Do you actually like Xmas and New Year?

[mickd1961]

No.

If it wasn’t for the grandchildren I wouldn’t bother at all now.

Can’t wait to get the tree down and get back to normal.

I used to love it as a kid and as a young bloke but something happened along the way.

Thinking about it......I think it died with my dad in 2003.

The loss of him and my grandparents spoilt what had always been there for so long.

I’ve always hated new year though, all that looking back over the passing year, the false bonhomie, linking arms with complete strangers.......what a load of b o l l o c k s.

I don’t get many party invites!

[Omegstrat6]

Certainly means less to me now than it did when I was younger. Think a couple of things factor into that besides age. As a kid it was obviously a time of excitement and when you get a family of your own you do it for your own children. Once they have all flown the coup it's then mostly about the grandchildren but don't see ours as often as we'd like as they live too far away and only occasionally get to do a big family Xmas get together (which I do really enjoy and which remind me of those we had as kids with lots of nice food and party games etc)

Think it's also about having the time though to enjoy it. My work for many years only saw me with Xmas day off as I'd work Xmas Eve and Boxing Day so it always seemed that you'd work extra hard over this period, get one day off where I'd be knackered and that was it, all over. Too old and skint to go out to celebrate New Year and have been for a while so doesn't really interest me anymore really.

This year, for the first time in literally decades, I finish Saturday morning and am not back until following Friday night so intend to enjoy it more and hope to get the chance to sit and relax with drink, food and maybe the odd movie as well as get to see at least some of our kids and grandchildren. Might mean that I won't be such a Scrooge this year😀

[Joy_Division]

Nah. As a Christian I enjoy the religious aspect of Christmas and the events at my Church etc but I despise the commercial side of it. The shops start in bloody September. Also with 16 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren it is a pain in the ar*e thinking of things to get them besides the expense. Like Mick I also cannot wait to chuck the tree and lights back up into the loft for another year and get New Year,s Eve out the way.

[WBA1955]

The same as you Mick, loved it as a kid and when our lads were children.
Christmas Eve we went to my dad's work's club with parents aunties and cousins. About a week before they used to put on a party of employees kids and we got presents each. I got a Railroader from there.
After Christmas dinner relatives used to come and the party would go on into the night. There was a pub over the road and the blokes used to go for a drink and bring back party seven cans.
I used to get a bit tired and irritable.
Even as a young single bloke Christmas was always with the family.
When I met my wife we used to go to different relatives houses, mine and her's on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Eve.
No TV, that was taken out, we used to play cards and other games.
While the kids were growing up I did gritting so was at work most Christmases.
As the years have gone by family members have passed away. The mother in law died in December four years ago. Our eldest son has lived on the Welsh coast since he was 20.
My mom is in a nursing home. So this year there will only be four of us when our eldest comes to visit on Christmas Eve.

[DaveP67 is back!]

I like the family aspect of Christmas, spending time with the kids, time out of the usual cycle. Really don’t like new year tho, get a bit depressed, January is ****.

[Leicesterbaggie]

Obviously, the best Christmases were when you were young and when your children were young. As many have stated, Christmas starts far too early and is far too commercial. I enjoy Christmas activities associated with the church although I am not a regular church goer but my wife is. As for Christmas songs, I like many of them but most are from twenty or more years ago. My favourite is the Pogues 'Fairy Tale of New York'.
New Year, never been a big fan and often went to parties etc. as it was the thing that you did. Much prefer an evening with just a few close friends.

[baggieal]

Some miserable f uckers on this board and you can tell the age! What’s not to like about Christmas - time with family - days off work and eating decent food and drinking alcohol.

The moment I stop enjoying holidays - time with the kids - enjoying a lovely dog - enjoying fine foods and wines - it’s time to be cremated with an inscription -here lies a miserable old c unt!