Do You ‘Love’ Christmas?

I absolutely adore Christmas.
But it's probably due to the fact that I don't need to cater for any one else's needs really.
I always do pretty much as I please.
So, Calendargirl I think that your assessment is correct.
Christmas is a lot of woman'swork

I love it for young children. We did lovely crafts and baking and traditions (and still do).

If I didn't have children, I wouldn't celebrate at all though.

Yes, I always loved Christmas and didn't once find it a chore at all. I was always organised---working as well, but managed to cram everything in not forgetting a thing. It was invariably a large family affair with all my stepfamily as well as immediate family.
I enjoyed every minute of it and had dinner timed to a fine art with loads of pots and pans on the go.

I have old video recordings of Christmas and the huge table laden with everything, creaking under the weight
One Christmas I had my stepD and her family staying for 10 days when her partner was alive. It was brilliant and lovely to look back on.

Times have changed as it no longer feels a time solely for the children

At 57 I can finally truly love it as my mother is no longer alive to spoil it.

I have always enjoyed the food prep, I buy presents throughout the year and dedicate a day to dressing the house.

My mother would always find a way to cause an argument or mess up the day.

So this year it’s all mine!

I think loved may be too strong a word, but have always liked it and enjoyed it.Even when the children were younger, and I had a job to think about and do all the shopping ( both food and Christmas gifts) and to post presents and cards.
Now older, we work as a team on Christmas Day ( and the few days around it) where cooking is concerned, and our AC still want to come to us....of course I still do the present buying (online) and write and post the cards and make the house look Christmassy, but it’s much easier than it used to be.
When we can no longer do the hosting, one of the children
Will have to do it, or we will have a quiet Christmas.I don’t believe in staggering on when you feel past doing it all.

Aww christmas. A time of stress, worry, financial hardship for many, arguments and sheer hard work too

For others its a time for giving and receiving, joyfulness, family and friends, no money worries and the perfect few days.

There are those who have no one and that fact can be bought home at this time of year, they may have memories which make them sad or happy and this may make them feel even more lonely.

Then of course some people just prefer a quiet couple of days with their feet up and some nice food and wine or a lovely holiday to enjoy the festive season( pre covid days of course)

Christmas i feel is different things to different people and it is hard to decide if i 'love' it or not.

Have to disagree FannyCornforth not every household is the same. My husband does all the shopping and cooking for Christmas and all year round. I'm sure I'm not alone.
I enjoy Christmas, the traditions, decorations and music. It's quieter now but we enjoy being with friends when possible, we have adapted as lemongrove said

My husband does all the shopping and cooking for Christmas and all year round. I'm sure I'm not alone.

You're not alone, sodapop!

Mr Lucretzia does all the shopping and cooking all day every day.

He loves to cook so this way we're both happy.

I am a lover of Christmas. I find it magiical. Very lucky to have family close by and the four grandchildren are so excited when they get here. It's lovely.

Today we're doing some more wrapping.

We do that together and have great fun losing the scissors and sellotape every 5 minutes

No unfortunately I don’t love Christmas well not since childhood, when of course its magical
As a lone mum with three children and no money it was very stressful and at times upsetting I hope and pray I gave them all a good Christmas but food was a bit scarce and I remember once being given some food from a friend who worked as a chef I always enjoyed it for the children and I think I gave them a good time I certainly made a big thing of it
I think it was better when the grandkids were small and I have ALWAYS. made a big effort and probably no one really knows it’s not a particularly great time for me
I do my best I wear my happy jumpers and join in whatever I can but do I enjoy it no I don’t, I breathe a huge sigh of relief when it’s over.

I think it’s brilliant time for big families with lots of kids having fun but for anyone on their own or in difficult circumstance it can be a nightmare time with ‘everyone else’ having a fantastic time

I love Christmas, I always have and always will. My father was in the army and we never knew from one year to the next where we would spend Christmas, would it be in the tropics or somewhere in Europe or the UK. The one thing that was fixed was what we did on the day, no matter where we lived. There was a routine from the time we got up; for church going, present opening and eating and we stuck to it wherever we were. A certainity in a constantly changing world.

The year we did diverge from the norm was always known to us children 'As the year we didn't have Christmas', which was most unfair on our parents because we did have Chrstmas, but it was different.

My daughter and now my teenage grandaughter share my love and DGD has taken over the Christmas catering in her household. She has taken over from her father, so only women's work, not neccesarily.

Always loved it. When I was a child, then when the children came along, and then for the grandchildren. I loved the run up to it, the shops, the preparations etc. This year I reluctantly put a few decorations up, just not to be too miserable! ?

I’ve always enjoyed it, but possibly the run up and the week between Christmas and New Year as much as the actual day, if not more.

I love the tree, proper carols, mince pies, making those and Christmas puddings, mulled wine, lots of Buck’s Fizz on the day, and seeing all the lights and decorations in other peoples windows. Not to mention, more recently, the excitement of small grandchildren, though whether we’ll be able to witness that year I don’t know yet.

I don’t even mind doing all the cooking on the day, though it’s not such a regular thing now. We keep it fairly simple, though - I don’t know how people who do 2 or 3 different roasts, more than one lot of spuds and umpteen different veg and side dishes, manage it. It’s no wonder so many get so stressed out and thoroughly fed up with the whole business.

I don't hate Christmas like some people do, but I certainly don't love it. It seems to emphasise loneliness, and I find the commercialisation unpleasant.
But, hey, I don't want to be a killjoy, so I'll count my blessings and eat, drink and be merry .

I never find it stressfull but could do without it tbh.
I enjoy seing g/children enjoying it especialy as my youngest g/son`s b/day it on the same day as was my fathers who sadly isn`t here.

I LOVE CHRISTMAS!! I love the carols t church, I love the nativity at church, I love the decorations, I love the family getogether! My DD and I organise the Xmas dinner between us - she orders most stuff from 'Cook. I contribute by making Xmas cakes (one for us, one for her) mincemeat, mince pies, and Xmas puddings - that reminds me have only made 1 Xmas pudding and the mince pies are running out - more baking!!
Yes, I love it!! But wish DH would at least write some Xmas cards!!

I used to enjoy it when my boys were young and we had family get togethers, but that no longer happens. My eldest is no contact and my youngest is going to his cousins as he did last year (much more fun than being home with the oldies!) so it will be a usual day with a roast dinner really.
I used to cook loads of different things but don't bother now. A lot of work I don't want.

I adore Christmas. Now it is only the two of us and it is still fun.

I love baking, cooking, cleaning, decorating, buying and wrapping presents.

Christmas masses - not possible this year, but the glory of the Nativity fortunately doesn't depend on Midnight Mass.

I used to when our dds were at home.

But not the same now, but then things/lives move on.

I'm lucky enough that my dds live not far away.

But I miss sitting at the kitchen table with dh writing our Christmas food shopping list, he used to love it.

Also my mum died 3 mnths ago, but we will do our best to make dads Christmas as best we can.

I do think people may go overboard and have many celebrations this year. There seems to be more lights/Christmas trees around early this year.

I agree with grandtanteJE65 there are just the two of us and we always make Christmas fun. It's not just about big families getting together we can make it just as special as we want with a little bit of effort and thought. I too love cooking (but not cleaning) decorating the house and buying and wrapping presents. Yes I will miss going to church this year not quite the same on Zoom.

I have always loved Christmas when I was young my mum started making our Christmas dress in November for me and my 2 sisters along with the big bows we had for our hair she worked into the night sometimes but she really enjoyed doing it dada would bring home a turkey from the market which all of us plucked around the kitchen table magical memories.
Now that I am on my own since loosing my lovely man last Christmas I shall enjoy this year with my DD and DGs as part of their bubble the DGCs are all grown now but over the years we have enjoyed every Christmas as they where growing up,I am also looking forward to boxing day so I can relax have a drink and enjoy M&S treats just for me.

No, I hate it - and always have done. Even as a child, it always just seemed like a build-up to a total anti-climax! Nowadays, it seems to start earlier and earlier each year and people seem to want to outdo each other with the amount and cost of presents they give. Left to my own devices, I'd happily ignore the whole shebang!

BlueBelle

No unfortunately I don’t love Christmas well not since childhood, when of course its magical
As a lone mum with three children and no money it was very stressful and at times upsetting I hope and pray I gave them all a good Christmas but food was a bit scarce and I remember once being given some food from a friend who worked as a chef I always enjoyed it for the children and I think I gave them a good time I certainly made a big thing of it
I think it was better when the grandkids were small and I have ALWAYS. made a big effort and probably no one really knows it’s not a particularly great time for me
I do my best I wear my happy jumpers and join in whatever I can but do I enjoy it no I don’t, I breathe a huge sigh of relief when it’s over.

I think it’s brilliant time for big families with lots of kids having fun but for anyone on their own or in difficult circumstance it can be a nightmare time with ‘everyone else’ having a fantastic time

Couldn’t have put it better myself! I am honestly glad for those who love it but one thing I really really get furious about is people calling me Scrooge (I’m actually rather generous !) or Grinch without thinking about why I don’t like the “festive season”.

I love it, always have, even when we had to scrimp to buy a present for the children and had to go to my parents because we couldn’t afford to buy Christmas food.
Still love it now, although we won’t see DD1 and the grandchildren this year, and hoping for a better one next year.

Christmas has changed a lot for me over the years. There used to be 12 of us at my house for a few days. It was hard work but I enjoyed it.
Now I am on my own I usually stay with one of my children and visit the others. Not this year of course. I still like Christmas and I am lucky to have family to spend it with.