Working the holidays

barneydee_2

I have like foster dog worked in retail for eight years & since I have worked in retail I have come to dred Christmas , all we get from September on wards is Christmas. I am working Christmas Eve,Boxing Day then all over the new year. This year we are going to the inlaws for Christmas Day because i can not be bothered to spend my only day off tide to a stove, I to by the time it is over feel realy depressed & it takes me ages to get over it
Dee xx

suki1964

Flip, when I worked in retail I loved the run up to Christmas. Even Christmas Eve when not only was the shop heaving, but we were also busy getting the sale items on display for Boxing Day

I loved the buzz of it all

Going home Christmas Eve always left me feeling a bit flat to be honest , but then it was back in Boxing Day to the madness of the sales

I shall get Christmas Day off, but we are near to fully booked for Boxing Day so even though it's not my normal shift day I shall be in. Going to make the most of this year as this year is the first year the bar will be open in the evening on Christmas Day. The start of the slippery slope to be open all day in the future and then the restaurant will no doubt follow

Crowdpleaser

I and DH have worked for theatres for the whole of my working life. Although I am casual staff now so can pick my hours, DH is top dog so always works xmas eve and boxing day. We have no family here so those days are left to me and the little ones alone. Tbh, they are fine, they get their pressies and we do some baking and last year we all chose our favourite meals and had that on boxing day lol!

I used to LOVE working xmas eve, before I had kids mind. The panto is suck a magical time at the theatre and I used to love all the excitement of it! Then, I'd finish shift, usually about 9pm and get in the car for the 5 hour drive to my family. As it was late, the roads were quiet and I would have xmas songs on the whole way... but always left "driving home for christmas" as the one to play just as I was pulling onto the last stretch of road, about 15 minutes from destination! And mum always left me a glass of baileys and a mince pie for when I arrived! LOL.

I guess what Im trying to say is that you do make your own traditions and yound kids often donlt know any different apart from your traditions so sod what everyone else is doing and enjoy what YOU are doing! Happy Christmas xxx

LameWolf

When I was working (civil service) I hated having to have 25th and 26th December off! I'd have sooner gone into work and had the days off at a time more suited to me.

Sadly, I had to take retirement on medical grounds in 2001, having been on sick leave for the previous two years; so nowadays Bank Holidays, including the Christmas holiday, are just the same as any other day - get up, do some housework, tend to whatever dog I have staying (I'm a host for a dog-sitting service) and do my online surveys. The only difference is DH being home, so we take the opportunity to tackle tasks I can no longer manage unaided.

I'm not a Christian, and I don't have children or any other family, so it's all a bit pointless and frankly boring to me.

notanewuser

I LOVED working xmas and NY (hotels) and opted to even after I moved out of front of house roles. My sister works for one of the emergency services so gets maybe one xmas off in 5. She and her OH are working this year, so we're doing xmas day (or our version of it) on the 6th.

We've done this for about 12 years, so it's the only sort of xmas DD (now 4) knows.

Nargleblast

I would love to know who all these people are who finish work the weekend before Christmas and go back the first week in January. A long time ago I worked in banking - just Christmas Day and Boxing Day off. Later I was in manufacturing - again, just a few days off and back to work before end December. Now in public service and working Christmas Day and Boxing Day. We also get those with small kids moaning about shifts, but you just have to grit your teeth and get on with it. This year our big day will be Christmas Eve.

monnagran

When I was teaching we used to do the whole Christmas thing at the end of term - we had carol services, cards, Christmas concerts, decorations, parties, Christmas lunch and presents. On the last day of term, once the children had gone their excited way home, we dismantled the whole lot and packed it all away. I then had to start over and do the entire thing again at home. Once I was listening to the radio and hearing an elderly pensioner telling how she would be alone on THE day and would spend it watching TV, reading and eating the treats that came her way as gifts. I think it was intended to pluck the heartstrings, but I remember thinking, "You lucky thing, I'd give my right arm to spend a Christmas day like that!"
It all depends on your point of view I suppose.

Once I retired Christmas Eve was Christingle and crib Services, Carol singing in the square, Midnight Communion, two Christmas morning services, cooking lunch for old people on their own, leading seamlessly into cooking Christmas dinner for our homeless project in the evening. That's what comes of sharing a house with a dog collar.

This year we have moved and have only ONE crib service and midnight communion and ONE service on Christmas morning. We then come home, have cheese on toast for lunch and watch mindless TV or read and knit for the rest of the day. Bliss.

mrsdwhite

Monogran - I think Vicars are mostly overlooked when people think about those working 'unsociable' hours. We're not overly religious but do get on fairly well with the local vicar as the Abbey is just across the road as is the vicarage and he pops in most days for lunch.
I'm sure Vicars do work long hours, even though I guess its not considered work so much.
We do make all of December special for our dd, the Elf comes to stay until Chritmas eve when he goes home with Santa after he has dropped the presents off. He delivers the tree overnight and gets up to all sorts of mischief at night when dd is in bed.
I will take her to a 45 min event at the garden centre which is like an interactive Santas grotto. Then some ice skating as I have vouchers for it which will be a big saving.
DH is taking her to the town xmas light switch on tomorrow.
We will make mince pies together.
Watch Christmas films.
I work hard to make sure she doesn't feel like she is missing out, really christmas day is just the big finale of the month for her, it's not the biggest part of christmas in her mind.
It's more me that feels like I'm missing out by not seeing her, and getting to spend the day with her. Though as I was discussing it all with DH the other day he pointed out that we will have many more christmas days spent with her than not.

hoglet121

It's really easy to think everyone else is sitting round having a lovely family Christmas and you're the ones missing out, but so often that's not the reality at all.

2 years ago my MIL blocked the kitchen sink at 10pm on a Christmas Eve, we had 4 people staying and no plunger.

Last year we had a power cut all day....

I've had to work Christmas Day regularly in the past and I've also had jobs where I've had to use 2 out of 4 weeks of annual leave as the place shut down, whether I wanted that time off or not.

Neither way is ideal regardless of how greener the grass looks on the other side... At the end of the day I have a job, a roof over my head, enough food, a family who loves me and have always managed to squeeze in a small celebration with those that matter to us the most.

I like to think on that over Christmas, not what I'm missing out on due to whatever circumstances I find myself in that year.

dingdongsaving

Hubby has always worked 365 days a year & this is his 1st ever Christmas eve/Christmas day off.
There are just a few of them at the company & someone has to work. They all take turns & nobody would be able to not do their part. We have 2 little ones, a couple have grown up kids at university etc, 2 have no children...but none of them would dare say their Christmas day is more important than anyone else working their!!
On a normal day 2 or 3 of them work covering almost 24 hours, but for bank holidays they take turns & 1 person works 4am to 6pm & someone else is just "on call" at home in case a client needs them (usually just something that can be sorted via computer).
Sometimes we've popped up there with a picnic & done our "Christmas" on a totally different day, sometimes we Skype during convenient times to say hello, & sometimes we hold out and do pressies/meal at 7pm.
Our son's never known anything different & just rolls with whatever our plans are - "Christmas" is the day we opens presents & have the special meal & he doesn't seem to mind if we have to ask Father Christmas to come a day or two early or a day or two late so that we can have the most fun possible.