The whole damn Christmas Thing!

StripeyGran

GG, respectfully, I get it that you love the seaason. Perhaps you are a wonderful host and your family all rub along well together. Nice!

But not everybody has this and Christmas can become such a focus for discontent and stress.

Nah humbug, how dare some of us enjoy Xmas when you don’t.

We celebrate the whole Yuletide thing especially the Winter Solstice and coming of the new light. We usually stay in a hotel a week or so before Christmas and enjoy all the late night shopping, hotel Christmas Dinner and Christmas lights in town. We also have a carnival that goes through out streets so that is lovely to watch and a bus that goes along the seafront singing Christmas carol. We have a Christmas market in our local square. Lots to see and do. Really can't be bothered with loads of family as they are so depressing. I want to be entertained at my age not suffer.

LadyBridgerton

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

I’ve got one I was given three years ago ( it was from Lidl), and it’s still going strong, although none of the leaves have changed colour.

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

Once again I’ll be in the Canary Islands, where Christmas Eve is when the big family dinner takes place. At Mass on Christmas Day. the baby Jesus is kissed by all before being placed in the manger . The gifts mainly come on Three Kings Day on 6th January, when there may be a big parade in big towns when the kings arrive on camels.
I feel most of the Christmas advertising etc is much more low key than here, and definitely doesn’t begin so early.

Daddima

LadyBridgerton

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

I’ve got one I was given three years ago ( it was from Lidl), and it’s still going strong, although none of the leaves have changed colour.

I always manage to kill them off sooner or later.

Last year's lasted a bit longer but still gave up after a couple of months.