Anyone else dreading Christmas?

noah45

Ok I know I'll be called scrooge, the grinch etc, but I am not looking forward to Christmas at all.
Firstly I feel the real meaning of Christmas is long forgotten (Jesus's birthday).
People run around like headless chickens spending money that they don't have on things that people don't need.

Then tv shows all these wonderful idealistic Christmases with huge happy families, massive turkeys and extremely well dressed women cooking them.

Reality of it is, no santa any more so no early morning excitement, all four of us for dinner, as both of our families live in different counties and don't want to travel. My family have this thing that everyone should be in their own homes for Christmas.
We will visit both families during the holidays, just not Christmas day.

I feel lonely at the thought of the day and am really not looking forward to it.
Anyone else? or am I just odd

tony81

If you're planning on having a miserable xmas it's going to be miserable.

Personally, I'm looking forward to the break, few nights out, picking up some new clothes in the sales, eating too much.. Not planning on spending a lot on presents as i haven't for the last 2 years.
Just plan on doing what you like doing and anything you don't enjoy, give it a miss.
You could even plan a short hotel break if it floats your boat.

If you like the idea of celebrating Jesus's birthday you should find out church times for midnight masses with hymns.

Neyite

There is nothing stopping you from suggesting something entirely different this year - donate to St. Vincent de Paul, volunteer in a homeless shelter, dress up as Santa, Mrs. Santa and elves and bring small toys to the paediatric ward of the local hospital, or visit in the local old folks home or visit some old people you know will be alone this year, with a small hamper and a bale of briquettes, or invite them to your nice warm home for the day, and let them enjoy a lovely dinner with you. Chances are if they live alone they wont go to that amount of effort themselves, and may not be able to afford much on a pension anyway. Clear icy paths for other old folk.

Christmas for me (I'm not particularly religious) is about spending time with loved ones, and being grateful that none of us are destitute, or struggling too much or in poor health. We don't do lots of gift buying, its a Kris Kringle with a limit of €50, and we each cook a part of the meal so no one person is left with the lot to do.

Christmas can be whatever you want it to be!

pwurple

Oh not everyone does that TV thing. i wouldn't get too worried about the glossy ads.

Stay in bed late, Enjoy the cheesy TV films, the chance to light a fire in the living room, a nice walk if it's not stormy, and relax for the day. Make your own traditions. We have a christmas breakfast.

carolinespring

Plan on doing something as a family, walk, cinema, play board games.

To be totally honest each year I find the run up to Christmas hard. We have wanted a baby (and lost so many) that I feel sad that we are another year without Santa visiting but that's life and you have to make the best of it.

Since the awful weather a few years ago and we could not get to stay with my family we broke the norm and now spend Christmas day as a couple and make it a really special day just for us. We wake us and give stockings to each other, make a wonderful breakfast and have champagne with it. Get out and go for a nice walk ( or when it snowed had snow fights... great fun!!) cook a lush dinner of what we want to have and have a cuddle on the sofa watching tv, play board games in front of a roaring fire while drinking wine. Just totally chill out and feel blessed for what we do have and not lament what we don't have.

The rest of the holidays are spent with family and friends plus making sure we have time for just us.

I really suggest that you sit down and plan a few things for the 4 of you to do together, you don't have to spend a lot of money but it is nice to dress up and make a special day. Maybe make a big deal of cooking the Christmas dinner together and make the table really nice. Put a limit on gifts or a no gift rule.

Happy Christmas!!

iusedtoknow

Christmas is what you make of it...

I hate it, and i really am not a bah humbug sort of guy, whenever I have been back in Cork, i enjoy going to the pubs, meeting up with old friends and spending the day itself relaxing and eating. Fortunately, we have a huge family so we have always had a no presents rule, so it was about spending time together when we could (a lot of siblings, myself included live abroad

When I moved to Spain, Christmas was even less of a deal than my parents made of it. Christmas was a normal "fiesta", usually ended up in going to a bar with some friends in the evening - nothing else. The evening of the 24th was a big one ( a lot of food, then the walk to the church) but nothing else.

This year, my wife and I will be en-route to New York, simply because it is the cheapest day to fly. We are having a nice lunch at home, then off to the airport for a week spent with my cousin and her husband.

Do something you want to do on the day, not something you feel you ought to

claireeney

Yeah I know how you feel OP, I am so stressed at the thoughts of it. The travelling, the making people happy, the cost of it etc etc
I'm like this every year and when the day comes, I'm grand. Just getting worked up. But I'm happiest when it's all over!!

DeltaWhite

I have to say I find the Xmas ads a disgrace these days, how out of touch with reality these Corporations really are.. I saw one (I dont need to name the Company, I'm sure you have all seen it too) and it was just such a wonderful, unrealistic fairy tale - I felt ill.. Things are not that way for the majority of families out there these days, I dont think ads like that should be broadcasted in November either! Just puts way too much pressure on people!

I will be spending xmas stuffing my face, watching crap films on tv relaxing and MORE EATING It's the one time of year that I truly get to chill out, not think about work and spend well needed time with my OH, parents, brothers and their wives, and my nieces and nephew. It's the little things in life OP

LegacyUser

Cheer up, OP. At least you have people to spend Christmas with. I used to get really down and lonely about Christmas too, and tbh I do dread it a bit. I don't talk to my siblings for complicated reasons, and my parents are very judgmental of me. So it's always very awkward. On top of that, I don't have any friends in my home town. But you have to put it in perspective: consider all the poor and disadvantaged, homeless people, people that have been affected by death, natural disasters... So I count my blessings and try to make the most of it - enjoy the food and alcohol, watch DVDs and go for walks Someone suggested getting involved in volunteer work or something constructive which is also an excellent suggestion.

looksee

While I totally agree with all the suggestions made and being grateful for any small mercies - at least you have four people, many people will be alone - I understand how you feel about Christmas. I am not a great fan myself, mostly because I hate the over-commercialised, idealised garbage that goes with it.

However, many years ago, on my first Christmas away from home, I was going to be alone but a complete stranger came and invited me into their home for the day (there was a connection through a church, and tbh things were more innocent then, it didn't seem all that strange!) and I was endlessly grateful.

This year my youngest (25) has been invited by an older work colleague to join them for the day as she cannot get home.

You might look around and see if there is any one who might appreciate being invited for the day, and make the day seem more worthwhile.

tony81

looksee wrote: »

However, many years ago, on my first Christmas away from home, I was going to be alone but a complete stranger came and invited me into their home for the day

Similarly I was grateful to be invited to a friend's house on Christmas 2 years ago to spend the day with her and her brother who also were unable to make it home for xmas.

It's really a case of you'll never miss the water til the well runs dry. People just seem to take so much for granted.