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Luckily the step kids are refusing to come to ours as we are not doing a traditional xmas like their gran did .It`s a run a bike ride followed by the pub ,steak and chips and whisky .If they came they would cause a fight anyway
Xmas in the UK is too much, too pressurised. Other countries do better, I've had 2 in Oz, one in Canada and 3 in the US.
Every thing shuts, people shut the doors, then have disappointing presents, followed by disappointing food, followed by disappointing TV.
Last year after a relationship crashed and burned, I ended up with relatives at a slightly tense xmas lunch. Felt a twit.
Now I am with someone wonderful, and all of our kids will be off with the ex spouses, so we will have a long walk and a restaurant meal, and tell the rest of the world to eff off 🙂
Had I not met her, I'd definitely hide in my cave this xmas.
Have done a few, best two spent a couple of hours surfing at the 'cawl. really nice vibe just two in the water and getting out just as the Christmas dip went in. Walked the dog and then chilled out, a lovely calm relaxing day.
This time I will be driving to the Lakes to see really dear friends so this will be good as well.
id love to do a xmas day ride but i also wouldn't want to miss any of the nippers day either... before they came along me and my dad used to go play squash on xmas morning, just to 'get out of the way' while the women were busy cleaning and fisting turkeys etc.
Well, there'll just be me on my snowboard most of the day if that's any help?
Muppetwrangler - I am so sorry.
You must just do what you want to get yourself through this difficult time.
Nbt and myself will be in Cumbria as usual without family and friends, although they are welcome to pop round if nearby.
I had a great xmas dinner with family at a restaurant once, at Lake Taupo, a resorty type place in Enzed.
Was full of Japanese tourists who were just loving all the xmas shite, crackers and hats and puddings and singing all the songs. Getting their picture on Santa's knee.
Go with Lunge's suggestion - it's wonderfully self indulgent but the roads being empty is a bit of a myth unless you hit them early.
Yeah, riding on Xmas day always sounds idyllic. The reality is that from late morning onwards almost every other driver seems to have drunk slightly too much or is impatient to get home and start drinking too much.
thankfully not.
A tough year and grateful to be able to spend it with immediate family. Life is short and kids grow up quick, at the same time aged parents get more aged.....
enjoy it while you can IMO
Ooh sbob... and why?
We are dining out this year as no-one has an oven and dining table big enough for 12 adults
DezB after having the 😥 of taking my 2 back to their Mum on Xmas eve for many years since they've been 18 they've chosen to spend it with us 8)
went abroad MTB ing last couple, doing the same this year and over new year. Im not anti christmas just seems a better way to spend the time. Kids all grown up and have their own lives
I haven't really but I think I'd maybe quite like it. Pattern last few years has been to turn out and drive round to other people's places to spend much of the day politely watching Christmas specials of crap I wouldn't watch the rest of the year. Don't really recall much of it seeming much like a break or holiday the last few years, certainly seem to spend it doing mainly what everyone else wants. I don't think I'd miss that much.
MrsSalmon and I have agreed that on Boxing Day we are going to sit on our backsides in our own house this year though 🙂
[quote="scandal42"]
Christmas is just a day, but It actually feels different for me, it feels like a special day where the majority of the country stops and just get's together with family/friends and forgets about all the shit that goes on throughout the year and focuses on each other.That's called "the weekend" in much of europe......
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In the 15 years we've been together I have spent one Christmas day with my missus (when she was on materinity leave). All other years she has worked Christmas day, and will be again this year (nurse). Before kids this meant I spent the day on my own, often decorating. Now with kids I head to my parents, where we get fed and watered and the kids are entertained. Then we do the whole Christmas day thing on the 26th, presents, turkey, etc.
DaRC_L - MemberOoh sbob... and why?
We are dining out this year as no-one has an oven and dining table big enough for 12 adults
Because Christmas [i]should[/i] be a time for people to spend with their families.
Many won't be able to because you, and people like you, prioritise your convenience and position of privilege ahead of other's desire to spend the day with their families. 💡
But don't let that spoil your Christmas. 🙂
Apologies to the mod who felt the need to delete my previous post. I didn't think it was [i]that[/i] bad. 😳
You suggested an illegal act of sex abuse, sbob... Possibly somewhat disproportionate...
Anyway, as the OP has pointed out, not everyone has somewhere to go or they prefer not to do the whole Xmas thing so they're gainfully employed serving lunch to others 🙂
Many won't be able to because you, and people like you, prioritise your convenience and position of privilege ahead of other's desire to spend the day with their families.
Not always the case, I worked a good few Christmas's when I worked in hospitality and it was great fun. Good money, happy customers and it meant I only had to spend 2 or 3 hours with my family. It worked very well and the majority of the people I worked with felt the same.
I've enjoyed my Xmas Days alone on the trails but now that my parents are no longer with us, my adult children believe I shouldn't be on my own. This year there will be no bikey talk from The Boy as he's going elsewhere so daughter has announced it's just her and I. Hmmm, it won't be easy.
its one day in a year treat it like any other day
it meant I only had to spend 2 or 3 hours with my family
So you're not one of the people that wants to spend time with their family.
I will be this year. First time ever. Really looking forward to it. I do love xmas but the day itself just feels like a bunch of formulaic nonsense. I was thinking about buggering off in the camper but I fly out to France at 6am on Boxing Day so I can't go too far. Weather permitting I'll squeeze in a ride, make myself a nice dinner then chill.
OOoh Sbob
people like you, prioritise your convenience and position of privilege ahead of other's desire to spend the day with their families.
Oh I see, because people have to work in kitchens and pubs and no one should have to work on Xmas day. Well as I'm not a Christian it's not that big a deal for me, celebrating the baby Jesus birthday.
Have I worked Xmas day... yes, did I get paid more for it...yes...did I manage to move things around so I had time with friend & family... yes.
BTW if I was a person of privelige we'd have a place big enough for the family to get together.
Scandal - I mean no offence to those who like it. Honestly.
I've never liked the whole "cram the entire family into one house" thing - really never been fussed by any of it from pretty much from when I walked. As a kid - even on my own b'day I'd be held indoors long enough to say thank you and then leg it when no one was looking.
Having kids meant it was tolerated and as much as it was always spouted as "its for them - its xmas, they believe in Santa" - that was ok - for them. Then you get adults who don't remember that two yr olds have no real concept of stuff and play with the boxes - all 200 of them...
Its the hyperbole surrounding it all - pushed every year from spet onwards by the stores wanting bigger profits.
20yrs of relationship/marriage with inlaws who were great people but at xmas turned into Satan if you so much as thought about not doing the family ritual (amazing people the other 364 days).
Even my ex now refuses to do all that and spends the day chilled out with the girls who are now teenagers who actually don't like all the fuss and mess it causes.
Living in Spain for 12yrs was really good. There is no xmas - 25th is celebrated as the day he was supposedly born and then back to work.
Reyes day - 6th Jan is the bringing of gifts - 12 days after his birth (hence the 12 days of xmas) when the three kings rocked up. Its done in your own home though - there isn't the mass exodus to the unlucky house this year that Brits have.
Hels - I might just take you up on that! As long as theres somewhere to dump the leathers 😉
Going for a ride in the hills on Christmas day would be brilliant. There'd be absolutely no one else around. Heaven!
Going for a ride in the hills on Christmas day would be brilliant. There'd be absolutely no one else around. Heaven!
I'd do a long road ride taking advantage of the empty road.
If it's a nice day, it's a brilliant day to go for a road ride, there is almost zero traffic.
You must be kidding?! The one time I went for a ride on Christmas morning the roads were insane. People driving like absolute idiots round to family for dinner. Car full of presents and screaming hyper kids who'd been up since 6am gorging on chocolate.
They're driving to someone they only visit once a year so they're not entirely sure of directions so they're driving all over the road, peering out the window trying to spot Aunt Sally's house.
Fast forward to about 4pm and it's the same in reverse except by now everyone is slightly pissed too. And it's dark.
BTW if I was a person of privelige
...you'd be able to afford to dine out on Christmas Day? 😛
[i] cinnamon_girl - Member
Hmmm, it won't be easy. [/i]
That's why we have Christmas Vodka!
😀
As usual. Eat and drink and look forward to the new year.
yep - I'll be on me jack. family not what I would describe as 'fully operational', so a few pints in the local with friends, then home for some scoff and play with whatever toy i've decided to treat myself to. fine by me. I am a misanthrope mind. 🙂
porlus
Possibly me this year. My lass is a nurse and isnt sure if shes working christmas day or not yet.
Dont mind though. Did it a couple of years back. Had pizza for lunch and a bottle of red. Lovely
Mine too, but she's not working this YEAR! So it'll be My Wife, our 2 kids and I all day in our PJs - father in law will probably pop in for lunch. Happy Days.
I used to enjoy a day of peace though when I was single - I used to have to Pop to my Mums for Xmas lunch but I'd leave after half an hour. She used to tell my family it was because of something terrible that happened to me on Xmas day was I was a kid and I got depressed at Xmas - but in truth, I just liked the silence of world on Xmas day - and I'm sure 'peace on earth' is a big part of it.
If you want a surreal experience talk a walk down the major shopping areas near you on Xmas day, for weeks they would have been chaos and they will be again the day after because 'January' sales start boxing day now - but for a while at least it's like being in 28 days later.
Whilst we're talking about Xmas, one best 'selfish' thing about Xmas for me, isn't the presents, or the time off work, or the chance to have a beer with my mates - it's knowing that we've broken the back of the 'dark days' Winter Solstice is December the 22nd this year, before we know it the nights will be getting slightly shorter again and we're getting closer to Spring and Summer.
Working 12 hour day shifts Xmas day and Boxing day, keeping the lights on for the rest of you.
OH has to be on call at the vets an hour away. Her bosses have pretty much doubled her hours over Christmas without asking her so they can go away on holiday and everyone else can have the time off as they all have kids and we don't. Last two years she has worked every day over Christmas and new year except Christmas day so she has been doing way more than her fair share but got her head bitten off when she pointed it out.
So I have a choice of spending Christmas day alone (and MTBing if it's decent) or in the staff room of a vets with a tiny TV while people bring in animals they have been putting off taking tot he vets until it's dropping dead as they've been too busy (selfish) or helping her by holding projectile vomiting dogs that have been allowed to eat chocolate to save her having to call in the on-call vet and spoiling their day too.
I working. So bacon sarnies (becoming a bit of a tradition with the way my shifts work on Christmas) with the wife before she heads off down to her parents and I head off to work
In answer to the op
Probably
Once spent a Xmas on my own in a bothy. Best Xmas ever.
Hope the wife doesn't read this!
Not me I'm on annual leave all week so will be with my family. As an added bonus I found out today I'm on my new rota from next week so I finish on 17th Dec and not back until 1st Jan. 😀
pictonroad - Member
Did it once, had to tell well meaning relatives and friends that I was with one or the other to stop an intervention. People will be aghast if you tell them, don't.
Haha, yeah this. Thoroughly enjoy the day by myself sometimes, but other folk think it's a big problem...
Put in to work christmas day as I don't like the day really (not even the presents), basically the food is the only bit I like!!
No-one ever volunteers to work so the boss usually has to either work it or pay someone mega-bucks to do it. Done a night shift either side of christmas day the last few years but decided to do the day shift this year. Put in my price of £500 plus a day off in lieu and she accepted!! Should pay for a few shiny upgrades 😀
Not alone, but just me and the GF. Have done this the last 2 years in a row, and even though we can argue like cat and dog the rest of the year, Christmas just the two of us together is awesome! Even if I was sick as a dog last year and anything I ate stayed down for 5 minutes if I was lucky!
My Dad, who clearly has the shortest memory in the world, invites me over every year (forgetting we can manage about 15 minutes of being civil to each other before war breaks out!) along with all and sundry, then tries the guilt thing when I politely decline. It's just a day, no more special than any other, but if you're going to give me a guilt trip about it then I'll bite and tell you that I'll spend this "special day" with who I damned well please, thank you very much!
The GF's family are quite lazy and don't like cooking, and would rather spend all day sozzling themselves on crap lager in some rough local pub, followed by a carvery that would cost about £5 on any other day of the year, which is completely at odds with the one part of Christmas I actually quite like... The food! If all I do on Christmas day was spend the entire time cooking a Turkey and all the trimmings, then sitting down to eat it, I'm a happy man. Managed to do this to a T 2 years ago, including a bike ride whilst the Turkey was cooking (popped Turkey into oven literally seconds before jumping on the bike, then 2hr ride later and the turkey was done). Sadly last year I was a little under the weather, but the GF bless her, did everything she could to make sure we still had a fantastic dinner.
If we split, then without question, I'd spend it on my own this year... For those that think the New Year sales start on Boxing Day, try popping down to Morrisons at 4:30pm on Christmas Eve... Everything Christmas related is marked down for clearance at crazy prices, so as long as you're not too fussy then fill yer boots!
Nope I'll probably be working. Last year I worked nights and had Boxing Day off. Had Christmas dinner on Boxing Day had two bottles of beer and fell asleep. Year before I was drugged up to the eyeballs after knee surgery on the 22nd.
+ 1 for not Road riding on Xmas Day, its awful.
Motorists simply don't expect you to be there, are stressed out. Last year I saw a Roadie nearly get taken out by a family crossing the road with arms full of presents.
Seeing him scream out " BIKE " was slightly amusing.........
Done it a few times in the past and it's been brilliant in a chilled sort of way. None of the frenzy or forced jollity. What does work really well, if you have good friends locally, is to spend Christmas dinner itself with them, then escape home when people start collapsing around you and falling asleep in from of the fire. It's a sort of 'best of both worlds' solution.
As other people have said, the biggest problem is stopped other people from pretty much kidnapping you and dragging you off for a forced social Christmas elsewhere, you have to be firm or a really convincing liar....
I've ridden on and off road, run and waked on Christmas Day before now - choice depending on the weather - I've never had huge issues with road traffic to be honest, but I guess it only takes one dozy driver.