I know it is August but...

We have a whole raft of birthdays to get through in the next couple of months, so any C********* planning is seriously delayed until December.

Over the years we have had a variety of Christmas festivities with our families. Times change, people go and smaller ones arrive, all changing the pattern of how things are celebrated. I have learnt to go with the flow and adapt to how things have changed, it makes life easierand less stressful.

I know Rosesarered it is naughty, you go ahead and report me, but leave it a little while because I have a poem I wrote ages ago ( maybe I ought to say " What I wrote", like Ernie Wise did with his plays).
It is a Christmas( anti) poem and I will stick it on later this afternoon when I find it.

i always do christmas - even when i was on my own [before my daughter and grandaughters moved in]. the whole hog - cake, puddings, roast turkey, decorations, tree, sweets [i made my own] and chocolates.
last christmas was the first with my daughter and grandaughters and it was special - although i expect this christmas will be special too.
i love the run up - buying cards and wrapping paper and planning what to get my family asd presents.
sorry for mentioning the christmas word three times already but, loving the season as i do, it can't start soon enough!

Best recent Christmas ever was when we were away on holiday til early Dec. Was unwell on return so just 'blitzed'presents on the Internet. Took me half a day .I've decided concentrated activity is less stressful (though I will note/buy things I think people might like if I see then. Our younger DD works in NHS so Christmas Day is a moveable feast depending on her shifts/public transport. When accommodating 'significant others ' we have also moved celebrations to fit in
What matters to me is having the 'children ' home together and enjoying being a family .The presents,food,rituals are peripheral

A Christmas lover here. When I married my first husband I can remember how depressed I felt seeing everyone around us enjoying themselves. He just didn't bother so I had no enthusiasm. When the children came along, things improved but it was never joyous. Anyway, we split up when the children were seven and eight and I went to town each Christmas. I start my gift shopping early to get the bargains. I make decorations with my grandchildren as well as cook and bake. Santa comes here as well as to their houses so everyone congregates here Christmas Day for lunch. There are 13 or 14 of us each year so great fun. I remarried 20 years ago and my husband loves all of the fun he never had as a child.

Horses for courses I suppose.

Christmas is a pain, with all of the pettiness. Last year we were out of favour with step daughter but still enjoyed minimal Christmas with son. So this year, sod it, have just bought and paid for a short Christmas break, not too far away but enough for us to indulge.

I stopped giving gifts, except for GC, about five years ago. I used to get worn out with shopping and preparation and still worked all Christmas day so started taking the whole family out for lunch on the day. I still found myself shopping for the party food for Teatime and transporting the food and drink to DS's house even last year when I was waiting to go into hospital. Last week I asked GD if she wanted to have lunch at the nice hotel again,her answer "boring". I think am going to hold back and see if anybody else takes the initiative but I don't think it will happen. DD has been married 24 years and has never cooked a meal for us.
If you are the one doing all the arrangements it leads to resentment, my mother never had to do Christmas when she was seventy, we daughters looked after her.

We don't do Xmas. We go away to a cottage and forget the whole thing. We 'did' Xmas when the children were growing up but my husband never enjoyed it, even when he was a child, so now we have stopped. We see the GC after Xmas and give them presents but that's it.one year we had pizza for lunch and last year we had curry.

It is a bit early for Christmas! Having written that, I was arranging - or trying to - New year (hotel - or not) with friends, yesterday. The time races by and it is December before we know it.

I enjoy Christmas and have been fortunate in that recently one daughter appear to 'want' to 'do' it. Perhaps she is being kind....

I do feel sorry for one of my daughters as she still has her in-laws alive and they want their son and daughter in law (i.e. mine) on Christmas Day, too. One year said daughter went to her husband's family for lunch then on to ours for supper and was very nearly sick! A surfeit of turkey and too much home-made pud. She vowed never again, so now the families take turns and share, having them on alternating years.

Christmas can be tricky on many levels, for those without families sick, or recently bereaved.

Alternate Christmases we are invited to my son's. On the year we do not go we host two foreign students from a university. The list asking for an English home for Christmas is sent by an organisation called HOST.

I go down to my son's to watch my grandchildren decorate their tree and the following weekend they come up to me to decorate ours. We decorate the one room with the tree and have a few decorationsi n the hall with a wreath on the front door.

My Christmas preparations generally starts in mid November when I buy a poinsettia.

I think there is a lot of pressure to "do Christmas" in a particular way as shown by all the advertisements and recipes in womens mags. The "religious" dimension to it has taken second place.

I think everyone should do whatever they want. I liked Martin Lewis's idea a couple of years ago to use money spent on Christmas presents for other things - for example, a Christmas charity like Crisis at Christmas.

If the host/hostess doesn't want people staying in their house for a few days, that is perfectly reasonable. Similarly if they don't want the pressure of doing all the cooking, they could ask guests to bring some of the dishes.

Ilrina - you do whatever you want!

Roses you are right!
my anxiety levels are now up.
I've just told myself...
Its still summer
1/3 of year still to go
2 months of BST left
Phew.

Why join in this thread if you don't like Christmas?

We have several times had an early one - with all the trimmings - if DC and families were going elsewhere. Last year DD and family went to Costa Rica, the year before DS and family went skiing for example. It is a mid-winter highlight for us and we love the music, special foods, lights and family gatherings. I feel sorry for those who don't get to share that but not for those who prefer to do their own thing. Good for them - their choice.

Christmas has become an over hyped, corporate drive to hurt people, in their sentimental hearts or in their pockets.

I have had one on my own and it wasn't that bad.

last year I had 15 people inflicted upon me, wasn't that bad but was certainly more expensive than the one I had alone and more work.

If you believe in the magic of Christmas, it is there in the stars and the simple things.......old movies on telly and Carol services etc.

I don't find it at all the same now that I am no longer the big cheese, organising everything for little kids.............

Tis the season to be bossy, and I was so good at that too.

I daresay there will be plenty of us on here come the glorious day...so we shan't be lonely.

Yeah - Christmas belongs in December - or at least from about Nov 25th if you like to get organised early!
I like Christmas, but it's always quiet and enjoyable. The DGC are allowed to be noisy, but we adults just have some nice food and drink and a restful time. Token pressies for adults, and generous gifts for the children seem to work out best - much less expensive and stressful.
The secret is to not worry about Christmas - it's just another day, and probably best spent in quiet enjoyment and reflection - but each to their own!

I agree rosesarered

Hands over ears, don't want to listen, haven't had a summer holiday yet

Have the Christmas you want lay down the rules put the tree up and enjoy it your way!,

This is a very norty thread in Summer, GNHQ may need to be informed.

Sunseeker, that must be tough- going.

One day I may be joining you, though my husband (70 in two months) seems okay at pres. Widowhood - if I do become a widow - is not a state i look forward to at all. Being 14. yrs younger than hub I suppose it's more likely to come about than not.

Best wishes.

I love Christmas but the word doesn't usually pass my lips until after my birthday in November. I make a cake and puddings with the family, make my cards and we usually buy small presents for family. My favourite times are when we have family over but one year, when we knew our children wouldn't be with us on the day we went to Antarctica and had 'Christmas' a month early, I still enjoyed it and f let it took the pressure of the children. This year our daughter may be in Canada as she hopes to live there for a year and our son and family at our dil'S Dad's so we will either invite some people who would otherwise be alone for dinner. My only moan is it starts too early but I enjoy making things for the day and getting out the decorations, we try to buy something from places we go on holiday so it is a nice trip down memory lane, I even have some decorations from my childhood! Don't let the moaning minis put you off celebrating, let them have a quiet time if they prefer, each to his own. I do sympathise with people on their own and understand it is a sad time for many people but invite a friend or neighbour round, at least for a coffee and mince pie or volunteer to help with a meal for those in need, and if you want to have a day in bed with a good book!

I agree with you Margrete. My family stopped it in its old format a few years ago. Now, we only buy presents for the children. Money saved from presents is put in a pot to buy Christmas food and drink. We do one course each at home and take it to whoever is hosting that year, so not too much work for one person.

I no longer send any Christmas cards either. It takes the stress off. I used to love Christmas, but it's too commercial now.

I am not a fan, but this year have decided to join in with family. We have usually had DD's new family up after, as they have been joining in with a get together of about 15, which we didn't want too add to. This year they are hopefully just them and my stepchildren in a new home, and with new baby, so it would be good to stay near them and join in. The new home and new grandchild should hopefully come to pass in the next week or so. My DD doesn't do things by halves!

I love Christmas- the whole razzamatazz- the presents, the cooking, the decorations, the carol service-

BUT

I do NOT want to think about it before December or mid November at the earliest & I wish the shops had to wait until MUCH later to start reminding us it is coming- we KNOW!!

We don't do Christmas either, although I do still send Christmas cards to people I've exchanged cards with over many years. That's my only concession to it. I really don't - seriously do not - like the way we get it rammed down our throats from September onwards. And the TV ads - don't get me started.

No, we cancelled this a few years ago. Give a charity donation to Guide Dogs instead.