The bah humbug thread...

I'm exact opposite. I love Christmas. I especially love the smiles on most people's faces at Christmas. Obviously not the bah humbugs. 😁But also love the decorations in shops and restaurants. And some extra nice edible treats. And meeting friends for lunch. Etc etc

In my opinion you have the Christmas you want to have if it is possible. Things change when you lose loved ones and the first one without them is always difficult. I remember celebrating with at least a dozen round the table. Now it is just 3 of us as the sons of my partner never spend Christmas with us. Their choice! My daughter always wants to be with us and she is hosting this year. Ideally we would rent a cottage in Northumberland but it is too pricey this year so we shall descend on her bearing food, drink, games and , hopefully, a positive attitude. My sincere sympathies are sent to those of you who are struggling. It is not a good time for everybody, tryst me I know !

I'm surprised there are so many humbuggers.

The world does seem to assume that we all must have someone, I mean surely...?

If you don't fit into that mold (mould??) then it's tough.

It is just like another Sunday for me and I hate Sundays. Years and years ago make at least a dozen Christmas cakes and pudding for all the family have open house for all the neighbours for Christmas Eve. Husband was no help just complained that the golf course closed on the day. Why is all the work up to the wife?
Now on my own with the telly and there is all sentimental rubbish on and wondering if it is my last Christmas.

Since I have no living relatives and since my remaining friends all go to THEIR families, I'm definitely in the bah humbug category. I won't be cooking a special dinner, nor will any decorations be put up. At least my Christmasses don't cost me anything! I'm not lonely, before anyone asks, just bored with the whole tawdry nonsense of it all.

So sorry to hear of those who have illness or bereavement to cope with especially at this time of year.

I would join you. This year now without DH and another without DD the loss seems very heavy. Usually, in recent years Christmas was spent with one of the 3 children (now only 2). This year I am not being allowed to be on my own so I am flying to be with son, DIL and 12 year old GS. I know I am dragging my feet, every decision on Christmas eg clothes,presents is so half hearted. I just hope I do not present an air of gloom over the holiday. I never have been an advocate for all the merriment expected at Christmas but this year, well, quicker it passes the better.

Janburry

My first Christmas alone without husband and son in laws without my daughter but we're going all out to make sure the grandchildren enjoy Christmas it will be hard but no bah humbug from our family🎅☃️

Well done you.🎅

BlueBelle

I like the cat version Maw “Put the venison casserole in the boot of the cat” that tickled me

Puss in boots comes to mind.

My first Christmas alone without husband and son in laws without my daughter but we're going all out to make sure the grandchildren enjoy Christmas it will be hard but no bah humbug from our family🎅☃️

I absolutely detest the way Christmas has become so commercialized. It used to be do simple. It lasted a few days. No over indulging.

I was reading of complaints about the commercialisation of Christmas, in a Good Housekeeping magazine. Dated 1955. Some things never change!

There are so many comments and feelings hitting home on this thread.
Seasons Greetings, Blessings and Best Wishes to all Gransnetters. Whether you are happy, sad, or just indifferent. I hope you all have a peaceful,restful Christmas and hopefully a better New Year for you all. x

Despite a fairly grim childhood - I really loved Christmas. I noticed how much sheer hard work went into it, with fathers working any extra days and hours to fund it, mothers/grans making mince pies, puddings and cakes, all the extra cleaning, polishing and decorating - and the kids making endless paper chains. It was a very big deal, at home and at school.

I'd make the door wreath, with a thin wire coat hanger, holly and ivy from the woods, some glass baubles and ribbons. My sister did the table decoration, similar, on a tray with candles in the middle.

As a young adult and mum I loved it too - but toned down, no cooking marathons, no lavish expense. There was the worry of how to afford it all.

Later, with dear people 'missing', my husband, parents, aunts and uncles all gone, we toned it down even more. Yes, we still have the big meal and gathering (but not on Christmas Day, as the family is too large) we do the tree and presents for the kids, send a few cards etc. All the shopping's done online.

It's a sad and tearful time for me, a huge effort - with a smile plastered on my face - some happy moments with the family all together - but that genuine joy and anticipation evaporated decades ago. I'm an actor, playing a role. Oh, the relief when it's over and the normal days return!

Re 'being a hugger' I am a fully qualified, degree standard hugger but - no one left to hug!! My small family consists if a daughter and grown up GD, neither of them are huggers - even as a toddler my daughter would fight off hugs! Now, at nearly 88 years, so many family and friends have gone before me. 23 years since my OH died and now a great friend to both of us has just died. Sadly I don't celebrate Christmas any more except go to Midnight Mass - if the weather is not too bad.
Seasons Greetings to all GNs.

It’s never been my favourite time of year, but this year has been the bloodiest of awful years so my instinct is to pull up the drawbridge and ignore it. However, DH was Mr Christmas personified and loved the whole bag of mashings writ large, so I will do it for him, lest he come back to haunt me. I’ll know it’s him because he will be scattering glitter as he goes. He knew how much I hated glitter!!

gymstagran I am so very sorry.

Certainly couldn’t get into the mood last Christmas ….everything about preparing ……cooking ……shopping….decorating the house seemed too much of an effort. But this year it’s all different ……I’ve chosen to become more regimented in my head and set myself ‘simple’ tasks each day that I can accomplish because there aren’t too many of them. I’m sleeping better too because I’m not getting anxious about time running out and what has to be done! So, at 80 years of age I’ve learned a valuable lesson…..don’t leave everything to the last minute in the hope you’ll get it done ….. take back control ……make a simple plan and stick to it! You’ll sleep better if you do !

Callistemon21

^I am definitely not bah humbug wrt christmas but am watching so many here on GN, planning huge spreads and spending loads of money, which is often being put on credit cards. Buy now pay later^

My christmas will conisist of a few happy hours with family, I shall drive there and drive back in the light. A nice short inexpensive family gathering. I am glad to say that excess does not come into for me and my family

I flashed the credit card around yesterday 😲

What makes you think that, because Gransnetters use their credit cards, they can't pay them off, karmalady?

We're not driving back, we've been invited to stay the night.

#smugorwhat

Me too. I put all my spending on the two credit cards we have and pay them off in full each month. We do it this way for convenience, not credit.

As for the original poster's "bah humbug" approach to Christmas, why would you want others to join you? I enjoy everything about Christmas with my family and friends so I won't be taking you up on your offer and equally won't invite you to join me.

My son was born on Xmas Day , we do Church Service Christmas morning and Christmas Eve and assemble as many family as possible and do the full Dickensian Pickwick Papers Dingley Dell Excess ...

I absolutely detest the way Christmas has become so commercialized. It used to be do simple. It lasted a few days. No over indulging. I will be hibernating. Will make my usual mushroom and cashew roll with mushroom and sherry sauce. Will have a brandy while watching the Kings speech and will probably dig out It's a Wonderful Life to watch. Burner will be blazing and I will put my ankle length fleece lined hoodie on...all cosy.

I HATE christmas. I was burgled at Christmas so I always associate it with Christmas, also my dad died at Christmas so I loathe it with a passion.

Flew the nest....

Since the family flew the next Christmas has been a bit flat. Add 2019 (nearly lost my dog, Charlie) and lockdown that prevented me seeing my grandchildren and the flatness goes on. I'm visiting there this Christmas so hooray! BUT my bah humbug moment, in these times of energy crisis, cost of living crisis and prospective hike in council tax, was seeing the Christmas lights switched on in Morpeth and Alnwick (Northumberland County Council) on Friday the 18th of November!

MissAdventure

I really don't do hugs, as a rule.
I'm awful, I don't hug anybody.

You see, now I'm wishing I had hugged my girl more than once every three years.

I'm not much of a hugger either, except for my GC. And as for the kissing people you hardly know, no, just no....
The pandemic was a blessing in that you didn't have to automatically kiss everyone when you arrived somewhere. Personally I'm not reinstating the social kissing though some people are surprised when I back away!

I hated it for years, I have four children and then grandchildren and it just turned into a spending-fest which was very hard work and very expensive. (Think children in their 30's who still expected stockings and who didn't really appreciate any of it!).
I remember too many years when I was sitting wrapping presents alone at midnight on Christmas Eve whilst DH snored off the excess Christmas Spirit.
But now we keep it simple with only immediate family and a niece/nephew getting presents. Not that many presents for the children, the older ones prefer vouchers to spend anyway.
My daughter and I take it in turns to do Christmas lunch for our local family which is not too bad: it really is just a fancy roast dinner after all. We have a cockerel rather than a turkey as it's smaller, moist and tasty, with a small turkey crown for DH who likes dry meat. Nobody really wants Xmas Pud so this year we're having lemon meringue pie which can be prepared ahead.
We'll have the starter a while before lunch to keep us going, this year it's a mix of M&S deli bowls with a bit of smoked salmon and some ciabatta.