How are things going with the Christmas gifts? (No advertising thread)

Dear users, dear authors,
have you already picked out your Christmas gifts or started making them?

I’ve started, yes—a long time ago :)
Some of them are already done.
But now I have to really step on the gas so the rest will be ready before Christmas :)

I’m almost done crocheting them, but unfortunately the pieces are still lying around, waiting for the miracle of being sewn together

And once again, half of it is still missing ☹....
My husband’s sweater has grown to 25 cm—unfortunately, that’s only the first part, and for the rest there’s Amazon ☺

I just finished the last part and hid it right away so my little one wouldn’t see it ahead of time (a cuddly bunny pillow). ;)

Christmas is cancelled for us this year. Neither my mom nor I are in the Christmas spirit, and I don’t feel like putting up any decorations either. There might be a small gift, but I’m not sure yet...

I always find it really sad when someone wants to skip Christmas. It doesn’t have to turn into a stressful ordeal, but for me, a little decoration and the twinkle of lights are a must—though not until the first Sunday of Advent. I also jot down little gift ideas throughout the year, many of which I make myself. I even made my own nativity scene years ago, and I bring it out every year.
And since my grandchildren came along, Christmas has been especially wonderful, of course. They stand in front of the tree with sparkling eyes, admiring the nativity scene, and I always end up telling them the Christmas story over and over again...
I hope you’re starting to get into the Christmas spirit a little bit too, Michaela. There are still 5 weeks to go.

I finished the big cozy blanket for my mom back in the spring (it was supposed to be a gift last year, but I didn’t finish it in time…).
My husband and kids still want something different every day, which makes it a bit trickier. But since they only want store-bought gifts, that gets done quickly.

And everyone else may not want gifts, but they’re always thrilled when they get something homemade. Since I won’t have time to make the crochet-covered jars this year, I’ll be making crocheted Christmas tree ornaments instead. This year, I’m going for something fun and using lots of leftover yarn.

@ruthk
For us, it’s not about stress this year. My father passed away just under 6 weeks ago, so none of us really feel like celebrating Christmas this year... It’s hard enough just getting through the holidays without my father. So it’s best for all of us if we just act like these are days like any other.

@Michaela:
Oh, I’m so sorry… of course I didn’t know that… I wish you all the strength you need.

@ruthk
It’s fine. I don’t really want to make a big deal out of it.
It’s all good. ;-)

@ruthk,
my deepest condolences. But there should still be a little something, especially for your mother. Christmas is also about the joy of life. After all, Christ was born. You don’t need to go overboard, all the way to having a Christmas tree. But you should at least have an Advent wreath with lit candles and kind thoughts of your father. Would he want you to stop living?

@Uschi
I think you were talking to me.
;-)
Of course my mom is getting a present—I even have an idea already.
But you know, if someone isn’t in the mood to celebrate, for whatever reason, then you should just accept that. The joy of life will come back eventually, but you can’t force the pace. We live as best we can, and we laugh quite often, too. It’s just that none of us wants to think about Christmas.
That’s fine the way it is. It’s okay for us. :-)

November and December are really tough months for me. My granddaughter and my daughter-in-law have birthdays in November, and my husband’s is in December. Then there’s St. Nicholas Day, too. I just finished putting together the Advent calendars for my son, my daughter-in-law, my two grandchildren, my husband, and myself. Somehow, I always resolve not to let the Advent season turn into a whirlwind of work, but with so many holidays piling up, I never quite manage it. And then, of course, Christmas comes around. It’s difficult, but also very lovely.

@ruthk. Christmas is more or less cancelled for us too. I completely understand everyone who can’t celebrate. I would never have thought that one day I wouldn’t be celebrating Christmas. Tomorrow will be a hard day. My grandchild had no chance of survival. December 17, 2015 would have been Aron’s due date. Tomorrow he would have been one year old. Christmas will never be the way it used to be again.
But it’s true, when my children were little, you never forget the sparkle in their eyes for the rest of your life. I’ll make some little decoration or other, no idea what. We’ll see.