I mean it but will do as Far North says and give plenty of notice.

I think I should mention that when I agreed with the term ‘handing on the baton’ I didn’t mean nominating or expecting anyone else to pick it up. It was more a case of just laying down the baton so that it was entirely up to ‘someone else’ whether they picked it up or not. I half expected the big gatherings to be replaced by more smaller affairs but that isn’t what happened.

It doesn’t have to be all or nothing though. I’m 72 and still ‘host’ Christmas Dinner, but only the main course. This year my son sorted the starters anc my daughter the pudding. That spreads the cost and the load.

morethan2
As long as you keep hosting, they'll keep coming.
I wonder if it's a bit like chairing a committee; if you don't resign and nobody kicks you off, you could have the job forever.
If you want to be released from service perhaps you should hint throughout the year so as to warn people. You could suggest an alternative such as hiring caterers. My in-laws did that for an anniversary once and although it was nice enough, it was not the same atmosphere or food as when they did it themselves but it showed the rest of us what hard work it was and DMil had time to take her apron off and dress for dinner!.

I think the younger generation enjoy family Christmases very much, but have very little intention of taking up the baton, because 'we work, you know.' Our generation, obviously , never did.
When I worked, my younger colleagues were appalled by the idea that they should even consider hosting Christmas, and I am watching young families loading up cars now where I live, having spent Christmas with mum and dad.
Again.
On the other hand, I have two friends who won't allow their daughters to cook; one insists that the family, ( 4 adults one child plus large dog) comes to stay in her two bedroomed house, then complains no one helps her, and the other one cooks the entire meal and takes it up to her daughter's house for her family on Christmas day.
Me? After 40 years of hosting I have had Christmas Day at my daughter and partner's house for the first time ever, and it was WONDERFUL.