Anyone love Christmas?

Yes I do.... It's a change from the dreariness of winter.

Admittedly it's lost a bit of something since my 3 girls all left uni and are working but I'd rather have Xmas than not.

I love all the stuff you have mentioned - or my family and friends' version of it. Everyone (mostly) off and enjoying stuff at the same time and that collective downing of tools (apart from you folk who can't who I am eternally grateful for). Way better than birthdays (mine or other people's) because this is about all of us rather than individuals.

I despise the materialistic side though as well as the corny music/films traditions and to a lesser extent (lesser because it's basically disappearing from the public conscious) the religious element. It's this time of the year and the weeks just past that I have to isolated myself from all that nause so that the festive break retains it's magic and joy and is not ruined by the tedious run up.

From time in service any period of time that enabled me to take two weeks off work was worthy of celebration, Christmases deployed will take some beating to be fair, even when not away the soldiers xmas lunch and subsequent food fight were always a great time.

The local crimbo market has been a bit of a let-down this year and the family injury issues are a pain. Still nice to be able to hang with friends and chill for a couple of weeks, and the roads will be quiet to get to the dales for a few nice walks.

I love Christmas, because I love seeing my kids love Christmas.   I also love how the extended family all get together over Christmas and we laugh and eat and share memories together.

I dislike the run up to Christmas, and the way it makes me feel very anxious, with the preparation, Christmas shopping and planning.  I also dislike that at this time of year work ramps up and I feel like I am almost at breaking point by the time Christmas day comes along.  But, seeing my dad slowly fall to pieces with a terminal illness and perhaps only have a few Christmases left in him as well as my mum who isn't well, I will make the most of spending time with them whilst we still can.  Christmas is what you make of it, and for me it's a time for family and friends to spend time together.

break from work, over indulge, meet friends, have some good family time

Catch up with friends and family, eat good food and drink, I’m even off this year. Love it. 

I love all these things, hence do them all year round! 😂 That some people only take the time once a year is something I find quite bizarre!

Well, so do I

But to a greater degree at Christmas

I absolutely cannot stand Christmas starting in November.

The commercial aspect doesn't really affect me any more. Daughter is grown up, so she'll get a nice waterproof walking jacket and some perfume rather than a big pile under the tree (we don't actually put a tree up any more, as it just gets in the way), Mrs STR doesn't really want much and we just buy what we want, when we want throughout the year.

I just really like the elevated general good vibes and cheer for a couple of weeks

It's not so good now my kid has grown up...doubt he will be up at 05.30 , more like 10am if I  lucky..lol

I don't mind it, but it's nice to have a few days off....welll 2 weeks as my customers don't want me in their house during the festive period...but usually I'm bored AF by boxing day....roll on the spring, now that's something worth celebrating

we don’t actually put a tree up any more

Lockdown was our chance to get rid of the whole charade and we failed as a civilisation.

This depresses me. I’d happily be put into a coma from mid November until mid February to miss this awful part of the year.

I like Christmas. I like having a tree in the house, and spending a week basically hibernating and doing jigsaws. I like mince pies and stollen and all the other food. And seeing the family.

Perhaps I'm lucky not to have kids because we can do it on our own terms. Tree is not up yet, we haven't been subjected to endless lists for Santa, there will be no giving or receiving of plastic tat. There will be single malt and Christmas pud.

And I like keeping the tree up for the full 12 days of Xmas. Keeps the place looking cheerful into January.

I used to particularly enjoy taking Christmas cake as a hillwalking snack, munching it on top of a hill somewhere on a cold windy January day. But since long COVID I can't walk up hills any more. So I just munch an entire Christmas cake at home.

Absolutely love it. 4 trees up in the house. Decorations galore. Xmas films on constantly, Xmas music on constantly.

It brightens up winter. We've dropped presents for all but 'the kids' in my family, which has saved a right headache at getting stuff no-one wants, so that was ace - just wish MrsF's family would do it too. I just get for the nieces and nephews and my parents at christmas, no the six siblings/partners.

I like Christmas Day and having two weeks off as most folk are off too, and don't get millions of emails to worry abut on my return - it's the only time I know I can take off without the massive email backlogue ! Weather is usually a bit shoot, so doesn't mean commuting on the bike, but if weather good, I've time for a 'fun ride'.

I don't really like Christmas Day itself all that much as I find it drags after like 1pm (I don't have kids btw) but usually getting out and doing something is off the agenda if we're stuck with relatives.

I'd say I like the festive period overall quite a lot though, and always enjoy Christmas Eve beers in the pub somewhere or beers with whoever's left in the office on the last day of work.

Like most people, I could do with it starting in December and not like end of October but fighting a losing battle there really.

Love it. I come from a small family but my parents and grandparents on one side always made it super special. Now I have nieces and nephews and a son off my own I love it even more.
This weekend was his school Christmas fair, the village had a parade of lit up tractors, and there are lots of houses decorated to the hilt. I'm still very much a child inside, which helps.
I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but if you want a real hit of joy, I can highly recommend working/volunteering in a primary school at Christmas time, the palpable joy from the kids is infectious.

However, I can totally understand why for some people it's an awful time of the year, and I'm very fortunate to have had the Christmases I have had.

I work outdoors so by now I'm ready for a couple of weeks off work. Sons at Uni now so it's nice to have the four of us together for a bit. I'd be happy if the build up was shorter but I do like a mince pie and stollen, so happily eat those for a month or two. I do rail against the commercialism of it all but we're sensible it's the little things that make Christmas, not big piles of unwanted or unnecessary crap. Years ago my mum made advent calendars for the kids, every year she buys a jigsaw and so each day they get a few pieces and a chocolate or biscuit or the like. It's a really nice thing to do through December. We'll spend 24-26th with my parents and sister then travel from Edinburgh to Bath and spend a few days with my brother in law's family and the kids granny. It's a pain travelling there and back for just a couple of days, we don't do it often and my MIL has dementia now, so we try and make it fun for her. Kids all get along so it's good fun for them. I struggle post New Year. Spring still seems a long way away, I'd rather celebrate New Year end of January or February .

Yup. I didn't like the consumery bit so I stopped that and people have got used to it, so now it's just a festive day to spend in good company.

I love parts of Christmas - a couple of days off work, time with family (for better or worse as we all age), and the turning of the year as days slowly start to lengthen.

I guess I love the bits that remind me that the build up to it which I hate is over.

Love it. I worked something like 20 Christmas days out of 30 as a cop, so really appreciate the season now I’m not actually working.

Now retired, I sing in a Male Voice Choir, a Church Choir and a professional ensemble, so every weekend through December is spent on stage or at a service. Add to that several pub carol singing slots with the MVC and a scratch team of musical buddies, plus a load of busking style carol singing slots.

My daughter is a special Ed teacher in Hull so Mrs Scape and I are going to their Nativity and Christmas Fayre this week, and both kids and their partners are coming for Christmas Day, so it’ll be great to have a houseful.

Bring it!

No. For reasons most will be aware of.

Scapegoat - that's a lovely post; regrettably, it's not an experience shared by many.
This year, I will be with my elder son and his little boy in their house - my grandson of 4; it's their first Christmas together after a relationship breakdown early this year.
To complete an all star cast - my daughter and her husband, my daughter's FIL, my ex.
There is massive potential for conflict; I have vowed to be on best behaviour - and will be.
At Christmas I have been...a volunteer with Crisis for 15 years; a volunteer with the Sally Army; by myself.
Based on experience, flying solo is the worst possible option.

CZ - it could be different but only you can determine that.

Yeah, I love it. I love the decorations, I love seeing people at home (in the summer we're all seeing each other on adventures outdoors), playing the host, having time to wander round the city when it's lit up (again, in summer I'm out adventuring) and spending a long chunk of time at my parents' house then a week doing essentially nothing in the house - I never have an excuse to do that.

We also enjoy the films, the traditions and all that. I'm not religious, it's just a midwinter festival for me.

Yes I like Christmas.  Mentally for me its a "reset" in that for over 20 years now I've had jobs with annual targets, so I seek to end those before Christmas Eve and then bugger off home until 2nd Jan.

I love the lights, decorations, smells of cooking Christmas Hams, foods and mince pies and the general togetherness of my immediate family.  Its seems to be the one piece of common celebration and downtime we all at home have in common, surrounded by plentiful food heat and comfort.

And for that latter reason, we need to remember, enpathise and help those that cant be afforded the luxury of such happiness.

As others have said - I really can't stand people who start talking about it in the middle of october, this happened when the kids were in nursery and  junior school after-school clubs, it really hacked me off because it's not considerate of those who don't for religious, personal, financial stress reasons.

But in december it starts to become fun, I quite enjoy getting the tree from the garden centre and the kids make it fun when it does get here

Love it. All the above plus points, but added highlight for us is we always go to the pantomine on christmas eve too!

Love it, here.

8 kids - even the ones that live away - all crammed into the living room, and the mess of Christmas afternoon… as (I can’t remember who) said, ‘there is no mess more wonderful than that on the living room floor after Christmas morning’.

I’m happy to suspend my own general grumpiness, as there’s a magic to the period unlike any other time of the year.

Yes, I love the food, the decorations, the general air of celebration. I know it's a difficult time for some, but never has been for me. Other than the occasional bit of stress over the whole palaver of arranging things, but that basically stopped when my wife and I went abroad 20-odd years ago and started doing our own thing.

Already looking forward to turkey and all the trimmings!

We struggle in this house... my other half thinks Christmas piles extra stress on people when the darkness and weather is getting us all down... I on the other hand think that this time of year would be far worse for many of us without Xmas lifting it a bit, and the enforced break (that I know not everyone gets). The danger this year is that, for even more people... her angle on it could prove to be more accurate than mine.... due to rising costs and difficult trading conditions for so many... from manufacturing, to retail, to hospitality. Personally, I'm aiming to keep the class half full approach to Christmas... but I think we all need to be aware that this will be a bloody tough one for a lot of people... and look out for them.

Love it. All the above plus points, but added highlight for us is we always go to the pantomine on christmas eve too!

OH NO YOU DON'T! 🙂

OH YES I DO!!

OH GOD....lol

I'm not arsed about a lot of it, but it's the only time of the year I get to spend a fortnight without working, no hasssle, no responsibility, just food, drink, telly and bikes. Sweet.

kelvin

I on the other hand think that this time of year would be far worse for many of us without Xmas lifting it a bit,

Don't disagree with the point your wife makes, but yours is a very fair and valid point, would be such a bleak period without it

It should be banned before December. All the crap in the shops in November annoys me. That aside I'm a fan. Far flung family get together for a while. Good food. Good whisky. A focus for the darkest month of the year before the days start getting longer again.

What's not to like?

Am more into it now, having an 8 yr old has an impact on that. Just watching muppets Christmas Carol so my views are always affected by that

having an 8 yr old has an impact on that.

Yeah, having kids reinvigorated Christmas for me.  

I still do what I can to make it as best as possible for the kids but outside of that not really. Not overly fussed after everything that's happened over the past few years and trying to hold it all together for everyone else. Liberty's birthday is on Xmas day too so we have Xmas on the 24th here and my birthday is the 23rd so that is now our Xmas eve. Been told for a while that my birthday isn't important as it's pretty much Xmas, so nothing ever happens for it anyway and I'm used to that now. So yeah........... 

Having work closed for a week is the main plus for me, no email traffic and some genuine time out, just a shame the weather's usually so rubbish, much more sensible to be in the antipodes for a decent Christmas, in the sunshine and warm and out on the bike 🙂