What are you doing for Christmas?

I'm bloody fussy about my socks.

I'll be hiding in my room. Surrounded by books. I'm not in to the traditional torture of being surrounded by the whole family, loud music, bright lights and exchanging gifts.

Just leave me be with my books and I'll be happy.

Novelty tie.

Novelty socks

The best gifts always start with the word novelty. ( novelty landfill item)

Bayliss hand soaps are good though?  I mean, I hate Christmas and-all, but I do like nice smelling clean hands !

I hate the pressure of gifts... but wanting anything makes me a Grinch or selfish, I ruin Christmas I've been told. If I want something I buy it myself. I've already been asked a dozen times what I want this year.

I'm with you, first lockdown Christmas was the best ever. No family get together, no going out for Christmas shopping, no pre Christmas meal at the local restaurant. I wish every Christmas was like that.

I’ve spent the past few Christmases alone, as I my family is in a different country and as I get anxious about travelling and I also find social events around Christmas stressful- though from young age onwards my close family took a very relaxed take on Christmas- my mum, stepfather and I would go abroad to ski. We would treat Christmas almost like any other day on vacation, eat in the simple but amazing family run restaurant of hotel, everyone ordered what they wanted, if were wanted to go fancier that was ok but if not fine as well (they had traditional swiss food but also things like pizzas etc). Plus some presents. That was nice. However the Switzerland Christmas escape is no longer happening- my parents are no longer together, it’s too expensive and due to injuries I cannot ski anymore or hike anymore and I am too anxious about travel anyways now. Christmas alone can be sad though- because I do like to socialise a little, for example phone a friend or play boardgames online. But at Christmas noone is available- and I feel sad that I cannot join in (I also have issues with food and eating socially). My dream for Christmas would be to go off hiking- somewhere like Mallorca where the mountain huts are open over the festive period and where most years the weather is mild enough so that there is no snow and the trails remain accessible. I can’t do that now though due to injuries. So this Christmas will probably be as sad as the last - with me being all alone with no hobbies and nothing that I enjoy doing. Somehow it feels even worse at Christmas as for most people this is a nice time. I love getting people presents though but even that hasn’t been the same the past years 

"Mum can I have a dog for Christmas?"

"No! You can have turkey like everyone else."

This was the best joke I ever got in a cracker.

The best Christmas was the first lockdown. For me anyway. Zero expectation to socialise. Victoria Wood on the telly. No anxiety and it was thr first one in a long time I didn't feel weird.

I have been told it's rude to tell people there's nothing you want when they ask. But there isn't anything I want! I buy it myself! There's nothing worse than a Bayliss & Harding box set. Oh now I'm being ungrateful!

"What are you doing this Christmas?" = Enduring it...pretending, to my best ability, that it isn't dreadful for the sake of the majority around me.

The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few in my world at Christmas time.  This is fair (in my book) because they put up with all my s#*t for the other 364 days of the year with (generally)  good grace, tolerance and understanding.

I do not mind Christmas day too much....but the "shopping" imperative to "give gifts" and the expectation that you will be "pleased" to receive pointless anonymous tat, drives me insane.

It is a commercial madness that I simply cannot understand and that results in pointless consumerism, wasted money and needless wasting of planetary resources.....for the sake of a "tradition" that has no basis in spirituality nor logic nor faith.  Pointless.

When I say, "I want nothing, buy a goat for someone / donate for a toilet in Africa / find me something that costs nothing" people smile, knowingly, but ignore me.....and buy me fooking aftershave balm?!?!  I recently had a clear-cut....7 pots and tubs of the unopened stuff was finally launched to landfill.  Happy Christmas y'all.

Number.

I thought of actually answering the door and then telling them all about my new special interest. I just want to see how long they can take it.

Roy said:

the rest of the turkey then lives in the fridge like a Spector of Christmas past. In the end even the dog refuses to eat it

There's always so much food at Christmas, at least on my own I don't have to do that, it's all a bit overwhelming..

My local supermarket does a very nice garlic mushroom affair for Christmas, which tbh, I imagine I would still prefer, even if I did eat meat - turkey is pretty dry and tasteless, as I recall.

Ben said:

I usually just shut myself away with several books and films and am perfectly happy.

Me too, Ben. The perfect Christmas.

When my sons are at home for Christmas they complain about the dry turkey, I’ve often just said that we can have something else, doesn’t even have to be meat, the reply is always,” it’s Christmas, it wouldn’t be the same without turkey.” After Christmas Day the rest of the turkey then lives in the fridge like a Spector of Christmas past. In the end even the dog refuses to eat it.

Oh Roy, boil some for me please. 

With a bit of luck it'll rain all night, eh!

Ben

I'm sorry for your loss. Don't spend it alone spend it here with friends, we all understand and look out for each other here. We're all welcome.

Your Christmas sounds perfect, I’ve just started boiling the oil, ready for Halloween!

I remember crying as a child when I decorated the tree with my mum, I hated the feel of tinsel on my skin.