Christmas traditions - what are yours? 6 October 2013 at 2:47PM in Special occasions & other celebrations 101 replies 21.7K views

polkadot90

Looking to start some new traditions with my family as my little boy is the right age now. What do you do on the day or over the holidays to make your Christmas special?

joolesw1972

My partner as a child was always allowed one present on Christmas eve, and it was always a new pair of pj's ready for santa coming, we re-started this when we got together & I love it

My family always did stockings, the purpose of which was to keep us in our bedrooms a bit longer so my Mum & Dad didn't have us running in there too early! My Mum continued it to adulthood and it always contains sweeties, usually something like refreshers or wine gums, a lip salve & hand cream, my partner & I swap christmas stockings and open them in bed, main presents wait until later (oh yes & we were allowed to eat chocolate before breakfast, something NEVER allowed at any other time!)

Crowdpleaser

Stocking on beds
Christmas eve box with pjs, hot choc n xmas film
Sherry mince pie n carrot for Rudolf put out.

bossymoo

We've got an elf (well 2 this year) and we have an advent tradition. The elf brings advent calendars and a note from Santa saying he can stay till Xmas and he gets up to all kinds of mischief through the night. The littlies think its hilarious.

When he leaves, there is a Xmas eve "hamper" with new pjs bubble bath, reindeer food, snacks, a DVD and some craft stuff. This year we have a special key to let Santa in too as we have no chimney

We read "the night before Xmas" as our bedtime story, but downstairs (usually have 4 grandparents staying and we take turns in reading it) then leave mince pie and milk, plus a carrot out.

Then we light a sky lantern if its dry, and watch it float away to "heaven" for my late DH - he loved those things.

Once the littlies are asleep, put together any last gifts (last year was pumping bike tyres up!) then adults have a wee dram of something and a nice supper and watch TV.

It's often then we decide we ought to sort sleeping arrangements :eek: so I've mentioned it to my mum already and we have a plan lol. Nobody wants to be drunk in charge of an air bed pump...

jakes-mum

Christmas Eve the front door gets locked after dinner, everyone has to have a shower, hair wash and put on clean pj's and we watch Christmas films with popcorn and whatever choccies were on special there is always a new film to watch first then the old favourites come out. We also check the Internet to see where Father Christmas is before youngest goes too bed (eldest is 12 so beyond believing ) and I read youngest 'the night before Christmas' in bed before sleep

Stocking for both kids Christmas morning that they come in our room to open and for one day they get the treat of chocolate before breakfast :rotfl: no-one is allowed downstairs before I've been down to turn the Christmas tree lights on, then it's in the living room for presents and then breakfast.

Cake4brains

I cant wait to start our Christmas traditions. My twins girls are 11 months so wont be too long until we can start doing lots of things that they will hopefully remember forever.

We didn't really have too many traditions growing up, but I do remember the excitement every Christmas morning. Having to queue for the toilet in the early hours, everybody had to have their dressing gown and slippers on before we were allowed downstairs. Dad had to nip into the living room first to light the fire, before we were allowed in to see the mountain of presents my brother and I had.

And every year we waited for one of our parents to say the words "go and put the kettle on", because that meant there was an extra special present in the kitchen! One that was too obvious to place in the living room with the other presents, like a bike or a snooker table.

I honestly cant wait til I can say those words to my girls. And I cant wait until I can add some traditions of my own. The Christmas elf will definitely be one of them. As will be a Christmas Eve hamper with new pyjamas, treats and a Christmas dvd.

I cant wait

slimthinker

Reading these posts just want to say I love Christmas...Makes me all gooey and sentimental...My youngest kids are 12 and 15 now and are still getting a Santa letter in their Christmas Eve hamper whether they believe or not ;-)

Our Christmas Eve is spent...

Opening our Christmas Eve hampers.

My Hubby & 12 Year old sons last minute Christmas shop.( Have never understood why he leaves it so late but he will never change bless him )

Me & my 15 years old daughter do last bits and pieces around the caravan ( thats where we spend Christmas )

Then any last wrapping etc...

We all play our part preparing veg etc for The Big Day. My daughter loves making the pigs in blankets ;-) Always been a tradition and the kids really enjoy giving us a hand...Even our Son prepares the beans or carrots...

We cook the turkey on the afternoon so we can have turkey & stuffing sandwiches for tea ...hehe

Then we all shower and put our new pj's on and snuggle up with a bottle of baileys and munchies whilst watching a couple of films together...

Christmas Day...

Open presents one at a time ( after making a cuppa )

Then the rest of the day is spent helping the kids with anything that mayneed setting up...

Me and OH then make a start on the 3 course dinner while Christmas music plays around us...

After dinner we all play games, walk the dogs and then chillax..

Thats when the satisfaction sets in seeing my kids with their gifts and how quiet they are taking it all in...

Sorry for waffleing on but I absolutely love Christmas and I get more excited every year.

:j :j:j:j:j:T:T:T:T:T:j:j:j:j:j

Meadows

In the month up to Christmas use an Advent Calendar (does not have to be sweets).

Get one of these Christmas story books with the child's name in it and read it to them http://www.allpartythings.co.uk/personalised-my-special-christmas-adventure-book-9130-p.asp

Letter sent to Santa http://www.aletter4santa.com/

Christmas Eve:
Listen for Santa in the evening, track on Norad http://www.noradsanta.org/

Use Elf yourself to make dancing elves of the family (hilarious)
http://www.elfyourself.com/

Leave a mince pie, glass of *** (spirit/beer/wine) for Santa & a potatoes for Rudolph. Next morning your son will know he has been as all that will be left is a few crumbs and a small piece of potato also leave one or two gifts at the foot of their bed for them to open when they wake up.

With little children the day is for them so it's all about them unwrapping presents and playing with toys.

:snow_laug :xmassmile :rudolf: :xmastree: :snow_grin :santa2: :xmassign:

DigForVictory

Advent Calendar - with or without chocolate...?

Mum tried us on an Advent Candle - but watching a candle burn for two minutes wasn't as much fun as arguing over who got the chocolate. See how it goes? I think under 5s may do better gazing at a candle than we did.

This year I'm going for Advent Photos - a snap of one or more grandchildren emailed to the grandparents each day.

Stockings! Include a small drink as well as festive nibbles and some quiet-ish toys and you improve the odds of an extra half hour kip. (You may want to make up a stocking for your husband? My parents have an ongoing tradtion including an avocado, which they maintain even if one is in hospital on Christmas Eve!)

Mince pie, glass or bottle of something alcoholic & a carrot for Rudolph? (Bonus points if as well as a few crumbs on the plate beside the empty glass there is a note saying "Thank you!") Sets the stage for thank you letters being Obviously Right from an early age.

Family Breakfast (of bacon butties or something equally simple and hot) *Before* going wild with the presents?

Until you have a 10 year old, noone but you into the room with the tree & presents to put the lights on. At 10, they've grown up enough to enjoy creating the wonder for any other little folks.

Me, I've arranged to borrow the neighbours' dog, just to get out for an hour this year. Means I get some fresh air & can call, text & skype a few friends & relations without interruptions, whilst agreeing time slots for the "family call".

Have a Happy Christmas!

KateBob

On Christmas Eve the kids go off for a walk with grandparents, my brother/sister in law and the dog (Bob). Gives Hubby and me a chance to do the last minute bits.

Later on Christmas Eve we settle down to watch "A Muppet Christmas Carol" at my insistence.

Just before bed we put out a glass of milk and mice pie for Santa (no drink flying in this household) and a carrot for Rudolph.
Once the kids are in bed these are drunk/eaten and a thank you note left (written with the left hand).
In years past hubby has also gone outside and put rails out on the back garden to leave marks from the sleigh (remembering to remove them before going to bed).

Kids have stockings on bed (this one comes from my childhood), which are filled with little toys/books and sweets to keep them in bed a little longer in the morning.

Christmas morning the kids join us in bed and "show" us what Santa put in their stockings.
We then go downstairs and the kids open their presents and then pass us ours from under the tree to open.

Breakfast is always mince pies and sausage rolls (also from my childhood).

Last year I read A Christmas Carol by Dickens to my DD (11) in the run up to Christmas, might to that again this year too.

LalaGomay

Kate/Bob wrote: »

Breakfast is always mince pies and sausage rolls (also from my childhood).

I like that. I never know what to have for Christmas day breakfast.