Are we overthinking Christmas?

RosiesMaw, this has been a great thread. Seems a lot of stress comes from expectations (real or imagined) . I find the less I plan to do the more I am able to do!

I love Christmas, I am seeing my Grandson Christmas Eve, I enjoy two days with my partner, Christmas Day and boxing day, see family on the 27th and they will come to us on the 28/29.

I hate new years eve always have done and we will be staying in. I loathe making new years resolutions so do not do it.

DeeJaysMum

I certainly don't over-think it, I'm more 'Bah humbug)
I don't do a tree or decorations, I buy cards and gifts for 3 people, i spend 'the holiday' on my own and don't speak to anyone.
I shut the door on 23 or 24 Dec, and refuse to open it again until at least 27th.
I try my hardest to sleep through a much of those few days as I possibly can, so double-dosing meds and painkillers is my annual ritual on 24th.
There are pizzas, pies, allsorts, in the freezer, there's always a pot of stew on the go throughout the winter, so I just decide what I fancy, about 30mins before I want to eat.
I generally don't even watch tv because I don't want anything to do with the outside world for at least 3 days.
New year is just as bad, so I'll hibernate fit another couple of days ago I don't have to see/ hear anything about that too.
I'll eventually venture out again on about 3 or 4 jan

Oh how very sad to hear this, there are obvs reasons for this behaviour, but it sounds a really joyless time for you.

with you all the way DJM and Lizzie..roll on the Spring

I loathe Christmas and am a grouch from the moment I see the first signs appearing in shops in September to the last slice of dried-out turkey. My particular hate this year has been the loud and distracting sound of carols being broadcast non-stop in my local Sainsburys since 1st December. I refuse to be drawn into the farce of exchanging Christmas cards with friends and neighbours whom I see day in day out. We give presents to our DDs and grandsons only - a simple bank transfer. No wrapping involved. I get tired of the banal Christmas TV offerings, and despair of the endless howls about overspending at Christmas. I'm usually ok by the end of Boxing Day and absolutely smiling by the time the first snowdrops appear.

I certainly don't over-think it, I'm more 'Bah humbug)
I don't do a tree or decorations, I buy cards and gifts for 3 people, i spend 'the holiday' on my own and don't speak to anyone.
I shut the door on 23 or 24 Dec, and refuse to open it again until at least 27th.
I try my hardest to sleep through a much of those few days as I possibly can, so double-dosing meds and painkillers is my annual ritual on 24th.
There are pizzas, pies, allsorts, in the freezer, there's always a pot of stew on the go throughout the winter, so I just decide what I fancy, about 30mins before I want to eat.
I generally don't even watch tv because I don't want anything to do with the outside world for at least 3 days.
New year is just as bad, so I'll hibernate fit another couple of days ago I don't have to see/ hear anything about that too.
I'll eventually venture out again on about 3 or 4 jan

I married a man who was an excellent cook and soon learnt it best to let him get on with it. In due course - after 4 kids - we parted company but it was always clear that I didn’t cook. Now the children are adult - all excellent cooks etc so they share the cooking and just send me a list of commodities needed! Now at midnight I have just finished ordering everything on line. A list has been drawn up of who’s doing what and I believe it should bode well for a seamless Christmas. After divorce I had several Christmases completely on my own and went to the Salvation Army hostel in Cardiff. That soon cured any depression and made me realise how lucky I was. The situations of some men there who had been locked out etc were unbelievably awful.

I've also reached Granny in the corner stage but with one stepdaughter,four step GC and eight step GGC and seven foster children plus all the in-laws, there will be no shortage of G & T makers.
Merry Christmas to you all.

53MiniMoon

My husband watched Jamie Oliver last night (I was out babysitting) and wants me to do a stuffed pumpkin for the Christmas table.
I an disinclined to acquiesce to his request!

Haha, when I read your post my first thought was: I would tell him to stuff a pumpkin himself

@Kathmaggie

I will be on my own as I have been often I'm not sad or lonely and shall enjoy a lovely day celebrating the birth of Christ

I have got to the blessed stage of granny in the corner. No stress and someone else to make me a cup.of tea. Bliss.

I love Christmas. We have the room to accommodate all the family so we have all here on Boxing Day. Our youngest son and his delightful wife and small children will join us for Christmas Day. I’m retired and in reasonable good health for a 72 year old so happy to take on the catering. I have made a Christmas cake and pudding for the last 40 years. My DH has pancreatic cancer- diagnosed 2 years ago and had bravely struggled through 37 chemotherapy treatments. This could be his last Christmas with our lovely family.I will endeavour to make this a very special time. It is hard work but with some preparation it’s not so bad and if something goes wrong does it really matter! We have never overspent at Christmas- a few gifts for GC and token gifts for adults. I think everyone should have at least one little gift to open

The TV ads seem more irritating than ever this year. Especially the Amazon one about the 3 tobogganing grannies!
Am trying to ignore everything till it goes away. Which it will, eventually.

Thank you Getmandsheoherds Mum for keeping us in your prayers. Have a love Christmas

Thank you Dickens for your kind words and I’m so glad you are still here I’m grateful to you. Have. Lovely Christmas and a very good New Year.

I always go with the flow. Anyone can visit me as long as they take me as they find me. They will always get a great, warm welcome. Merry Christmas everyone xxx

I hate the traditional Christmas meal and DH and I are usually happy at home on our own with a luxury lunch of a chateabriand with a good bottle of red wine.
Sadly an unexpected death of a young niece means we are needed to support her family. My SIL usually had her talented chef daughters help in the kitchen. Sadly I have to step into this role as kitchen slave as SIL has broken her wrist. I’m losing sleep at the thought of all this entertaining .

I wish you and your husband a good Christmas and good news in the New Year Twig. You have done very well with your tree (mine’s artificial) and your cake (for the first time ever, mine’s a bought one too). Dickens gives good advice and speaks from an experience none of us would choose. Stay positive. I will remember you and your husband in my prayers.

Twig14

It was a really worrying time but I decided to think positive.

Twelve years ago I was also diagnosed with cancer prior to the Christmas season.

When you recover from the shock - and the bottom really does fall out of your world - and you make the decision to think and be positive, you begin to hold on to hope. And by now, hopefully, you have a plan of action from the medics, which will make your DH feel more in control of his life.

It's a bit of a hackneyed phrase, "stay positive" - but there is power in positive thinking. My cancer was fairly advanced, but I'm still here to tell the tale.

I wish your DH the best outcome, cling on to that positivity - it will never harm you, and a peaceful and gentle Christmas. .

I love Christmas but in November my DH diagnosed with Cancer. Obviously as it came as a surprise the bottom fell out of my world. I decided no big Christmas tree and not going to make so
Much fuss as I had in previous years. Our visit to Tokyo where our son lives and works with his family had to be abandoned. It was a really worrying time but I decided to think positive. My big tree abandoned n an artificial tree put up. Changed the colour of the baubles. Instead of making my own Christmas cake bought an undecorated one from the supermarket. Almond pasted it n ready roll bought icing put on. I’ve got on with it. The New Year will be a challenge but for now it’s our Christmas and will carry on. I wish everyone a good Christmas no matter what the challenges you have and hopefully a good New year.

I love Christmas - which means I want to enjoy it, so over the years I have honed my spread sheet and start wandering into the season in early November, making the pudding one week, the cake the next - and so it continues right up to completely preparing Christmas dinner while listening the Service of Nine Lessons and Carols on Christmas Eve afternoon, so that I do not go near the kitchen on Christmas day until 12.00pm, for lunch at 2. I cook, everyone else deals with the rest. For Christmas presents, people file wish lists in November, so no overload of toys or gifts that nobody wants

Christmas does not have to be a hassle, panic or drive you to exhaustion. It should be what you want. If all else fails, get organised.

We finally decorated the tree today and I posted the last cards. So I'm clearly not in the sprouts on since September category. But I do like Christmas and all the traditions. We are going to our oldest daughter on the day and middle daughter on 28th, so no entertaining this year. In my defence, I had an operation on my hand two and a half weeks ago and am having another kind of minor surgery on 20th, so we have planned to keep it simple this year.

I like everything about it. I want to go overboard with all that I do. When, if, it becomes too much for me, then I’ll stop!!

I Must say - I AM OVER IT. Got many years I was the Christmas Maestro - no detail or opportunity missed and damn the cost and lack of sleep - IT WAS CHRISTMAS. So an 100% about face for me. I could not care less. Whatever. If we see our kids - fine. If we don’t - fine. Whatever. Over the years I have seen and felt the pain that this holiday can mean for so many, watched grandchildren add this years toys to the ever growing PILE of “stuff” that never gets played with, and seen many feel upset ur slighted by who goes where when. I am OVER IT.