Christmas Rituals....

SUESMITH_2

aw, what a lovely thread - its made me all choked up.

when my parents were alive we went there every year and had lots of traditions, then they died and we had to start our own.

i menu plan a few weeks before Christmas and we all decide what we want to eat, i do all my prep on Christmas eve day and then Christmas begins about 5ish when the shops have shut and what we don't have we don't get. we have a drink and either go out for a meal or have a takeaway. kids are allowed to open one present on Christmas eve.

christmas morning we open pressies and have nice pastries, we then lossack about until lunchtime with us in pjs and dressing gowns. i cook lunch and have a few drinks then we collapse on the sofas and 'watch' TV (fall asleep).

put a buffet out for tea and we have a pick at that when we feel hungry. a lovely lazy day.

boxing day we got to mil and fil but as they are in their late 80s i don't know how long that will carry on, we then go to our friends and exchange presents with them and eat even more.

we also try and fit in a visit to the coast for a walk and a picnic

candie_gill

This year iv tweaked ours a bit:

- advent calender
-decorations go up 10th december (usually the 1st!)
-lots of hot chocolates, xmas films and music
-wrap all the gifts begining of december
-christmas eve, nice cooked breakfast, christmas films, music etc, 4pm swap xmas hampers, nice bath and new pjs and slippers on out of hampers, a takeaway and festive film with pudding for afters.
-Christmas day open stockings upstairs
-go downtairs and help my 18 month old open all his, cup of tea and toast then me and my partner open ours. Dress my little one in his xmas day outfit then put dinner on. After dinner watch festive films on tv then see family on the night.

We did used to have prawn cocktail every xmas eve and bake buns, however im now vegi so o prawn cocktail for me and the buns i will do once my son is a bit older!

scaredy_cat

i have heard a lot of peeps having christmas pjs.... i've not got any so i think this year i may get some!!

mrsow

Its quite scary knowing how close Christmas is ..... my little rituals are new pyjamas and slippers to open on Christmas Eve, my mam always did this for us when we lived at home now Im married I buy them for myself and my husband and there always "from Santa" even though we are 27 and 31.
Its my birthday on Thursday and thats my sign that Christmas is coming, as of the weekend after my birthday we watch a Christmas film every weekend, I include Die Hard to keep the OH happy.
December 1st the Christmas cds come out and my decorations go up.

lazysheep your post choked me up a bit, it really reminded me of Christmases growing up xx

will be checking back to this thread for ideas to steal, I would love to make more of Christmas with my OH as we dont have kids a bit of the magic is lost xx

wendall

What a good idea for a thread
first weekend in Dec get the Christmas smelly candles and plug ins out from under the bed
2nd weekend tree up
Christmas eve a buffet and christmas films
Christmas morning wake up at around 9am have done for the last 21 years as eldest is 21 we used to have to wake them up to open presents (still do) then have thick toast open presents, pick mil up and brother bring back have lunch, watch a christmas film, take them home and then back home for a snowball or two with a box of chocs watch a film then have a turkey and stuffing butty have a few drinks and then bed
Boxing day everyone round to me for a buffet
day after boxing day get ready for sales presents for next year

scaredy_cat

mrsow, how about going to evening or midnight mass? I would like to go, but am a bit shy as i'm on my own. And i'm not really religious but i like carols and the sentiment.

and when you get home after, have a nice mug of hot choc, with alcohol if liked!

Gemmy_2

Christmas Day

Start work at 07:00am

Have a bacon sandwich and a glass of champagne with my colleges.

Finish work at 15:00pm

Work

Arrive at home where i will be served my Christmas dinner by my OH.

Watch Christmas films in the living room

Open prezzies

Sleep

Boxing day

Start work at 07:00am

Breakfast

Finish work at 15:00pm

Straight to my parents house

Christmas dinner

Prezzies

Home

Sleep!

Giggles_Fairy

I still live at home but as my mum and Dad split up a couple of years ago this is the second christmas where its just me, Dad and my bro at home. We will do everything in same order but theres just us for christmas dinner now whereas when my mum was home there was sometimes 20 of us!

Im 24 and my bros 23 but we still wake up approx 630-7!
Open presents in back room from 'Santa' we (me dad and bro) all have a pile off each other, generally about 10-12 presents.
Have some breakfast whilst opening gifts and watch the cat playing with the wrappings hahaha
Get dressed (generally in a specially bought christmas day outfit ) and head off to my Grandads
All my mums family meet at 10am every year (grandad, 5 children and partners, 8 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren) and open gifts from each other. When we were younger each person opened their things in turn starting with the youngest to the oldest and Grandad last, but now we are all older we just all swap. Although we still make Grandad open his with an audience! Last year I saw my mum at this point so give and got gifts to and from her.
12 noonish off to my OH for present swapping with him, then his family.
3pmish head home ready for Christmas dinner
6-7pm ish Oh comes round and swaps presents with my family
Then we chill out and enjoy the rest of the evening Last year some family came round and we played games and I had christmas themed cupcakes and homemade mince pies ready. Hoping to ask my Dad if we can do the same this year too.

We have never had any traditions for xmas eve, but if I have got the day off work this year (hoping so as I land back from New York on 22nd and Im always jet lagged for days!) then I think I will watch films whilst I bake again, then I am thinking of doing a hamper for my bro and dad (just PJs, chocs and alcohol I think) but then I reckon I should also do some for myself otherwise I will be left out hahaha

I LOVE chirstmas, its a time for family laughter and love and I wouldnt change my lot for all the toys in the North Pole.

kc26

OOO first post on here and so glad it is about xmas.

We have taken on some of my family traditions and mixed them with our own over the last 10 years.

Beginning of November - Check all christmas lights and decorations see if anything needs replacing. Mid November take a couple of days off work and go christmas shopping.

1st Dec Chirstmas tree and decorations go up as well as christmas yankee candles around the house to give the aroma of christmas, christmas cards are wrote and posted
2nd week in dec all presents wrapped and food shopping list made up with orders put into various shops, ensure all christmas and new year outfits are bought and sorted ready to be worn
Also we normally go to out 1st panto with the youth club at this time and have a night out with friends (adults only) before the christmas rush.

22nd Son and husbands goes for overnight with inlaws they live about 6 hours away
23rd I go to Marks and Spencer for opening and get all shopping done, collect food order from local shops and deliver any christmas presents that haven't already been given out, end the evening with bottle of wine and christmas film and takeway when husband returns home

24th We have a cooked breakfast and go into town for the afternoon showing of a pantomime. Go for dinner afterwards and take son to city centre to see the christmas lights, go outdoor ice skating and hot chocolate, return home and put on christmas music and christmas PJ's. Son is normally really tired and falls asleep as soon as we return. Sort out presents from santa and watch christmas film.

25th Start off the day with opening presents from santa (Santa still leaves me and my husband presents) then have a cooked breakfast, sort christmas dinner table (normally around 14 of us) then have a cooked breakfast and open presents under the tree. Family then comes for dinner about 5pm after dinner, each guests get an extra present that santa has left at our house for them. Finish off the day playing games with the kids,

26th Boxing Day Lazy day until family comes back around for dinner at 6pm finish off the day with either a film or playing games that everyone can join in.

We all take turns each year at who hosts christmas dinner but the format is the same whoever has christmas day has boxing day as well and then you get the next few years off.

Will watch to see if there is any tips or different things I can get from all the other posts.

Barmy179

Christmas eve my daughter gets to open a small present and we sit down and watch a film together with a chinese .
Christmas morning my 2 sisters and I take the all the children around my mums for 9 o'clock to open presents and stay there until after dinner.