Xmas in the big 25' eh?
Personally for me I'm probably a 4/10 at a push on my "in the spirit" scale.
It's been a big, long and tough year with lots of ups and downs, health scares shaking me in march, moving house from a small relatively new build to a 4 bed 1970s semi-reno project that we completed all the work on in 10 weeks slaving away every minute we weren't at our day jobs learning pretty much everything as I went through, proud I learned to plaster though, from sale to completion the entire process sucked, 5 stone weight loss through sheer grit, tight diet which has become quite miserable as winters set in, old company I worked at started going through merger & acquisition so spent 6 months worrying about job security whilst manning the due diligence, audits and general job stresses until I landed a new job as I couldn't justify the pressure for the pay anymore and lack of "what happens after" at my old one, family dramas, fought myself into a new fitness routine, and to save your eyes a massive essay I'll park it there and leave the rest to imagination.
And that's not including the general state of everything at the moment, you know? I'm not gonna let this thread turn into a blaming labour or the tories or capitalism or the CCP or immigrants or religions as those are are just easy answers to a nuanced situation.
And to be honest, I thought it was just me, but my wife who for the past 7 years has been a 10/10 on her christmassy index this year shocked me with an admission of a self confessed 7/10, on the phone to my mother this morning, unrelated she said "I dunno, it doesn't feel like xmas this year, feels out of sync", and coincidentally enough I was scrolling tiktok after and it seems it's not just me this year feeling low on the index.
I assume a lot of it is to do with the weather which has been bad since October, shops pushing for easy to sell margin booster gifts like a £2 bottle of supermarket whisky with a glass in a little box for £10, or 50p worth of haribo in a box shaped like a christmas cracker for £3.50, everyone struggling to make ends meet feeling like Christmas this year is just a big life admin task, is everyone just burnt out on life? Or is it deeper?
Anyway, STW, how christmassy are you this year?
The Covid years were our chance to stop all this nonsense and we failed. It's as shit as ever. I like a mince pie but the rest of the whole mess can get in the sea.
Zero....until Thursday at 12 noon when I break up until the new year.
I wasn't feeling it at all until last weekend. Then we went to a Christmas light show with Mrs Lunge and the dog. Then we met a couple of friends for some Christmas beers and all was well.
I'm really looking forward to this year, partly as I know that I'll be out of the country for 3 weeks early in the new year.
Zero....until Thursday at 12 noon when I break up until the new year.
Thats a fair point, I've not had any annual leave since July and have the 24th-5th booked off, not that I'm counting the days down or anything. Maybe I'll find myself at a 7/10 come 5pm Tuesday next week
...I was scrolling tiktok after...
I've pin pointed one of the problems.
What is a, presumably, grown man doing on Tik Tok?
Getting there, 0.5%.
Normally I run at about a 5/10. It just seems like a lot of effort for one day of over-indulgence & then done for another year.
But - last year we were having an extension built which over-ran and we had no kitchen for the Christmas break. We lived out of our living room with a microwave & airfryer.
We had Christmas lunch in a pub which was a complete disaster - 30mins to get a drink, over an hour for starters, 3 hours until the main course came out by which time everyone was ready to leave & then they served my mother-in-law who is gluten intolerant a plate with obviously no gluten-free food on it whatsoever so she had no faith that the replacement plate was actually gluten free. It was terrible.
So - last year was about a 2/10
This year I decided that I need to just go with the flow & am currently around an 8/10 on the Christmassy scale. The house is decorated, we have a fairly chilled plan for the Christmas break, most presents are bought, I'm going to the work Christmas do this Friday and I am trying my best to make it an enjoyable time for my Wife & daughter.
7/10
Despite a pretty shit year Christmas is panning out OK.
Just four of us for the big day since we lost my mum in July - but my dad is starting to build himself a new life and seems to be coping well now.
Meeting some friends we've not seen in years. Local pub Xmas Eve and New Years Eve.
We don't go mad present wise as a family and we agreed a few years ago to just pick a name out of a hat and just buy one decent present for that person.
Best of all I switch the work email and phone off for ten days! 🎉🎉
I absolutely can't wait to clock off on Friday and soak in the xmas holidays.
It's been the worst year on record for our family (lost my Dad, had bowel cancer myself blah blah), so feel lucky just to be alive.
Finished chemo a few weeks ago, so by the time xmas rolls around I should be okay to socialise again for the first time in 4 months 🙂
We've had a relatively fortunate 2025, feeling blessed in that regard. Becoming a bit of an Ostrich regarding a lot of the global bad news although there's always a bit of it gets through.
However our wee boy (8) has been acting up at school a bit so we're getting some fairly regular emails from the teacher, and sadly he's also acting a bit too spoilt/entitled for my liking, a bit of a wake-up call as maybe we had been getting a bit complacent, too easy with an only child perhaps! Anyway, has all resulted in a fair few arguments and the whole holiday just feeling a little bit too mercenary which has diminished the general good feels.
Am enjoying stuffing myself with Celebrations though and tucking in to a nice glass of red one or two more evenings during the week 🙄
Oh, and our new kitten is having a great time in the tree which is good for a giggle most evenings, and I've convinced the family that Gremlins IS a Christmas movie, so the average quality of the TV has risen slightly. Also the morning rides are looking more festive!
0/10
The whole Christmas thing does nothing for me at all (proper Scrooge me) and I absolutely hate New Year, I would rather celebrate the solstice.
...I was scrolling tiktok after...
I've pin pointed one of the problems.
What is a, presumably, grown man doing on Tik Tok?
Because the internet didn't stop in 2010? 😂
You don't have to stop using the internet to know that TikTok is just voluntary brain damage.
I've got a hyperactive 4 year old in the house so we've been on full Christmas mode for weeks now. I can't wait until it's over so he can calm down a bit.
Hmmm...good question. I'm 44 and married but we don't have kids so regularly end up hosting our respective parents in some way or another. So, Christmas day itself doesn't hold much excitement really and just feels like a bunch of old people having dinner on what will inevitably be a drizzly afternoon.
That said, I'm never going to be against 10 days off work and I think after the 27th we're free of all family obligations so I will be able to log some road cycling or running miles.
24th-27th seems to be 4 consecutive days of socialising/drinking with either family or friends which sounds great but these days I find if I do 2 days in a row of drinking it just makes me feel depressed/unhealthy so may need to take on a very hungover run at some point and I must say 4 days feels slightly suffocating to me.
I study as well as work full time and January 26 is the first one in two years that I haven't had an exam requiring me to study through the holidays. Again, you would think I'd be super pleased about this but I weirdly feel pretty indifferent about it.
All in all it feels a bit routine really but I'm sure I have it much easier than so many people, so I'm grateful for that.
I was a 0/10 until I went to our community choir carol service yesterday, Mrs Watty is a member . . . and I’m still a solid 0/10 (I hate bloody Christmas). 😆
Hmm. Mixed year. 4/10 at the moment. After 3 months of decent riding and my first trip abroad cycling since heart issues started 5 years ago, I managed to break ribs in a crash which then led to various complications. I'm getting back into light exercise now but haven't been on a bike for 8 weeks.
Hopefully Christmas spirit will improve after this week when I stop work for the Christmas break.
For me, it starts too early so by the time actual Christmas gets here it's almost on life support.
As to feeling "Christmassy", it kind of comes and goes. If I can get a quiet hour sitting by the tree, book in hand and a nice glass of red on the go then yes, I'll feel it.
Up until Sunday it was an absolute 1/10.
As a child and young adult Christmas had never really been fun - it was chaotic and stressful with occasional moments of joy. Once I moved out of home it was good to start just doing our own thing. It was only in recent years I actually started to fully enjoy and embrace the season as we built our own set of traditions etc. Absolutely helped by knowing and understanding more about why I never enjoyed it.
Until last year anyway - the lead up to Christmas was very much overshadowed by my partners mum being taken to hospital late November, moved into a care home two days before Christmas then passing away two days after. To say it was an utterly shit time was an understatement. We got through it well enough by still making a nice day of it for us and the hound. There is something about opening a few presents with the help of a big goofy greyhound that just makes life better.
That was his final Christmas, so this year the seasonal joy has been very hard to find. I found it though, a little, by helping out at the greyhound sanctuary Christmas event over the weekend. It was... nice.
5/10 so far. I studiously ignore Xmas until we're well into December - don't want to get overexposed - but I just bought a venison shank to cook over the hols which I'm quite excited about.
The tree went up on Saturday (a bit early for me) - looks great. We've watched a couple of Christmas films/shows (Blackadder etc) and the shopping is done. We don't have kids which makes things easier but probably mutes the excitement factor.
I keep a really tight diet usually, but allowed myself a mince pie this weekend, and will be digging in on Xmas day itself. I bloody love a Christmas pud, even if it does leave me with palpitations for the next 8 hours.
I've got 2 weeks off this year - travelling around to see family for the first week and then a week at home. It's going to be great.
So yeah. Getting there.
For me, it starts too early so by the time actual Christmas gets here it's almost on life support.
I make a conscious effort to avoid it until I'm ready! But I accept that if you've got a partner who strongly disagrees it can be a challenge...
OP
See that little dot thingy in the bottom left/right of your keyboard.....
6/10
With all the shit that's flying around in the world just now, I'll take that.
If you lucky to have friends and family that you love and care about,this time of the year is as good as any, to hold them close and let them know.
Peace
I don't object to the early start really, I treat it a bit like a festival of light (especially up here in the Northern latitudes!) so an extra couple of weeks of colourful lights hanging everywhere when it's getting dark at 4pm is fine by me!
0/10 for me. I'm not a Christian so it has no religious significance, I'm retired so it isn't a holiday, I've never been a fan of organised/compulsory fun, but most of all I find the rampant, planet destroying, avalanche of plastic, pointless and overpriced tat just seriously depressing.
Oh, hang on, I'll upgrade that to a 2/10 because I'm quite enjoying my beer advent calendar.
Getting there, 0.5%.
Exponential scale btw, re-evaluating (bought beer this morning), let's say 2.2%, it's a lumpy exponential scale..
Not much, until 12 today when I'm off out to meet up with two current colleagues, and 4 retired colleagues. All a great bunch of people you call 'friends', rather than just colleagues.
Then off out again with the 'Exec' group from work on Thursday. Again, a decent set of folk you actually 'would' socialise with. I then finish on Friday (assuming we box off an audit in time). We've an invite for Christmas Day, but I'm driving so we can escape/dad taxi duty. Just the two of us Boxing Day as daughter ay boyfriends, and son has moved out recently. Nice and quiet. Hoping for some dry weather so I can go out riding, rather than just cycle commuting.
So 2/10 on the scale. Just need a break (not literally as I have history for breaking stuff - broke my pelvis on 8th January this year, so it's been a tough one on the recovery).
17% enjoy the fairy lights
13% anticipating a Christmas present I bought for myself
20% relieved to have explained that ⬆️ to mrs gordimhor who has done the same thing for herself
50 % Can't be arsed with the whole thing
0% For me. Iv'e never been a particularly big fan (even as a kid).The only thing i'm looking forward to is the time off work!
11/10!!!!!!!!!!! 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀
Ha, only kidding.
A very 'meh' 4/10 and it'd be less if it wasn't for the kids who're still young enough for Santa etc. They're strangely flat though but perhaps that'll change later with a Christmas school concert tonight and a weekend of Christmassy shit planned.
Not very but I haven't for a number of years. As a child and young adult it was chaotic fun - I'm one of 4 siblings and we'd have grand parents, aunts etc. round had people sat on camping chairs to get everyone in.
Since my dad died we've not really done that. As we are all adults with partners it is nearly impossible to get everyone together. No one has a house big enough to host and we are spread out over the UK. We get together but normally in January when its a bit easier.
This year it will just be my wife and I, we're down at her mother's for a few days afterwards. It's nice but I do feel I miss out when others have big families locally that can all get together. My wife has a horse that needs sorting out over Xmas. Otherwise, I'd be off on holiday somewhere. I'm always envious of the Australians and NZers who get decent weather at this time of year.
This year, I lost my job at the start of November so don't think I'll even appreciate the time off as much either.
That said, some people have masses of trouble at this time of year. I'm not a big fan, will still have fun and none of my problems are at all serious.
Not sure. Thought this year I was going to be a solid 8 by now.
Mrs Tyred had breast cancer this year, the initial call coming a couple of days before Christmas last year, which made us both a -1 last year as we didn’t tell anyone anything as we didn’t know anything for definite. Was pretty horrible.
She had surgery early in the spring and thankfully came through that fine, and has been fine since, but now December has rolled round and she’ll be due the first of 5 annual scans shortly so I think we’re both on edge a bit for that.
It could all be so much worse though, trying not to lose sight of that fact.
I don't think I'll really embrace it until Christmas day. My daughter has had the nasty cold, son just messaged to say he's got it now, partner has had a sore neck/shoulders/back for a week or two so she's soldiering on. On Saturday, if everyone is well enough we drive 400 miles to Wiltshire to see my in laws, MIL has been in home for 4 years with Alzheimer's and Christmas is about the only time our kids can see her. Unfortunately the deterioration every year is very noticeable and saddening. The three days with my BIL aren't especially relaxing but it's manageable and then we have the long drive home on Christmas eve. Christmas day will be with my family including their two new puppies which will be a fun and relaxed atmosphere. Hopefully by the 27th I can get out on my bike, I've asked Santa for some new gloves and a warm riding top. Slainte everyone.
Nah not yet, maybe 10%. Trees not even up yet (this weekends job) Finish work on the 23rd so maybe more then, always try to be festive for the wife but it doesn't come naturally tbh!
I find the rampant, planet destroying, avalanche of plastic, pointless and overpriced tat just seriously depressing.
I do too, but I find one key to actually enjoying Christmas is to abide by the famous words of, er, Ebeneezer Scrooge: "You keep Christmas in your own way, and let me keep it in mine".
This house will be free of plastic tat, haribo, crappy supermarket food and general crap. I have put word around the family that people should just buy me things I can eat or drink, preferably from some poncy deli. (or socks). And Christmas is all the more enjoyable for it!
I don't let other people's idea of what Christmas is or should be colour mine - just like I don't spent the rest of the year stressing about fools doing whatever they do the rest of the time.
I'm at 0/10. I genuinely hate Christmas. Have done since I was a young child. There are longstanding issues there I know but, hey-ho. I might make it to 2/10 on Saturday when we meet up with our friends for the annual pre-Christmas pub night (which will rate as night outs go at 10/10 cos we love them - they're as much our family as our actual family) but I'll be back to 0/10 the day after. I've made the effort over the years for Mrs F and our boys, and now I'm a grandad too, so will make effort for them as well, but truly, I'm never more depressed than this time of year. Sorry.
Strange how it's all about booze and time of and nothing about the little baby jesus.Ses it all
0/10
The whole Christmas thing does nothing for me at all (proper Scrooge me) and I absolutely hate New Year, I would rather celebrate the solstice.
Yeah that one.
I liked the 'chance to see family' side of it. Give a present, expect nothing, catch up, pressure off. Worked fine for many years.
These days due to some personal stuff, I just want nothing to do with the entire extended winterfest season other than to be alive on the other side of it.
My kids love it, so the show must go on. Maybe one day I will learn to enjoy it again.
Strange how it's all about booze and time of and nothing about the little baby jesus.Ses it all
We all know why it's less about the baby Cheeses and more about feasting and excess, and have probably discussed it on this forum every year since Jeez said that cheesemakers will inherit the earth.
...I was scrolling tiktok after...
I've pin pointed one of the problems.
What is a, presumably, grown man doing on Tik Tok?
I've pinpointed another problem. What is a - presumably - grown man doing judging what others do in their own time?
I do care enough about actually important things to point out that commas don't work like that, either.
"Strange how it's all about booze and time of and nothing about the little baby jesus.Ses it all"
I'm looking forward to some time off and disappearing into the hills to avoid the nonsense as much as possible. No booze, no Jebus. It's a bit like Christmas isn't really aimed at men like me.
Mixed this year. Definitely leaving it later to get going. When I was working at Center Parcs Christmas started first week of November. Kids back from Uni this week, wife finishes teaching for the year on Friday. Singing Carols at St Albans Cathedral on the 22nd. I’m working on Xmas Eve, going to be a Santa at the care home I work at, then 4 days off. Actually I’m feeling quite Christmassy now!
1 out of 10 bothered about Xmas for myself.
I was the expected 4/10 at the start of the week but was looking forward to reaching 8/10 by end of the week when I would finish work until New Year and expected 2 weeks of a mixture of festivities, family, relaxing and over eating/drinking (with some exercise to balance).
Sadly work is a nightmare and is ridiculously busy - most annoyingly including some major issues which I expect I wont be able to get off my mind for the whole time I'm off (even if I wont be able to actually do anything).
Even worse managed to strain my back so now faced with the prospect of feeling sorry for myself and either being in real pain or at least constant discomfort.
So I'm back down to 2/10 and just hoping I get to FXXk it mode by next Monday!
If Xmas songs were that good then radio stations would play them all year round wouldn't they .
Just another excuse to spend money on frivolous tat that no one actually needs.
I'm with Lister, it can **** right off. 0/10
Going to a solstice BBQ with a few friends tomorrow though, looking forward to that. A because it will actually be fun and B because I wasn't already sick of it by mid September Oh, and C, if there is music it will be good. Did my shopping in M&S this week, I don't care what they charge, it's quiet.
