Anyone not doing christmas?

aliasojo

peachyprice wrote: »

See, that would suit me, Christmas every 2 years sounds perfect. The way it is now there's no enjoyment, no sooner is one over than then the next one is looming, and TBH, I really can't be @rsed.

I think it should be every 4 years....like the Olympics. God knows it's like a marathon getting through it sometimes.

ognum

I enjoy Christmas with my family but as they are grown and have partners of their own it is inevitable that Christmas is sometimes just me and hubby and that is fine.

I am happy to go away, have a peaceful day, be self indulgent. It is just another day!

ciderwithrosie_2

Don't know if anyone else has noticed but this year all the big supermarkets seem to running with similar advertising themes of family traditions and nostalgia. They know people haven't got the money to spend this year but they're going in guns blazing to make us all feel guilty and/or warm and fuzzy in order to part us from our hard earned.

mudgekin

It will be extremely low key for DH , the cat and I. Last year was just after loosing my wonderful mum and we agreed that since it was just the 2 of us that we would ignore it and get through the day as best as we could. I was so close to her and for many years we all lived happily together and she adored everything about Xmas so I couldn't face it without her last year.

This year we have agreed to just have 1 present and tbh, if it wasn't that I felt it was unfair to DH then I wouldn't bother at all but he like Xmas,. I have decided that as mum loved Xmas she would hate to see me ignore it forever and would have hated that I did nothing last year.. I won't do traditional Xmas food as we always hated that and used to go out to a swish Chinese place every Xmas day, I can't face going back there now so we will have nibbles and nice things without me spending all day in the kitchen.

I hate the idea of spending money on things I neither want nor need

tesuhoha

ciderwithrosie wrote: »

Don't know if anyone else has noticed but this year all the big supermarkets seem to running with similar advertising themes of family traditions and nostalgia. They know people haven't got the money to spend this year but they're going in guns blazing to make us all feel guilty and/or warm and fuzzy in order to part us from our hard earned.

The Tesco ad about Christmas pudding seems a bit desperate. It depicts a family who eat their pudding sitting in armchairs/the sofa. It seems to be saying 'even if you're hard up at least you can buy a Christmas Pud.':)

My husband loves Christmas. Its exactly 4 weeks today and when I told him this he jumped up and started working on the house (we have no dining room or decent bathroom and only half a kitchen).

margaretclare

We don't do it at this house, DH and I. At least, we now have everything for a Christmas meal and - hopefully - we'll go somewhere that has a choral service on Christmas morning. My 'issues' with Christmas are too long to tell. Every year we get it rammed down our throats earlier and earlier. This year Tesco were wishing 'A Merry Christmas' before Remembrance Day.

We have a Tesco Christmas pudding and a Waitrose free-range chicken all oven-ready in a roasting-bag. We won a bottle of wine recently at a church do. All we need in addition is some fresh veg - oh, and smoked salmon so that we can have scrambled eggs and smoked salmon on Christmas morning. Hopefully we'll rent some DVDs so that we can avoid Christmas TV.

We've tried Christmas away different years, but it has never been an unqualified success, so this year it will be just us, nice and quiet and do our own thing.

The family nostalgia thing is painful for some people, hurtful, and I avoid watching the TV ads as much as possible. We are not even in Advent yet - that starts this coming Sunday.

flutterby_lil

The earlier I start buying, the more I buy!! However, I have been sensible this year due to being on maternity.

Don't feel much like trimming up though as we had a flood in July and still living in same mess now awaiting on insurance payout!! I do feel pretty miserable and bah humbug about it all....

pelirocco

Whats all this ''doing Christmas''? Christmas isnt about buying loads of presents and spending loads of money , Its about spending time with family and friends and reflecting on how much we all have to be grateful for

Wicked_witch

Did the last 'big christmas' last year, as my son was 18 and we also had our foster daughter who had never really had a decent chrismas.

This year, son is 19 and she is almost 20 and living with her boyfriend. So we are buying token presents for family (other than my little niece and nephew) and my parents are coming for dinner. We are buying the chicken, sides etc and they are bringing dessert and wine, so more presents there really!

I enjoy buying with a small budget (about £5 per person) really. I always try and get something personal and don't worry about if it's actually new as long as the recipient will love it. My Mum's present has come from a charity shop this year- not saying what it is as she is also a poster here! But I know she'll be happy with it (oh dear, famous last words!). I also sew and crochet and made quite a few gifts last year, although this year I think they'll all be bought.

margaretclare

pelirocco wrote: »

Whats all this ''doing Christmas''? Christmas isnt about buying loads of presents and spending loads of money , Its about spending time with family and friends and reflecting on how much we all have to be grateful for

Unfortunately, the 'spending time with family and friends' bit is not possible or practicable for everybody. Having that ideal shoved at you the whole time can be painful and can even cause more pain on top of what you live with the whole time. DH and I live for each other and we give thanks for every day that dawns. God knows where I'd be now - or where he'd be - if we hadn't met, and that's what we're grateful for more than anything.

I just had a tax refund yesterday which has enabled me to pay off my credit card. Traditionally, where I grew up, it was the ideal to be out of debt by the old year's end so as to start the New Year with a clean slate. I've just done that.