A simple Christmas thread, alone or with a partners - whether by choice, or necessity

Me, my DP and my Mum ....Will see the GC day before and day after

Im going for an Indian meal with my Son as we do every year. Apart from that I won't see or talk to anyone. So a normal day for me. hugs

We've decided to have a different Xmas this year. We usually stay with Sil and spend a few days with her family but there are now four dogs in the house for Xmas and our border terrier becomes anxious and grumpy so we've decided to visit after Christmas instead.
I'm really looking forward to a quieter day with just my daughter from my first marriage and her partner whilst second daughter goes to her partners for Christmas. Some Christmases she's been working so I'm used to her not being around. Christmas changes as families change and I'm ok with that.

It’s just DH and me for Christmas as usual, a nice dog walk but no decorations or presents seems to be the norm now.
I’ll cook something like porchetta and french fries with panna cotta to follow, definitely no saving over a turkey etc.
I just look forward to it all being over and done with!

Is there ever a Good Morning, it's Christmas 🎄 Thread on Gransnet?
We could do that.

My daughter and I were planning Christmas Day on our own in our new home but her eldest son has now invited us for dinner it seems churlish to say no, his brothers will come in the evening it will be lovely I’m sure but I would also of loved a quiet day.

Our Christmas Day will be at DD2s with DD1, son in. Law , 23 year old DGS and DHs mum.
DD3 and family will join us on Boxing Day having been with her in-laws. Not yet sure who’s house we will gather at but we all live close together so not a problem.

As is our tradition, DS1&2 will come with their partners and children for a light brunch, exchange presents and then leave.
DD and her DH will stay until Boxing Day. Despite living fifteen minutes away, they have always done this.

For the first time in nearly fifty years, I am not cooking dinner, DD has insisted on making it, due to my ill health. I'm looking forward to less stress.
We usually have two fancy homemade desserts, this year I am going to M&S instead.

I used to have a full house, but I now find it overwhelming and exhausting to have everyone for dinner.

I am hoping to have my daughter and her family here for the first time in many years (probably 10, or more?) the only problem is I havent asked her yet!!

I am intending to do so and hope she says yes. If not I'll have the usual quiet one.

My daughter, her two - our grandchildren and my son are all staying over Christmas Eve, then the day, even though they're all local. My son hasn’t been here for 5 years as he spent previous ones with his ex fiancée, it’ll be chaos and we’ll love it, I'm cooking the works - they’ll all muck in.
We are fortunate.

I hosted last year, this year one of my d’s and husband hosting. I’m looking forward to it and will leave about six as the adults and children will be still full of fun and energy. My dogs will have been home alone for half a day so I need to be back for them but also looking forward to a glass of wine and easy tv

Feel very fortunate. It can be a diffucult time. One of my sisters is facing the first Christmas alone and anniversary of her husband’s death

Plodding on, doing my best not to have a melt down.

Booked a couple of nights in an Air B and B.

Stragglers welcome.

This year I am invited to my daughter’s for lunch. No other plans as yet. It is not just The Day, it’s all the other days until after New Year when all normal activities are closed that are tricky as some people are busy with family, and it is hard to know who is free and would be glad of company.

This year I am going to a friends for christmas, but have usually spent christmas day on my own since my husband died. As I am a singer have on most years been extremely busy with several concerts , all of which also mean extra rehearsals too, and in fact one year - never to be repeated - I was asked to help out at more concerts and ended up the week before christmas where I was rehearsing monday, tuesday, wednesday, and singing in the actual concerts thursday friday saturday!! I was also singing in different locations with differing costumes so somewhat paranoid about forgetting things I had all three sets of music and the clothes in the car with me all the time!! Resolved never to commit to so much again in one week, although I do love all the christmas music and occasions , Oh and I also go round and sing with carol singers for various charities. When my son was young we did all the traditional stuff here and enjoyed it, but when it was my husband and myself, our choice at christmas was to treat ourselves to a decent piece of sirloin and do a grand roast beef with yorkshire puddings and all the trimmings. We have never been a great fan of turkey and this was much more of a treat to us. Then we were popular when we visited people who would say rather hopefully " would you like a turkey sandwich?" or whatever and would be pleased when we were happy to have it. Then we also used to do quite well in the time between christmas and new year. There were hotels and restaurants which were doing both christmas and new year deals , who needed to keep their staff for the whole period, and used to offer lovely lunches at a reasonable price in the interim period, and we used to smartly book for one of those which was a treat.

As my family live at the other side of the country and the weather can be quite bad, we usually just ring each other etc and then meet up or I go over there sometime in January. I am quite happy with this arrangement and as a singer and a lover of opera etc., can enjoy organising my meals so that I can watch the opera and the ballet and anything else I want to enjoy on the tv and radio. Of course there will be some great Bach to enjoy and many other music I enjoy and I will be able to hear it all and in peace and quiet. I think that it is an attitude of mind too. I chose to think I am lucky to be able to enjoy my music uninterrupted rather than feeling that I am on my own and have no one here. I always think of my lovely husband but of course especially at such times, and there are one or two traditions that I shall probably try to keep. We used to love two or three films that to us, were christmas specials to enjoy. So I shall be looking out to see if Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard are still at the station, and that Humphrey Bogart is either in Casablanca or up the river with Katherine Hepburn and of course The Railway children , the original one with Jenny Agutter as Bobby will be films to enjoy with memories of my husband and a decent drink and some nuts to enjoy with them. Well I shall hope to enjoy some or all of the things, if my back allows me to, and have to admit, there are times when I hear the tales of woe and quarrels etc that have happened at some peoples christmas that I am quite glad that I havent had to put up with that. Peace in my own company is preferrable to hassle with a lot of other people. I do also think that the tv and social media who of course want you to spend the earth on their goods, make it seem as though the only kind of christmas is spending a fortune and showing great tables with families all enjoying it all, which can make viewers think that everyone else but them is enjoying themselves. Just call in at a cafe the week before christmas, or talk to frazzled friends who are trying to organise get togethers where x wont speak to y and a must not sit next to q and have vegetarians, meat eaters, and pescatarians all at the same meal. Ah been there done that, had my share of getting through such occasions and am happy to be able to choose what I want to do, and of course at least , whilst I wont be going mad , I will have sufficient to eat and drink and be in the warm, without getting a bank statement in the red in the new year!!

Maremia

Is there ever a Good Morning, it's Christmas 🎄 Thread on Gransnet?
We could do that.

Yes, we must do that x

Yes madeleine45 music as ever the greatest comfort and companion. I'm sure say Beeb 4 will have music.

if the family were local, I'd join them for a meal and some presents opening and come home happy to have seen them but exhausted but totally relieved a bit like Iam.

I feel so much tho for those who have lost their DH and it just brings pain. Room for you/them too.

thinking aloud, Cards wise, last year I was too poorly and did none, now I will cut it down to the very nearest and dearest friends family, the ones I really want to keep up with not just "polite". this includes a small group of neighbours, that is a must do for continuing cordial relationships, I even managed them last year.

Christmas Day will be a quiet one this year with just DH but DD2 and her boyfriend will come round late afternoon for a roast beef dinner with us. Both are working the night shift so will sleep most of Christmas Day. Boxing Day I have all the family here for a Christmas Turkey and all the trimmings 10 of us in all. I do get a bit flustered doing the dinner but it will be good to all be together.

Cards: My charity is MIND, and they have made it Amazons choice.

They do have a range of different charities to make it easy to get cards.

they also sell first and second class stamps to my surprise, every little helps if its hard to get out and about.

I usually go to my son's for Christmas but he has moved away and as he lives and works in the city centre has given up his car. I can't drive far now as have hip arthritis.
My other children live along way away and have their own plans so this could be my first Christmas on my own since DH died 27 years ago.
I feel a bit sad but realise it is only one day and I will be fine. I just don't want the neighbours feeling sorry for me.

But it isn’t only one day. All my groups, u3a , choirs etc breAk for about two weeks and that is a long time.

Truth be told, for historical reasons I have never really liked c mas except when my son was young and it was enfamille with my sis and her kids too.

I go to the gym and watch so many women so flustered and overwhelmed and dreading it all (and of course some loving it)
I do wonder sometimes if all the complex hoo-ha is worth it?

Only when it's a family getting on well enough? It was a bit of a trial for a few years when me and my now Ex went to his Mums, we cooked M n S, but it was OK and gave her a lot of pleasure - and she was local.

Seems to me that its being local that makes it better, no worries about how many bedrooms, who sleeps where, gran competition.....

Cabbie, I find the " everything closed" hard to handle too.

All my little pegs removed.

I would never impose any specific kind of Christmas on anyone. I think everyone should celebrate as they think fit, or not celebrate at all, if that is their choice.

We will have a traditional Christmas, DH, DD and me on Christmas day. DS and family will join us, possible for Christmas, if not, between Christmas and New Year. Up until this year DS and family have alternated Christmas and New Year between DDiL's parent and us, but our 2 DGC are now 15 and 18 with separate social lives of their own, so things are starting to change.

Things do change, at Christmas, as in everything else and I can never understand why some people cannot just acept and adjust, especiaally at Christmas, the season of goodwill!