Your Least Stressful Christmas

[Cachoo]

I have to tell you that I love Christmas and I believe it is because my father was the oldest of eight children and though the Air Force stationed him out of New Jersey we went to NJ to celebrate as often as possible. For me it was fun, raucous, joyous times. But one year---when I was not a small child---money AND weather prohibited the trip. I was glum. But we decided to go to one of the open Chinese restaurants for Christmas and then one of the movies that opened on Christmas Day.

I will always treasure the New Jersey Christmas celebrations. But that day--eating Chinese and seeing "White Nights"-- was just so relaxing. Now when I want to lessen any holiday stress it is Chinese and a movie for me. What about you?

[Rob]

Mine are ridiculous extravaganzas with extended family/friends and friends of friends with multicourse meals and trying to fit 12 or 14 at a table for 8 and so on. I have spent every Christmas in my life with my mother so I keep doing this for her (she's 88). I used to come down to DC from NYC when I lived there. But for two years in the early 90s, when we lived in NYC, my husband had to work (restaurant chef). My mother came up for Xmas, and we went to his restaurant. Just my mother, me, and a friend. It was so easy! I keep telling my extended group that when my mother passes, they'd better be ready for Xmas in a restaurant, preferably in Jamaica or the Riviera Maya, Mexico or St. Lucia or something.

[PDilemma]

My favorite unstressful Christmas lately was the blizzard of 2009...me, my husband, the bunny, A Christmas Story on television, a big pot of soup, a couple of bottles of wine.

No crazy relatives, no hassles of going anywhere. Let it snow!

[Skittl1321]

I've had two stress free Christmases. Both it was just my husband and I. We went to church Christmas eve, then opened a few gifts the next morning and that was it.

We had a New Years vacation planned so that was the main reason for low key Christmas.

This year on the other hand is stress city. Going to visit family and just have way too much to fit in, and like 40 hours of driving to do.

[nerdycool]

About 2 Christmases ago, we decided to stay home and have it just be us 2. Then a blizzard came and all our friends who were going to leave town, didn't, because they weren't sure if they'd be able to get back in time to go to work. So we patched together a Christmas meal for those brave enough to travel across town (most did) and it was just a fun night of food, games & friends.

[Civic]

The first Christmas after I finished grad school. I had depleted my savings while pursuing my Master's and had recently started a new job. I didn't have the money for a plane ticket home and my old car wasn't reliable enough for a 600 mile road trip. I attended a carol service on Christmas Eve. Christmas day I dished up food at a homeless shelter then attended a pot luck dinner with several other "holiday orphans" as we jokingly referred to ourselves. My contribution to the meal were two homeade sweet potato pies. After dinner we watched "It's a Wonderful Life". That was the most stress-free Christmas I've had as an adult.