anyone NOT a fan of christmas?

[Toms Mummy]

I hate how early it starts and that its all about spending money on stuff just for the sake of it!

We're not religlious and used to go away just me and oh to hide but now we have children we celebrate it more as a family gathering with food and present giving, we wantt to make it special for them but I hate how people go way over the top with present giving.... Wrapping showergel comes to mind ... I love to buy a couple of special thought out gifts for oh and kids. I hate buying for anyone else and hate recieving from others as I feek like im just buying for the sake of it!

Why does the hype start in october too? Its not even on my radar yet, I have done no shopping for the kids or decorations or food.... Im going to go to an xmas fair on sun to try get me in the mood!

 

[Blah11]

Eep I dunno how people and especially those with kids can hate Christmas?! The whole run up is just so magical, I love it !

 

[special_kala]

To me your missing the point of christmas if you think its all about the gifts.

 

[Marie000]

I usually love Christmas. Not for the commercial aspect, but I love decorating a tree, giving gifts to kids, having special meals, making a gingerbread house, etc.
I'm not a big spender for Christmas. I don't give presents to adults (aside from OH, even then that's a small gift). Kids get small things. I don't like seeing people going overboard and showing off, but I can usually shrug it off. I would be just happy to see my daughter unwrap a few new toys. It doesn't matter to me if the toys are simple or bought used.

But this year I hate it. I want to skip it altogether.
It's easy to say that Christmas isn't about money and gifts when you have some. This year I have no money for a tree or for gifts. So all this Christmas stuff around just reminds me of this.

So yeah... not everybody likes Christmas all the time. It's a very stressful time and I understand how some families build up expectations regarding gifts that just make the whole thing unpleasant. (luckily that's not really the case with us). We build up expectations for ourselves too.

 

[Toms Mummy]

To me your missing the point of christmas if you think its all about the gifts.

Thats not what I meant .... I am happy to not do the gifts bit, and before we had children we didn't, to us it was about buggering off somewhere to spend quality time together.

I just feel like that now we have children it seems to become more about the gifts and spoiling them! Esp when other family members are involved. For the past few yrs we have bought each other nice thoughtful gifts and spent time as our little family, eating nice food and going for a long walk.... This is how I want my children to see christmas as. But then other people get involved and it turns in to stress about whether such and such has bought for you so maybe you should get something just incase, which means you spend money on crap that no one wants.... I would love it to be just about spending tume with friends and family without all the gift giving business!

 

[Saphira]

I'm not a huge fan, it's okay, just okay. I know what you're saying though, there is a lot of pressure involved with gift-giving because you feel like you have to get everyone something and have absolutely no idea what to give (not to mention when the budget is tight it's no fun to feel like you're disappointing, even if it's family and they're understanding). Even the personalized photo gifts for grandparents aren't becoming options as every space in their apartment is already filled with photo gifts. This year.. what to get them? Chocolates and sweets, sure! The girls have soo much as it is and DH is semi-freaked out about more toys coming in. It's a stressful time of year, yeah! Nice in some ways too but a bit over the top with presents! Sure, there's more to it than presents, the decorating and such. It's nice, I like Christmastrees and lights. Once it's over with I feel somewhat relieved though.

 

[Yo_Yo]

I love it! It's like the brightness in winter.
The kids love it. It's not about the material side of it for us.

 

[amytrisha]

I'm a big fan of Christmas, but I know what you mean!

I find myself 'forced' to buy a gift for someone we dislike just because they have bought for us, and most of the time it really is like wrapping shower gel or you end up giving them a box of chocs and you recieve a box of chocs back.. Whats the point?

I'm all about buying for OH, and ofc we'll buy for baby when he's here. I'll get MIL some jamas, she'll probably get us the same & I'll get my bestfriend a meaningful gift but apart from that I don't like buying for anyone. What I do like is to get snug on xmas day, stuff our faces & have proper family time with aload of films. Really appreciating your family and ofc I lovee the winter scene!

Its silly how alot of the time it's ruined by the "need" to spend so much money..

 

[KayBea]

i dont usually get excited until about the 20th but this year LO is almost 3 & all ive had the last week is...

can we get christmas out?
mummy when is christmas coming to our house?
mummy PLEASE can we get christmas out?

so im all excited now! but its too early for me still! x

 

[lozzy21]

I might like it more if I did not work or got time off work but when you work have to work over Christmas and new year (including Christmas Day) it's pretty much like every other day.

 

[lindseymw]

I'm exactly the same Toms Mummy. I hate it! I hate having to write out bloody Xmas cards just because it's what everyone does!

We have all decided between ourselves (all of the family) not to buy presents. We don't see the point anymore. We will buy for the kids but not the adults.

Xmas Day, we will have the big dinner and do all of the usual traditions, which is the part I love but the whole run up (from August!) I just hate.

 

[mummylove]

I love it now i have kids

 

[Lauraxamy]

I love it for my children. Seeing their little faces light up when they see Christmas decorations and lights, taking them places to see Christmas stuff, watching movies with them, visiting family and of course seeing my LO's faces Christmas morning - you just can't beat that!

 

[Button#]

I love it! I just hole up with OH and LO though and we've cut down on presents a lot. I love decorating the flat and all the food and Christmas films.

 

[Eternal]

I do like it, but It's possible to go way overboard and it's silly.

But I think Christmas is what you make it! last year I didn't send a single card lol, this year I do not expect to send time worrying and stressing about card! I don't want to receive them, they clutter up the house! but I will try and make and effort and send some but if I don't I really don't care.

It's about family, and although I do think about our extended family, we come first, my parents invite themselves to stay and apparently staying Christmas night too, lol, and my in laws invite themselves for New Years.

I do get annoyed by the amount of people I am meant to buy for, I buy for over 40 people!! But it's nice that we have that many people in our lives I suppose.

I have loads of birthdays this time of year too which makes it extra stressful.

However I think Christmas is magical, I wish I wasn't still feeling morning sickness and exhaustion though.

 

[Toms Mummy]

Lindsay, we have had the no presents arrangment with my side of the family for a few yr s now and it works great!.... We cant say the same for ohs side! We say not to buy us anything but they do anway, which is nice but then made me feel really guilty the 1st yr as id stuck to the agreement!... So now ihave to buy them something, but goodness knows what as we live 4hrs away and I don't know what they're in to!

Laura, you're right! You can't beat their little faces on xmas morn, or when they see the lights leading up to xmas day. I will enjoy it for this .... Xmas is more special with children but I still want to hold the start of it off until atleast the 10th dec!

Button, we arelike this too... To us it's about our little family .... I think im just worried and stressed this yr as mil goes mad with presents (inc wrapping shower gel and j cloths... Yes really!) that I feel like it outshines our lovely day and traditions we are trying to set ourselves. we've had to ask her to limit the gifts to 2 this yr, hopefully she'll stick to it!.... I may sound spoilt complaining about the amount of presents lo recieves from his grandma but if I dont nip it in the bud then my lo will expect it every yr and become spoilt themselves.

 

[Kitteh_Kat]

Not a fan of it either! And it just keeps starting earlier and earlier, ugh. Can we get through Thanksgiving first before starting the music and mad dash for sales? I'm just so thankful hubby is an atheist so we don't have to do anything other than going to family for food and some present swapping. (I refuse to buy gifts - I give things I've made like tablet covers and custom wallets) We agreed to do some things for the children until they realize Santa isn't real so they can still enjoy it, but otherwise we're going to make celebrating their birthdays the big thing every year.

 

[Boomerslady]

I'm not a fan of it really. I think for me it's because it just makes me realise how alone I am. Hearing everyone's wonderful plans and ill know that whilst ill love seeing Ben get excited etc ill still be spending the day alone once he's goes to FOBs house. Plus money wise it's a tough time for me which brings additional stress.

 

[freckleonear]

I hate all the consumerism and spending and waste. I haven't done cards for years and we're cutting right back on presents this year too. Our own children will be getting one pressie each from us (they still get lots from friends and family) and we are only buying for a very few people, mainly other children in the family. It seems so silly to spend money on exchanging presents that are basically unwanted clutter just for the sake of it. Next year I'd like to cut out presents completely.

I do enjoy the decorations (although not until well into December, trying to stretch Christmas out any further is ridiculous!), good food and spending time with family. We're also focusing more on the giving aspect, so try to include lots of random acts of kindness and charity.

 

[MeAndMyShadow]

I love it, always have!