Who is not celebrating Christmas this year?
Discussion
It's the 8th of December and I've realised I might not bother putting up a Christmas tree this year. This is notable as putting up the tree would normally mark the start of the festivities.
My reasons for this are:
I changed jobs at the end of November and normally Christmas is a nice time to wind down and reflect on the year. At the moment, I feel like I'm winding up to take on the new challenges presented in my new role and I can't be bothered with the clutter and distraction of Christmas decorations etc.
Additionally, there's not a huge amount to reflect on in 2019. It felt a little bit like a year of treading water to some extent i.e. I haven't made quite as much progress on life goals as I wanted. However, you can't always have what you want, when you want it and I've made changes this year to help steer things in the direction I want to achieve my goals, the new job being just one of them.
I'll still be attending some Christmas parties and visiting relatives over Christmas but other than that, I'll just be getting on with things like any other time of the year, not feeling particularly festive.
Anybody else not really celebrating Christmas this year, and if so, why?
My reasons for this are:
I changed jobs at the end of November and normally Christmas is a nice time to wind down and reflect on the year. At the moment, I feel like I'm winding up to take on the new challenges presented in my new role and I can't be bothered with the clutter and distraction of Christmas decorations etc.
Additionally, there's not a huge amount to reflect on in 2019. It felt a little bit like a year of treading water to some extent i.e. I haven't made quite as much progress on life goals as I wanted. However, you can't always have what you want, when you want it and I've made changes this year to help steer things in the direction I want to achieve my goals, the new job being just one of them.
I'll still be attending some Christmas parties and visiting relatives over Christmas but other than that, I'll just be getting on with things like any other time of the year, not feeling particularly festive.
Anybody else not really celebrating Christmas this year, and if so, why?
It's over-commercialised.
It goes on for 3 months starting in October.
It's been taken over & influenced by 'others'. For instance I asked at my local garden centre whey they weren't playing carols & the very embarrassed obviously scripted safe parrot-like answer was "We prefer to remain neutral on such matters". Now I wonder what that means?
It goes on for 3 months starting in October.
It's been taken over & influenced by 'others'. For instance I asked at my local garden centre whey they weren't playing carols & the very embarrassed obviously scripted safe parrot-like answer was "We prefer to remain neutral on such matters". Now I wonder what that means?
WJNB said:
It's over-commercialised.
It goes on for 3 months starting in October.
It's been taken over & influenced by 'others'. For instance I asked at my local garden centre whey they weren't playing carols & the very embarrassed obviously scripted safe parrot-like answer was "We prefer to remain neutral on such matters". Now I wonder what that means?
who really wants to listen to the same 20 or so xmas songs, some of which are 20+ years old over and over again? mariah careys song gets played like crazy every xmas time. its annoying for me because i listen to the radio, but when xmas music comes on i turn over.It goes on for 3 months starting in October.
It's been taken over & influenced by 'others'. For instance I asked at my local garden centre whey they weren't playing carols & the very embarrassed obviously scripted safe parrot-like answer was "We prefer to remain neutral on such matters". Now I wonder what that means?
S1KRR said:
If you walked into my flat in Christmas Day. You'd not notice ANYTHING that told you it was even the festive time of the year.
No tree, no decs. Not even any cards.
f
k it all 
Same here, no children around and we dont do presents, we have no relatives that are anywhere near and any friends can call in as they do on any other day, not even sure that we are doing a christmas meal, hope not tbh, christmas dinner last year looked like coal.No tree, no decs. Not even any cards.
f
k it all Edited by S1KRR on Sunday 8th December 15:33
Edited by Robbo 27 on Sunday 8th December 16:07
S1KRR said:
If you walked into my flat in Christmas Day. You'd not notice ANYTHING that told you it was even the festive time of the year.
No tree, no decs. Not even any cards.
fk it all
Same. I don't have a TV either so not even a chance of noticing it on that.No tree, no decs. Not even any cards.
f
k it all Edited by S1KRR on Sunday 8th December 15:33
I've done my Xmas shopping too. Under £15 is a win.
I'm having Christmas lunch with my sister and brother-in-law at a country pub that we frequent, which does excellent food, and we're really looking forward to it. For the first time, we're free of family commitments, my son is away in France, my daughter will be at her mother's, my sister's and brother-in-law's respective offspring are all doing their own thing, so why not?
I don't "do" decorations, cards etc, I think that everybody gets caught up in the whole Christmas schtick because they want to believe the marketing, and it's over-commercialised, tacky, and unnecessarily expensive. I went shopping with my son and daughter last week, we had a good day, bought things for each other that we really wanted, and had a good time. I'm not working over Christmas/New Year, so I'll enjoy some time off.
Merry Christmas.
I don't "do" decorations, cards etc, I think that everybody gets caught up in the whole Christmas schtick because they want to believe the marketing, and it's over-commercialised, tacky, and unnecessarily expensive. I went shopping with my son and daughter last week, we had a good day, bought things for each other that we really wanted, and had a good time. I'm not working over Christmas/New Year, so I'll enjoy some time off.
Merry Christmas.
Well were away this year, tree isn't up and not done much in way of decorations.
heading to the winter sun and will be swimming in a pool on Christmas morning. Something I have never done before.
Christmas isn't Christmas anyways, its an over blown commercialised waste. the yanks have the right idea, they have walked away from Christmas and now celebrate thanksgiving in the way that Christmas should be. A family meal and a wee bit of quality time, where as Christmas is all about spurge and spending money.
We will get the oh its been a terrible Christmas this year the tills have been quiet, the sales are starting early... yadda yadda its the same every single bloody year now. folks don't want to hear that, folks don't want to be bothered with that. what was it like 50 years ago, what did people do then. The seventies, the sixties ? there was not the constant push to spend to push the boat out, people were content with a nice family meal and some small presents. these days its just a mess...…
heading to the winter sun and will be swimming in a pool on Christmas morning. Something I have never done before.
Christmas isn't Christmas anyways, its an over blown commercialised waste. the yanks have the right idea, they have walked away from Christmas and now celebrate thanksgiving in the way that Christmas should be. A family meal and a wee bit of quality time, where as Christmas is all about spurge and spending money.
We will get the oh its been a terrible Christmas this year the tills have been quiet, the sales are starting early... yadda yadda its the same every single bloody year now. folks don't want to hear that, folks don't want to be bothered with that. what was it like 50 years ago, what did people do then. The seventies, the sixties ? there was not the constant push to spend to push the boat out, people were content with a nice family meal and some small presents. these days its just a mess...…
We're not bothering to put the tree up this year. Seems a bit pointless to spend an afternoon decorating a tree, and then yet more time taking it down again when it's all over, as we're not Christians and don't have any kids coming around.
We'll have a few ancillary decorations, and Christmas dinner, and exchange pressies, but otherwise keep things low key. We have friends who only bother with a tree every other year. I think we may follow suit.
We'll have a few ancillary decorations, and Christmas dinner, and exchange pressies, but otherwise keep things low key. We have friends who only bother with a tree every other year. I think we may follow suit.
I don't have a choice, but I'd like to try it one year.
My wife is one of four girls, and every one in those families comes to our house on Christmas day.
It started off with around 12 including young kids. Those, and later born, kids now have kids themselves.
So, for the last 30 years, we've had an increasing number of people come to us for Christmas.
Last year, including children, there were 21!
Furthermore, all presents are exchanged after the meal. I have to have a post-Christmas bonfire for all the cardboard and wrapping paper that cannot possibly fit into the bin.
My wife is one of four girls, and every one in those families comes to our house on Christmas day.
It started off with around 12 including young kids. Those, and later born, kids now have kids themselves.
So, for the last 30 years, we've had an increasing number of people come to us for Christmas.
Last year, including children, there were 21!
Furthermore, all presents are exchanged after the meal. I have to have a post-Christmas bonfire for all the cardboard and wrapping paper that cannot possibly fit into the bin.
We haven't for years now.
Lived in the Middle East for many a year, couldn't remember the last family xmas it was so long ago. Moved back to the UK, wife is Indian (non-religious) so not fussed, no kids, did one family xmas where everyone passed each other gift vouchers so said we wouldn't bother the next year. Minor strop from the family but they got over it.
Pop to the local for a pint on xmas day, mainly to say hi to everyone, but that's it.
It'll just be another Wednesday really.
Lived in the Middle East for many a year, couldn't remember the last family xmas it was so long ago. Moved back to the UK, wife is Indian (non-religious) so not fussed, no kids, did one family xmas where everyone passed each other gift vouchers so said we wouldn't bother the next year. Minor strop from the family but they got over it.
Pop to the local for a pint on xmas day, mainly to say hi to everyone, but that's it.
It'll just be another Wednesday really.
I've been house sitting over the Christmas period for the last few years, and will be this year too. No point in me putting up decorations, I get to see others instead I buy a Poinsetta, which is Christmassy enough for me.
I usually have a couple of fresh flower displays on the mantelpiece as a matter of course (I do flower arranging as a hobby).
I buy a Poinsetta, which is Christmassy enough for me.I usually have a couple of fresh flower displays on the mantelpiece as a matter of course (I do flower arranging as a hobby).
I think it would be nice to have a large family around to a big country house for Christmas Day with children playing and dogs running around, going for a country walk and everyone having a lovely day.
The reality is that no one can be arsed to travel, no children, no dogs and no country house.
We tried to do it properly once, went to Killiecrankie in Perthshire, booked the 10 room hotel for all the family, it was a foot deep in snow when we got there on Christmas Eve, no problem I thought, we wont be driving anywhere until the 27th. Unfortunately the temperature was -12C and the hotel's boiler had packed up, all the oldies sat round the single gas fire in the lounge, even the dogs wouldnt walk anywhere, a quick pee and then bolted back inside. It cost me almost £1000 a room for 10 rooms for 24th to 27th and felt obliged to give a big tip to the staff, despite us being frozen.
Christmas dreams are just that, dreams
The reality is that no one can be arsed to travel, no children, no dogs and no country house.
We tried to do it properly once, went to Killiecrankie in Perthshire, booked the 10 room hotel for all the family, it was a foot deep in snow when we got there on Christmas Eve, no problem I thought, we wont be driving anywhere until the 27th. Unfortunately the temperature was -12C and the hotel's boiler had packed up, all the oldies sat round the single gas fire in the lounge, even the dogs wouldnt walk anywhere, a quick pee and then bolted back inside. It cost me almost £1000 a room for 10 rooms for 24th to 27th and felt obliged to give a big tip to the staff, despite us being frozen.
Christmas dreams are just that, dreams
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