Was everything “fabulous” for you?

I spent Christmas Day at my daughter’s home. About 7 pm, my 18 year old grandson, who had received lots of good quality gifts, mainly clothes, suddenly said
“ The presents were great, and the food, but the best thing about Christmas is not the presents, it’s being with family.”

My sister once hosted Christmas. Her husband drove to pick up his parents (150 miles each way and the return journey to come) His sister came from 200 miles in the opposite direction with her husband and three children. I was there with my three. So 14 (I think)

My sister ( who was in the hospitality business) hosted a - yes- fabulous day. She knew how to do it and didn’t stint n any detail. The parents in law had their whole family together around them.
She pulled out all the stops to make it a special family day.

On Boxing Day we overheard the MIL making a phone call to a friend. ‘“Oh, it was alright”, she said.
🙁🙄

For us this year is the year we nearly didn't have Christmas. Our belongings were delivered to our new house on 12 December. On the 21st there were still 31 boxes in the living room and four remained on the morning of Christmas Eve. No decorating had been done, although we did manage to order and collect a turkey.

On the afternoon of the 24th December we began to unpack the tree, re-assemble it and get the traditional decorations on it. Later in the evening we managed to fix garlands to all, the fireplaces.

On Christmas morning santa and hs stockings did not arrrive until 10 30 and at 11.00am I was wrappng presenst that were instantlyunwrapped. Dinner was not until 7.00pm 7.00pm.

All told we had a fabulous clinging by our fingertips Christmas.

I really don’t think I have ever been so misunderstood as I am being on this thread.
Of course I want my friends to have had a lovely Christmas, I am sure they did.
I just don’t want them to exaggerate just how fabulous it was.
It sometimes seems like trying too hard to convince that it was just that.
I hope everyone on GN had a super time, I’m sure some did and some didn’t, that is life.
I did enjoy my Christmas very much just in case you think I didn’t and envy those who did.

I really don't understand why you grudge your friends what they see as a fabulous Christmas.

No I just want them not to go over the top and say yes thank you it was lovely as I’m sure it was.
Why on earth would I want them to have a miserable Christmas for heavens sake.

Usedtobeblonde Would you be happier if your friends had all had a miserable Christmas?

I usually say it was really nice but pleased it is over for another year.

For goodness sake. It's not a competition. Nobody is saying their Christmas is better than yours. Can't you just be glad that at least some people felt they had a great time?

Does it have to be 'fabulous'? We thought of all the grandparents who had passed, the last one this summer and raised a toast to them. We raised a toast to what we had achieved this year as in healthwise and the younger ones getting better jobs, and we raised a toast to the future that our health may continue and the young ones would continue to be happy. The food was well cooked, there was enough for everyone, and it was enjoyed. The gifts were useful, in moderate supply, and we were all grateful Fabulous 'no'! 'Family', yes!

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were wonderful, (not fabulous. ) I hate cooking and the dinner was a faff to get all the timings right. What made it wonderful was that our two teen DGC, who are autistic, did not have any meltdowns, joined in with all the family and were even eager to play board games, ( unheard of before), and lost graciously!

Usedtobeblonde

Just the sort of response I hope for Calendargirl because for most people it was lovely.
I want to hear that and respond in the same way.
I don’t think I am overthinking at all, I just don’t want to be made to believe their Christmas was better than anyone else’s.

I agree, if people just say they had a lovely time that is enough, I also have had friends who would give a blow by blow account of how amazing their Christmas was. Tbh is quite boring and I would never have done this back in the days when we did have an amazing Christmas.

My sister has "wonderful" friends. All so clever and wonderful, talented successful intelligent wonderful blah blah. I expect they would be fabulous too. As if they reflect her!

My friends are good, funny and loyal friends. I hope they reflect me.

It is just a Sunday dinner though, isn't it? I used to put myself under so much pressure over Christmas and now that I think of it as just a roast dinner (one I do every Sunday) I feel less stressed about it all. We had Turkey but I would have been happy with a couple of chickens in all honesty

I bought a cauliflower but forgot to make cauliflower cheese. My sons jeans didn't fit him and he was quite obnoxious for most of the day.

I did my very best for 8 of us. Cooked a proper Christmas dinner with everything. Absolutely mad of me. Kitchen far too small and so many foods at once. I did enjoy the prosecco!!! Lots of toys for the children. some never played with and only wanted someone else's!!! What can I say??? We all survived!

Not everyone will say Christmas or holidays gave been fabulous. It’s often amusing to read honest posts where things have gone wrong on the day.

BTW, my Christmas with the family was fabulous apart from my son receiving scores of shower gel/deodorant and the like😁

If someone else cooked my Christmas dinner and had me for the day, you bet I’d tell everyone how fabulous that was!😬

If someone had gone to all that effort why would you tell others it was just “alright”?

It’s just the way of things today. DD face timed us to ask how my husband was. I asked her how the Christmas dinner had gone, her first time catering for more than 6 including vegetarians and a gluten free.
She said it was brilliant and everything was cooked perfectly at the right time.
That despite the fact that in our earlier FaceTime, she looked decidedly harassed.
The photo she sent showed , as Aveline said, pretty standard components, but they all looked as if they were enjoying themselves.

Just the sort of response I hope for Calendargirl because for most people it was lovely.
I want to hear that and respond in the same way.
I don’t think I am overthinking at all, I just don’t want to be made to believe their Christmas was better than anyone else’s.

I think you are over thinking it as well. It is difficult and annoying to listen to show offs showing off about anything...finances, GC, GC exam results, Christmas dinners, Christmas Days etc etc.

I am meeting 3 friends today and I think one will be the same. I shall nod and smile. All part of life's rich pattern!!!

It’s like holidays, isn’t it?

‘Fabulous Darling’, but later on, it tends to seep out that the food wasn’t great, the hotel wasn’t quite up to scratch, the weather was a bit iffy, some of the other residents were not quite their sort…..

I usually say, ‘Did you have a good Christmas?’ and hope they say, ‘yes thanks, did you?’ I reply, ‘Yes, it was lovely’.

The End.

I think you're overthinking this. Nobody is going to say they had an average time at Christmas. My SiL's Christmas dinner is my favourite meal of the year. I'm sure all the component parts are pretty standard but taken together and enjoying the company of the family it felt, to me, like a fabulous day. Maybe not to you though.

Am afraid some people do like to show off, is no need to go overboard when describing their ‘amazing’ Christmas, especially when others might have had a ‘not so amazing’ Christmas. I just tend to switch off and just nod. And since my husband became disabled I realise that there are far more important things in life.