Has anyone had any Where are you spending Christmas arguments yet?

kettlefish

I know it's easy enough to do, but a lasagne can be prepared the day before and just stuck in the oven on the day so we can go for a walk and spend it relaxing together rather than me in the kitchen for hours! It might seem strange to miss out on the 'proper' dinner but Xmas is about spending a bit of time together, and we'll probably go out for several Xmas meals involving turkey and roasties in the run up! :rolleyes:

Magpie.

I'm quite lucky when it comes to Xmas as we have a routine that we've had for years and we're all happy with. My parents and my sister come to me and we always have Xmas at mine. My mum and I split the cost of food and drinks and we both cook together. My daughter gets to stay at home with her toys and its nice and relaxed.

On Xmas eve I have my dads family (Aunt, Grandmother etc) over for drinks and then Xmas day its just us.

seven-day-weekend

We are in Spain for the winter from next week, so will only have us for Christmas. We'll probably take a picnic and drive to the high pass over the Sierra Nevadas just behind our village and see the snow.


The Spanish advertise their ski-ing resort in the Sierra Nevada as having 'sol y nieve' -sun and snow - and that is what we will have on Christmas day.

margaretclare

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

The Spanish advertise their ski-ing resort in the Sierra Nevada as having 'sol y nieve' -sun and snow - and that is what we will have on Christmas day.

I think I'd like that, 7DWE. And a village church to go to?

How would one get there from here? One year I really would love a 'snowy' Christmas, and Midnight Mass.

red_devil

kettlefish wrote: »

I know it's easy enough to do, but a lasagne can be prepared the day before and just stuck in the oven on the day so we can go for a walk and spend it relaxing together rather than me in the kitchen for hours!

Do the dinner together then:rolleyes:

We still cook and spend time together your not in the kitchen for that long!

rik1978

Every year me and my sisters dread xmas as whatever is decided is never going to please my mum.
My parents split up when I was young (not unusual I know) so me and my sister spent every year alternating between my mum and dad (1 1/2 drive away) so xmas has always involved lots of driving. I now live with my husband (3 hours from my mum) and my sister lives in Wales with her fiance so the travelling gets worse, are you all with me so far :rotfl:

My mum remarried and had two more daughters who are now grown up but still live near home- their dad and my mum also split up a few years ago so another complication.

My mum has since remarried but she gets funny if we don't see her on xmas day, we all have to see our dads and our other parents-in-law over xmas too.
Me and my hubby alternate xmas day and boxing day between my mum& stepdad and my mother-in-law (my hubby's parents are also separated). My dad&stepmum, thankfully, are pretty relaxed about xmas and just say 'as long as we see you at some point, we don't mind when'. My mum though has this fixation that xmas is xmas day only and if we see her on any other day it doesn't count as xmas. Then there is the whole emotional blackmail if we don't see her xmas day 'my kids don't love me', 'I might aswell emigrate seeing as none of you care', 'I'll be alone on xmas' - she won't she'll be with my amazing stepdad. Its a full on guilt trip, oh, and we always have to go to her house, she will not drive to us for xmas just to give us a year off all of the travelling.

Me and my sisters are very close but with the added complication of a different dad and their jobs, we're lucky if we manage to all get together for longer than an hour over the xmas break

no one-likes to bring up the subject of xmas as it always starts up an arguement with my mum but planning on seeing everyone in such a short space of time when we're scattered around the country is a military operation! We even have it all planned down to the hour as to who will be where and when. I know this is probably not that unusual but we haven't yet had the talk about this year - I'm dreading it :eek:

my_gorgeous_ellie-belle

I'm quite strict when it comes to christmas plans, also don't have the trouble as i have very little family i keep in touch with on my side

So it is Christmas eve we spend a couple of hours at an Auntie of mine, where there'll be plenty of other members of the family on my side (we generally don't do presents this side apart from a tin of chocs and a bottle of wine as i'm not that close with them (bad family history but thats another story) but i still like to make the effort to wish them a happy christmas and see everyone is ok.

Then Xmas day is just us (OH's family had a hard time dealing with it for a few years but they have got used to it and now do the same) - i found it really hard with young kids in the house to wait till after dinner before they were allowed to touch their presents which was what happened in OH's parents house, i like them to have the excitement of waking up at 6am and being fascinated by the fact Santa had been and left his footprints etc )

Then Boxing day is at OH's parents where all of the family gather and we have a good laugh and a lovely dinner which us ladies help OH's mum prepare with a good laugh

We have come to be used to this so i'll be surprised if it changes for a longtime. I think a holiday with OH's family will be great one day, hopefully as they are gradually relaxing the rules for the kids on christmas day i'll have my own way and make it magical for all the kiddies, even theirs (that's the big kid in me, see, lol).

Glamazon

red_devil wrote: »

not only that you can plate up another meal for another night! We had one last night and now another meal for Friday all done?

Makes no sense what the poster is saying?

i always do roast for 2 but enough for 4!

kettlefish wrote: »

I know it's easy enough to do, but a lasagne can be prepared the day before and just stuck in the oven on the day so we can go for a walk and spend it relaxing together rather than me in the kitchen for hours! It might seem strange to miss out on the 'proper' dinner but Xmas is about spending a bit of time together, and we'll probably go out for several Xmas meals involving turkey and roasties in the run up! :rolleyes:

u could prepare everything the day before & just bung the roast in the oven. my oh would be mortified if e didnt have roast & so would I! I love turkey with all the trimmings!

this will be our babies 1st christmas so we will spend it together as a family :j

usually IL'S Christmas Day, mine Boxing Day

seven-day-weekend

margaretclare wrote: »

I think I'd like that, 7DWE. And a village church to go to?

How would one get there from here? One year I really would love a 'snowy' Christmas, and Midnight Mass.

Well the actual Ski Resort is on the other side of the Sierra Nevada to us, overlooking Granada, so you could just go to Granada. Beautiful city with many attractions including the Alhambra Palace and the 'Albaizin' Moorish Quarter - both World Heritage sites. Plenty of churches and a Cathedral. You could either go to Granada or Malaga airports, but would need a car from Malaga and it's about a 2.5 hour drive (unless you went on the bus).

Where I live is on the southern side of the Sierra Nevada and a few kilometres from us is a high pass over the mountains onto the Granada side, called Puerto de la Ragua and there is always snow and some minor ski-ing and sledging slopes in the winter. You would definitely need a car to get up there and it is windey mountain roads and sometimes is inaccessible. There is nothing at the top apart from beautiful scenery, you would need to either stay in Granada or in my area, Las Alpujarras.

I personally recommend Granada, I think it will suit you, and it is overlooked by the beautiful snowy mountains (in fact Sierra Nevada means 'snowy mountain range').

Hope this helps and sorry to take the thread off-topic.

misspenny

we having christmas at home as new baby arrived 3 weeks ago and i dont want to go anywhere with 3month old and 3 year old+ all the prezzies + all the baby gear so i insisted we stay at home and have a quiet one

now i have 7 ppl coming to dinner, well oh is cooking, my plan is too hide somewhere and pretend shes having a hungry day and im stuck breastfeeding