Alternative Christmas day ..what would you like to do different

When we lived in Exmouth we used to go to the sea front to watch the brave souls who'd go for a swim. Brhh! Then we'd queue for an ice cream and walk along the prom. Happy days.
Now I'm widowed and inland again so spend it at sister's and her family. Turkey and all the trimmings.
If I was catering for myself I'd cook salmon as I'm a real fish lover.

I would love to volunteer at a centre for the homeless but DH doesn’t ‘do’ being on his own OR, if it was all about me, i’d Sign into the World Peace Centre on the Holy Isle and meditate

Evianers those were the days ...

I'd like to go away. Nothing fancy just a self catering cottage somewhere. Just need to persuade husband and son!!

Preserve me from hot Christmases. Nightmare! Everyone knows there should be snow, or at least frost, at Christmas. The mild temperatures this year even here in England have annoyed me.

I had a nice quiet day with DGS, his Papa had to work and Maman had the dreaded lurgy so he came down first thing and opened his pressies Santa had left here. We played with the new games, I had forgotten how long Mousetrap takes to put together !!!!
He went upstairs when Papa came home then back down to watch Strictly and consume a huge pile of Lamb Chops with me.
Back upstairs to bed and Grandma put her feet up with a small Baileys.
A really lovely day.

After organising and doing all the cooking every Christmas for years when my husband retired we decided to take the caravan to Spain for the winter. On Christmas Day we took a picnic up the mountain and enjoyed the peaceful time. In the afternoon we phoned the family. My daughter in law said she prepared the turkey in the way I had showed her, put it in the oven on the automatic and forgot to switch it on! Now years later she hosts ten people on the day.

I wouldn't want or do anything different. We've had many warm Christmases in the Middle East when we lived there, and enjoyed them, but it's not the same as at home.

As for hot Christmases, no thanks! Dd spoke to an Aussie friend on Christmas Day - it was 38 deg! You can keep that, thanks - I had enough of Hot and Stinking Hot durimg our many Middle Eastern years.

For practical reasons I rarely see my children on Christmas Day itself, but for the past 10 years have been to my younger sister about 10 miles away, who likes cooking (which I hate) and who would otherwise be alone. Unfortunately she does not like Turkey and experiments with alternatives ( goose this year) which just don’t do it for me. Also I would much prefer to do something useful like help with cooking the lunch for the homeless, or just stay home.
Ironically my other sister ( we are three widows/divorced and neither sister has children) loves the whole Christmas thing and used to join us, but lives a long way away, and is no longer able to travel, plus has also fallen out with first sister. She now sits home alone feeling sorry for herself, thinking we are having a great time without her and wanting a blow by blow account of what we had to eat, what presents we exchanged, how long I stayed, etc!

I would like Christmas at Ramsey Street!

I chose to stay at home by myself for the first time ever. I didn’t want to travel 200 miles, as I have done for years, to be with my sons. They offered to come here instead, but we decided children should be in their own beds at Christmas, not in a hotel. (I haven’t got room for them.)

I was a bit nervous, because it was the first time in my 78 years I have spent Christmas without my family, but it was fine. Very peaceful! I actually wasn’t tired, a first for me atChristmas. We talked by phone and FaceTime.

They all descend tomorrow, so it won’t be peaceful for much longer.

Living abroad we didnt have a traditional famly Christmas. And Christmas Eve is the important time here. Christmas day some restaurants open at lunchtime. We went to a restaurant with friends for lunch. The starters were buffet style as were the desserts but the main meal eas chosen from 4 fish dishes and 4 meat dishes (no turkey). As I am having probelms walking at the moment I had to depend on my husband's choices from the buffets. For dessert I was given a plate of various fruits so much healthier than all the other delicious cheesecakes etc he said. All this including wine water soft drinks and coffee was €23 a head. After this it was off to the clinic for my pain injections then home. In the evening my husband made an egg and bacon rolls. So I suppose an alternative Christmas. Must admit I was rather envious of all the Christmas dinner photos on FB.

Get a camper van. You can go wherever you want and be completely self sufficient. And there's no problems finding somewhere to park on Christmas day!!!! I'm done with spoilt, ungrateful family as well.

I would like to volunteer with shelter that feed the homeless

At family get-together on Boxing Day, son was concerned he didn't know I spent 25th alone. I loved it. As a carer, I really appreciated being in charge of the remote, not having to eat at a certain time, eating what I wanted etc. It was a sort of emotional detox. As a divorced mum, I was used to it alternate years.

Well, I have had the busy busy family Christmas days when the children were young. I now have to see my children separately as there is conflict between them, but that's fine. And I have had one Christmas day on my own when all my family made their own arrangements. what I would say is that I just can't bear doing the same thing every year.

I have had family Christmas as a child, working Christmases in my teens (waitressing), Christmas Dinner in a Hotel with my in-laws. Hosted family Christmas both as a young Mum & later as a single Mum. Big family Christmases with my beloved (3rd) DH, DD & Step-C, their OHs & my Parents. Boxing Day also included DH's ex & her DH & DF + MiL.

Gradually Christmas Day has become a smaller affair, I'm widowed now but spend day with DD, her OH & DGSs. My DM spends Christmas Day alone (she lives 300 miles from us all) as she no longer feels up to the travelling at almost 90.

The only type of Christmas Day I haven't had is on my own, DD wouldn't allow that but it doesn't worry me as long as I've got lots of scrummy food

Nothing. I love a traditional Christmas and that’s just what we have.

That's a lovely idea Annaram1.....many people do not choose to be alone but have it forced upon them by circumstances...somehow that makes the aloneness worse!!
For many years I spent Christmas surrounded by friends and family and, to my shame, never gave a thought to those on their own....now I have joined them I wish so much that I had understood and done something to make life better for those struggling on without their loved ones.....doesn't have to be just at Christmas either.....let's all try harder to make life better for others in 2019....please!

I think I would quite like to have Christmas Brunch and Christmas Supper..and miss the lunch out!

Standing by Lake Windermere just taking in the calm of the water and the solitary ducks sailing past silently. It's about as far as you can get from the forced Christmas "jollity"!

Grannyknot
We too used to have wonderfully sunny, warm days in Cape Town or Durbs-by-the-Sea - those were the days. Miss the hot Christmases there and in Oz, although it was always very amusing to receive cards from the Northern Hemisphere dotted with snow.....

My lovely son invited me to his family for Christmas Day and also for Boxing Day dinner. I had a great time.

If I had to be lonely as some are, I would probably go to my local pub which is open on Christmas Day, and have a lovely meal there by their open fire. I drove past it on my way to my son's house and noticed that the car park was absolutely full.

I go to church and have got to know several widows there so I might invite one or more to join me if they are likely to be alone too.

Everyone, enjoy the Christmas season!!! God bless us , everyone.

I don't mind my own company at all and for the last couple of years it's been my choice to be alone. The family aren't put out in any way as they also do their own thing and I would hate to think they'd feel obliged to have to entertain me, dashing what plans they had in mind.

As long as my fridge/freezer is packed to the gunnels I'm happy.

I spent Christmas day on my own by choice--sent OH off to full-on celebrations with DD and family, then had a simple but lovely lunch , listened to the repeat of the nine lessons and carols from King's, then read a good book by the warm fire in beautiful solitude. It was bliss and what I've always hankered after.