Christmas 2016
 

A mere two weeks away!

It is warm here in Texas, about 67F (19C), though we had a nice cold spell last week, it did not last.

I spent Thanksgiving in Dallas with daughter #2 so I will stay here and spend Christmas with daughters 1 & 3 and the folks. Will be a nice 3 day weekend, I hope it snows (but I doubt it will).

We all agreed this is no-gift Christmas, so I have no stress or expenditures to ruin the holiday. We're going to make tasty Christmas dishes, watch Dr Who and MST3K, and play games.

What are your plans? Spending time with the family?

http://www.infokids.gr/wp-content/up...e-cyfDP9hV.jpg

We decided to ditch the gift-giving too (except for our son) as it does mean a lot of stress and spending a lot of time over something that is over so quickly, and isn't really that important to making Christmas special.

Just us three at home and a visit to the in-laws at some point.

Quite looking forward to it (Christmas), we are having the daughter and fiance round for dinner then off to the wife's brothers house for the evening.

Boxing day will just be the wife and I for the first time.

Only downside being, James will be island hopping around the Carribbean but we are content in the knowledge he enjoys his work and there is the usual huge festive itinerary planned on his ship which he always looks forward to.

http://i.imgur.com/XsyoOTF.gif

Will be visiting with my sister and her family on Christmas Eve, but on Christmas Day will be home by myself. Kids and grandkids live too far away for us to be together on the holiday, too hard for people to be off from work at the same time. But will spend a lot of time talking with them all on the phone, so that is something anyway.

I've always enjoyed Christmas before, but the older I get, it doesn't have the same excitement as it used to when the kids were small and at home, and the wife was still alive. But must make the best of it I guess.

Family Christmas party the 17th. The 25th we stay home(me, the missus and daughters) and exchange gifts. From then on it Christmas Story repeated on the boob tube all day, ham for dinner and simply just enjoying the day.

Just another day.

https://m.popkey.co/ae039e/461gV_s-200x150.gif

Small family gathering at home on the 24th and a larger one on the 25th at my sister in-law's place. Too many old people now.

Ditto

http://i.imgur.com/14eZk66.jpg "Bah! Humbug!"

Kind of puts things Chrismas-wise into perspective.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/38293294

I agree.

Surviving and paying bills is far more important to me than spending money I don't have on this commercial dribble, debt is a real thing and not something that comes out a cracker.

Christmas is not supposed to be commercial and spending. Man has made it that way. St Nicholas as I'm told. Christmas has become over-commercialized.

I Agree 100%

Going to spend the Christmas evening and the following two days alone with my cat. Then I'm going to be with my Mom, little sister and my niece for three days thereafter.

About spending money on Christmas present. I save little money each month throughout the year, so I don't have to dig deep into my pocket when Christmas approach. In our family we have come to an agreement that no more than 300 Dkr per person shall be given. And only to those we are spending Christmas with.

Markus

And it has lost that true meaning for some. Some do not have a clue at all but run up the credit card anyway because it's "Christmas".