No, seriously – Christmas is cancelled this year.

We move on the 18th, and there are a lot of things we need for the new place. We’ve been stressed out since October and there’s just no time or money that wouldn’t be better spent on house things – so we cancelled Christmas. Seven of us bought new homes this year, so we’re all feeling the pinch. It was unanimously decided that instead of exchanging presents, we’re going to spend Quality Time with one another – we’ll each host a festive meal at our new digs, and toast to an expensive but satisfying year.

This is a good idea, and I love that we actually get to spend the holidays with our Vancouver family – this’ll be the first year that everyone is in town, so we’re going to make for excellent times with people we love. We’re all broke and don’t need more stuff, so celebrating the season with food and drink is a perfect alternative.

I can’t help but be a little sad, though. I like Christmas. I like giving people presents and being all cheery and decorating things. I especially love Friendmas; our annual exchange of gifts – it’s one of my favourite parts of the year. I love the challenge of buying presents for Ed, he of the impossible-to-please. I stress myself crazy every year, but it’s all part of the season.

Not this year, though. I have to ignore all the festive trappings around me and just concentrate on my box-filled house, knowing that the greater good – shiny new home – is much bigger than my love of wrapping presents in vintage pornography. Still, Ed and I compromised – we’re exchanging one gift. Sort of. He pointed at something, I bought mine online, and that’s it. It’s not the same, but at least it’s something.

I’m going to miss stockings most of all, though. It’s always been my favourite part of Christmas Day, and even though we’ll have a million other things going on and there won’t be any time or need for sad, I can’t help but be crushed that even this little tiny part of Christmas won’t go on. I’m also the only one who really cares about it, so it’s not really worth raising a fuss over.

I know I don’t need more stuff. Still, if someone wanted to buy me a goat or a donkey, I wouldn’t say no.