Those of us that live alone: Christmas?...

Biblioklept

I don't think I'm the only one on here that lives alone, in fact I know I'm not! I was wondering what other people do at Christmas, do you decorate? Do you get yourself a gift and wrap it?? Do you bother with big Christmas meal? Or do anything different at all?

What does Christmas look like in your house?? I'm curious what other solo-celebrators do

If you don't live alone feel free to answer too, as I love hearing about different people's traditions!

Albus_Scope

I have many friends who usually have xmas alone, but some have started "Xmas orphan" days, so they'll invite other people over for xmas dinner and to just chill out and chat. Others have get togethers on Zoom which always seem to go really well. Living alone doesn't need to mean spending xmas on your own these days, which is lovely to see.

durhamjaide2001

a couple of years ago we had a friend come over for Christmas dinner because if it wasn't for us he would be alone for Christmas

Rosie_Scope

We've had friends round for Christmas before who would otherwise be alone. We even 'zoomed' someone in and shared our Christmas dinner together one time.

If you use any social media sites, I've also seen little Christmas day chats anyone can get involved in. I have a feeling one of them was started by the comedian Sarah Millican on Twitter, but I'm sure there's others if that's something that would appeal to you 😊

While I haven't spent Christmas on my own before, I've had years where it's just been me and my partner. We ate what we wanted, when we wanted, and just chilled out for the rest of the day. So if you do decide to celebrate in some way, the benefit of it just being you is that you can do it exactly how you want to and there's no pressure to do any of the bits that you don't like. No stress, no arguments, just films and snacks all on your own time frame! It definitely feels like a good opportunity to just treat yourself for the day and do whatever you fancy doing.

Sandy_123

I will be around on the forum Xmas day as we are doing it all Xmas eve

WhatThe

Thanks for the question Biblioklept! I've adjusted to my solitary Christmas Days and anything's better than the family ones I used to dread from about September..

I do recommend a community lunch for anyone unhappily alone - you will need to reserve your place soon. Very sociable and great provisions, usually free - just too noisy for me.

Lights will go up this week and I have loads of presents to wrap including for myself, oh yes! Been putting things away for so long I have forgotten what's there so it's fun to find out.

My lovely daughter will eventually turn up after a proper Christmas with a completely normal family on her dad's side then another one with the bf's family - I'll be lucky if I see her before the new year. Luckily I think presents look better wrapped so waiting for her arrival is the highlight of Christmas for me then listening to The Muppets 12 Days of Christmas several times 😂

I will listen to CD's, classical hymns and the three tenors and think of my family on Christmas Day 😪 maybe also cycle over to a community garden and see actual people and enjoy my little self for a while 😄

Strawberry1

Reading these are making me fill up . Everyone here is so kind , generous and supportive. You all so very special 💗.

Strawberry1

I find it stressful here because they will be people visiting and I put on a smile but it gets over whelming . The plan is two days xmas day and boxing day . I sound like a grinch but I'm always glad when it over .

Strawberry1

Christmas for me is very very stressful.

Lynn0732

I am spending Christmas day with my dogs, it will be a chilled out day, I am treating myself to a nice steak and have the veggies I enjoy to eat and a mini Christmas pud and custard 👍After many years of listening to family fighting over silly things on Christmas day, I have declined offers to spend Christmas with them for the last 5 years and it's the best decision I ever made.

Strawberry1

Bless you @Lynn0732 . What you are doing sounds something I would love .

Strawberry1

Best wishes @Lynn0732 ❤️.

Lynn0732

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/953924#Comment_953924

And all the best to you Strawberry1👍

As I have got older, I much prefer the peace and quiet 😉

Ross1975

I will be on my own which I'm fine with as I don't get lonely. I'm still going to put up decorations, and I'll have a proper Christmas meal on Christmas evening and booze. I love the Christmas atmos.

Strawberry1

Bless you @Ross1975 . Best wishes

Strawberry1

Thank you @Lynn0732 . All the best.

Strawberry1

I like peace and quiet too @Lynn. Hope it goes well for you and your dogs . Sending kind blessings.

Tesslynne

Hi, I do have flatmates but I don't have family here or a significant other etc. One thing that really helped me last year & I will probably do for part of Christmas again is connecting with others online. There are a few online meetup groups and sometimes some of them meet online (as a group) on Christmas day. So I will probably do that for part of my Christmas Day. I can get out and about now - not fully there are some restrictions still - but last year I spent most of the year physically unable to and I found online things really helped me. I do call my family or they call me on whatsapp so that will probably happen too. I'm going to an in person event around the time of the holidays but not actually on Christmas Day. Maybe next year I will be able to save up for an uber in and out and go to an in person event on the day because some meetup groups - and probably some groups on other platforms - do that too. I don't tend to decorate cos it's just me & I'm not that bothered about it, sometimes I have something special to eat sometimes I don't. BUT I've made myself a youtube playlist of videos, songs etc. that are Christmassy that I might watch throughout the day. I sometimes watch "The Hogfather" - based on Terry Pratchett's book, that's my favourite Christmas movie at the moment but I've done that a few years in a row so we'll see - and there's a Dr Who Christmas special so I'll watch that. The library might be showing a Christmas movie, not on the day but near so if I'm free I'll go to that possibly. But when I wasn't as mobile as now it was online groups for me, the Hogfather etc. I still get some of my food delivered which I had to rely on for most of last year for ALL my meals anyway they have some Christmassy type meals so I'll get that too but only a few things or it gets too expensive! Anyway, that's me.

Tesslynne

I mean, at minimum it will be some whatsapp messages between me and my parents. Dad is having his own health stuff going on plus I'll be out on Christmas Eve so I will try to call but it might be messages, I don't know. Either one is fine with me!

Tesslynne

Some years - this is before my injury when I worked in very people orientated jobs - I was all "peopled out" so I would sometimes do as little as possible, yes call with the parents but I would just watch & eat whatever I fancied - within reason! - and have a complete break from people. Once or maybe a couple of times, I've been invited to a colleague's family for Christmas but I wouldn't go. A few times I've pet sat over Christmas, most recently for a cat that also lives in this household. They have a dog now - fortunately he's not too yappy! - I don't know yet if I'm also pet sitting this year but as they're in the same house if I am, I don't have far to go. So sometimes I do that too.

Tesslynne

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/953919#Comment_953919

Last Christmas and New Years I ended up crying because my mum wanted me to call my brother and or send a card & he & I have no relationship BECAUSE I cut him off out of my life BECAUSE of how dreadful he's been my whole life. So I can kind of get what you're saying there. I REALLY hope this year's Christmas and the new year's call are not ruined like that again cos I just want a nice chat or text with my parents, or just my mum if dad's not mentally up to it. Anyway, I wish you and everyone a lovely Christmas.