Quick Survey

[Bizzy Lizzy]

With the Holy Day that dare not speak its name (yet) fast approaching I am really interested to know what you all think of Christmas (sorry for those that don't want to hear the word).
Your own personal feelings - not the family or anyone else, just you. Do you love it/hate it. Don't care either way. Glad when it is over. Would be happy without it. Really throw yourself into it and spend loads. Hate the whole process. Find it a total headache every year. Be honest.
Okay I'm going to be honest and say that I love the carols and like to see other people's houses decorated with lights etc. I find the rest a bit false. Buying presents for people is a headache when most of them have everything they want anyway these days. I'm just the same and can never think of anything I want when asked. I think it is a poignant time for many (me included) when thinking about those that are no longer around. Sorry - a bit negative - but I did say honest opinions.

[Gemini]

Good topic BL.
I hate winter. For me Christmas is a colourful bright spot in a cold dark season!
I love Christmas cards, my real Christmas tree, nice food, Boxing Day at my daughters house with all the family, New Years Eve at home, with friends coming round, and the pantomime
Yes I know it is commercialised, that some people spend far more than they can afford, and that for many it is lonely and sad.

For me though, it is a bit of fun and colour,and I like it

[Plantaholic]

I think of Christmas as a family time, love cards, I even used to enjoy the pre-Christmas cooking (don't do much of that now). Our family do not go overboard with presents, I do think that has changed, when I was a child, we were happy with gloves, new pen even a box of hankies.

[mamma-mia]

I think the true meaning of Christmas has gone. The run up to Christmas starts far too early, the shops are now filling up with cards, wrapping paper etc. I honestly think that children have very little concept of Christmas, they just see it as getting presents...and more presents and more... To be fair though I do like to buy the GC what they like or give the older ones cash. I don't go overboard with too much food, after all the shops are only closed for the one day, open again Boxing Day for 'the sales' where you can generally buy what you have already bought at half price!!!! ( I usually buy next years xmas cards then)!!. Usually have Christmas at either mine or daughters house; go and see my son and family in the morning. Prefer Boxing Day to Christmas Day, and generally glad when its all over. But do like to see the house with the tree decorated and all lit up-----with all the presents over flowing underneath (this never seems to change, no matter what we say).

[Oma]

Love it in all its forms we buy the grandchildren what they want and stocking fillers but this year will be difficult with Josh now he's older and has everything , Oliver will be into something new no doubt and Sophia being only 2 gives us lots of scope 😊 I love Christmas day at DD and boxing day and new years day . We are none believers all of us so although we tell the children the story's of Jesus and sing carols it's more a excuse to celebrate with family and friends . I love decorating the Christmas tree and house it's just so festive , we promised ourselves we won't go over board with food shopping this year but we will 😀 love love love it

[Shemadee]

I love Christmas though wish they would hold out til the end of October before displaying all the Christmas stuff. Can't think of anything else I dislike. I even like the Christmas pop songs in the shops but probably wouldn't be so keen if I had to listen to it all day!

[ZIZI]

I tend to buy throughout the year for Christmas although I haven't done such a good job this year so I need to up my game. On Christmas Day my husband is often working so I go and see the little people with one small gift and take a picture of them waving and send to him. This year he isn't working sowe will probably be invited to one of the kids for lunch, drive there, taxi back. We always have the family over for a buffet lunch/early dinner when they get their gifts. The adults have a bag or box with several small items in like jewellry, toiletries, scarves etc. For the children I get one main thing as advised by parents and then get a few different smaller things such as albums, little games etc.

I do Christmas Eve boxes for the children with new PJs, a Christmas tree bauble, reindeer food (crushed weetabix with sprinkles and sparkles in), a little bottle of wine and a snack for Santa, DVD and sometimes a little name badge or plaque for their door. This year the Christmas bauble and badge are ones I bought at Cadbury World.

Do I like Christmas? I like the excitement of the children especially when they come here and see the tree (ours is ready decorated in a box which you just pull out and tease the brabches out), they like to look for the chocolate they know I have hidden, but I think these days it is a bit of a spend fest. Last year I was still doing actual shopping instead of shopping on line and four times I went to Tesco and could not find a parking space in their ENORMOUS car park. I ended up going there at 5.30am to do a normal weekly shop and for our actual "family day" I did a Sainsbury order. I remember seeing people with trollies piled high. Like someone else has said, the flipping shops are only closed for one day!!! I shall do my normal shop at the butchers, greengrocers and bakers and then a Sainsbury general shop and then order things for the family day as last year. Until last year I would always make everything from scratch, blinis, salads, rice salads, pastas, baked ham etc. I didn't have time last year and buying it in taught me that it was a bit more expensive in money but much cheaper in time

I also buy my cards after Christmas but I must admit as I am in town a lot more these days (London I mean) I have seen some lovely cards and have bought some this year in addition to the ones I already have.


The one thing is that Christmas Day was my dear Dad's birthday so it is always a little bit sad for me. I light a candle next to a lovely picture of him and give him a kiss.

[WeeGranny]

This will be our first family Christmas for several years as DS is coming home and DD and family are coming too. So it will be an extra special one for us. We spend an equal amount on the family, and our only other presents are something to our elderly neighbours and my niece and her family, though as the eldest is 21 tomorrow, her's may be just something small. My brother and I stopped giving presents many years ago when it was becoming silly. I draw/paint the cards and get them professionally printed, but they're becoming fewer each year too. We always have a tree and some decorations whether we're on our own or not.
I enjoy the season, but it does get earlier each year and I don't like the consumerism that it now entails.
The problem with December is that both DD and DS were born then and our wedding anniversary is then too. All in all an expensive month!

[Nanto2girls]

Christmas to me is just one day. Don't mind the shopping for presents,cards and food.After Christmas day, I like to go back to normal. We do the have decorations, although we have a smaller tree now. I like to leave the decorations as late as possible and want to take them down as soon as possible.

[Daisy]

The one thing is that Christmas Day was my dear Dad's birthday so it is always a little bit sad for me. I light a candle next to a lovely picture of him and give him a kiss.

Zizi - I hope you feel your Dad is with you in spirit - lighting a candle for him must make him feel a little closer. xx

[Daisy]

I find Christmas a bit frustrating. I hate the over-commercialisation, and find it slightly distressing to see people buying just for the sake of it, and knowing that for many of them they will be in debt and struggling in January. I never know what to give loved ones as presents - it's ok if money is no object, but it's hard to find something really special for everyone at a sensible price. I hate the scrum at the supermarket, and never know what to do food-wise, apart from the Dinner. However, I do love having all the family under one roof for a day or two, and love to see the excitement on the GCs' faces.

I always indend to write and send cards in good time, but rarely succeed. I always arrive at Christmas Day totally exhausted.

But I love to see houses lit up with trees and pretty lights and that feeling of pulling up the drawbridge when the last bit of shopping has been done.

I think my favourite time is the lull between Christmas and New Year when we can totally relax, although now with a GD with a birthday on 27th December we may have to fit in one more celebration.

[Enfys]

When the children and then the GC were young it was lovely, but now they are all grown up and we are much older I find the whole thing very wearing.

I love seeing all the decorations, trees lights etc but we have it quite low key at home. We usually spend Christmas Day with DD, SIL,and GS which is very nice, then they come to us on Boxing Day. Now that GD works over Christmas we have a second Christmas Day when whe has time off, usually about a week later.....I really enjoy that. DD and I buy and cook the food between us and we don 't go mad now, so nothing gets wasted and she has got the shopping down to a fine art. We just treat it as a family day now and we always invite our sons parents in law over as they are on their own, and try not to stress too much

The best bit is taking all the decs down and getting back to normal.......am I a grumpy old woman?

[Daisy]

Enfys - no, you're not a grumpy old woman, but I think for many of us Christmas has lost its sparkle. It's no longer a time of plenty in a sea of not-very-much. We have plenty of everything all year. For many people Christmas is a purely secular time. There are sadly many broken families for whom Christmas is stressful, wondering where children will be spending the day, who's turn it is to have elderly relatives, who does the cooking etc. The commercial hype makes us all think we should be having the time of our lives, provided we lose 3 stone, buy that sparkly dress, get our make up on by 7.30 am etc, etc. No wonder Christmas holiday are so popular!!

[Mimi]

I love Christmas but It's changed for us ( as for most of us I assume) .
We used to ave our big house full of family every Christmas, myself, OH, our three children, dad and mother-in law. Mum used to pop over in the afternoon with her husband (awkward but we coped) and it was simply magical. Now it's just me and OH. We do go to DSs and DIL Christmas Day which is lovely but I do miss seeing eldest DS (usually working) and DD, SIL and GS (they live away) .
The only thing I dislike about Christmas is the non stop TV ads which would have us believe that we must have a new sofa for Christmas and our house must be filled to the brim with food that any others time of the year we would never even take a second glance at !

[Enfys]

DH would like to go away for Christmas but I couldn't 't do it, DD would be so upset and I would miss being with them for Christmas dinner. If it was just the two of us the it would be different. Times change, we get older ....that's just the way it is.