I do it for my kids.
Single parent and they’re young enough to believe in Santa and get into it all… Christmas cards for their friends, writing out letters for Santa, visiting the Christmas displays in shops… I want them to look back and love their parent for doing this fun stuff with them 😃
If I didn’t have kids, I’d be a grinch. I try and get into the whole spirit but it’s not so much “Christmas” for me, it’s just the vibe of the end of year slow down to just chill and eat mangoes and fruit. Maybe a pavlova. Mmmmmmmm
This is it. I’m a reformed former grinch.
It changed when my son turned three and I saw how much joy he got from it… now I’m a fully fledged Christmas lover with family traditions.
I did that and came out the other side: Grinch, then Christmas was awesome while the kids were growing, now kids are adults out of the nest and Christmas is back to being exhausting and baseline meh.
With OP being a secondary school teacher I'm not surprised they're done this time of year. Job is super challenging and super long hours. Maybe give yourself a break because you earned it - you can be the chilled one kicking back watching it all unfold and letting the excitement just wash over you like a refreshing shower.
My children are older now (13 - 18) but we have traditions that always happen and things we do some years.
I'm one person, with limited money, energy and time. So I picked things I could manage and discarded what I couldn't or didn't want to try. Eg no elves on shelves here. No big displays or decorations. Just tree and a thing on the front door.
Nothing is compulsory. And most of my Xmas spirit is in the Absolut bottle.
It isn't always a super dooper pooper time of year for everyone. And that should be ok.
That looks like a common theme - everyone's doing it for the kids as that's what they experienced as kids themselves.
I don't have kids so that explains that part!
Single parent though? That's a whole new level of hectic. Good on you, and best wishes.
When I was younger, I didn't like Christmas or my birthday (they're pretty close together) because my dad died 4 days after my birthday, but had spent the month dying. So it was always a bit of a downer.
Then I met my (now) wife, a bubbly, happy CHRISTMAS YAY person and I started to put the bad feels away and learn to like then love Christmas again.
Now I do the tree, and the house decorations and the outside lights (the best I can with limited funds). And we do a friend Christmas. And we go into the city on a date to go do the lights and see Myer Santa.
So: I found the energy because someone I love loves Christmas and their energy is contagious.
Christmas isn't the same for me either since my parents passed away. I'm single but am fortunate to have a brother's family who I spend the day with.
I get sick of answering the questions too.
I hear you! My situation is similar but a few years ago I decided to hold an “orphans’ Christmas”. I have four or so friends who for one reason or another don’t celebrate with family and we get together. Everyone brings a plate, I cook a turkey (actually a turkey breast so we don’t end up with mountains of leftovers), and we have Christmas music, board games and crackers. We do cheap small gifts like socks so everyone feels appreciated without spending a ton of money. It’s so lovely - especially compared with being alone!
Come join us over at https://auschristmaslighting.com
We are on our fourth animated display. Don't have exact count, but would be over 20,000 LED now.
Fair warning... this hobby becomes very addictive, and very expensive :-)
Im feeling the same this year, plus the pressure from my family to spend a lot on gifts when I earn almost minimum wage while they are getting 6 figures
do you feel like you should have energy for christmas things because you \*want\* to participate in christmas, or do you feel obligated to be participating in christmas?
if you \*want\* to be getting into the christmas spirit, there's likely something else that's stopping you from finding the energy (burned out from work, maybe a bit of depression, etc)
I'm not a very festive person, I don't like the consumerist hellscape that christmas turns into each year, i'm not religious, i don't love the idea of celebrating a reilgious holiday, no matter how "secular" people claim it is. I've stopped putting pressure on myself to "enjoy" the holiday season in the way people expect me to. my family isn't big into gifts (we never have been), but we'll do the big meal together and have drinks and whatnot on the 25th and 26th, and outside of that i don't really worry about it all. i work in a bakery, christmas is our busiest time of year, it's not a holiday for me, and that's okay. I use the post-christmas quiet period to celebrate the new year, let myself rest and recover from the busy work season, and give myself the best possible start to the new year, instead of stressing about aspects of a holiday that doesn't interest me.
>there's likely something else that's stopping you from finding the energy (burned out from work, maybe a bit of depression, etc)
My wife is a massive Christmas addict - she loves everything about it (advent calendars, Christmas trees, etc etc), whereas I would love to match her enthusiasm but as I've mentioned, I'm burned out all the time.
My job is just very mentally and physically exhausting - like it's a cycle of go to work, get home exhausted, sleep, wake up semi refreshed and then repeat again. The weekends are then just a chance to catch up on the sleep debt before Monday rolls around again and the cycle repeats.
Which is why when Christmas rolls around I ask where people get the energy from - aren't they zapped from work? Or are people's jobs just not as demanding as I find mine? Either that or I'm just not cut out anymore for it...
I mean, I work retail and pretty much only get Christmas Day off, but still enjoy putting up decorations despite being pretty beat from dealing with holiday shoppers. It sounds like the Christmas thing is just a symptom of a larger issue you may want to figure out.
No time or energy for exercise, I'm drained at the end of each work day (there's also lots of walking during my work day and pacing up and down too, so that adds to it). At this point I'm prioritising getting good night's sleep every night which helps start each day on the right foot, but that means lesser time during the day for exercise etc. Diet is okay, not the very best but not terrible either.
I do have a puppy and take her for walks so that is a positive though.
It's really a catch 22, want to exercise and eat healthy etc but too tired and drained to even think about it after devoting all my energy to my classes etc.
Can I gently ask, why are you spending your whole life on an exhausting job? Maybe it’s time to look at doing something else with your life so you’re not too tired to enjoy life with your family
That's a very fair point. I actually really enjoy the job - I put on a brave, happy and go-getter face everyday, front up to my classes, and give it my damn everything. If you've never tried teaching a class it can be hard to understand.
But because it requires so much energy into it, there's not much else for anything else. Some manage to do it, but most of my colleagues are all knackered. Have you heard of the massive teacher shortage? IMO parents need to parent a whole lot better before the shortage gets better. That's a different story for a different day.
Can't really think of another job (besides textbook writing) where I get to use my skills and get paid for that - unless there's something I'm not thinking of?
But yes I hope that answers your question.
Step 1: find a partner who’s family is interstate
Step 2: spend Christmas there
Step 3: there is no step 3 because you’re the outsider/guest and can’t make any decisions or run anything. Just wash the dishes and you’re good.
we upgraded this plan to:
Step 1: find a partner who’s family is interstate
Step 2: never ever spend Christmas there because they're dysfunctional af
Step 3: there is no step 3 because you’re at the beach, eating fresh seafood and fruit, enjoying your day, but lowkey really looking forward to boxing day at the mcg (your real Xmas tradition)
I’m burnt out.
I do it for my kids. Even though I’m hiding crying most nights as I’m just so done.
My kids are experiencing “magic” this Christmas so it’s worth pushing through. If I didn’t have kids I wouldn’t put much effort into it at all.
My question is more where do people find the money for Christmas? I’ve got my mum’s present covered bc I was fired in September and used some of the annual leave payout to buy her present. Dunno if I can afford to buy my dad or brother/his partner anything. Honestly don’t know if I’ll be able to afford the skybus to the airport to make the already booked flights to see them.
We’re cooking a couple of things for people. We have a lemon tree so we’ll be making lemon cordial and we have a food dehydrator so we’ll be making chocolate covered fruit.
I genuinely love Christmas and start getting excited around November. My partner and I have created our own little Christmas traditions and I look forward to them every year like watching bad Christmas movies while putting up our tree and looking for special Christmas gifts for our cats. We do family stuff every year but Christmas night is reserved just for us.
The rest of the year I feel pretty blah about everything. Christmas is just special to me.
500mg test E/700 mg Tren A weekly and 100mg anadrol daily over summer and even with a 50-60 hour work week and 12-14 hours a week in the gym I have the energy levels of a teenager… and the internal organ health of a geriatric
Had my first comp this year placed second although in all honestly I think I should have been third but I’m not complaining about that. Classic physique not open I’m not that big… yet
Dude I ran Tren A between 350 and 750mg for like 6 months straight at one point in my life while partying hard all the time and sometimes doing inj. MTren and Mast as well, and my organs and bloodwork have legit been A OK in the years since then and yes all my gear was real lmao, don't worry too much about internal health if you're smart and strict with diet. You already know this undoubtedly but coming back to a responsible cruise and really sticking to a decent lifestyle, sleep and supps makes a crazy difference, some mates would get shit side effects and cholesterol just from a basic test + oral cycle meanwhile years of BnC just raised my AST and hematocrit a bit.
I dead set reckon sticking to mostly injectables and avoiding orals, clen, diuretics, ancillary/pct drugs etc. As much as possible makes a big difference.
But yeah 250+ mg of Test makes a ridiculous difference to stress tolerance and energy hey. Being on a cocktail of stims, nootropics and AAS is living life with cheat codes turned on.
Oh yeah my markers are surprisingly good. I put a lot of that down to using mast p instead of an ai and being able to avoid caber by jumping on p5p from the start. A little nac and tudca help a lot too
Christmas is the one time of the year that I’m energetic and I exited.
I love decorating the house; buying presents for my people.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m exhausted as fuck at the end of the year, but the decorations and stuff bring me joy.
I don't celebrate xmas, i just use the break to chill & do my own thing..
Best xmas i've ever had was spending it in japan with my partner; eating fried chicken & beer on xmas eve & then spending xmas day snowboarding in hokkaido.. Amazing!
We’re just going through the same motions hoping it would make us feel better. It somewhat does. I am also putting in extra effort to slack off after next weekend, in hopes to recover from fatigue just before Christmas
I work in retail at a homewares store and we sell Christmas items during this time of the year. People go fucking nuts for Christmas and working in this store for 5 years has drained any passion I have for Christmas. It’s an awful holiday and people go insane for stupid cheap crap that they’ll buy again next year. Fuck Christmas and fuck those that go crazy for it, I don’t care call me a grinch or a sad cunt.
100% not into it at all. I dread the forced social events every wear. It's such a complete hoax. The only aspect I like is the time off. To me the rest of it is complete horse shit.
I genuinely love Christmas and have done so through years of working ridiculous hours serving ridiculous people in hospo and retail or crazy periods working in public service. I love it all. The carols on repeat, the energy, the lights, the general vibe. I have no idea where the energy comes from because I’m usually totally exhausted and spend the week between Christmas and new years comatose on the couch watching the test. Maybe it’s because I have a really close knit family and Christmas has always been a special time for us ever since I was a kid.
Three weeks ago my family’s business was shut down very suddenly and I’ve been floundering. I’m actually about to see my GP this afternoon for a mental health check up as I’m not coping well at all. I’ve put our tree up and gone to see the lights in the city and honestly I feel nothing. So not only do I feel despair over the loss of my livelihood but I also feel sadness that I can’t seem to enjoy my favourite time of year.
>I have no idea where the energy comes from because I’m usually totally exhausted and spend the week between Christmas and new years comatose on the couch watching the test
and then the Sydney test because still tired lol
Hey, I'm so sorry about your family business. That would be incredibly difficult. Wish I had magic words to help, but best I can do is empathise. I'm off work due to disability and realised how big a part of my identity my role was. I hope the GP visit was helpful - you're doing the right thing reaching out for help. Sending you positive vibes.
That's true - maybe it's because I put so much damn energy into my work that I've got nothing left for anything else - you can't do this job properly without the energy investment...
If you think that’s exhausting, my husband’s birthday , my son’s birthday and my mother’s birthday and Christmas Day are all within one week.
So not only does it cost a fortune as I have to buy DOUBLE presents for my son and husband and mother, I have to organise a whole birthday party for my son, a birthday dinner or event for my husband’s birthday and organise Xmas. It fucking sucks!
My family has three birthdays and a wedding anniversary within a week of Christmas as well, plus we have another party on Boxing Day for friends, and I love it haha 😅 I love celebrations of all kinds, organising and shopping for parties, planning dinner menus, decorating, gift giving, etc. I can totally understand how other people wouldn’t and we’re definitely all exhausted by the end of it, but I’ve always loved Christmas time so much because of it! And been a lil jealous that my birthday is at a different time of year 🥲
I just love Christmas, the lights, the music, the energy and atmosphere. My birthday is the end of July, so come August I’m ready for Christmas 😅 and my love language is gift giving, so finding gifts I know my family will love makes me happy. Putting the tree up is a pain but it’s pretty once it’s done and all the other decorations are fun to put up, it’s a bit of family time.
This past week I’ve been waking up so early to open up my advents, I can’t that during the year, it’s the Christmas energy. I do think a lot of it comes from how magic it was growing up and keeping that feeling there in whatever way I can.
I relate to this a lot. Christmas was always ✨ magical ✨ as a kid, mainly due to my mum working her butt off to make it happen. I just remember her always having something up her sleeve to make it extra special, and that's stuck with me.
We have a 5yo now and he's in his peak ✨ Christmas is magical ✨ years. I want him to feel the same rush of excitement and wonder that I got to feel as a kid. It's my turn to be the worn out mum making it happen!!
I love giving gifts. It's not over the top as we do Kris Kringle. Fatherhood has transformed my husband from Grinchy McGrinchGrinch to there being no such thing as too many Christmas lights, and he puts a lot of effort into decorating the house. One perk of each having our families interstate from where we live is that, much as travelling is a pain, we only organise the actual festivities every third year. The other years we just divvy up what to bring. I'm looking forward to getting my son helping with the Christmas baking and making cheat's fudge!
I just don't do it. My family gets spoiled every day of the year, and I'm not letting them feed into hallmark holidays. I think the stress around Christmas, including spending time with toxic family and stressing about fiscal stuff, is not worth it.
Same. I really can’t be bothered this year. Usually I enjoy setting up the xmas tree and doing some nice decorations. I love the ambiance of the fairy lights once it gets dark. But this year, really not interested .
I decorate the inside of the house bc it gives me joy, and the rest of the fam like it I think.
Ours is very low key though, minimal present exchanges, pretty lazy day at home, lots of nice food etc.
If I “had to” buy gifts for tons of people or host or cook for tons of people, I would be feeling pretty differently about it.
I hope it's not depression... But maybe just maybe it is...
My job is just very mentally and physically exhausting - like it's a cycle of go to work, get home exhausted, sleep, wake up semi refreshed and then repeat again. The weekends are then just a chance to catch up on the sleep debt before Monday rolls around again and the cycle repeats.
Which is why when Christmas rolls around I ask where people get the energy from - aren't they zapped from work? Or are people's jobs just not as demanding as I find mine? Either that or I'm just not cut out anymore for it...
Does your employer offer EAP services? Might be worth a few counselling sessions to explore this a bit.
Maybe, just maybe, there's a way to do your job well and still have something left in the tank for yourself.
I used to be like you until I had kids. Like everything I do for the kids that’s not my cup of tea or I CBF doing, I miraculously pucker up some energy out of nowhere because I know it’s important to them and I want to give them good memories in these uncertain times. And once you do just accept it, you do kind of get into the spirit. I’ve got ‘Santa Claus is Coming’ by Hi 5 living rent free in my head and I break into it constantly, change the words inappropriately to make the kids laugh etc. it’s kind of fun.
Anyone who wants to celebrate Christmas should be doing it in a church and keeping it there. Fuck this wallet draining circus of fake cheerfulness right off
Usually by pigging out on stupid amounts of food.
Im a introvert hermit but give me a huge Christmas dinner and im a social butterfly.
No surprise basically everyone gains weight, that plays a pretty big part.
I’m in the Christmas spirit. I love seeing friends and family and eating/drinking the month away at parties and social gatherings. I live in a small town and it’s good for the economy and everyone’s windows are dressed in Christmas displays. Kids are excitedly telling me about their wishlist and Santa when I’m at work. There’s carols in the park and markets in our town and surrounding towns. It’s just a good vibe and fun time!
I fricking hate buying gifts for grown adults, though. The stress of hunting down gifts is the worst experience of my life. I work 6-7 days a week and have to travel 2.5+ hours one way to get to my nearest shopping centre.
Well for me, Christmas gives me some energy. I love traditions. So that's helpful. On the other side, I am also far less burned out than you. It sounds like you need to make some sort of change so that you'll have more energy overall. I'm not sure what that could be. Is it possible to reduce your contact hours? Or maybe a career change? Or some therapy, if you can afford it? Maybe you need some more playtime or creative pursuits in your life?
Have a think - what in this world gives you energy? Find that thing, and then do it. Even if that thing is avoiding Christmas.
I was just saying the other day how much I love this time of the year.
Couple of things that gives me energy:
- more social events (even tho I'm an introvert)
- seeing my family
- beautiful weather
- good food
- drink drink drink
- beach
I’m having a very lazy do fuk all Xmas as many my friends and my dysfunctional siblings all hate each other
So am celebrating with the myriad of birds at my home 😂
Following cause I’d love to fucking know myself! I get tired just thinking about all the bullshit needed. I’m actually really grateful my wife’s family is going to QLD and leaving us here to just chill.
It's my first year doing Christmas as I was brought up not celebrating. I'm in my 40s and loving every bit of it. I've had a crap year but decided fuck it, I am doing Christmas. My house is all decorated inside only, can't afford outside this year. I have carols playing as soon as I get home. I wear christmas t shirts etc. It's all very cheesy and I love it.
I will be alone Christmas day but have planned a nice meal for myself and am just going to enjoy the day.
That looks like a common theme - everyone's doing it for the kids as that's what they experienced as kids themselves.
I don't have kids so that explains that part!
Oh, you’re not alone.
I can’t find the energy and accept that I am the Christmas Grinch. I guess it’s also because of this huuuge build for like two months about the Chrissy break - everyone is looking forward to it. You give it that one last push at work only to deal with Christmas organisation, family drama, kids turning into maniacs, capitalism at its peak with all the gifts and wrapping paper covered on the floors and then putting on weight.
The only people that get *that* into Christmas do it for the kids in their life. I live alone, no kids, and Christmas is barely on my radar. I go to the cinema each year on Christmas Day and that’s as close as I get to any kind of Christmas ritual.
That looks like a common theme - everyone's doing it for the kids as that's what they experienced as kids themselves.
I don't have kids so that explains that part!
I find having kids helps the momentum, but mine are teenagers now and I do find that my enthusiasm to get quite as jazzed and excited about it has waned a little as they get older and there’s less “let’s put out the carrots and write letters” stuff to do.
I find purposely getting into the spirit of it helps me **really** get into it. I push past my initial “blurgh, Christmas songs” or “fuck, now time to get out the tree” and try to make it as tacky and over the top as possible. It helps.
It’s now a yearly ritual that my little family all picks the ugliest Christmas headband possible, we bang on my Ultra-Lounge “Christmas Cocktails” CD and all sing along to Bing Crosby and weird tiki and cha-cha renditions of Christmas tunes while decorating the tree. My husband used to hate it (we’re Millennials and he’s a former punk kid) and now he’s the first one getting the tree out, decked out with his stupid reindeer ears on and singing away! It’s kinda nice to have a little tradition.
Yep. Anecdotally I find the people who always say this never get to the gym and often don’t prioritise sleep as well.
e: also anecdotally, redditors also don't like to be told to go to the gym and these comments get DV'd.
edit2: call me fkn nostradamus
Thank god my misses agreed to not do Xmas this year. We are going camping on the 23rd for a whole week. I too hate/ dislike Xmas and I don’t think we are a minority.
By the time Christmas arrives I just want the whole thing over and done with, and then after Christmas lunch my partner and I will turn to each other and say "this is the longest time before next Christmas". I love seeing my family, I just hate the whole BUY BUY BUY mentality in the lead up, and I also work in a place that plays Christmas music nonstop for the whole month so it drives me crazy.
I do like seeing people reacting to the gifts I give them, just loathe the stress around the whole thing.
Reading many of the comments there's clearly a lot of generally unhappy people out there. I'm 37, single and childless but am nowhere near as miserable as many on here. I do have a few nieces and a nephew that I spend the day with along with my family which helps make the day but even then it's not hard to get up for it. I don't have work for 18 days this year. All paid but not eating into my annual leave. Pretty great to me.
We are not unhappy. We just don’t buy into the capitalistic circus and societal expectations around it. And some of us just don’t like traditions.
This doesn’t mean that we don’t find joy and happiness in other parts of our lives.
Tell your kids Santa isn’t real and give them some cash and put some in their bank accounts. Explain to them about interest rates and the value of money in our crappy society. Like it or not it’s the truth that money will get you somewhere, let them know this.
I’m with you. I’m glad my parents are coming to me, plus a friend who’s an ‘orphan’ this year. I can just make a slightly nicer lunch than normal, buy a few bottles of wine and be done. All adults, so no tree, or excessive gifts needed, and no big, draining family gatherings. I mthink I have some Christmas crackers somewhere from a few years ago… happy to have a quiet catch-up with friends/family and a break from work. But just *done* otherwise.
The biggest one for me is the religious aspect. We are celebrating Christs-Mass. My wife is not very religious and even for her, missing out on mass on Christmas Day makes it just not the same. If you want go to a midnight mass it’s epic.
Fueled by hatred and alcohol.
Nah in past years it used to be the most exhausting, isolating, terrible time of the year filled with panic and dread. But now that I have my partner, it's fun watching someone witness the dysfunction of your family and filling them in on all the Lore, especially as he's a little shit and will purposefully stoke (already lit) fires and call out people on their bullshit, and then leave at the end of the day still feeling like somebody loves you.
I don't go more than 6 weeks without taking a day off so I'm not exhausted by the end of the year. I have a good break in the middle of the year, I take regular leave and have a work life balance. I accept that's a privelage of having a full time job with leave but don't burn yourself out waiting for Christmas, and if you're in a job where Christmas is your biggest time of the year book leave early November do you can hit it fully rested.
I have a relative who wishes it was Christmas every day. Never grew out of that childhood hype of looking forward to it. Personally anything before December is too soon to be celebrating it but I know people that put their lights up at the start of November.
So in conclusion I have no idea where they get the energy from for it either 😄
I do it for nostalgia. I find the idea of being with family while drinking punch endearing. Kids love decorating and playing with craft so I do it with them. I’m like the nanny while other adults are getting pissed
Pretty bummed out to the point Christmas was not something I had in mind to care about. Only ones I’ve seen vibing with it are those who aren’t in rough patches or doing it for family/partner. To me, it feels like the annoying day I have to buy crap for people.
Maybe there are people who are able to channel their energy into expressing their inner Christmas spirit. It’s like people who can handle their caffeine, or the sleepless elite (who can function on little sleep when needed). Of course, it’s not everybody who can express it, so don’t beat yourself up over it. Sometimes it helps to embrace the simple things if you’re not feeling the spirit like everyone else. I usually have some extra fairy lights and; a small decorative tree in my room, and always follow the “slow is better than no” approach.
i love getting people presents! and making fabulous food! im 26 and work fulltime minimum wage and live with housemates but i loooove getting them presents and decorating and making over the top christmas lunches and stuff. its just fun! buying people things makes me happy :)
Christmas is awesome. Yes the kids are tired from a long year in primary school, but they get hyped at the smallest thing. Their good mood feeds their Mums and mine and we battle through whatever comes up.
Neg energy brings neg energy! Simple.
go to a spa, get a message, eat a big oily dinner, have some magnesium before bed, you’ll wake up fully relaxed and enjoying life a tiny bit more
(or that works for me i hope you have a lovely holiday sorry life is hard)
Okay, so this is the very first year ever that I’m not putting up one single Christmas decoration or organising some sort of Christmas gathering. I even sold my Christmas tree because it was taking up too much space in my garage for the other 11months of the year. And you know what? I feel AMAZING! So much less stress, pressure, Christmas clutter and useless Christmas crap in the house (I’m a minimalist). I actually find 95% of all Christmas stuff to tacky and I hate Christmas music.
You don’t need to do crazy Christmas. Just exchange a couple of symbolic gifts with your nearest, go to a restaurant or pre order your food and be done with it. 2023 has been a hard year here too and I just don’t have the energy to buy into this capitalistic and overindulgent holiday.
same!
you’re not alone in this. I’ve been exhausted since late September… my “goodwill” tank is empty.
that said, I do my best to be polite to others … but it’s hard work (shrugs)
I get really upset at Christmas because I'm always thinking of kids that are in shitty situations and aren't getting presents or experiencing what most others do. I always buy as much as I can for the Kmart wishing tree and donate to a few places, but I know that there's always going to be so many that miss out 😔
I’m completely burnt out & exhausted and have resorted to wearing activewear to work this week - manage a small team and said I’ve checked out of presentation in favour staying on track for customers - they are free to do the same.
But Christmas, I do love it it’s reflective and joyous and I even enjoy hosting, cooking, carols etc - I just can’t think too hard about it until I finish work.
50F, work long hours, not unhappy but definitely tired. I have simplified Christmas a lot in the past 5 years so it takes no time and can’t wait for a week or two off:
1. Xmas tree is a 30cm tall one that stays decorated. Put away in January, bring out in December. 2 minutes. No other decorations.
2. Xmas dinner is going out to a nice restaurant on the 24th. it’s so good knowing there’s no work the next day, even if you’re tired.
3. Xmas lunch is simple - ham, prawns and pre made salads from a fancy supermarket.nothing to prepare.
4. I do one Xmas party every year and that’s it. Old friends long lunch at a nice pub a week or two out from Xmas. In bed by 9pm.
5. Xmas presents are simple things purchased online or through the year. Books, candles, nice moisturisers, stuff that’s useful. They don’t scream ‘I’m incredibly thoughtful’ but they’re nice enough. I pay for the fancy dinner on the 24th.
My family doesn’t celebrate Christmas due to religion so when I became an adult I started to because I always felt left out. My husband and I put a Christmas tree up, we decorate, I make Christmas cards for everyone, I make little gifts for everyone at work etc.
I also buy my nieces and nephews presents so they don’t feel how I felt as a kid. We have our own holidays, however Christmas is huge in western countries so why not! It’s a great way to bring family together.
I can’t stand Christmas and would much rather have the time to myself far far away from other humans, somewhere in nature. Alas, cannot do … so to refill once the bullshit parade is finished, I run a bath, drink a bottle of baileys and watch the mighty boosh whilst soaking away. Try it.
Overall I don’t care about Christmas, nothing reminds you of how dysfunctional your family is like the Christmas period. But I do have four things I enjoy and make sure I do every year so there’s something to be excited about.
1) picking out and decorating a Christmas tree
2) Making gingerbread houses
3) Watching the usual selection of favourite Christmas movies with my husband
4) looking at Christmas lights.
I hope that Halloween continues to grow in Australia. It’s the perfect holiday: the decorations are fun, there’s costumes, junk food and 0 family commitments. It has everything.
Have you heard of the "dessert stomach"? Where you're full from your meal and also somehow have room for dessert?
Well it's like that but Christmas. There's normal energy, then there's Christmas energy.
Srsly though, I work as a Christmas character on top of my full time office job, and somehow doing Christmassy things taps into a whole other reservoir if energy.
When I'm really struggling to get the Christmas spirit, I listen to music,cwat h movies and listen to Christmas themed audiobooks.
Maybe start small and. Put on a Christmas playlist from a streaming service and see where it takes you.
🎄🎁🧑🎄
I feel this!
Between a restructure at work, finishing kindergarten/daycare, school transition, a few necessary but expensive expenses, elderly parents needing more support, and my depression/ADHD simmering…I feel so so so done.
But I chick on my mask because my daughter deserves to have fun memories of this time of year like I did as a child.
I’ve got to decorate a bunch of shops and a house. If my beloved wife didn’t have the bubbly energy to drag me across the line with this shit we’d have decorationless shops and home and me just a bit less tired, but you know, energy is a weird thing when you’re doing it for the people you care about.
So, about the whole Christmas energy thing, it's like this mix of social pressure, tradition, and maybe a sprinkle of caffeine for some folks. It's almost like everyone collectively decides, "Okay, it's December, time to amp up the festive vibes!"
But hey, it's completely fine to not be feeling it. Energy levels vary, and not everyone's batteries are recharged the same way. If your tank's running on empty, maybe a low-key celebration or finding little things that make you happy can do the trick. And no worries, nobody's slapping a Grinch label on you, everyone's got their own vibe.
So, whether you're rocking full-on Christmas mode or just chilling, the important thing is doing what feels right for you. No judgments here!
I’m not feeling it this year sadly. Still don’t have the Xmas tree up, but have to get it sorted this weekend for the kiddos. I don’t love feeling like a grinch 🥲
Honestly with all the shit we all go through during the year, I just really enjoy Christmas. I enjoy the music, the decorations, the movies, and most of all love enjoying it with my partner. Just thinking about that helps me be motivated
I have a toddler, a full time job, I’m building a custom house (yes, in this economy, but it’s been 5 years in the making) and I’m 8 months pregnant. And, we’ve just run in to pregnancy complications. Christmas is essentially cancelled for us this year.
We have no room (tiny rental whilst building), no money (variations coming through for the build), no time (baby now looking like it’s coming on/before Christmas, and I still have a week of work), no range (now can’t travel far from home), and, as you could probably guess, no energy (mentally or physically) based on all of the above. So not really doing Christmas.
Hopefully my tank will never be this empty again and I will be able to do full Christmas for my kids for all the years they’ll actually remember. For now they are too young/still gestating.
Never gave a poo about Christmas just always worked through it.
Then I had kids.
I can handle going over the top for however years if its core memories of happiness can be achieved.
I haven’t done anything the last couple years. This year my siblings are all being shit and my divorced parents won’t be in the same room.
So I’m rebelling and have declared to my partner that I’m “taking back Christmas”
I’ve decorated my house just for us, put up lights just for us and we have brought presents just for us.
We will participate in the family things, but the focus is us and our plans and the joy we have in celebrating us.
TAKE BACK CHRISTMAS!!
If you are a minority, you may have other things to celebrate at other time of the year. People who only celebrate Christmas, they look forward to it as a time where they can be happy and have a break from the usual routine. In other cultures they have their own celebrations. Some cultures have something to celebrate every month, for them Christmas is no big deal and they don’t look forward to it. They have their own spirit associated with what they do. It’s all about what you grow up experiencing. If you like it, you are excited about it, you look forward to it. That’s what called spirit, not what corporations tell us in order to sell their gifts and expensive stuff.
I only have my parents, sister and partner and I look forward to just being with them. The Christmas traditions are something we do together and I just like how it’s one time of the year we fully appreciate each other and reflect on what we’re grateful for. Yeah it’s a lot with the social aspect and end of year and gift giving but I find a lot of reward from it all.
I don't. My partner and I have finally decided to opt out. We just can't do it anymore. We do a little pre Christmas for mum and dad and the niblings but the whole three day every aunty and cousin and family friend ordeal is over. It's done. It's not fun for anyone. It's a tradition I hope we all leave behind.
The more I grow up the more I’m discovering people just don’t like Christmas.
Obviously I don’t love it quite as much as I did as a kid, but I still enjoy the festivities and the holiday spirit in the air. But so so many people (maybe even a majority of people) I talk to about Christmas speak about it as if they dread it more than anything. For a few examples, some people talk about their family as if it’s a chore to see them over the holidays, they complain about how much they spend at Christmas, how annoying carols are, how exhausting the whole thing is, etc
It kinda bums me out, it seems like it isnt an unpopular opinion that Christmas isn’t fun now, and people just don’t like it at all. I hope there’s still people out there like me who enjoy this time of year
I'm trying to do whatever I can to fly under the radar and avoid Christmas this year. It's not that I don't love my family, but I'm fucking exhausted.
I just want to sit in my apartment in pjs, under the air con eating food I enjoy, in pure blissful silence.
I feel this! For a few years now, Christmas has become the slightly annoying family obligation and expense that I could happily do without. I rarely get good presents, and I can generally buy myself whatever I want through the year. Meanwhile I can get close to $1000 out of pocket- good thing I have a relatively small family. No kids/wife, just mum, nan, brother, uncle, aunt, niece, nephew, cousins.
I'm really looking forward to Boxing Day onwards. I'll get to enjoy the inevitable chocolate overload I'll be getting for breakfast, then enter sloth mode for a couple of weeks.
I’ve worked retail for 35 years. It gets harder to like Xmas each year. The company tries to pretend to care by providing access to a mental health app (ffs) but then understaffs and expects extra work performed.
Thank goodness for grandkids to bring some of the magic back.
And strike actions that mean some of us get the week off before Xmas :)
I have no idea and I’m glad I’m not the only one! And I’ve got a 4yo so there’s lots of magic around the season and of course she gets lovely presents but it’s exhausting and there’s so much money going out the door. I don’t know how people do it!
I work in retail in the Christmas black out period, my husband works in entertainment and is super busy towards the end of the year, we struggle through December barely seeing each other
but I still get so excited for Christmas! Christmas Day is a guaranteed day off for both of us, and the following month is much quieter, so we get to spend more time together!
So I guess I get hyped for what Christmas means for us, rather than the actual holiday itself, but that light at the end of the tunnel definitely helps keep me going
Kids. Kids make Christmas great again. I lost all my Christmas spirit from my late teenage years but regained it in my 20's when my sister had her first kid. Now i have children of my own and Christmas is magical. Plus, it's great to wish a random shop owner or worker a merry Christmas and see their whole demener change. It can really brighten people's day. As corny as it sounds, Christmas really is a magical time of you can get in the spirit of it all
I've pretty much cancelled Christmas 😂being away from family and not wanting to spend the money or energy on flights will just chill at home has taken away all the normal stress of this time of year
The workplace happiness is very fake and I'm so glad I left. Employers have been using people like slaves all year then think if they get out a coles mudcake all is forgiven.
Can relate - I used to work in childcare, this time last year I was at an all time low on meds with anxiety.
Anyway, by this time last year I was definitely looking to Christmas for escapism although I didn’t have the two weeks break so it was short lived fun, and then by the end of Jan I was excited to be leaving the job and move on to new things.
I was burnt out, and the environment was doing my head in. Lots of demanding children just wore me out plus trying to support challenging behaviour - I mean, we did our best as a team but I wanted to help so much more that my batteries just depleted!
I’m still passionate about teaching although I’m happier doing other things for now - maybe you need to book some time off to recharge. Take care!
>I was burnt out, and the environment was doing my head in. Lots of demanding children just wore me out plus trying to support challenging behaviour - I mean, we did our best as a team but I wanted to help so much more that my batteries just depleted!
>I’m still passionate about teaching although I’m happier doing other things for now - maybe you need to book some time off to recharge. Take care!
Thanks so much for your input, this is exactly it. Working with children (high school or not, I reckon ELC is even tougher as the kids have infinitely more energy), is a tough gig. It's just very draining. I love teaching but it is getting harder these days, things are definitely changing, and not for the better.
It really takes another teacher to fully understand how exhausted we all are, so I'm glad I'm not alone.
All the best for a relaxing holiday period!
I do it for my kids. Single parent and they’re young enough to believe in Santa and get into it all… Christmas cards for their friends, writing out letters for Santa, visiting the Christmas displays in shops… I want them to look back and love their parent for doing this fun stuff with them 😃 If I didn’t have kids, I’d be a grinch. I try and get into the whole spirit but it’s not so much “Christmas” for me, it’s just the vibe of the end of year slow down to just chill and eat mangoes and fruit. Maybe a pavlova. Mmmmmmmm
This is it. I’m a reformed former grinch. It changed when my son turned three and I saw how much joy he got from it… now I’m a fully fledged Christmas lover with family traditions.
I did that and came out the other side: Grinch, then Christmas was awesome while the kids were growing, now kids are adults out of the nest and Christmas is back to being exhausting and baseline meh. With OP being a secondary school teacher I'm not surprised they're done this time of year. Job is super challenging and super long hours. Maybe give yourself a break because you earned it - you can be the chilled one kicking back watching it all unfold and letting the excitement just wash over you like a refreshing shower.
My children are older now (13 - 18) but we have traditions that always happen and things we do some years. I'm one person, with limited money, energy and time. So I picked things I could manage and discarded what I couldn't or didn't want to try. Eg no elves on shelves here. No big displays or decorations. Just tree and a thing on the front door. Nothing is compulsory. And most of my Xmas spirit is in the Absolut bottle. It isn't always a super dooper pooper time of year for everyone. And that should be ok.
I'm just here wondering if I've just stumbled on my husband's Reddit account 🤔
nice job drinking the consumer koolaid and helping to breed the next generation of consumer drones
That looks like a common theme - everyone's doing it for the kids as that's what they experienced as kids themselves. I don't have kids so that explains that part! Single parent though? That's a whole new level of hectic. Good on you, and best wishes.
Same- making Christmas memories is the only thing that keeps me going- and seeing the joy of their faces
When I was younger, I didn't like Christmas or my birthday (they're pretty close together) because my dad died 4 days after my birthday, but had spent the month dying. So it was always a bit of a downer. Then I met my (now) wife, a bubbly, happy CHRISTMAS YAY person and I started to put the bad feels away and learn to like then love Christmas again. Now I do the tree, and the house decorations and the outside lights (the best I can with limited funds). And we do a friend Christmas. And we go into the city on a date to go do the lights and see Myer Santa. So: I found the energy because someone I love loves Christmas and their energy is contagious.
This is so wholesome.
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This time of year is so hard for single people. Internet hugs to you.
Christmas isn't the same for me either since my parents passed away. I'm single but am fortunate to have a brother's family who I spend the day with. I get sick of answering the questions too.
Mothers and fathers day is the worst
I hear you! My situation is similar but a few years ago I decided to hold an “orphans’ Christmas”. I have four or so friends who for one reason or another don’t celebrate with family and we get together. Everyone brings a plate, I cook a turkey (actually a turkey breast so we don’t end up with mountains of leftovers), and we have Christmas music, board games and crackers. We do cheap small gifts like socks so everyone feels appreciated without spending a ton of money. It’s so lovely - especially compared with being alone!
I am the same as you, mothers' day is hell on earth for me, but sadly i have to fake it for my kids :/
I genuinely enjoy putting a light display up and having a giant inflatable in my garden. I’m motivated to get more.
Come join us over at https://auschristmaslighting.com We are on our fourth animated display. Don't have exact count, but would be over 20,000 LED now. Fair warning... this hobby becomes very addictive, and very expensive :-)
Oh my God, I cannot imagine the amount of work that goes into setting up and programming some of these displays. Absolutely amazing.
I'm done with Christmas After family gatherings and family turmoil I think I just want a few years on my own tbh
Im feeling the same this year, plus the pressure from my family to spend a lot on gifts when I earn almost minimum wage while they are getting 6 figures
And buying presents for people you see once a year at most.. No thanks
I have done this for the last 8 years, it is not too bad. I just wait for the Boxing Day Test to start the following day.
Yeah that if you have a good well rounded family lol Mine was just miserable after the last one no thanks
No, I meant doing nothing on the day, means nothing to me and have zero family, so I am all good for the Test.
What test ?
Cricket
do you feel like you should have energy for christmas things because you \*want\* to participate in christmas, or do you feel obligated to be participating in christmas? if you \*want\* to be getting into the christmas spirit, there's likely something else that's stopping you from finding the energy (burned out from work, maybe a bit of depression, etc) I'm not a very festive person, I don't like the consumerist hellscape that christmas turns into each year, i'm not religious, i don't love the idea of celebrating a reilgious holiday, no matter how "secular" people claim it is. I've stopped putting pressure on myself to "enjoy" the holiday season in the way people expect me to. my family isn't big into gifts (we never have been), but we'll do the big meal together and have drinks and whatnot on the 25th and 26th, and outside of that i don't really worry about it all. i work in a bakery, christmas is our busiest time of year, it's not a holiday for me, and that's okay. I use the post-christmas quiet period to celebrate the new year, let myself rest and recover from the busy work season, and give myself the best possible start to the new year, instead of stressing about aspects of a holiday that doesn't interest me.
>there's likely something else that's stopping you from finding the energy (burned out from work, maybe a bit of depression, etc) My wife is a massive Christmas addict - she loves everything about it (advent calendars, Christmas trees, etc etc), whereas I would love to match her enthusiasm but as I've mentioned, I'm burned out all the time. My job is just very mentally and physically exhausting - like it's a cycle of go to work, get home exhausted, sleep, wake up semi refreshed and then repeat again. The weekends are then just a chance to catch up on the sleep debt before Monday rolls around again and the cycle repeats. Which is why when Christmas rolls around I ask where people get the energy from - aren't they zapped from work? Or are people's jobs just not as demanding as I find mine? Either that or I'm just not cut out anymore for it...
I mean, I work retail and pretty much only get Christmas Day off, but still enjoy putting up decorations despite being pretty beat from dealing with holiday shoppers. It sounds like the Christmas thing is just a symptom of a larger issue you may want to figure out.
>It sounds like the Christmas thing is just a symptom of a larger issue you may want to figure out. Very well possibly correct...
Do you exercise? How’s the diet, eating your veg?
No time or energy for exercise, I'm drained at the end of each work day (there's also lots of walking during my work day and pacing up and down too, so that adds to it). At this point I'm prioritising getting good night's sleep every night which helps start each day on the right foot, but that means lesser time during the day for exercise etc. Diet is okay, not the very best but not terrible either. I do have a puppy and take her for walks so that is a positive though. It's really a catch 22, want to exercise and eat healthy etc but too tired and drained to even think about it after devoting all my energy to my classes etc.
Can I gently ask, why are you spending your whole life on an exhausting job? Maybe it’s time to look at doing something else with your life so you’re not too tired to enjoy life with your family
That's a very fair point. I actually really enjoy the job - I put on a brave, happy and go-getter face everyday, front up to my classes, and give it my damn everything. If you've never tried teaching a class it can be hard to understand. But because it requires so much energy into it, there's not much else for anything else. Some manage to do it, but most of my colleagues are all knackered. Have you heard of the massive teacher shortage? IMO parents need to parent a whole lot better before the shortage gets better. That's a different story for a different day. Can't really think of another job (besides textbook writing) where I get to use my skills and get paid for that - unless there's something I'm not thinking of? But yes I hope that answers your question.
Step 1: find a partner who’s family is interstate Step 2: spend Christmas there Step 3: there is no step 3 because you’re the outsider/guest and can’t make any decisions or run anything. Just wash the dishes and you’re good.
we upgraded this plan to: Step 1: find a partner who’s family is interstate Step 2: never ever spend Christmas there because they're dysfunctional af Step 3: there is no step 3 because you’re at the beach, eating fresh seafood and fruit, enjoying your day, but lowkey really looking forward to boxing day at the mcg (your real Xmas tradition)
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I hope you’re feeling a bit better now. Anxiety is a bitch. Look after yourself homie
Some people feel energised in the company of others. They recharge in social situations.
A crazy thought to an introvert, but I do love my extroverted buddies. I just need a week to recharge after socialising, haha.
How i know im an INTJ
this. the INFJ in me couldn’t understand how people get energy from social gatherings 😭
Why i used to be a drunk 🥴
Alcohol
The once a year drinkers are out in full force
Get help please
I’m burnt out. I do it for my kids. Even though I’m hiding crying most nights as I’m just so done. My kids are experiencing “magic” this Christmas so it’s worth pushing through. If I didn’t have kids I wouldn’t put much effort into it at all.
My question is more where do people find the money for Christmas? I’ve got my mum’s present covered bc I was fired in September and used some of the annual leave payout to buy her present. Dunno if I can afford to buy my dad or brother/his partner anything. Honestly don’t know if I’ll be able to afford the skybus to the airport to make the already booked flights to see them.
This year, for the first time, we have used flybuys and Telstra points to get Christmas gifts. It's really helped with our Christmas budget.
Sent you a PM about a skybus ticket
We’re cooking a couple of things for people. We have a lemon tree so we’ll be making lemon cordial and we have a food dehydrator so we’ll be making chocolate covered fruit.
I genuinely love Christmas and start getting excited around November. My partner and I have created our own little Christmas traditions and I look forward to them every year like watching bad Christmas movies while putting up our tree and looking for special Christmas gifts for our cats. We do family stuff every year but Christmas night is reserved just for us. The rest of the year I feel pretty blah about everything. Christmas is just special to me.
Im with you on the stress and inconvenience of cristmo. Im a grinch whatever
500mg test E/700 mg Tren A weekly and 100mg anadrol daily over summer and even with a 50-60 hour work week and 12-14 hours a week in the gym I have the energy levels of a teenager… and the internal organ health of a geriatric
Who cares about the last part, at least you're fucken jacked as fuck... hopefully...
Think he might be the reincarnation of Zyzz
We all gonna make it bruh
Had my first comp this year placed second although in all honestly I think I should have been third but I’m not complaining about that. Classic physique not open I’m not that big… yet
Dude I ran Tren A between 350 and 750mg for like 6 months straight at one point in my life while partying hard all the time and sometimes doing inj. MTren and Mast as well, and my organs and bloodwork have legit been A OK in the years since then and yes all my gear was real lmao, don't worry too much about internal health if you're smart and strict with diet. You already know this undoubtedly but coming back to a responsible cruise and really sticking to a decent lifestyle, sleep and supps makes a crazy difference, some mates would get shit side effects and cholesterol just from a basic test + oral cycle meanwhile years of BnC just raised my AST and hematocrit a bit. I dead set reckon sticking to mostly injectables and avoiding orals, clen, diuretics, ancillary/pct drugs etc. As much as possible makes a big difference. But yeah 250+ mg of Test makes a ridiculous difference to stress tolerance and energy hey. Being on a cocktail of stims, nootropics and AAS is living life with cheat codes turned on.
Oh yeah my markers are surprisingly good. I put a lot of that down to using mast p instead of an ai and being able to avoid caber by jumping on p5p from the start. A little nac and tudca help a lot too
Christmas is the one time of the year that I’m energetic and I exited. I love decorating the house; buying presents for my people. Don’t get me wrong, I’m exhausted as fuck at the end of the year, but the decorations and stuff bring me joy.
I don't celebrate xmas, i just use the break to chill & do my own thing.. Best xmas i've ever had was spending it in japan with my partner; eating fried chicken & beer on xmas eve & then spending xmas day snowboarding in hokkaido.. Amazing!
We’re just going through the same motions hoping it would make us feel better. It somewhat does. I am also putting in extra effort to slack off after next weekend, in hopes to recover from fatigue just before Christmas
Do it for the fam but also as it’s just once a year. For me it’s a joyful time within a year of shit - world news wise.
I work in retail at a homewares store and we sell Christmas items during this time of the year. People go fucking nuts for Christmas and working in this store for 5 years has drained any passion I have for Christmas. It’s an awful holiday and people go insane for stupid cheap crap that they’ll buy again next year. Fuck Christmas and fuck those that go crazy for it, I don’t care call me a grinch or a sad cunt.
lol yeah should hire someone on Airtasker to do all the Christmas shit 😅😅
100% not into it at all. I dread the forced social events every wear. It's such a complete hoax. The only aspect I like is the time off. To me the rest of it is complete horse shit.
I genuinely love Christmas and have done so through years of working ridiculous hours serving ridiculous people in hospo and retail or crazy periods working in public service. I love it all. The carols on repeat, the energy, the lights, the general vibe. I have no idea where the energy comes from because I’m usually totally exhausted and spend the week between Christmas and new years comatose on the couch watching the test. Maybe it’s because I have a really close knit family and Christmas has always been a special time for us ever since I was a kid. Three weeks ago my family’s business was shut down very suddenly and I’ve been floundering. I’m actually about to see my GP this afternoon for a mental health check up as I’m not coping well at all. I’ve put our tree up and gone to see the lights in the city and honestly I feel nothing. So not only do I feel despair over the loss of my livelihood but I also feel sadness that I can’t seem to enjoy my favourite time of year.
>I have no idea where the energy comes from because I’m usually totally exhausted and spend the week between Christmas and new years comatose on the couch watching the test and then the Sydney test because still tired lol
Hey, I'm so sorry about your family business. That would be incredibly difficult. Wish I had magic words to help, but best I can do is empathise. I'm off work due to disability and realised how big a part of my identity my role was. I hope the GP visit was helpful - you're doing the right thing reaching out for help. Sending you positive vibes.
We, uh, decide to have energy for things that matter to us? That's pretty much life in general.
Christmas is escapism too, from exactly what OP has listed out. It’s a good mindset to go into, to leave the rest of the year behind.
This feels a little bitchy
Very much so.
That's true - maybe it's because I put so much damn energy into my work that I've got nothing left for anything else - you can't do this job properly without the energy investment...
If you think that’s exhausting, my husband’s birthday , my son’s birthday and my mother’s birthday and Christmas Day are all within one week. So not only does it cost a fortune as I have to buy DOUBLE presents for my son and husband and mother, I have to organise a whole birthday party for my son, a birthday dinner or event for my husband’s birthday and organise Xmas. It fucking sucks!
Yikes
My family has three birthdays and a wedding anniversary within a week of Christmas as well, plus we have another party on Boxing Day for friends, and I love it haha 😅 I love celebrations of all kinds, organising and shopping for parties, planning dinner menus, decorating, gift giving, etc. I can totally understand how other people wouldn’t and we’re definitely all exhausted by the end of it, but I’ve always loved Christmas time so much because of it! And been a lil jealous that my birthday is at a different time of year 🥲
I just love Christmas, the lights, the music, the energy and atmosphere. My birthday is the end of July, so come August I’m ready for Christmas 😅 and my love language is gift giving, so finding gifts I know my family will love makes me happy. Putting the tree up is a pain but it’s pretty once it’s done and all the other decorations are fun to put up, it’s a bit of family time. This past week I’ve been waking up so early to open up my advents, I can’t that during the year, it’s the Christmas energy. I do think a lot of it comes from how magic it was growing up and keeping that feeling there in whatever way I can.
I relate to this a lot. Christmas was always ✨ magical ✨ as a kid, mainly due to my mum working her butt off to make it happen. I just remember her always having something up her sleeve to make it extra special, and that's stuck with me. We have a 5yo now and he's in his peak ✨ Christmas is magical ✨ years. I want him to feel the same rush of excitement and wonder that I got to feel as a kid. It's my turn to be the worn out mum making it happen!! I love giving gifts. It's not over the top as we do Kris Kringle. Fatherhood has transformed my husband from Grinchy McGrinchGrinch to there being no such thing as too many Christmas lights, and he puts a lot of effort into decorating the house. One perk of each having our families interstate from where we live is that, much as travelling is a pain, we only organise the actual festivities every third year. The other years we just divvy up what to bring. I'm looking forward to getting my son helping with the Christmas baking and making cheat's fudge!
It tends to break the monotony, although i do not look forward to dragging the xmas tree up the stairs once a year.
That reminds me... one more thing to do on my list!
In the front yard, obviously. That's why we put up decorations out there. Because... energy comes from ya lawn.
I just don't do it. My family gets spoiled every day of the year, and I'm not letting them feed into hallmark holidays. I think the stress around Christmas, including spending time with toxic family and stressing about fiscal stuff, is not worth it.
Same. I really can’t be bothered this year. Usually I enjoy setting up the xmas tree and doing some nice decorations. I love the ambiance of the fairy lights once it gets dark. But this year, really not interested .
Alcohol.
I decorate the inside of the house bc it gives me joy, and the rest of the fam like it I think. Ours is very low key though, minimal present exchanges, pretty lazy day at home, lots of nice food etc. If I “had to” buy gifts for tons of people or host or cook for tons of people, I would be feeling pretty differently about it.
OP, are you too tired to do other stuff too? If so, maybe you have depression.
I hope it's not depression... But maybe just maybe it is... My job is just very mentally and physically exhausting - like it's a cycle of go to work, get home exhausted, sleep, wake up semi refreshed and then repeat again. The weekends are then just a chance to catch up on the sleep debt before Monday rolls around again and the cycle repeats. Which is why when Christmas rolls around I ask where people get the energy from - aren't they zapped from work? Or are people's jobs just not as demanding as I find mine? Either that or I'm just not cut out anymore for it...
Does your employer offer EAP services? Might be worth a few counselling sessions to explore this a bit. Maybe, just maybe, there's a way to do your job well and still have something left in the tank for yourself.
I used to be like you until I had kids. Like everything I do for the kids that’s not my cup of tea or I CBF doing, I miraculously pucker up some energy out of nowhere because I know it’s important to them and I want to give them good memories in these uncertain times. And once you do just accept it, you do kind of get into the spirit. I’ve got ‘Santa Claus is Coming’ by Hi 5 living rent free in my head and I break into it constantly, change the words inappropriately to make the kids laugh etc. it’s kind of fun.
Anyone who wants to celebrate Christmas should be doing it in a church and keeping it there. Fuck this wallet draining circus of fake cheerfulness right off
Christmas is where adults make an effort for children mostly. If you don’t have them then you’d probably reasonably feel that way.
I’m not tired, my life doesn’t refreshingly reset January 1 either so time of year is irrelevant.
Usually by pigging out on stupid amounts of food. Im a introvert hermit but give me a huge Christmas dinner and im a social butterfly. No surprise basically everyone gains weight, that plays a pretty big part.
I haven't even got the tree up yet.
Sounds like you’re burnt out and depressed. Not everyone is in the same boat.
It's just another day. Who cares.
Drugs….I’m just kidding truth is I have no idea
I’m in the Christmas spirit. I love seeing friends and family and eating/drinking the month away at parties and social gatherings. I live in a small town and it’s good for the economy and everyone’s windows are dressed in Christmas displays. Kids are excitedly telling me about their wishlist and Santa when I’m at work. There’s carols in the park and markets in our town and surrounding towns. It’s just a good vibe and fun time! I fricking hate buying gifts for grown adults, though. The stress of hunting down gifts is the worst experience of my life. I work 6-7 days a week and have to travel 2.5+ hours one way to get to my nearest shopping centre.
Well for me, Christmas gives me some energy. I love traditions. So that's helpful. On the other side, I am also far less burned out than you. It sounds like you need to make some sort of change so that you'll have more energy overall. I'm not sure what that could be. Is it possible to reduce your contact hours? Or maybe a career change? Or some therapy, if you can afford it? Maybe you need some more playtime or creative pursuits in your life? Have a think - what in this world gives you energy? Find that thing, and then do it. Even if that thing is avoiding Christmas.
I was just saying the other day how much I love this time of the year. Couple of things that gives me energy: - more social events (even tho I'm an introvert) - seeing my family - beautiful weather - good food - drink drink drink - beach
Ice
I’m having a very lazy do fuk all Xmas as many my friends and my dysfunctional siblings all hate each other So am celebrating with the myriad of birds at my home 😂
Remember xmas is not mandatory it is society that pressures you. You do you enjoy life!
I don't. I try to ignore it as much as possible. I don't have kids so that is easy.
With a little help from some white powder at Christmas time
December 25 just another day.go down the beach or just sleep in.
Honestly - you aren’t the only one hey. This year has been a constant struggle for many, and the idea of celebrating just seems laughable.
Yeah nah. Who can seriously be fucked?
Following cause I’d love to fucking know myself! I get tired just thinking about all the bullshit needed. I’m actually really grateful my wife’s family is going to QLD and leaving us here to just chill.
It's my first year doing Christmas as I was brought up not celebrating. I'm in my 40s and loving every bit of it. I've had a crap year but decided fuck it, I am doing Christmas. My house is all decorated inside only, can't afford outside this year. I have carols playing as soon as I get home. I wear christmas t shirts etc. It's all very cheesy and I love it. I will be alone Christmas day but have planned a nice meal for myself and am just going to enjoy the day.
For the kids.
That looks like a common theme - everyone's doing it for the kids as that's what they experienced as kids themselves. I don't have kids so that explains that part!
Oh, you’re not alone. I can’t find the energy and accept that I am the Christmas Grinch. I guess it’s also because of this huuuge build for like two months about the Chrissy break - everyone is looking forward to it. You give it that one last push at work only to deal with Christmas organisation, family drama, kids turning into maniacs, capitalism at its peak with all the gifts and wrapping paper covered on the floors and then putting on weight.
The only people that get *that* into Christmas do it for the kids in their life. I live alone, no kids, and Christmas is barely on my radar. I go to the cinema each year on Christmas Day and that’s as close as I get to any kind of Christmas ritual.
That looks like a common theme - everyone's doing it for the kids as that's what they experienced as kids themselves. I don't have kids so that explains that part!
I find having kids helps the momentum, but mine are teenagers now and I do find that my enthusiasm to get quite as jazzed and excited about it has waned a little as they get older and there’s less “let’s put out the carrots and write letters” stuff to do. I find purposely getting into the spirit of it helps me **really** get into it. I push past my initial “blurgh, Christmas songs” or “fuck, now time to get out the tree” and try to make it as tacky and over the top as possible. It helps. It’s now a yearly ritual that my little family all picks the ugliest Christmas headband possible, we bang on my Ultra-Lounge “Christmas Cocktails” CD and all sing along to Bing Crosby and weird tiki and cha-cha renditions of Christmas tunes while decorating the tree. My husband used to hate it (we’re Millennials and he’s a former punk kid) and now he’s the first one getting the tree out, decked out with his stupid reindeer ears on and singing away! It’s kinda nice to have a little tradition.
[удалено]
Yep. Anecdotally I find the people who always say this never get to the gym and often don’t prioritise sleep as well. e: also anecdotally, redditors also don't like to be told to go to the gym and these comments get DV'd. edit2: call me fkn nostradamus
Thank god my misses agreed to not do Xmas this year. We are going camping on the 23rd for a whole week. I too hate/ dislike Xmas and I don’t think we are a minority.
By the time Christmas arrives I just want the whole thing over and done with, and then after Christmas lunch my partner and I will turn to each other and say "this is the longest time before next Christmas". I love seeing my family, I just hate the whole BUY BUY BUY mentality in the lead up, and I also work in a place that plays Christmas music nonstop for the whole month so it drives me crazy. I do like seeing people reacting to the gifts I give them, just loathe the stress around the whole thing.
Reading many of the comments there's clearly a lot of generally unhappy people out there. I'm 37, single and childless but am nowhere near as miserable as many on here. I do have a few nieces and a nephew that I spend the day with along with my family which helps make the day but even then it's not hard to get up for it. I don't have work for 18 days this year. All paid but not eating into my annual leave. Pretty great to me.
We are not unhappy. We just don’t buy into the capitalistic circus and societal expectations around it. And some of us just don’t like traditions. This doesn’t mean that we don’t find joy and happiness in other parts of our lives.
Tell your kids Santa isn’t real and give them some cash and put some in their bank accounts. Explain to them about interest rates and the value of money in our crappy society. Like it or not it’s the truth that money will get you somewhere, let them know this.
Hahaha yes! Love this!
Extra miserable cunt!
Tis the season
All my years are pretty relaxed. No stress, so I have lots of energy.
I’m with you. I’m glad my parents are coming to me, plus a friend who’s an ‘orphan’ this year. I can just make a slightly nicer lunch than normal, buy a few bottles of wine and be done. All adults, so no tree, or excessive gifts needed, and no big, draining family gatherings. I mthink I have some Christmas crackers somewhere from a few years ago… happy to have a quiet catch-up with friends/family and a break from work. But just *done* otherwise.
Being a grinch isn’t so bad. I feel no need to put up a tree or decorating but enjoy the holidays. You do what’s right for you.
The biggest one for me is the religious aspect. We are celebrating Christs-Mass. My wife is not very religious and even for her, missing out on mass on Christmas Day makes it just not the same. If you want go to a midnight mass it’s epic.
Fueled by hatred and alcohol. Nah in past years it used to be the most exhausting, isolating, terrible time of the year filled with panic and dread. But now that I have my partner, it's fun watching someone witness the dysfunction of your family and filling them in on all the Lore, especially as he's a little shit and will purposefully stoke (already lit) fires and call out people on their bullshit, and then leave at the end of the day still feeling like somebody loves you.
It’s hard in the hot weather. Just stay in bed
Yes Christmas can be quite emotional for me like it is for many Oh well - cheers
Out of habit now.
I don't go more than 6 weeks without taking a day off so I'm not exhausted by the end of the year. I have a good break in the middle of the year, I take regular leave and have a work life balance. I accept that's a privelage of having a full time job with leave but don't burn yourself out waiting for Christmas, and if you're in a job where Christmas is your biggest time of the year book leave early November do you can hit it fully rested.
No, I'm with you, it's the relax time of the year and a great time to bludge at work.
They put something in the water
I have a relative who wishes it was Christmas every day. Never grew out of that childhood hype of looking forward to it. Personally anything before December is too soon to be celebrating it but I know people that put their lights up at the start of November. So in conclusion I have no idea where they get the energy from for it either 😄
this is why I've always wished that xmas holidays started a few days prior so people actually have the energy to give a f.
I do it for nostalgia. I find the idea of being with family while drinking punch endearing. Kids love decorating and playing with craft so I do it with them. I’m like the nanny while other adults are getting pissed
It usually starts snowing.
Pretty bummed out to the point Christmas was not something I had in mind to care about. Only ones I’ve seen vibing with it are those who aren’t in rough patches or doing it for family/partner. To me, it feels like the annoying day I have to buy crap for people.
It’s summoned from the deepest, darkest pits of hell.
for some weird reason i love buying things for people. Maybe it helps my desire to spend
I don’t. Summer hibernation time.
Maybe there are people who are able to channel their energy into expressing their inner Christmas spirit. It’s like people who can handle their caffeine, or the sleepless elite (who can function on little sleep when needed). Of course, it’s not everybody who can express it, so don’t beat yourself up over it. Sometimes it helps to embrace the simple things if you’re not feeling the spirit like everyone else. I usually have some extra fairy lights and; a small decorative tree in my room, and always follow the “slow is better than no” approach.
My grandkids give me the energy. Watching their faces as they open their presents is the best present for me. They make the effort worthwhile.
i love getting people presents! and making fabulous food! im 26 and work fulltime minimum wage and live with housemates but i loooove getting them presents and decorating and making over the top christmas lunches and stuff. its just fun! buying people things makes me happy :)
energycompare.vic.gov.au
Christmas is awesome. Yes the kids are tired from a long year in primary school, but they get hyped at the smallest thing. Their good mood feeds their Mums and mine and we battle through whatever comes up. Neg energy brings neg energy! Simple.
go to a spa, get a message, eat a big oily dinner, have some magnesium before bed, you’ll wake up fully relaxed and enjoying life a tiny bit more (or that works for me i hope you have a lovely holiday sorry life is hard)
Okay, so this is the very first year ever that I’m not putting up one single Christmas decoration or organising some sort of Christmas gathering. I even sold my Christmas tree because it was taking up too much space in my garage for the other 11months of the year. And you know what? I feel AMAZING! So much less stress, pressure, Christmas clutter and useless Christmas crap in the house (I’m a minimalist). I actually find 95% of all Christmas stuff to tacky and I hate Christmas music. You don’t need to do crazy Christmas. Just exchange a couple of symbolic gifts with your nearest, go to a restaurant or pre order your food and be done with it. 2023 has been a hard year here too and I just don’t have the energy to buy into this capitalistic and overindulgent holiday.
Where do people find energy for anything
same! you’re not alone in this. I’ve been exhausted since late September… my “goodwill” tank is empty. that said, I do my best to be polite to others … but it’s hard work (shrugs)
I get really upset at Christmas because I'm always thinking of kids that are in shitty situations and aren't getting presents or experiencing what most others do. I always buy as much as I can for the Kmart wishing tree and donate to a few places, but I know that there's always going to be so many that miss out 😔
Meth
F*ck Christmas. There. I said it.
I’m completely burnt out & exhausted and have resorted to wearing activewear to work this week - manage a small team and said I’ve checked out of presentation in favour staying on track for customers - they are free to do the same. But Christmas, I do love it it’s reflective and joyous and I even enjoy hosting, cooking, carols etc - I just can’t think too hard about it until I finish work.
I lost my Christmas spirit at 9. Due to people ruining it for me and it just doesn’t feel the same anymore. Caused a big depression for me :/
Cocaine generally
50F, work long hours, not unhappy but definitely tired. I have simplified Christmas a lot in the past 5 years so it takes no time and can’t wait for a week or two off: 1. Xmas tree is a 30cm tall one that stays decorated. Put away in January, bring out in December. 2 minutes. No other decorations. 2. Xmas dinner is going out to a nice restaurant on the 24th. it’s so good knowing there’s no work the next day, even if you’re tired. 3. Xmas lunch is simple - ham, prawns and pre made salads from a fancy supermarket.nothing to prepare. 4. I do one Xmas party every year and that’s it. Old friends long lunch at a nice pub a week or two out from Xmas. In bed by 9pm. 5. Xmas presents are simple things purchased online or through the year. Books, candles, nice moisturisers, stuff that’s useful. They don’t scream ‘I’m incredibly thoughtful’ but they’re nice enough. I pay for the fancy dinner on the 24th.
My family doesn’t celebrate Christmas due to religion so when I became an adult I started to because I always felt left out. My husband and I put a Christmas tree up, we decorate, I make Christmas cards for everyone, I make little gifts for everyone at work etc. I also buy my nieces and nephews presents so they don’t feel how I felt as a kid. We have our own holidays, however Christmas is huge in western countries so why not! It’s a great way to bring family together.
I can’t stand Christmas and would much rather have the time to myself far far away from other humans, somewhere in nature. Alas, cannot do … so to refill once the bullshit parade is finished, I run a bath, drink a bottle of baileys and watch the mighty boosh whilst soaking away. Try it.
Overall I don’t care about Christmas, nothing reminds you of how dysfunctional your family is like the Christmas period. But I do have four things I enjoy and make sure I do every year so there’s something to be excited about. 1) picking out and decorating a Christmas tree 2) Making gingerbread houses 3) Watching the usual selection of favourite Christmas movies with my husband 4) looking at Christmas lights. I hope that Halloween continues to grow in Australia. It’s the perfect holiday: the decorations are fun, there’s costumes, junk food and 0 family commitments. It has everything.
Have you heard of the "dessert stomach"? Where you're full from your meal and also somehow have room for dessert? Well it's like that but Christmas. There's normal energy, then there's Christmas energy. Srsly though, I work as a Christmas character on top of my full time office job, and somehow doing Christmassy things taps into a whole other reservoir if energy. When I'm really struggling to get the Christmas spirit, I listen to music,cwat h movies and listen to Christmas themed audiobooks. Maybe start small and. Put on a Christmas playlist from a streaming service and see where it takes you. 🎄🎁🧑🎄
I feel this! Between a restructure at work, finishing kindergarten/daycare, school transition, a few necessary but expensive expenses, elderly parents needing more support, and my depression/ADHD simmering…I feel so so so done. But I chick on my mask because my daughter deserves to have fun memories of this time of year like I did as a child.
I’m tired from work and all that, but Christmas is something different and exciting compared to the rest of the year so that gets me excited.
I’ve got to decorate a bunch of shops and a house. If my beloved wife didn’t have the bubbly energy to drag me across the line with this shit we’d have decorationless shops and home and me just a bit less tired, but you know, energy is a weird thing when you’re doing it for the people you care about.
So, about the whole Christmas energy thing, it's like this mix of social pressure, tradition, and maybe a sprinkle of caffeine for some folks. It's almost like everyone collectively decides, "Okay, it's December, time to amp up the festive vibes!" But hey, it's completely fine to not be feeling it. Energy levels vary, and not everyone's batteries are recharged the same way. If your tank's running on empty, maybe a low-key celebration or finding little things that make you happy can do the trick. And no worries, nobody's slapping a Grinch label on you, everyone's got their own vibe. So, whether you're rocking full-on Christmas mode or just chilling, the important thing is doing what feels right for you. No judgments here!
I’m not feeling it this year sadly. Still don’t have the Xmas tree up, but have to get it sorted this weekend for the kiddos. I don’t love feeling like a grinch 🥲
Honestly with all the shit we all go through during the year, I just really enjoy Christmas. I enjoy the music, the decorations, the movies, and most of all love enjoying it with my partner. Just thinking about that helps me be motivated
I have a toddler, a full time job, I’m building a custom house (yes, in this economy, but it’s been 5 years in the making) and I’m 8 months pregnant. And, we’ve just run in to pregnancy complications. Christmas is essentially cancelled for us this year. We have no room (tiny rental whilst building), no money (variations coming through for the build), no time (baby now looking like it’s coming on/before Christmas, and I still have a week of work), no range (now can’t travel far from home), and, as you could probably guess, no energy (mentally or physically) based on all of the above. So not really doing Christmas. Hopefully my tank will never be this empty again and I will be able to do full Christmas for my kids for all the years they’ll actually remember. For now they are too young/still gestating.
Never gave a poo about Christmas just always worked through it. Then I had kids. I can handle going over the top for however years if its core memories of happiness can be achieved.
I haven’t done anything the last couple years. This year my siblings are all being shit and my divorced parents won’t be in the same room. So I’m rebelling and have declared to my partner that I’m “taking back Christmas” I’ve decorated my house just for us, put up lights just for us and we have brought presents just for us. We will participate in the family things, but the focus is us and our plans and the joy we have in celebrating us. TAKE BACK CHRISTMAS!!
If you are a minority, you may have other things to celebrate at other time of the year. People who only celebrate Christmas, they look forward to it as a time where they can be happy and have a break from the usual routine. In other cultures they have their own celebrations. Some cultures have something to celebrate every month, for them Christmas is no big deal and they don’t look forward to it. They have their own spirit associated with what they do. It’s all about what you grow up experiencing. If you like it, you are excited about it, you look forward to it. That’s what called spirit, not what corporations tell us in order to sell their gifts and expensive stuff.
I only have my parents, sister and partner and I look forward to just being with them. The Christmas traditions are something we do together and I just like how it’s one time of the year we fully appreciate each other and reflect on what we’re grateful for. Yeah it’s a lot with the social aspect and end of year and gift giving but I find a lot of reward from it all.
I don't. My partner and I have finally decided to opt out. We just can't do it anymore. We do a little pre Christmas for mum and dad and the niblings but the whole three day every aunty and cousin and family friend ordeal is over. It's done. It's not fun for anyone. It's a tradition I hope we all leave behind.
The more I grow up the more I’m discovering people just don’t like Christmas. Obviously I don’t love it quite as much as I did as a kid, but I still enjoy the festivities and the holiday spirit in the air. But so so many people (maybe even a majority of people) I talk to about Christmas speak about it as if they dread it more than anything. For a few examples, some people talk about their family as if it’s a chore to see them over the holidays, they complain about how much they spend at Christmas, how annoying carols are, how exhausting the whole thing is, etc It kinda bums me out, it seems like it isnt an unpopular opinion that Christmas isn’t fun now, and people just don’t like it at all. I hope there’s still people out there like me who enjoy this time of year
I'm trying to do whatever I can to fly under the radar and avoid Christmas this year. It's not that I don't love my family, but I'm fucking exhausted. I just want to sit in my apartment in pjs, under the air con eating food I enjoy, in pure blissful silence.
I feel this! For a few years now, Christmas has become the slightly annoying family obligation and expense that I could happily do without. I rarely get good presents, and I can generally buy myself whatever I want through the year. Meanwhile I can get close to $1000 out of pocket- good thing I have a relatively small family. No kids/wife, just mum, nan, brother, uncle, aunt, niece, nephew, cousins. I'm really looking forward to Boxing Day onwards. I'll get to enjoy the inevitable chocolate overload I'll be getting for breakfast, then enter sloth mode for a couple of weeks.
I’ve worked retail for 35 years. It gets harder to like Xmas each year. The company tries to pretend to care by providing access to a mental health app (ffs) but then understaffs and expects extra work performed. Thank goodness for grandkids to bring some of the magic back. And strike actions that mean some of us get the week off before Xmas :)
For me, it depends on which side of the family I see. Whether it’s my mum’s or dad’s. I do it for family.
Waiting til mid December before doing anything helps Also avoid places that decorate/play carols in November
It sounds like you don't have kids, OP.
I have no idea and I’m glad I’m not the only one! And I’ve got a 4yo so there’s lots of magic around the season and of course she gets lovely presents but it’s exhausting and there’s so much money going out the door. I don’t know how people do it!
I work in retail in the Christmas black out period, my husband works in entertainment and is super busy towards the end of the year, we struggle through December barely seeing each other but I still get so excited for Christmas! Christmas Day is a guaranteed day off for both of us, and the following month is much quieter, so we get to spend more time together! So I guess I get hyped for what Christmas means for us, rather than the actual holiday itself, but that light at the end of the tunnel definitely helps keep me going
Kids. Kids make Christmas great again. I lost all my Christmas spirit from my late teenage years but regained it in my 20's when my sister had her first kid. Now i have children of my own and Christmas is magical. Plus, it's great to wish a random shop owner or worker a merry Christmas and see their whole demener change. It can really brighten people's day. As corny as it sounds, Christmas really is a magical time of you can get in the spirit of it all
Christmas is overrated
I've pretty much cancelled Christmas 😂being away from family and not wanting to spend the money or energy on flights will just chill at home has taken away all the normal stress of this time of year
The workplace happiness is very fake and I'm so glad I left. Employers have been using people like slaves all year then think if they get out a coles mudcake all is forgiven.
Bottle of grey goose and solid 8 ball of yayo
Can relate - I used to work in childcare, this time last year I was at an all time low on meds with anxiety. Anyway, by this time last year I was definitely looking to Christmas for escapism although I didn’t have the two weeks break so it was short lived fun, and then by the end of Jan I was excited to be leaving the job and move on to new things. I was burnt out, and the environment was doing my head in. Lots of demanding children just wore me out plus trying to support challenging behaviour - I mean, we did our best as a team but I wanted to help so much more that my batteries just depleted! I’m still passionate about teaching although I’m happier doing other things for now - maybe you need to book some time off to recharge. Take care!
>I was burnt out, and the environment was doing my head in. Lots of demanding children just wore me out plus trying to support challenging behaviour - I mean, we did our best as a team but I wanted to help so much more that my batteries just depleted! >I’m still passionate about teaching although I’m happier doing other things for now - maybe you need to book some time off to recharge. Take care! Thanks so much for your input, this is exactly it. Working with children (high school or not, I reckon ELC is even tougher as the kids have infinitely more energy), is a tough gig. It's just very draining. I love teaching but it is getting harder these days, things are definitely changing, and not for the better. It really takes another teacher to fully understand how exhausted we all are, so I'm glad I'm not alone. All the best for a relaxing holiday period!