Home alone on Christmas Day.

I think it depends on the situation, ie. if you're rebuffing your family for a particular reason. I also think it's fine to spend the day alone. I spent one Christmas by myself and it was beautiful.

I always breath a sigh of relief at the end of Christmas day. As a single dad I find it incredibly hectic.

I have spent many holidays alone. Some good, some great and then a few, lonely. Not a big deal either way. I do enjoy the quiet time it affords with my 2 dogs. No phone ringing, no work,...just puttering around in my own space.
Quite frankly, I feel more alone on holidays when I spend the day with others who have close families. Reminds me that I 've no close family ties. Just easier being on my own.

If you are happy with it then so be it. Although I think it is kind hearted of those people you know that are concerned about you spending it alone. Just re-assure them - no really I love to spend the day with my wonderful mutts.

I have a good size family and holidays are a big deal. When I was a young adult and living with just a roommate, my mom had to fly out on Thanksgiving for a funeral. As a result, we as a family decided to "postpone" our family Thanksgiving for the weekend.

My roommate felt bad for me being alone on Thanksgiving as she went out of state to visit her family. I loved it - I bought a small turkey breast and just cooked up my own meal and worked on a project for grad school. I completely enjoyed having the day to myself. And her two cats.

It should be as you find pleasant.

Raises hand sheepishly. And you at least have two dogs for company DM.

My best friend is heading out to her mother's in Virginia. I guess I could bother her via a constant stream of texts.

Not at all sick, drillersmum.
If you're perfectly content to spend the day at home with a couple of marvellous dogs then why should anyone feel sorry for you?
The folk I feel sorry for are the ones who loathe particular family members yet feel an obligation to spend Christmas day with them (gritting their teeth the whole time) because it's "the done thing".

This is exactly how I feel about it. I used to go to a friend's house but then decided I don't necessarily want to be a part of anyone else's Xmas celebration. I always appreciated the invite but basically half the day was spent traveling back and forth, sometimes on public transportation, sometimes not.

I'm not into large groups of people anyway, no matter how pleasant they are. It can be a little annoying to be looked upon as "oh, you poor poor thing". I'm okay with my own company, and a lot of people can't really say that.

Sometimes I get lonely, but most times I'm pretty content.

If I absolutely have to go looking for someone to spend the day with just because it happens to be Christmas then I know there's something wrong with me. I like myself, ergo I like my own company. A few years ago I spent my 65th birthday (day after Xmas) all alone in a hotel room in San Francisco. No big deal. Went down to Fishermen's Wharf and bought myself a fine dinner. Spent my 70th b'day flat on my back in a hospital in Boston, following emergency surgery, everyone so kind and solicitous and coming by with Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday wishes.

The celebration of the 65th was better.

Not everyone has a big, happy family nearby to spend the holidays with (or enough time off and money to travel to be with.) Most have relatives, but they're not necessarily the people we'd choose to spend our free time with.

As I've said many times, there are far worse things than being alone...and being with people you don't want to be with is at the top of the list.

If you're content to be home alone for the holidays, it's nobody's business but your own. I hope you have a nice, quiet, restful time!

I would rather it pass me by altogether .. this year is hard .. my mother died 3 years ago. I have been so busy with her estate small but with the economy no one is buying her house. My Mother feared for me being alone because we shared something no one else could understand. My sister and her kids died at Christmas in a house fire. Every Christmas is agony .. with the 'be careful of fires' and the people that die at this time of year .. I don't watch the news for 6 weeks before Christmas. This year is hard ... I have places to go but I really don't feel like seeing anyone. To top it off my sibling thinks I am rolling in money and should share the estate. where was he when she was sick or I needed to paint to rent the house. He's a druggy (recovered) so Mom did not want him to share any of the estate. I miss my Mother and he misses the money. Alone but in the crowd of people that don't get it.