Christmas - sorry, got to be a "Bah, humbug!"

[Abbeygoo]

I really don't know what all the fuss is about and wondered if I'm alone in my feelings of Bah, humbug or whether other people feel the same.

My wife goes completely overboard at Xmas and I am the opposite. I appreciate the family get together and the spirit of Xmas but think that the rest of it is a complete waste of time and money.

Bear with me ......

1. Decorations

All over the house. A Xmas tree, yes but the whole house is covered with various bits of tinsle and baubles everywhere. The outside looks like we're trying to get noticed at the next Blackpool Illuminations. I bet we can be seen from space. Lights on the bushes outside, on the tree in the garden and dangling all over the front of the house ..... must be costing a fortune in electricity.

2. Christmas Cards

We have dozens of them all blu-tacked to the walls. The majority of them are from people who we haven't seen all year and probably won't see next year, too. The pressure the wife puts on herself to send absolutely everyone who may have the possibility of sending us one is ridiculous. It makes me chuckle when you get one address to "Steve, Lisa and family" as they don't know the names of our children and will never need to again. All these cards get chucked in the bin, what a waste. She asked me if I was sending any to my mates ...... don't be silly.

3. Presents

Unbelievable. Hey, don't get me wrong Xmas presents are a wonderful thing but do we need to buy so many? The cost is astronomical and we buy Xmas presents for such and such-a-body because "they buy for our kids...." We should all agree to keep our cash, spend it on what we need for our own children and avoid huge piles of presents that don't get touched for months afterwards. I remember getting a modest selection of presents so I don't disagree with the principle of present exchange but the amount that our kids get is way over the top. My little girl is 8 and she is getting a phone, Nintendo DS with games and a pair of Wheely Heely things which cost ££££s together, plus the pile of wrapped stuff she has already is staggering.

4. The build up

My wife is already stressed to high heaven. Ask her if we can go out on Saturday and she starts going on about "having such a lot on" and not to make "any more plans before Xmas" - your life gets put on hold for weeks. The days leading up to Xmas are a battle to get through due to the focus on next Tuesday and everything that surrounds it. Today, I'm in work and my wife has put my son into Nursery as she needs to clean the house from top to bottom (and I mean that literally) as family are coming round - are the family inspectors from "How Clean Is Your House?" It turns into mad cleaning and you can't leave anything lying around ......

5. The day itself

Jesus Christ. Well, I say that as he is the reason for all this, supposedly. The day itself always seems surreal. As its been planned for so long, it doesn't seem to happen for real. The morning get up is too early for me and a couple of hours present opening and kids going mental as you won't let them play with the massive digger and dumper truck you have bought them as they still have 125 other presents to open ...... What's that about?

Then you pack all the stuff away as quickly as you can as "the family" are about to arrive and your wife takes an age to get ready as she wants to wash her hair and paint her finger nails before "they" arrive.

You eventually sit down for the meal, the kids end up having chicken nuggets, chips and beans as they "don't like" the Xmas dinner and you're left with a mountain of pots and pans that need 7 or 8 bowls of water to wash up and drying takes til tomorrow. Your family then leaves.

A game of charades that lasts for ever ...... and then getting the kids to bed, trying to stop them seeing the massive pile of presents for fear they want to play with one of them (isn't that what they are for?)

You eventually sit down at around midnight and fall asleep in the chair.

One day in the year, a load of hassle and expense that in my mind isn't worth it.

Sorry to be a bah humbug but that's the way I feel and wondered am I alone?

Next week ...... the "New Year's Eve" rant!

[breakersrevenge]

I'm with ya mate!!!

[daveaka]

Me too, Iam sick of it this year

[Gary D]

Mr Abbygoo - i think you have issues - i suggest you lock yourself in a shed with with some Christmas songs to get you in the mood

[Abbeygoo]

Originally Posted by Gary D

Mr Abbygoo - i think you have issues - i suggest you lock yourself in a shed with with some Christmas songs to get you in the mood

Thanks mate, you've just reminded me of another pet hate, Xmas songs...... especially the Mariah Carey one that has the most ridiculous intro for any song I have ever heard ...... and what about Xmas TV?

[Gary D]

you need this .....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/features/screen-wipe.shtml

[Woodywizz]

What a great post Steve...and I completely agree.

As you saw from our house on Sunday, we have no decorations - well apart from a small black tree in the corner of the living room. One of my wife's mates think that we are cruel cruel parents, as every surface in her house is covered in tinsel or flashing lights or fake snow. Also, no Christmas card will ever be blue tacked to the walls in our house - whereas my mum will make massive hanging displays made out of the hundreds of cards she receives...why????

On Christmas day mate, leave them all to it and we'll have a marathon session of Fifa 08

[FaxFan2002]

Apology accepted Mind you I'm going to Egypt this for Christmas and New Your which will be nice

[Abbeygoo]

Originally Posted by woodywizz

On Christmas day mate, leave them all to it and we'll have a marathon session of Fifa 08

If only ...........

[Nimby]

Christmas spirit gets to be a damp squib when the company Xmas party is held in early November.

[2scoops]

Scrap XMAS it's crap!

[mjn]

Christmas sucks....i'll be doing my best to sleep through it. If i can't sleep, then i'm going to be beered up as much as possible.

A whole week with the in-laws...........

[Ultima]

I can't believe what I'm reading, Christmas is the best time of the year......no excuses needed for getting hammered, no work and loads of quality time with family and friends. If the missus wants to go overboard it's your duty to let her and enjoy it. Bloody Scrooges the lot of you, especially you Steve .

Martin

[Billo]

I'm with the OP on this one.
I have not given out any cards to people in work this year and I have only posted two cards (I'll give the money to Water Aid or some such charity). I dread the address book coming out as the questions are always the same
''are they still living there?''
''what is the name of the spouse/children?''
''did we send them this card last year?''
The answer is always ''I don't know'', the OH sends cards to people I have never met and we have been together for several decades now!

[JohnG]

I'm also with the OP on this one, I don't like Christmas at all. All it means to me is more traffic, supermarkets packed to the gills so I can't do my normal shopping, people wasting money and resources on cards and decorations and sodding brussel sprouts !