Christmas decorating apathy

scottishminnie

Does anyone else feel like this or do I just need to (in the words of my mother) give myself a shake and do what I'm expected to do?

I have no inclination whatsover to get the tree out and decorate it. I'd happily pile the cards I'm receiving up until I can take them to the recycling and if I open another card and get sodding glitter on my fingers I think I might just puke.

My Christnas dinner is organised to the nth degree, pudding made and fermenting, cake made months ago, red cabbage and apple made and in the freezer everything else ordered. Champagne bought and permanently on chill in the garage. Cranberry relish due to be made this week.

The presents are reasonably under control, apart from parcels from M&S, BHS, Debenhams and Shudoo which may not now arrve in time for Christmas and will all be going back some time next year.

I just simply can't motivate myself at all. I'm getting to hate the whole bl**dy thing. We're off on holiday on Boxing Day (like we do every year) and I keep saying it's not worth putting any decorations up only to take them down so quickly.

I'm having the family for Christmas dinner and my mother has certainly made it known that it will spoil things for her if there is no tree etc. OH couldn't care less but says if I don't put it up this year then it doesn't go up ever again.

I probably shouldn't have posted this. I've wasted 10 minutes which I could have spent untangling fairy lights.

I just needed a rant, right now I hate Christmas and I really don't know why.

nearlyrich

Aw feel for you, I used to love the tree thing when the children were small but now it just seems a right faff! I am working till 24 th and have 15 people coming for diiner and another 12 for tea so I really need to get my act together. I am still wainting for some of my presents to arrive and I have a load of cards here to write but I really can't be bothered. I don't know how people manage with a tree up for over a month it would send me crazy!

katholicos

When my children were young I was excited about decorating the house because of their enjoyment of it all, as they got older that all kind of fizzled out and then there would be ructions over it all...the last few years the kids have had petty arguments about the decorating of the tree and last year was the first Christmas without my teen son with us as he had moved out aged 14, in September 09, to go and live with his Dad. So last year kind of sucked around Christmas time. I too feel apathetic towards getting the tree out and decorating the house for Christmas. I do love Christmas though, always have and i hope i always will. It just seems too early to get the Christmas decorations/tree out. Also, because this time of year, for me as a Christian, is the Season of Advent, leading up to the Season of Christmas...I just don't feel i want to get into celebratory mode just yet. Advent is a time of preparation (though i'm being a bit of a crappy Christian of late i must admit)...for the coming of the Saviour...both a rememberance of His first coming and in anticipation of His second coming.

Apart from the 'spiritual' side of things influencing my attitude to Christmas decorating, it would drive me absolutely insane having the decorations/tree up throughout December. Christmas just loses it's feeling of being 'special' , speaking from my own perspective.Each to their own though eh?

iamana1ias

I will have no decorations, no Christmas dinner and I'll not be sending cards or buying presents. I'll be spending time with those I love and nothing else matters.

I can highly recommend it.

kjmtidea

scottishminnie wrote: »

Does anyone else feel like this or do I just need to (in the words of my mother) give myself a shake and do what I'm expected to do?

I have no inclination whatsover to get the tree out and decorate it. I'd happily pile the cards I'm receiving up until I can take them to the recycling and if I open another card and get sodding glitter on my fingers I think I might just puke.

My Christnas dinner is organised to the nth degree, pudding made and fermenting, cake made months ago, red cabbage and apple made and in the freezer everything else ordered. Champagne bought and permanently on chill in the garage. Cranberry relish due to be made this week.

The presents are reasonably under control, apart from parcels from M&S, BHS, Debenhams and Shudoo which may not now arrve in time for Christmas and will all be going back some time next year.

I just simply can't motivate myself at all. I'm getting to hate the whole bl**dy thing. We're off on holiday on Boxing Day (like we do every year) and I keep saying it's not worth putting any decorations up only to take them down so quickly.

I'm having the family for Christmas dinner and my mother has certainly made it known that it will spoil things for her if there is no tree etc. OH couldn't care less but says if I don't put it up this year then it doesn't go up ever again.

I probably shouldn't have posted this. I've wasted 10 minutes which I could have spent untangling fairy lights.

I just needed a rant, right now I hate Christmas and I really don't know why.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

themull1

Ohno, ive sent cards with glitter on......

Alikay

You sound pretty organised to me, so you've obviously been motivated to get the job done even if you're not looking forward to Christmas itself! It sounds like you're feeling pressurised to make it all fantastic and Christmassy for everyone (particularly your mum) without anyone showing appreciation for the work that goes into it.

Next time she gets a dig in about the preparations tell her you'll come to her next year as she's obviously more into Christmas so would probably enjoy the planning etc

podperson

Aww, poor you. Have to admit I'm feeling decidedly un-xmassy as well this year. Haven't sent my cards, haven't put any deccies up and am just getting annoyed since I ordered most of my xmas shopping online to save hassle and now getting emails saying it's all been cancelled/delayed due to the stupid weather! Sounds like you are worrying about everyone else. You are doing a nice thing by having family over and going to the effort to cook an xmas meal for them so if they are just going to complain about the fact that you don't really want a tree then I would agree with the post above and tell them you will come to theirs next year and they can have the hassle of it.

youluckypanda

Would watching a Christmas film help? Might sound silly but I just can't not feel Christmassy after watching something festive. Or how about your husband put the decs up and you put your feet up? :cool:

tbourner

We've been watching Christmas films and trying to get in the mood, don't know why it's just this year we can't be bothered. We have put the tree up but not bothered with the little fibre-optic one and half the tree decs, we haven't done room decorations for years anyway and the fairy lights stayed around the room since 4 years ago as mood lighting.
I've been stubborn and said I'm not driving Christmas day this year, as I'm always driving everywhere and it's really annoying, don't know if anyone's coming to visit us or not but I'm not really bothered either way.

scottishminnie

I've taken a different approach today. The cards which arrived in the post I've placed to one side, will open them when I feel like it.

I may do the decorations in stages - mantlepiece garland one day, tree the next. There is no danger of me letting hubby put the tree up, I'll admit to being a complete control freak, I just know it wouldn't be to my satisfaction!

My parents are farmers so work really hard. I don't grudge making dinner, I like to cook and it's nice for them to get a complete break rather than my mother making Christmas dinner whilst popping out to feed calves and so on. For the first 35 years of my life Christmas dinner was always made by mum so it's time for someone else to take it on.

To be honest it's just the thought of dragging down the tree and unwrapping all the individual decorations which has turned me into Scrooge.

I've had a long chat with a close friend who lost both her parents earlier this year and am feeling very selfish now. She would move heaven and earth to have one more Christmas with them and I'm whining about putting the tree up.

That was probably the kick I needed.:o