What sort of thing do you wear to cook Christmas lunch?

ShoppingTelly

Help Support ShoppingTelly:

I recently watched 2 tv programmes about the lead up to Christmas. One was called something along the lines of Christmas Excess and the other was about very large families at Christmas, people with 13 to 18 children.
In the first programme it showed a Mother who`d bought her 3 kids over 100 presents apiece and they were stacked literally almost touching the ceiling. The second programme showed a family with umpteen children, some of them adults and their budget per person was £15. The parents did all their gift buying in Charity shops and local markets. They were devout Catholics and the whole family went to Mass on Christmas Eve and invited friends back for drinks and snacks. Their house was overflowing and on Christmas Day after Church their oldest son cooked Christmas lunch with help from one of his sisters. Lots of laughter, lots of mickey taking over some of the odd gifts they were given and not even amongst the younger teenage children were there any complaints or upset because they didn`t get the latest mobile phone or whatever. They all just threw themselves into being together and having a good time. The Mother hovered around the kitchen because it was the first year she`d allowed someone else to cook Christmas lunch but the oldest son and his sister had seen to everything and on a very tight budget.
The woman who`d bought her kids 300 presents between them had kids who were totally fedup after the first few presents, they still had unused gifts from the previous Christmas, I didn`t hear much laughter and Christmas lunch was hurriedly eaten so the kids could go back and open yet more gifts and at the end of the day all she could think of was starting buying gifts in the sales for the following year and how she`d top the 300 items bought for this year.
Totally different families, totally different approaches to Christmas , 2 different programmes but I know which family enjoyed Christmas the most.
 
My friend was telling me about this programme Vienna. I was appalled that someone would buy their children so much. What is that teaching them about life + values. It makes me really sad that this is how so many people have become. Another friend was telling me about the "Christmas Eve" box that lots of parents do now, buying pyjamas, dressing gowns + other bits + bobs for opening and wearing on Christmas Eve. How ridiculous. We always got pyjamas etc off grandparents but we had them as our present to open on Christmas Day + wore them on Christmas night. I really do despair at times + feel the world has gone mad.
 
I have decorations but cannot summon the energy to put most of them up. I did get a pop-up pre-lit tree in B&Q which I will put up, and the cards will be stuck up with blue tack.

I think it is utter madness to plunge yourself into serious debt for one single "blink and you'll miss it" day!!!


The over-commercialisation of Christmas piles on more and more pressure on people. Is it any wonder families row and breakup... Samaritans get more calls... suicides spike...?

Whatever the original ideals of the festival were, they have been swamped by a lot of ugliness.
 
I think big families are used to mucking in whereas small families panic when they have to cater for more than a couple of people.

I've heard about these "traditions" where everyone gets new PJs and has a Xmas eve pj party - not many veg prepped in those houses methinks.

Anyway now off work until the new year and all the fun (!) starts early tomorrow morning. And deep breath!
 
Some kids have too much and their parents go into debt for it.It is too commercialised but look at Q for example pushing it since July.Anyway we all have choice to buy what we want.This year no work for me on Christmas day so we are going to my daughter's for dinner.I hope everyone enjoys whatever they do on Christmas Day

images-7.jpeg
 
Vienna said:
I recently watched 2 tv programmes about the lead up to Christmas. One was called something along the lines of Christmas Excess and the other was about very large families at Christmas, people with 13 to 18 children.
In the first programme it showed a Mother who`d bought her 3 kids over 100 presents apiece and they were stacked literally almost touching the ceiling. The second programme showed a family with umpteen children, some of them adults and their budget per person was £15. The parents did all their gift buying in Charity shops and local markets. They were devout Catholics and the whole family went to Mass on Christmas Eve and invited friends back for drinks and snacks. Their house was overflowing and on Christmas Day after Church their oldest son cooked Christmas lunch with help from one of his sisters. Lots of laughter, lots of mickey taking over some of the odd gifts they were given and not even amongst the younger teenage children were there any complaints or upset because they didn`t get the latest mobile phone or whatever. They all just threw themselves into being together and having a good time. The Mother hovered around the kitchen because it was the first year she`d allowed someone else to cook Christmas lunch but the oldest son and his sister had seen to everything and on a very tight budget.
The woman who`d bought her kids 300 presents between them had kids who were totally fedup after the first few presents, they still had unused gifts from the previous Christmas, I didn`t hear much laughter and Christmas lunch was hurriedly eaten so the kids could go back and open yet more gifts and at the end of the day all she could think of was starting buying gifts in the sales for the following year and how she`d top the 300 items bought for this year.
Totally different families, totally different approaches to Christmas , 2 different programmes but I know which family enjoyed Christmas the most.
Click to expand...

Was it this woman, Vienna?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niECL1edNP0

I actually think the gifts become meaningless when you have that number. The children can't maintain a high level of excitement for the length of time it would take to unwrap such a ridiculous number, so I should think it becomes more of a chore in the end. They must be so overwhelmed with it all that they wouldn't know what to play with first. Who are the parents actually buying all these presents for, as it's certainly not benefitting their children? It's fulfilling a need in them, and I think they'd be better off trying to work out why they feel compelled to go so over the top.
 
Yep Minx that`s the woman but the programme I watched showed her and her family last Christmas Day and on the lead up to this Christmas. Last year the kids had 300 presents and this year she was planning on topping that amount.
 
And where on earth are they going to keep all that stuff for the rest of the year??
Poor children, I feel sorry for them really if that is what their mum thinks is the real meaning of Christmas.
 
There are some lovely posts on here, which (for me) sum up so much about this time of the year. I find that as I get older, I get more and more impatient with the 'hype' of Christmas, and is it me or did the hype start in July this year? What the hell is that all about? When I was a kid, it wasn't even talked of until after Bonfire Night! By the time December arrives I'm sick of hearing about Christmas and what we have to do to fit in with this false idea of the "perfect" Christmas. Yes, we see relatives and friends over Christmas, but we see them all year round, so at Christmas we enjoy spending the day relaxing, reading, taking a walk, watching the birds in the garden, and time for a special meal, whether it's chicken, turkey or whatever we fancy. I wish everyone a very Happy Christmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year - and have the Christmas you want, not the one organisations like Q tell you that you should have.
 
Talk about encouraging a sense of entitlement in kids! I don't give their future relationships much chance, if they have a gimme, gimme, gimme attitude. I think some parents mistake presents for love....just give them material things and that proves you love them. Unfortunately, it doesn't prove any such thing - giving them time, attention and a good example are more important.
#
Minx In Space said:
Was it this woman, Vienna?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niECL1edNP0

I actually think the gifts become meaningless when you have that number. The children can't maintain a high level of excitement for the length of time it would take to unwrap such a ridiculous number, so I should think it becomes more of a chore in the end. They must be so overwhelmed with it all that they wouldn't know what to play with first. Who are the parents actually buying all these presents for, as it's certainly not benefitting their children? It's fulfilling a need in them, and I think they'd be better off trying to work out why they feel compelled to go so over the top.
Click to expand...
 
historymystery said:
There are some lovely posts on here, which (for me) sum up so much about this time of the year. I find that as I get older, I get more and more impatient with the 'hype' of Christmas, and is it me or did the hype start in July this year? What the hell is that all about? When I was a kid, it wasn't even talked of until after Bonfire Night! By the time December arrives I'm sick of hearing about Christmas and what we have to do to fit in with this false idea of the "perfect" Christmas. Yes, we see relatives and friends over Christmas, but we see them all year round, so at Christmas we enjoy spending the day relaxing, reading, taking a walk, watching the birds in the garden, and time for a special meal, whether it's chicken, turkey or whatever we fancy. I wish everyone a very Happy Christmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year - and have the Christmas you want, not the one organisations like Q tell you that you should have.
Click to expand...

Healthy and happy Christmas to you too H, thank you. :mysmilie_508:
 
I am fortunate and never really cook christmas lunch as we all go around to my mothers and she does it, i cook for everyone on boxing day though which is stressful enough, I don't remake the christmas lunch we have something completely different on boxing day.
 
Julius said:
Visiting someone else is always a good way out of having to do the cooking, however slow cookers really make it so easy it's great, and I'm sure when one visits someone else's house one is supposed to offer to do the washing up etc.
I might actually be spending Christmas in New York as I won a prize in a raffle at work. Everyone who wins "employee of the month" gets put into a prize draw at Christmas - and apparently I've won the all-inclusive 5-day trip to NYC! I didn't bother going to the Christmas party but a friend texted me to say: "congratulations!" I don't know how quickly I will get the tickets - I will ask HR tomorrow. The prize is for 2 but I don't have anyone to go with, but I dare say some colleague will want to go, or I could just go on my own. I haven't been to New York in years so it will be fun. Thinking about it though it might be better to go in spring / summer.
Click to expand...

maybe they'll let you go twice seeing as its just you? I'd really milk it and try to get two trips as i love NYC, my favourite place on Earth. I'll be there in January! Congratulations on the win! what a price!! :mysmilie_59:
 

Latest posts

Back
Top