General Chat

Are you alone for Christmas. Sugestions please

don't know yet - son and daughter-in law - train driver and nurse - have yet to be informed of their shifts - I have spent Christmas Day alone because of this in the past, and to be honest, it doesn't really bother me one bit - if it happens, it happens - just another day as far as I'm concerned :-)

Not quite alone.

For the last couple of years we have gone to my daughter and her partner for Christmas, but due to the numbers of partner's relatives and friends I have always felt a bit left out.

This year we will be spending Christmas at home, but we will be inviting an elderly lady to share it with us.

OH takes this lady's dog for walks and does some gardening for her. The lady is a widow and is also disabled.

I feel the same as Ann. It's just another day.
I've also 'banned' my children from taking me out to lunch on Mother's day. It's cold in March, everywhere's busy, and it's become an over commercialised day. I'd much rather they took me out in the Summer.

I'm having my children, and grandchildren over on 20th December - my 'Christmas Day' this year. :-D
For my younger daughter, it's her first Christmas with her baby, so they want a quiet day on Christmas day.
My elder daughter is willing to pick me up and bring me back, but that (to me) is unfair on her.

My sister has invited me (and everyone else) over to hers for Christmas day, but most can't make it - her children and grandchildren will be there, and possibly one of my brothers, but it would mean my staying over, which I don't want to do.

We have a few family gatherings in the Summer, which is much more fun - no worries about the weather - snow, ice etc.

So, on Christmas Day, I shall get in something nice for dinner, a good bottle of port, lots of chocolate - I shall treat myself to some overpriced Marmite chocolate - and do absolutely nothing :-D :-D :-D

First thing to ask - do you want to be alone?

If not, there could be a number of volunteering jobs available.
- animal sanctuary
- helping out at a homeless shelter
- asking if a ward at the local hospital would like help at meal times (staff might go 'sick' at the last minute)

Do you have a religious belief? Morning Service at the local church?

Are any of the neighbours in a similar position? How about inviting them in for Dinner or Tea?

Although the Boards on GR do slow down on Christmas Day, there's usually someone around to 'chat' to.

It really depends on the reason you are alone. For some it might be the first Christmas since a bereavement, and that would be different from my reason, which is simply that this year both my children are going to OH's parents.

Whatever the reason be kind to yourself - if you are happy to be alone then indulge yourself a little. Some planned television viewing, something nice for lunch, a few treats, a good book and a determination to enjoy the day.

If you don't wish to be alone Detective has made some good suggestions, and some areas put on a Christmas Lunch for people alone. You can either go for lunch or help out!

If the day is a difficult one, take comfort in the fact it really is just one day.

Well we would have been going to our daughter for Xmas if OH hadn't been taken ill

We thought then it would be a stay at home this year with them visiting us on Boxing Day but it's not to be.

Have been "told" by daughter you are coming to us on Xmas Eve and staying over for the Holliday . Even if the weather is bad SIL will pick you up and take you home

Can't stay too long as I have the cat now and he will have to stay at home because SIL is severely allergic to cat dander .

I will leave the cat with lots of food down and granddaughter will pop in on Boxing Day to make sure he is ok and has food and fresh water

I once again will be alone this Christmas day because OH as usual will have to work.Thankfully he will be home sometime after 6pm Not everybody has that

too right - not everyone has someone to come home

we're not sure this year

.............. it might just be the two of us on Christmas, or we may go to a hotel from Christmas Eve to Boxing Day.

If we stay home, OH will cook a nice lunch, he's already planning on making a Christmas Pud "just in case", we'll have a couple of phone calls from our daughter and friends, and we'll just enjoy ourselves.

We have done that before, and enjoyed it.

As someone who has no family in the UK I cook lunch turkey veges the whole lot and whoever else doesnt have family in the UK comes to eat... Bring a bottle have a laugh and a giggle and a great time is had by all....
Last year there was me an Aussie... a South African,,,, a Egyptian and two Irish ...

it was great fun..... :-S

Kim .that sounds really nice and you have folks with you who don't have close folks to hand so you celebrate in style with friends around you

Sounds great x

U r so right Shirley.... The washing up was a bit dodgy after a few glasses but hey thats what boxing day is for..... :-D

Kim ...........

we did that for years, and for the same reason!! We were on our own in "foreign" countries.

Our first Christmas in the US, we had 12 people round the table in our small apartment ............. 4 Brits (including us), 2 couples from Australia, 1 South African couple, 1 Swede, I Swiss :-D

We continued the tradition after we moved up here ...............

....... in addition to the friends (between 4 and 8) who regularly came on Christmas Day, OH would check the grad students in his department close to Christmas, and any who had no other arrangements and so be alone would be invited to come. Daughter did the same among her friends when she was an undergrad.

We've had as many as 15-16 people round the dining tables, with nationalities as far ranging as Swiss, Scandinavian, French, as well as Canadian and American ..........

........ we would move the easy chairs from the living room into the dining room. Then move the dining table into the living room, extend it as much as we could to seat 8-10, and add another table to the end if necessary.

We would eat around 2 or 3 pm, take things easy. Then replace the furniture to its rightful places, and set about doing a jigsaw on the table in the dining room, play with toys (kids), read books, watch the flames in the fireplace, etc in the living room.

Then have the Christmas cake and cold turkey early in the evening.

The living and dining rooms are separated by a wide arch, which made the furniture moving easy!


We would also do the same at Canadian Thanksgiving


We had some great times, both with old friends, and new ones who we might see only once.

The mother of one of our friends would come up from the US to spend Christmas with her daughter and son-i-l after they married (at the age of 50!) ............. she was in her early 80s, Jewish but ate the bacon we put on the turkey, and had memorised the widest collection of slightly naughty and very naughty limericks that you could imagine.

She loved coming .......... and was most upset when her son-i-l was recruited to a position down in the US and she could no longer have our version of Christmas, which was largely English but with a dash of southern US and Canadian.


But those days are past now!! We're both in our mid-70s, and prefer to have others cook for us (ie hotel), or take the train to the other side of Canada and help our daughter cook in her house.

Nudge for Evelyn - she is unable to find the thread

Think she may have read the thread now. Don't be shy, just post on the thread again by typing in the Add your reply box at the end. We won't bite ;-)

I have booked us into a hotel in another town for 4 days over Christmas, and will reserve a table for their Christmas Buffet Lunch today or tomorrow.

Hopefully a friend will join us in staying at the hotel and for lunch ...... she just has to make up her mind what she wants to do!

Another friend lives in that same town, will be volunteering as a Greeter at the local airport, but will join us for dinner and drinks at least once over the 4 days.

If anybody is going to be alone this year come on here, there will always somebody to talk to.
Evelyn do post again you don´t have to be alone

I always come on here on Christmas Day :-D

Like a day out with your friends AnnC. :-D :-D