Are we overthinking Christmas?

I do.

I dont overthink it because I havnt celebrated it for many years. Saves a lot of expense and angst.

I do not understand the angst, if it is too much for you then don't do it.

Christmas seems to have become very competitive, materially and emotionally, fuelled by relentless advertising depicting the unachievable. I do a minimalist Christmas.

My husband watched Jamie Oliver last night (I was out babysitting) and wants me to do a stuffed pumpkin for the Christmas table.
I an disinclined to acquiesce to his request!

I do too.

Each to his (or usually her) own. Christmas is a break in routine. It means lights just when the year is as its darkest. It's a time for children, and for children it's fun. For many of us the preparations are fun.

MiniMoon

My husband watched Jamie Oliver last night (I was out babysitting) and wants me to do a stuffed pumpkin for the Christmas table.
I an disinclined to acquiesce to his request!

Ha Ha, MiniMoon I watched that and thought, Who on earth is going to serve that on Christmas Day? 😂
Too messy for an overloaded table!

A nice Hallowe’en dish though.

Whitewavemark2

I do.

Me too.

Our family has got bigger.

A couple of us joke that arrangements nowadays are like jelly - they wobble a lot!
But we shrug our shoulders and get on with it. However many can come. When they can come/go. Who likes to eat what. etc.

My ACs are in charge. Isn't that what we bred them for?

I'm definitely not overthinking it. Everyone who is coming - 4 of our 5 children- is contributing to the meal. We are providing the meat, potatoes and gravy! And, if necessary, I 'm buying the rest.

When do people who are busy baking eat the stuff they make? We are too full after lunch.

Theexwife

I do not understand the angst, if it is too much for you then don't do it.

This, 100%.

I enjoy the lights, some ancient decorations mixed with new, seeing excited children, whether related to us or not.

Haven’t stressed about food for years, have moved past feeling I should be doing all sorts that doesn’t happen now because everyone’s life has moved on and simply accept whatever shape Christmas appears in each year.

There’s a mix of sad and happy feelings which if I think about it has always been the case at Christmas time. No point in comparisons. One persons perfect Christmas is another’s idea of the worst one ever. Definitely an emotive time of year for many though.

I'm going to admit, we are minimalist this year partly by choice and partly as the family is otherwise engaged at the other end of the country.
For about the second time in my married life, I have not made a cake which I don't like and lasts DH until Easter at least.
When putting up some decorations I used empty boxes and put lots in to go next year to a charity.
We watch all the programmes and ask ourselves if should it be Mary,Delia or Jamie's recipe?It's as if they are family friends.
One year you could not get cranberries because of a Delia Smith recipe, I worried until DH pointed out he did not like them anyway.
We have detuned, some friends have booked meals for two at a good hotel and next year after changing lists in the middle of the night , it is probably what we will do next year.
You couldn't be more right Maw, thank you for making it easy for all of us who are in a dilemma. Then maybe people who are on their own will not feel they are missing something.
I'm following my mother's mantra"It's only another day".

stingy?2313/12/23 10:40
Do you really like the song?20213/12/23 00:11
The Gransnet virtual Christmas party 20234712/12/23 22:52
Anyone else lonely this Christmas4612/12/23 18:20
I’ve just decorated a plain fresh wreath and hung it on the front door, and…3912/12/23 07:34
Nutcrackers,snowmen, santas etc711/12/23 16:14
Alone at Christmas?2211/12/23 11:09
Christmas Carols7610/12/23 20:19
Parcels809/12/23 21:28
Cards and 75p 2nd class stamps6809/12/23 11:43
Best Christmas Advert 20232607/12/23 13:4
Fix your christmas lights!204/12/23 16:06
Christmas day lunch7303/12/23 12:24
Blood and Sweat1102/12/23 16:22
Adult children7402/12/23 15:48
Christmas songs1702/12/23 14:35
When do you make your first mince pies?

Just some of the thread titles.
I rest my case

RosiesMaw

stingy?2313/12/23 10:40
Do you really like the song?20213/12/23 00:11
The Gransnet virtual Christmas party 20234712/12/23 22:52
Anyone else lonely this Christmas4612/12/23 18:20
I’ve just decorated a plain fresh wreath and hung it on the front door, and…3912/12/23 07:34
Nutcrackers,snowmen, santas etc711/12/23 16:14
Alone at Christmas?2211/12/23 11:09
Christmas Carols7610/12/23 20:19
Parcels809/12/23 21:28
Cards and 75p 2nd class stamps6809/12/23 11:43
Best Christmas Advert 20232607/12/23 13:4
Fix your christmas lights!204/12/23 16:06
Christmas day lunch7303/12/23 12:24
Blood and Sweat1102/12/23 16:22
Adult children7402/12/23 15:48
Christmas songs1702/12/23 14:35
When do you make your first mince pies?

Just some of the thread titles.
I rest my case

Surely these threads are just an online version of normal chit chat leading up to Christmas?

Some are sad but unfortunately that’s life and nothing to do with overthinking Christmas.

I like all the Christmas threads but definitely not before December.

I love Christmas!
Failing health means I have resigned myself to not being able to do the all singing, all dancing of Christmases past.
Therefore, I'm just adapting and cutting down what I do. My family will help.
I had some miserable Christmas as a child, so have always tried to make it different for my own family.

I'm still with you Maw. I have answered a lot of the posts and joined in but I think the pressure of Christmas is too much for some including myself.
Quite a few of my Christmases were not particularly jolly,
father in a life-changing accident, a friend's suicide, a death on Christmas day.
Maybe age and failing health make some of us reflect too much. We're all different and approach things in different ways.

It’s a roast dinner, on a weekday. Many of the threads could be about other ‘occasions’ , the ebb and flow of life continues whatever the date.
Is this a thread about thread(s) 🙂🙂?

As time passes , the constant hype and consumerism around Christmas really gets to me .

It didn't used to .

In the town where I live , I watch shoppers staggering with shopping past people , who are sleeping rough on the cold icy pavements .

On Christmas Eve , I'm decorating the church with flowers and my health allowing serving meals over the holiday .

I'll be going to church on Christmas Day and praying that our World becomes a better place for everyone .

Let’s not overthink it - it’s a day not one of life’s challenges or a performance where we will be judged like Masterchef.
Can we just go with the flow, relax and enjoy it?

We don't overthink it, over plan, or over spend.

We just get on as with any other family meals. Our daughters know what they and theirs will/can eat, will want as pressies, and when they aren't occupied with their own families. Easy!

We attempt following a rule: 1 clothing item, 1 book, 1 thing they want, 1 thing they need and 1 worthy donation - minimizes overspending.

We put the trees up when we do, no matter when other GN do or don't put up trees, or fake trees. We were gifted a fake this year by eldest GD because of a crisis in her child's and GC life, so she's in charge of that.

I'm assuming most people just relax right through December! GN has lots of posters, they don't all start threads about stress--

In no particular order:

I like Christmas cards.
Christmas Pudding- served with cream and/or custard/white sauce and a dusting of icing sugar… on fire 🔥 or not

Any meat, roast potatoes, a few sprouts, more parsnips, cranberry sauce plenty of gravy.anything else is a bonus

Warninks Advocat with glacé 🍒 alsoBaileys with ice, cold coca colas and tonic water drinks with lemon and orange slices

A nicely laid table with candles, Christmassy napkins etc soft music and/or light weight chit chat.

Homemade mince pies in a pretty tin and a homemade cake iced and marzipanned to beat the band, decorated with ancient decorations and a frilly ribbon round it on the sideboard taking centre stage.
a huge bowl of manderines, tangerines clementines 🍊 dates and Turkish delights, mint chocs .
Far too many cheeses, a Birds pork pie (local) pickles
Yorkshire Gold or M&S tea
The smell of a real Christmas tree 🎄 and/or some top class smelly candles, classic carols being sung,
A warm cosy house
A good film I’ve not seen before
Some comedy/ musical
Maybe a ghost story. Or a new book 📖
Twinkly lights morning til night
Happy kids, making a mess
I think I’m easily pleased 😀
I don’t mind or care if the others gathered don’t like some foods and prefer something different as long as I get my bit of Christmas 🎅
I also like to get up early and go to bed late

Christmas means many things to many people - for some it means nothing at all just because they don't celebrate it. For us in the UK as with many other countries it is part of our history and traditions. I have enjoyed many Christmasses but also on occasion had some blooming awful ones - but life is like that anyway. Good days and Bad ones!!
I am much like the OP - just go with the flow and enjoy it to the best of our ability.
DH has been loading a memory stick with carols for the car for as I like listening to Heart Xmas I do love Xmas carols too and we have had a lovely few hours listening to Sinaid O'Connors' Xmas music along with many others.
It's the little things that make up Christmas - our eldest GD came with her BF to decorate the tree with two of her youngest cousins and we broke out the cheese and crackers because we were all peckish. We'll need to buy more but sharing these things are the memories I love - along with the pack of chocolate bars that missed being sent in the Chocolates Hamper to DSS in America!! Three GCs plus BF gently bickering with each other over the best choc bars brought laughter to all of us.
Yes, I'll be stressing (no doubt) over packed shops when all I want is a Gammon Ham but hey! chill! - and go with the flow!! There is nothing in life that will be perfect for everyone and there will those who worry about money, sad times and happy times.
But we can all find joy in little things - I can remember one Christmas sat in a car park with my kids when exDH and I had split up - opening up presents only for DS to open up a tub of mini Hula hoops but in so doing the car was covered in hula hoops - I was still hoovering them up weeks later but we just laughed. I cried buckets when I dropped them at their Dads' but was so happy for those few hours and then had to drive miles to join other family when I could have dissolved into a complete mush for dinner.
Sometimes we try too hard when all we need to do is accept the little bits of sunshine when they happen and not stress unduly.

I love it but don't indulge in anything that would cause me any angst or pressure. Just go with the flow whether with family, friends or alone. Lovely feeling all round. Oh yessss......

I agree. So much unnecessary trouble and strife. We've always done a minimalist Christmas - we've stripped it down to what we enjoy and stay away from the rest. Over the years we've had bad times, sad times and good times and mostly it is out of our control so now we do as much or as little as we like and let the rest of the world get on with it.

💐💐 to those feeling lonely and sad this season