Minimalist Christmas anyone?

I'm more of a maximalist than a minimalist: my children , they of the tastefully decorated houses, do sigh and refer to my home as " Santa's Grotto"
In my volunteering role, I do see people for whom the season is not one of joy , for a variety of reasons, of course, but as a Christian I celebrate this time with pleasure and try to spread the bounty.
We in the Northern Hemisphere celebrated midwinter with feasts and lights before Christianity, but those clever early clerics simply highjacked it!

The tv adverts paint glossy pictures of tables groaning with plenty and happy children waking to the gifts they’d dreamed of. I suspect most of us know the reality of trying to make this emotional time of year at least doable and if we are fortunate, enjoyable.

magical family times at Grandmas tiny house, with about 20 people squeezed in and sleeping over.

But that’s the difference a houseful of people all having fun is one thing…… having children and grandchildren living in other parts of the world and only having a tiny family left makes Christmas a difficult or lonely time for many and best ‘got over as quicky as possible’
There are people living on the streets, there are elderly living alone, there are divorced or left behind, there are single families, there are people ill or abandoned there is poverty there are recently bereaved….its only a wonderful time for some. I think a lot forget that it’s not a bowl of cherries for a lot of people

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202411/medium-389851-img-5901.jpeg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202411/medium-137182-img-5907.jpeg

Always loved Christmas. Childhood memories of magical family times at Grandmas tiny house, with about 20 people squeezed in and sleeping over. How on earth did we do it.🎄
Father Christmas arriving and dishing out the gifts.

We will decorate our house and our holiday cottage - I couldn’t bear not to. Twinkly lights and lots of ‘tat’ . Artificial tree , traditional and a snowy twiggy one but a real one outside the front door. Not until December though. 4 weeks is long enough.
Last years fireplace decs.

Double indeed 💖

FriedGreenTomatoes2

True. And it must be a heartbreaking time for some. I’m sure those of us on here can appreciate that.

Christmas isn’t a celebratory time for everyone.

But devastating as that is (and it IS - of course) the majority of folk would like to focus on the festive season to relieve the unremitting gloominess of winter. Warm lights comfort, mulled wine soothes and for those who have a faith, rituals shared with others bring solace.

Excellent post - especially this bit...

Warm lights comfort, mulled wine soothes and for those who have a faith, rituals shared with others bring solace.

Indeed!

I still enjoy Christmas though it’s less joyful since mr I died. I wish the start was the beginning of December, rather than the day after Halloween. Two of my grandchildren are young enough to be involved in school Nativities. One is at a (very lovely) Catholic primary school so there will be traditional hymns. Away in a manger 🥲.
Decorations - YES no minimalism at my house. Real tree, groaning under lights and decorations, including three from my 1950’s childhood and some made by my children. I have nativities, candles and many fairy lights about the house.

We start discussing Crisis at Christmas in early November to try and find ways of our family getting together to share food and exchange gifts withiut too much stress. I don’t want my children racing about the north west with their tired, over excited children, trying to make sure all the grandparents get to see the children or spending hours on the m60 . Peace on earth and love to all

Allira

FriedGreenTomatoes2

True. And it must be a heartbreaking time for some. I’m sure those of us on here can appreciate that.

Christmas isn’t a celebratory time for everyone.

But devastating as that is (and it IS - of course) the majority of folk would like to focus on the festive season to relieve the unremitting gloominess of winter. Warm lights comfort, mulled wine soothes and for those who have a faith, rituals shared with others bring solace.

Good post.

We should all spare a thought for those who find Christmas a miserable and lonely time, and help them if we are able.
However, that shouldn't stop the rest of us trying to lighten the gloom of midwinter, especially if there are children around.

Maybe there is a half way house between festivities and sparing a thought(?)

Just carry on with your life as best you can.

Cabowich

Allira

Cabowich - sorry, not trying to cheer you up or anything 😁
I hope your move goes through quickly and you're in your new home soon, moving is so stressful.

It is indeed stressful.

To make things "worse", my son, daughter-in-law and grandson are coming over from Australia to stay with us for three weeks, and I don't even know which house we'll be in! .

😯

Hope they don't expect to be waited on!!

madalene

We can’t ban Christmas until 15th December Doodledog because Advent starts on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, and that maybe at the beginning of November. As it happens, this year it starts on 1st December which is a Sunday, but other years it can be in November. Advent is very important for Christians.

However, I know what you mean. My first baby was born on the 14th December, and apart from a little cheap Advent Calendar, nothing Christmassy went up until he had had his birthday, complete with party, birthday cake, and everything else a little boy would want for his birthday. The tree usually went up shortly after his birthday though.

I came out of hospital with DC1 on Christmas Day (all the other new mums stayed in for a week) and remember my Mum cooking a lovely Christmas dinner.

All the cards were written, presents wrapped before Advent that year, probably the only year I've been so organised!

We can’t ban Christmas until 15th December Doodledog because Advent starts on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, and that maybe at the beginning of November. As it happens, this year it starts on 1st December which is a Sunday, but other years it can be in November. Advent is very important for Christians.

However, I know what you mean. My first baby was born on the 14th December, and apart from a little cheap Advent Calendar, nothing Christmassy went up until he had had his birthday, complete with party, birthday cake, and everything else a little boy would want for his birthday. The tree usually went up shortly after his birthday though.

I am definitely going minimalist for christmas this year, I have been incredibly back-breaking busy, physical work on my new allotment and I honestly cannot be doing with anything other that a full chill-out over the holiday. That means nothing to take out or put away

It means a few nice extra snacks, easy food, good films, knitting, sitting and staying warm. The decorations are perfectly fine in their storage boxes in the garage as is my scandi tree, I may take them out next year but right now all I want and need is RnR and the minimalism

I am reminded of a post of mine a while ago asking how many of us were doing exactly what they wanted at Christmas. The Bodach and I started going away about five years before he died, but I still remember having to endure his mother’s company, as well as that of a couple of other ‘oldies’, and I was so relieved when the Lord had called them all home!
I continue to go away, and I see that my children are all staying in their own homes on Christmas Day with their children, ‘in pyjamas and wrapping paper’, and are meeting up over the holidays. One lot are actually having a takeaway Chinese!
I did enjoy hosting everyone when the children were teens, but it’s not for me now.

RosiesMaw2

I am gleefully reminded every year of my first attempt at outdoor lights. I draped them artistically around the Pyracantha Bush (at the front door), mentioning this to my closest friend in a phone call - only I omitted the word "pyracantha".
There was a stunned silence then I heard her shreik to her husband through gales of laughter "Tony! You'll never guess where Maw has put her lights!"
I am still asked if I am walking funny around this time

I love having a good laugh at those endless glossy spreads in the Sunday supplements headed "How To Have The Perfect Christmas": the 'perfect' Xmas family all have nice teeth, nice hair and Mum is wearing an expensive glittery cocktail frock, Dad is decked out in a tuxedo and bow tie, both clutching champagne flutes and the kiddiewinks are gazing adoringly at the most unrealiastic dinner table settings.
And, of course, everyone is pencil-thin.

A hoot!

I love Christmas, but would ban it until 15th December . It starts far too early for me, and was even worse when the children were small. They got hyped up in November and little ones can't be put off forever when they ask when Santa is coming. By the time the big day comes I am even sick of the lovely George Michael singing 'Last Christmas'.

Having said that, I do enjoy the day. There is no minimalism here. The tree is huge and has a mix of new decorations and ones made by the children 25 years ago out of toilet roll middles and cotton wool. I don't bother much with cards, but I have a 'tasteful' bronze nativity and a kitsch knitted one that come out every year.

Allira

Cabowich - sorry, not trying to cheer you up or anything 😁
I hope your move goes through quickly and you're in your new home soon, moving is so stressful.

It is indeed stressful.

To make things "worse", my son, daughter-in-law and grandson are coming over from Australia to stay with us for three weeks, and I don't even know which house we'll be in! .

Maw best Sunday laugh of the day! 🤣

Thankyou for all the lovely descriptions of different Christmases. I’m in no way a minimalist and there is a certain amount of “tat” made by various children and grandchildren (no it isn’t tat to me but it might be to you!). I have lots of natural foliage etc from the garden too and outside lights - even in the back garden because our elderly neighbour loved it when we did it for a party one year and we didn’t feel we could stop, sadly she died a few weeks ago but we’ll still carry on. The house will be decorated on the first Sunday in Advent and the Advent wreath will be made and the Nativity Scene put up. We’ll put up a real tree mid-December. All will come down on 12th night. I don’t really mind what anybody else does, why would I? I live in an area with a military base and there are trees up at odd times because a parent won’t be there on 25th December.
But my heart goes out to anybody whose memories of Christmas are sad or painful. I have a friend who flatly refuses invitations and just wants to be left alone.
I wish you all a peaceful Christmas however you wish to spend it.

Cabowich - sorry, not trying to cheer you up or anything 😁
I hope your move goes through quickly and you're in your new home soon, moving is so stressful.

Cabowich

Very minimalist! We're moving and the Christmas decorations are all packed away.

We don't even know which house we're going to be in as the sale is dragging its heels, as house sales seem to, these days.

Oh, I remember moving mid-December one year! Luckily we'd been renting as we'd sold our last house and were moving into a new one.

The carpet firm had made a mistake so we had no carpets that year and the electricity kept going off; the drain from the loos got blocked with builder's rubble!
With three young children we had to try our best to make it enjoyable.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

True. And it must be a heartbreaking time for some. I’m sure those of us on here can appreciate that.

Christmas isn’t a celebratory time for everyone.

But devastating as that is (and it IS - of course) the majority of folk would like to focus on the festive season to relieve the unremitting gloominess of winter. Warm lights comfort, mulled wine soothes and for those who have a faith, rituals shared with others bring solace.

Good post.

We should all spare a thought for those who find Christmas a miserable and lonely time, and help them if we are able.
However, that shouldn't stop the rest of us trying to lighten the gloom of midwinter, especially if there are children around.

Very minimalist! We're moving and the Christmas decorations are all packed away.

We don't even know which house we're going to be in as the sale is dragging its heels, as house sales seem to, these days.

I am gleefully reminded every year of my first attempt at outdoor lights. I draped them artistically around the Pyracantha Bush (at the front door), mentioning this to my closest friend in a phone call - only I omitted the word "pyracantha".
There was a stunned silence then I heard her shreik to her husband through gales of laughter "Tony! You'll never guess where Maw has put her lights!"
I am still asked if I am walking funny around this time

I bought some fairy lights from Aldi-500 for ten bucks, can’t go wrong. I put them all up in the little outdoor extension, looks really Christmassy now. I won’t take them down after Christmas because I like the look of them, nice and sparkly.
I also bought a sequinned black dress to wear. Wahay. I like sparkle, makes me happy. Make the most of the time left to me.