any couples on their own what do you do?

Buffy_the_Vampire_Bat

We make sure we see both sets of parents and Mr Buffy's siblings in the run up to Christmas, but Christmas itself has always been just the two of us, and we plan on keeping it that way.

If we are at home Christmas Day usually goes like this:

Roll out of bed, have smoked salmon rolls and champagne/cava for breakfast. We don't do Christmas jumpers but we always dress up for Christmas (new dress, shirt etc). The rest of the morning/early afternoon are spent preparing and cooking dinner, while slurping more bubbly. Christmas dinner is usually served around 2pm. Afterwards all the dishes are shoved in the dishwasher, then we settle down to open our presents. By this time it is usually time for the Doctor Who Christmas special, then the rest of the evening is spent making a start on the Christmas cake and just spending some quality time together.

Some years we book our favourite little cottage in North Devon for Christmas. A Devon Christmas usually goes like this:

Roll out of four poster bed, have bacon sandwiches for breakfast, then wrap up warm and head for Westward Ho!/Northam Burrows. Without fail we always have a quick paddle in the sea (just because we can ) and then we normally find a nice pile of rocks to sit on to have smoked salmon rolls and a bottle of bubbly. We usually wait til sunset, then head back to the cottage. While dinner is cooking we open our presents, with a break for the Doctor Who special. Then we have dinner and chill out for the rest of the evening.

I am so pleased/relieved to read this thread and discover that we are not the only couple who spend Christmas on their own

LutonGirl

This will be my first Christmas without my parents. My Mum died in 2005 and my Dad died earlier this year, so it will be my first one without either of them. It will be odd as I've always made a point of being "home" for Christmas. Even in my youth as a wayward teen or student traveller, I always managed to stagger home for it.

My sister and I are spending it together this year. No veg to peel, no turkey to wrestle with. Just us, in our jamas, watching sh1te telly, eating trifle from the bowl with two spoons and remembering our fab parents.

We've been invited to various relatives/friends and so on, but it's our choice to be together, alone (with the cats). If we want to cry, we can, and not feel like we're spoiling someone else's day. Even our other halves are elsewhere for the day - hers with his ex and kids, mine with his Mum.

I'm quite looking forward to it. Next year? Who knows.

morganlefay

Several years ago when DD was about one my OH had to work all day Xmas day at the Beeb, and I remember being very glum. I took dd out for a walk in her big pram, and we pushed past lighted windows showing rooms full of people loudly enjoying themselves, while DD and I had just had cheese sarnies or something not-Christmassy. I pushed along the route he'd have to drive along on his way home at about 4pm, and sure enough he came whizzing along and though I waved like a demented thing he didn't even notice a largeish woman with a vast pram waving hysterically. So I trudged back home again, very unhappy. I expect we had Xmas dinner the next day but I can recall that being the worst ever Xmas. They have all been a lot better since !

Hillbilly1

Grimbal - I feel for you. I had to put my foot down about him just wanting to go home... its habit, he didn't really enjoy it and he now has "traditions" for us! Tell him how you feel!

Glad to see there are alot of alternative Christmases. We have also worked alot and been apart... Just glad its different this year!

sky_bloo

I've really enjoyed reading about everyones days together, they all sound lovely!

This is our second Christmas living together after 4 Christmases living between our parents and only the 2nd Christmas the OH hasn't been working. We usually get up about 10am on Xmas day, as Christmas eve is our little tradition to go out and have a drink with friends, then around to my Mums for beef baguettes and then we stagger to his Mums for some weird concoction of black Russians or baileys cocktails, not sure how I'm not sick by then, then home about 1am.

Christmas day we have decided to alternate between our parents. My Mum's turn this year. We all live in the same village so we wander and see everyone anyway. I might steal the bubbly and salmon breakfast idea from other people and make that a little tradition for us. I really fancy the picnic on the rug with some M & S food someone mentioned it sounds perfect, I might aim for that next year and include a year of just us, I have just decided! Then we come home spend time with the rabbits and give them their new toys :rotfl:

Newly_retired

We almost always spend Christmas just the two of us at home. Our families live just too far away to pop in. We go our separate ways to visit them over the next few days from Boxing Day onwards.
So our day is quiet - and a bit lonely TBH.
Traditionally we go to church, have lunch, open presents, watch TV. OK we can watch what WE want on TV and don't have to put up with other people's silliness, but when it gets to after lunch and he is asleep, I really miss having company. I would love to see my grandchildren open their presents, but I can't, so I go on the computer and play patience, listening to my choice of music.

CupcakeSquirrel

Love this thread!

This year is our first "alone" and I can't wait! Our plan so far:

• Wear Christmas onesies all day (still got to sort those!)
• Cooked breakfast
• Open presents
• drink champagne (got our fave for half price in Mr Ts a couple of weeks ago)
• turkey dinner of some kind - just got to decide what/where to buy as all seems so expensive, and reviews of cheap stuff don't sound very tasty!
• Dr Who Christmas special (OH's fave)
• Downton Christmas special (my fave)
• Christmas cake. Except that I decorated this at cake decorating class and I love it a bit too much! Don't know how I'm going to bring myself to cut it!!!

LOVE the sound of some of these plans, especially Devon four poster, salmon, champagne, beach - SO romantic.

AuntyCat

i've loved reading al your stories, I especialy like the carpet picnic idea. I don't think my mum would go for it!

Apart from mum & her partner coming round for a few hours for lunch, we are on our own too.

like lots of you have said, lazy, eating, drinking, TV, games etc, same as most other people but quieter.

con1888

We have a very busy one, this is only our second year (well whilst living together).

Last year we got up and had a champagne breakfast,opened gifts then went to my parents (5min drive) and had some food breakfast and opened presents. Then his mum got him, he went to dinner with his mum and family and I had dinner with mine. Around 8pm I went to his mums.

The next day we went for dinner with his dad and family.


This year will be similar but a bit different as we have a puppy too ! I think he is still having dinner with his mum so I will go to mines as the pup can come with me, then we will meet up later at either my mums or his ( depending on how we feel, last year everyone was really tired at my parents as my grandfather was still here and he needed constant care so we were exhausted, sadly he is not here this year so may be different).

suzeesu2000

For the last 23years has just been he and me with our gorgeous furry girl joining in 5 years ago. We get up when we like, we dress or slop about in comfy pj's. Don't usually bother with brekkie, more room for lunch! I cook a traditional Christmas lunch. Afterwards we settle down to watch TV/DVD's or sleep or play board games, it's lovely to just please ourselves. We have one phone call from my mum and that's all.
Quiet, peaceful, restful day. Love it!