The whole damn Christmas Thing!

My best Christmas Eve was during Covid. I lived a 25 mile round trip from the supermarket and cannot believe that I had run out of butter! I wandered around Morrisons.....waited in a small queue with a mask on and a huge trolley with only half a pound of butter in it and (another) bottle of champagne. It made me laugh. I've never known a Christmas Eve like it. Then I drove past the hardware shop next door (it was about 4p.m. and already dark) and there was this 7ft Christmas Tree outside with a big FREE label on it. I can honestly say that this was the best Christmas EVER. No-one to cook for, no visitors.....just me on my own with a 7ft Christmas tree and home made mince pies washed down with a bottle of champagne. Delicious.

We're having a lovely family get together at my daughter's this year. There'll be nine adults and four children. I'm really looking forward to it. I'm providing the crackers and will make a 'nursery' trifle i.e. no booze, and a sherry trifle. For us there's no religious significance. It's just a once-a-year opportunity to meet up with people we love and give and receive gifts. Luckily, none of us will be working so we can all relax and have a good time together. What's wrong with that?

I saw white poinsettias in Waitrose last week and was almost tempted but they wouldn't last til 25th Dec

EkwaNimitee

raficha it was just a joke!
I actually made my plans back in march.

OK, good on you, so many people moan, I probably did not see that. Glad you have plans, if you started on March are you doing something extra nice?

I am, of course, most sad for those for whom Christmas is/was/is going to be less than it is for others, but I must be very fortunate in looking forward to it.

However, neither I nor any of my ancestors has gone OTT with it - modest gifts, modest tree (I have a glorious articial one bought 30 years ago decorated in "old fashioned" style and with some glass baubles from my childhood and the Woolies fairy that was on our tree when I was a tiny tot).

I've hosted Christmas Day for abt 45 years and it has been well received by all with no criticism if not quite on time or something is overdone. Now my eldest DD and SIL host it as they have children, while last year we went south to my youngest DD and her inlaws and all was lovely.

As a child we visited my DM's parents on Boxing Day along with all the aunts, uncles and cousins. The adults left Granny in charge while they all went to the pub and Granny let us kids watch TV programmes that our parents might object to. We all slept the night on the attic floor - if we slept at all!

Nobody seriously fell out (though there was one mardy cousin - now loved very much in her late 70s).

Later in the week we visited other family a bit further away including the other Grandma who had dementia and laughed herself silly all day! It was quite a trek on public transport and we sometimes got stuck in the snow!

I've never spent a fortune on presents or given much notice to what others do.

I used to go to church till my DDs were teenagers and decided it wasn't for them. I might start going again one day as I miss it.

Abt 10 years ago one of the "boxing day" cousins visited me from her long-term home in New Zealand with another more distant relative who had also emigrated there, and we discovered we all made our "special trifle" to the exact same recipe as our Grandma/second cousin had made 60 years earlier! I still make it for my eldest DD who loves it.

I suppose because my family are so uncritical about things and get along I would still be happy to host Christmas Day for them all cos I know they would all pitch in.

I wish everyone's situation was like mine and feel very lucky.

Wishing you all well and hope you all have a peaceful time however you spend it.

My father commeted in 1963. That he thought Chistmas had become far too commercialised.

I have stayed in other countues over the Christmas period and none of them go as mental as the UK.

Christmas would be much better if it was celebrated in the Summer.

Surprised at people putting Christmas trees up early and leaving them till March! I can’t wait to take it down every year and get back to normal. Enjoy it when it’s up but it’s for Christmas - which is not that long a period. I’m also a bit superstitious about leaving it up after 12th night. The one year I did that and ignored it I the most horrendous things happen all year - I’m not normally superstitious!

With normally having a real tree we didn’t used to put it up until about 17th December anyway. This year with the fake one it’ll be up on 1st Dec probably but then it makes the whole Christmas thing feel so long. Personally I’d rather go on holiday somewhere sunny for a month!

Christmas can't be done abroad or in the spring.
How would we smell the log fires
The pine needles
The hot chocolate
The mulled wine.

WithNobsOnIt

My father commeted in 1963. That he thought Chistmas had become far too commercialised.

I have stayed in other countues over the Christmas period and none of them go as mental as the UK.

Christmas would be much better if it was celebrated in the Summer.

I expect that the Normans said much the same about commercialisation of Christmas when they saw the Anglo-Saxons celebrating Christmas.

Cjristmas is the great winter festival based on the winter solstice when the nights have grown darker and darker and now the light is slowly returning. It was the astronomical fact of the depths of winter tha engendered the winter celebrations no matter what you call them. If you moved it to summer it would not be Cjristmas anymore. It would be a celebration of the longest day in the year and that days will now grow sshorter, profoundly different.

Christmas is as commercial as you choose to have it. If you do not want a commercial Christmas you do not need to have one. Nobody is making you, nut I can see no reason to rain on other people'sparades.

We have done Christmas in Australia, France and Spain.

Always with the children and family, all different, special in their own way/customs, we still remember them with fondness as do our now AC

Rocketstop. No it's a very pretty little village in Northamptonshire. The relative has had Christmas cards made of pictures of previous years windows and they are lovely.

Such a good idea and as a PP said above it makes for an exciting walk round the villaage for everyone not just the children.

Maybe its good just to dial it all down and meet up in the Spring time?

Well, it has been suggested by learned academics that Jesus Christ was actually born in May.

The weather would probably be better, good enough for a posh picnic!

GrannyGravy13

We have done Christmas in Australia, France and Spain.

Always with the children and family, all different, special in their own way/customs, we still remember them with fondness as do our now AC

Christmas in July?

Christmas is as commercial as you choose to have it. If you do not want a commercial Christmas you do not need to have one. Nobody is making you, nut I can see no reason to rain on other people'sparades.

Well said, M0nica

Have a quiet day
Have a riotous day
Go to church or not.
Go to help cook or serve meals for homeless people
Ignore it altogether

The options are endless.

If your parade is so well set up tra la la la

I don't think a couple of daft comments on here will divert.

HelterSkelter1

Rocketstop. No it's a very pretty little village in Northamptonshire. The relative has had Christmas cards made of pictures of previous years windows and they are lovely.

Such a good idea and as a PP said above it makes for an exciting walk round the villaage for everyone not just the children.

How lovely.They do it in Saltaire too which is also a little village, and during lockdown but when we were allowed out ,spaced, it was really uplifting as people had also put messages in the windows like 'Things WILL get better' and 'Better times will come' alongside fab displays.

I love Christmas - a great excuse to snuggle up and stay cosy with immediate family. The rest of the family is too spread out to have a huge gathering (not sure I'd enjoy that anyway as I like it just being us and our children). My husband always does the cooking and enjoys it. I do decorate trees outside and inside.
New Year is the time we party with friends - often going away to a hotel somewhere for a few days, so no fuss, preparation or palaver for any of us.
Sadly Christmas has become too commercialised and far removed from the Christian Feast it is - even in shops the Christmas decorations and foods sit side by side with Halloween items while Easter seems to start for shops on Boxing Day! It's pitiful that people put themselves into debt trying to keep up with the commercial pressure.

Warbler That was one of our best times. A simple meal and delighted to see out son who slipped under the radar ( no visitors allowed) A walk and home for crumpets and tea.

I have always loved Christmas. My birthday is in early December and it has always been as if one celebration merged seamlessly into the next. Church services are central for me. When I was a child, Christmas was a four day extravaganza as there were five of us, my maternal grandparents and my aunt, uncle and their two children, who are almost exactly the same age as my brother and me. My sister is a little younger. We seemed to have plenty of presents without being over the top and the food was fantastic. The best part, though, was the party games. Such fun. We continued in this vein with my parents, my children and my sister’s family for many years until, inevitably, the children grew up and we have no grandchildren yet. These days, our Christmases are much quieter but we will still enjoy the day. We play board games rather than party games but still have fun. As a musician, I have always loved playing Christmas music and teaching carols and Christmas songs to my pupils. Today, I was starting Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire with a pupil - we have to start in early November in order to have a good repertoire ready for Christmas.

Allira no, all in December 🤷‍♀️

Husband died recently and for the last few yrs it has been us and his carers.
I am dreading the whole thing. I’m not a Christian but enjoy carols. My Christian friends are much more likely to make a deal of Easter although they do extend an invitation to those alone- true Christian spirit rather than services with big hats and mass.
This year I’m hoping for five weather so I can bird watch with my dog.
But I suspect I will feel lonely whatever I do. Not to self. You’re still alive!

StripeyGran

If your parade is so well set up tra la la la

I don't think a couple of daft comments on here will divert.

You talk in riddles woman. Why?

Allira

Christmas is as commercial as you choose to have it. If you do not want a commercial Christmas you do not need to have one. Nobody is making you, nut I can see no reason to rain on other people'sparades.

Well said, M0nica

Have a quiet day
Have a riotous day
Go to church or not.
Go to help cook or serve meals for homeless people
Ignore it altogether

The options are endless.

Exactly my thoughts.

Froget Good Luck with your simple and timely festivities.

GrannyGravy13

Allira no, all in December 🤷‍♀️

Christmas in July is a tradition in Australia!