The shopping list continues to grow, the pine needles get harder to pick out of the carpet every year and it's becoming increasingly difficult to face your relatives without the aid of unhealthy amounts of seasonal alcohol. It's time to escape Christmas, or at least take the pain out of it.
Many travel operators report that the events of 11 September haven't unduly affected British travellers' Christmas holiday plans. Thomson Holidays experienced only a small number of cancellations with some customers transferring their holiday from the States to Spain. Long-haul enthusiasm seems as strong as ever, with specialist operator Trailfinders describing Christmas availability as traditionally a 'nightmare'. There is still good availability in many areas, however, particularly for holidaymakers prepared to look beyond the obvious; the Foreign Office has recently lifted its travel warning to Sri Lanka and Trailfinders has many options to the tourist areas in the south and west of the country.
We have come up with eight ideas, both in Britain and abroad, that will release you from the dubious pleasures of turkey sandwiches and The Sound of Music rerun and help you find the spirit of Christmas everywhere from Thailand to Tuscany.
Argue over the washing up with people who aren't your family
If the knot in your stomach at the very thought of a family Christmas starts to form some time around Hallowe'en, gather up 21 of your closest friends who share your antipathy and escape together. The Youth Hostel Association has a huge variety of properties in its Rent-a-Hostel scheme; you could rent a restored water mill in Clun Mill, Shropshire with 22 beds for £690 for four nights, or £7.85 per person per night. If you're particularly popular, you could book the 46-bed Victorian villa in Lincoln for £740, that's £4 per person per night. For more properties and bookings, call 0870 241 2253.
White Christmas
Fulfil your kitschy desire for guaranteed Christmas snow with a six-day trip to Lapland. In a holiday that should be called '101 interesting things to do with snow', tandem-skiing, reindeer-lassoing, snow-biking, mini snowmobiling and tobogganing are on offer, but the highlight is the chance to spend a night in an igloo. A visit to Lapland is incomplete without a visit to its star resident, so a sleigh ride follows a candle-lit trail through a forest to visit Santa. Cost is £1,221 per adult, £889 per child for six nights departing either 22 or 23 December. Prices include flights from Gatwick, accommodation, transport, activities and special thermal clothing. Phone Bridge Scandinavia on 0870 727 5922.
Deck the halls
Really traditional Christmases require lots of effort, but Amberley Castle, close to Arundel in Sussex, offers all the luxury of a traditional English Christmas, without the hassle of looking after the turkey. A family-owned and run twelfth-century manor house, there are roaring fires straight out of Christmas carols and guests can take part in as many or as few of the festivities as they want to. Go through the castle's private gate to the local church for Midnight Mass. Three-night Christmas package from £625 per person. Phone 01798 831992 for information and reservations.
Bah! Humbug
It's worth considering that some of the older generation might not particularly appreciate having to spend the day admiring little Johnny's PlayStation. Chilton House near Aylesbury is a hotel that caters especially for the needs of older guests and guarantees to be a computer game-free zone during Christmas. A Christmas break offers entertainment, cocktail parties and all meals. If extra help is needed with dressing or walking, 24-hour nursing staff are available. If you want to cave in to pressure, the family can join you at the hotel for Christmas dinner. Minimum stay is two weeks, at £150 a night per person. Call 01844 265200.
The Great Escape
There is no chance of a white Christmas in eastern Morocco, so if you're feeling anti-festive, go on a 15-day hiking holiday with Walks Worldwide. Departing from Stansted on 15 December, you can spend Christmas Day ascending the Jebel Amlal mountain and trade the turkey for a goat served around the campfire. The tour is fully supported with expert mountain guiding through the mountain range of Jebel Sahro.The cost is £785 per person including direct flights to Marrakesh, accommodation and all trek meals. Phone 01524 262255.
Culture vultures
Sitting around devoting all one's energies to digestion doesn't suit everyone. If you want to spend your Christmas more constructively, take an art history tour of northern Tuscany with Martin Randall Travel. Led by an art historian, the seven- day holiday is based in the historic town of Lucca in a four-star hotel within the city walls. Daily excursions will introduce the art and architecture of Pisa, the medieval monuments of Prato, and the cathedral in the hill town of Barga. Departing 22 December, the all-inclusive price is £1,270. Phone 020 8742 3355.
Cruise into Christmas
Christmas sun can do a brilliant job of getting you through to next summer, but the idea of spending Christmas in an apartment in Tenerife can be a little off-putting. An eight-day Noble Caledonia Cruise along the Andalusian coast adds olive trees, patches of desert and the Moorish towns of Andalusia to the good weather for added interest. Stopping off at Seville, Cadiz, Gibraltar, Motril and Malaga, the MS Bordeaux is the base for this cruise and Christmas dinner is served on board. Tour price, including flights and transfers, from £745. Phone 020 7409 0376.
Foodie fun
The trouble with being a foodie at Christmas is that everyone else decides that as you're such a dab hand with roast turkey, you can look after the dinner. Instead, indulge your culinary passion at a safe distance from the brussels sprouts with a Thai cuisine course at the Bangkok Oriental Hotel. Organised by gourmetontour.com, the four-day course is a mixture of demonstrations and hands-on cooking. The price of £1,217 includes flights, five nights' accommodation, transfers and all classes and materials. You don't even have to bring an apron.
