Not looking forward to Christmas

It's amazing how many people are starting to hate the consumerism part of it. Yet it still seems very much taboo to not buy presents.
 
413x said:
It's amazing how many people are starting to hate the consumerism part of it. Yet it still seems very much taboo to not buy presents.
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Started not buying presents in 2018. Never looked back. Once you stop doing it it removes a huge part of the stress of Christmas.
 
Lysander said:
Started not buying presents in 2018. Never looked back. Once you stop doing it it removes a huge part of the stress of Christmas.
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I had cracked it before covid. Now my sister insists on buying me a present.
Trying to just buy token alcohol/chocolate.

At least its consumable
 
It's fun when you have younger relatives, I mean who doesn't love an RC car etc.. (even if it's a cheap Chinese one you go so it doesn't matter if the 4-year-old crashes it all over the place).

They're all going to be introduced to Starwars at some future Christmas too, probs still a bit young for it at the mo.

rhobbyh said:
Its nearly the time of year where that bloke who buy's his kids about 5 grands worth of presents and takes a picture for everyone to see in the items I've purchased thread appears, that when your know xmas is around the corner.
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LOL I quite like those posts because it's both harmless and funny to see people getting wound up by it. If the guy wants to spoil his kid then so what.
 
xmas is when everyone disappears to spend time with their families, no friends around, no work, nothing good on tv, shops either shut or insanely busy.
if you're alone, you're super alone at xmas.
 
I think its natural that as you get older friends become few and far between, at least for men.

A lot of people don't get to spend much time by themselves in life, either jumping in to a friends group or getting in to a relationship, then our identity becomes tied to those connections. In reality our identity is by ourselves. I know some people want to be socialising. I like socialising too. But like all the males in my family I like to do my own thing.

I've been lucky/unlucky to have mostly socialised with other men all my life. Most of us are in the same situation. Take some comfort in knowing its not only happening to you. This one guy I knew, I think he was in his 50s, loved the Christmas time because he'd put in for overtime at his works during the festive period. There is a silverlining in everything. It just depends on how you look at it.
 
We caved in tonight watching F1 - Had to go get a reserved box of chocs put aside for xmas - ate the lot in half an hour.
Feel a bit iffy at moment.
 
Christmas or what is now known on my household is winter solstice day delayed. It the biggest feast of the year taken with good friends and loved ones. Toxic people are now allowed and that goes for family as welm it amazing when people offer themselves around and quite bluntly told not welcome. Best bit of the day is when the fire pit is lit and everyone is wrapped up with a spiced wine in the evening. Only presents that are allowed is food.
 
This thread has put me in a bit of a downer. Hate seeing the OCUK community feeling low :/

Dad to twin boys of 5 (turn 6 at xmas) it'll be fun to have santa in the house again. Watching tv, building bikes and going out with teh boys for a cycle on their new bikes.
 
413x said:
Anyone else in similar boat?

After last year I thought I was looking forward to Christmas but as it approaches I am definitely feeling the dread.

Last year in hindsight was nice. No rushing around. Few presents. Generally felt like break in lockdown with my Gf in our new house.

This year my friendship group has fractured. And the state of my family isn't great.
This has lead me with having to see 4 sets of people in a short space of time.
To boot I don't have much holiday due to a job change

I'm not really an extroverted type so this rushing around in itself is stressful.

Im a bit disappointed in myself that I feel I have to see all these groups to maintain contact and not offend anyone.
You shouldn't feel this around friends.

It's even more stark as 2 years ago the group was together and I had more time.

Added its a lot of travelling and I have an old knee injury that's likely to flare up with all the driving.

Just a bit of a vent.
Trying to see this as a test and if I do hate it I'll have to chop events next year.



I've never thought of Christmas this early before. And never in such a scrouge way. Kind of caught me by surprise.
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Create one big bash and invite everyone. If they kiss and make up, your circle of friends will be complete again, but if it explodes and you have to pick sides, it'll sort out the wheat from the chaff and you won't have to be an awkward middle-man who has to select what he can / can't discuss in the presence of certain people.
 
I'm the opposite this year, last year was small and seemed to be over before it began and didn't feel too much like Christmas. This year is going to be bigger bash and the decorations have already gone up. I have a 4 week break and plan to just enjoy the hell out of it.
 
Tree up this weekend hopefully. Jebus day at the folks for a quiet one with my girls. Looking forward to it but the presents are kind of a pain. Just give me Baileys, Guinness, Mince Pies and I'm set. :)
 
Not looking forward to it, mum just passed away, just come down with covid, got a bathroom that's not going to be finished until after bloody crimboand have our lasses parents up staying and loads of family issues that mean it's going to be horrendous.


Have not even thought about buying any presents yet, totally non festive.

Bah humbug this year.
 
We don’t have kids but I still enjoy the Christmas period. I really don’t like it being shoved down your throat from September onwards with idealised versions of what your day should look like, though. I know my wife has really mixed feelings about it as, like me, she enjoys celebrating it, but there are constant reminders of being far away from family. This year will be especially hard as she has ageing relatives she is very close to but isn’t able to go back home and see them while NZ travel restrictions are in place. It’s heartbreaking for me to see her go through it and I know it will be close to her thoughts on and around the day.
 
Zatoichi.uK said:
Tree up this weekend hopefully. Jebus day at the folks for a quiet one with my girls. Looking forward to it but the presents are kind of a pain. Just give me Baileys, Guinness, Mince Pies and I'm set. :)
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We're off to pick our tree up this evening. Don't plan to put it up till Fri/sat though. We're off to Paris end Nov/start Dec so figured we'd have to get it sorted before we go or knowing our luck they'll have ran out of trees.
 
Personally I am not that fussed about xmas but considering I have 3 boys, I have no choice. It's fun though, and hard work at the same time. The only downer on the whole xmas thing (apart from it being shoved in our faces from October) is the mother in law. She hardly sees the kids, this years she has seen them no more than 10 times, yet she lives 15 mins walk away and only works part time. She has plenty of time spare to see them.

We told her last year after xmas we will write a list out of what the kids would like and share that between her and the brother in-law and his girlfriend to chose what to get the kids. We chatted to her not long after summer to discuss the kids and xmas and she told us she had already got them their presents. We were livid. It will be cheap tat, pointless things that the kids wont even look at. It's a waste of money and we didn't even give her a list. She knows our eldest has special needs and is very particular on what he uses, some things get too much for him. Same with us, we told her not to get anything for us (wife and I) it will be useless stuff we don't like or even would need or want.

We have literally got our kids 2 presents each and a couple to use between them both. Our 1 year old has a couple of things too, thats it. Last week she got the brother in law to drop of the presents. Like, why? Where are we going to store them without kids noticing. 3 black bags chokka full of presents, one each for the kids, even a bag for us both. All our 2 eldest ones want to play with is Lego and Play Mobile. We outlawed Lego this year (they have loads and it effects the eldest having too much) but no doubt she would have got a set for our eldest. She even got advent calendars for them all, why? We got them, why does she have to get things that parents will get. Xmas activity packs, we would get them if we think the kids would want to use them, but no... she had to get her ore in first. She winds me up so much. She thinks she is Grandma of the year getting all this **** for them. If she actually made an effort to see the kids she would know what they are into.

Can't wait till next year, it's off our list only. If she brings round bags full of crap, she can take them back. I remember last xmas, the eldest had a knock off ****** transformer, probably from B&M, he couldn't get to change into what ever it changed into, bits broke off, couldn't get them fixed back on. Had to go in the bin 30 mins after opening the present. The kid was so upset, he had a full blown meltdown. Same with a name a star certificate, pointless, waste of money. She just overwhelms our kids with crap they can't handle the whole xmas thing, it's too much for them, mainly the eldest but that has a knock on affect with his younger brother (6, 3 and 1 their ages). We did xmas over the course of a week and half last year as our eldest couldn't handle the transition. A present or two a day he could open along with the other lad so he wouldn't be left out. He was still opening 2 days after xmas day. Same this year we are spreading it out over a few days less than last year as he is now on medication and 'should' be more controllable.

Mother in law is coming round boxing day to see them open their presents. She wants to see their faces when they open the 'big' ones. Nope, they are opening those either before or after shes been. They wont be able to handle the excitement of seeing grandma and it will cause trouble, hyper activity, possible meltdown (not had one for a while so fingers crossed we wont have one). Just a small gift they can have when shes there. If she doesn't like that its tough. Ours kids, we know what they are like and how they will react.

I may come across as a bit of a dick about all this but unless you have a kids with ADHD and ASD around xmas, it's not all fun and games. Having a relative showering them in crap is not going to help them one bit. She just disregards anything we tell her.

As long as we plan and time everything right during the xmas week it will be good. Sorry about the rant. :)
 
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