Christmas... Love it, or loathe it?...

hopper1

I love Christmas, the whole lot... My little boys face in the morning. Giving, receiving gifts, even the naff ones ...
Prepping lunch with the missus...
The lot.
What do you guys think?

I'm option 1, I used to wake my kids up, much to my first wifes dismay...

Porgy

This is difficult becasue in a way I love it. But sadly all the hype from October onwards and the pressure on my wallet, the heaving shops etc. all leaves me feeling too stressed to enjoy it anymore.

Therefore this year I''m having the lowest key Christmas I can possibly manage - and hopefully will be joining Greenwich Cyclists Xmas day ride instead of going through the usual old cr.ap. 8)

Anonymous

Not going to see my two girls (6 and 3) on christmas morning this year

Love it though!

MrChuck

Can't really be bothered with it anymore TBH. Boring I know!

shouldbeinbed

I'd enjoy it much more just with my wife and kids but we're either descended on or expected to go round to other bits of the family. never get the chance to celebrate it just us.

bad one NapD.

Porgy

Best xmas I ever had was the one me, the wife and the kid spent in amsterdam.

Even so - the mother in law still managed to turn up on xmas day. :shock:

luckily i quite like my mother in law. 8)

deptfordmarmoset

I detest the whole run up, all the ''what shall I gets?'' and the enforced holiday-camp atmosphere frustivities, but, come about 2am on Christmas morning, when I stop struggling against fate, I relax - too late to get that present now - and than I end up enjoying it.

hopper1

I'll be home for this Christmas, which makes it extra special.
Been away, at work for the last two , so I'll really enjoy seeing the wee fella's face

NapoleonD wrote:

Not going to see my two girls (6 and 3) on christmas morning this year

That's unfortunate, mate, but, I bet you make up for it in the afternoon...

Pross

Hate the build up from September but love it from Christmas Eve - time off work, pressie to put on my bike, the kids faces on Christmas morning. Should be good this year as we'll be going to Lapland (the region, not the exotic dancing club) for a few days beforehand to celebrate my 6 year old finishing treatment

Anonymous

hopper1 wrote:

I'll be home for this Christmas, which makes it extra special.
Been away, at work for the last two , so I'll really enjoy seeing the wee fella's face

NapoleonD wrote:

Not going to see my two girls (6 and 3) on christmas morning this year

That's unfortunate, mate, but, I bet you make up for it in the afternoon...

Going to do my level best!

MrsNapD is working too!

Kids are staying at mother in laws Christmas Eve and Day, then when we get home on Boxing day they'll have a big surprise! Father Christmas has been to ours too!

Christmas is great for getting the kids to behave. We just threaten them that we will ring Herbert the Elf (Father Christmas' PA) and tell him they are being naughty and they stop straight away...

videolip

First Xmas and New Year I am not working for years. So this year I'll be on my mountain bike in Nepal...

Not sure how much fuss is made of it there :P

drewfromrisca

Used to love it, now hate it but this year I think things will change as I'm off to San Francisco for it (and New Year) 8)

shouldbeinbed

Porgy wrote:

Best xmas I ever had was the one me, the wife and the kid spent in amsterdam.

Even so - the mother in law still managed to turn up on xmas day. :shock:

luckily i quite like my mother in law. 8)

Yes away is best - we went to a fantastic country cottage near Melrose a few years back (the year the Edinborough hogmanay was cancelled for snow!) Christmas in front of a log fire and that NYE with the snow falling, the Eildon hills as a backdrop and no f*king extended family was the best ever

Anonymous

Love Christmas, I have 3 kids and it is magical.

freehub

Best thing about christmas is the christmas dinner and a really quiet 60 mile bike ride. I'm not fussed about presents really anymore, if I get some money, great, but if I got nothing I'd not be that p155ed off tbh.

Porgy

I haven't had a xmas pressie since 2006

Sirius631

Why do we have to comply with the seasonal tradition of handing our money to China and India, who don't believe in Christmas, for worthless crap?

geoff_ss

MrChuck wrote:

Can't really be bothered with it anymore TBH. Boring I know!

Absolutely agree.

For many years my wife and I used to escape the extended family by spending Christmas at a YHA hostel (often Patterdale). Spent the time either cycling or walking. Now we just treat it as another day. We might go for a walk or bike ride depending on the weather. If it's bad I'll be here, in my workshop, glueing bits of balsa together or viewing various fora.

Geoff

pottssteve

NapoleonD wrote:

hopper1 wrote:

I'll be home for this Christmas, which makes it extra special.
Been away, at work for the last two , so I'll really enjoy seeing the wee fella's face

NapoleonD wrote:

Not going to see my two girls (6 and 3) on christmas morning this year

That's unfortunate, mate, but, I bet you make up for it in the afternoon...

Going to do my level best!

MrsNapD is working too!

Kids are staying at mother in laws Christmas Eve and Day, then when we get home on Boxing day they'll have a big surprise! Father Christmas has been to ours too!

Christmas is great for getting the kids to behave. We just threaten them that we will ring Herbert the Elf (Father Christmas' PA) and tell him they are being naughty and they stop straight away...

They fcuk you up, your Mum and Dad.....

On a related note, we've just had a tax bill for the last 2 year's worth ( :shock: ) so I told my son Christmas was cancelled. He said that's OK, he will just make do with what Father Christmas brings him

I love the fact that 3 of the poll options are basically the same.....

The last 2 years we've booked into a 5 star hotel downtown in HK for Christmas Day lunch. Four course meal and no washing up - nice! Only down side is my little lad thinks Santa's Chinese...

pottssteve

Porgy wrote:

I haven't had a xmas pressie since 2006

Is that the year you converted to Islam?

Cressers

Bah Humbug!

wiffachip

if it wasn't for the bairns, i wouldn't bother

was out on my christmas present last week, my new new lapierre, thanks pet

Lagavulin

I don’t really loathe it yet but I do look forward to it less and less the older I get. The element of writing a list to Santa has long been replaced with checking the calendar to see where it falls and whether it might mean more time off work (Booz… Boxing Day means Monday off this year… whohoo!!!).

That said, if I find an Orbea Orca or Wilier Cento Uno decked out in Campag propped up against the chimney breast on Christmas morning I'll be over the p!ss!ng Moon.

Chicane-UK

Love it! An enforced break from work and you get to give friends and loved ones presents. What's not to love!

pepelepew

I'll be sleeping in the day, after having worked nights, ready to work nights again. Two consolations though. 1) Loads of girlies love kissing a man in uniform on Christmas Eve. 2) Double time on Christmas Day to deal with the aftermath of Baileys and burnt Turkey domestics.

guilliano

I've worked in retail for the last 14 Christmasses and for people like me it is a horrible time. We get moaned at because we run out of stock, moaned at because we are busy and customers have to wait and moaned at just because people are stressed. We don't get a great deal of time off for Christmas like a lot of other industries and it ends up as just a day off for a lot of retail staff.

Now that I'm an old fart (33) with no kids I just look forward to a sit down dinner with my dad and sister as the highlight of Christmas.

onlyonearrow

While it's great to spend time with family, nowadays for me it means crowded airports, risk of delayed or cancelled snowbound flights, and exorbitant car hire prices during the holiday season. :roll:

Much better to plan a trip to see family a couple of months later, less expensive and less stress!

timdanaher

Up until last year, I'd spent nine consecutive xmases in Germany.

Boring.

There's only so much Glühwein and Reibekuchen you can eat...

Then last year, I spent Saturnalia (as I like to refer to it) at my mam's in Wales. Just me, me mam & me nan, and lots of xmas specials on the telly. Decent beer, and mince pies. My old cycling chums. And hills to ride up. I loved it.

I've decided I'm going back - on my own - every other year, now. At least.

northstar

I'm indifferent to it, it's lost it's meaning even if it had any in the first place.

STEFANOS4784

Get 2 bl00dy days off over the entire christmas/newyear. Christmas eve and Christmas day, really pee's me off but meh there's no easier job in the world so i can put up with it. Very sannoying new years eve though, finish at 6 and watching all the p1ss artists in the wetherspoons opposite my work