Is it too early to ask what you're Christmas traditions are?!

[cherrybakewelltart]

My dd has just turned 3, so this will be the first year she vaguely understands any of it.

Christmas is absolutely my favourite time of year but apart from opening new Pjs on Christmas Eve we never had any sort of traditions when I was growing up. I really want to make some for our little family, and the new PJs will obviously be included but I'm stuck.

So for inspiration, what are your family Christmas traditions?

[MaryPoppinsPenguins]

So far, I've adopted a few from here. I make a hamper for Christmas Eve that the elves deliver, with Christmas books, pjs for the girls, candy cane bone for DDog, chocolate, a DVD and last year, a snuggly throw, toothbrushes etc.

I have a wooden advent calendar that I have put letters in everyday with activities to do, but it's kind of exhausting so I'm going to make it a bit more simple and just put in notes on the days we are actually having an outing (Santa, panto etc) and just chocolate or small gifts in the rest.

The weekend before Christmas I go to a panto in a huge group, us, my parents, siblings and friends and eat out afterwards.

I see Santa at the same place every year the same weekend... We've done it every year since DD1 was born (and my parents come along too)

I love Christmas... I'm sure there are more!

[lavazzzalover]

I have never understood the new PJ thing. But wont knock anyone who does it!

Christmas Eve starts with pancakes. Then I tend to the bird. In the oven after lunch as its usually a whopper and takes 7 hrs to cook. Then depending on the weather we would either go to the beach for a walk or watch a Christmas film. I record loads on the Christmas 24 channel. Or the kids will go out to play. I'll make tea, bolognaise in the slow cooker. Then prep the veg whilst drinking copious amounts of Snowball.

Then watch TV and sort the presents out once the kids are in bed asleep. Only DS who believes do easier!

[BiddyPop]

Our Christmas Eve hamper comes out after dinner.

DD, as the youngest, lights the Christmas candle (an Irish tradition to put in the window - shows there is room available in our home even if none in the Inn) - it goes on the mantle in our house though.
We have a few quiet minutes, where we talk about the good things that have happened in the year, and anyone who has died is remembered. We say a "Hail Mary" too (was a decade of the rosary growing up). We're really not a religious family, but it seems fitting then.

This is followed by getting out the box that is our hamper. New PJs for all 3 of us, my festive slipper socks are in there and new slipper socks for DD, Lush festive bath bombs for DD and I, and naice hot choc (the lumps of choc on a wooden spoon to melt into hot milk) for all of us. Along with DD's stocking and our copy of "The night before Christmas".

DD puts out her stocking, milk, a carrot and a cookie, and then toddles off up for her Santa bath and into bed, where we read the book to her. So it does help to move the evening along and get her to bed at a reasonable hour, and reasonably calmly.


DD is now 9. But over the years, we have acquired a lot of Christmassy stories, which we start reading from early December at bedtime. Twas the night before Christmas is always kept for 24th. We have a good handful of Christmas movies too, which I only take out for December and early January.

We do a lot of different craft things in December - handprint or potato print wrapping paper or cards. A lovely one I saw was a black felt tip wiggly line, with black dots off it periodically, and a fingerprint in coloured paint at each dot making a string of Christmas lights design. Or as DD grew a little, giving her a box of strips of different coloured paper and a roll of sellotape and kiddie scissors (strips of cut tape for littler DCs) to let her make her own paper chain decorations.

We also bake a fair bit. From her very first Christmas (just about to turn 1), she helped make cookies for crèche. Nowadays, she makes them completely herself and I only have to do the oven. We also make sure we have a half a batch of cookie dough in the freezer earlier in December - so on Christmas Eve afternoon we can either make cookies from scratch for Santa, or just slice and bake from the freezer if time or energy levels are not great.

The city where we live, there is a "Live Crib" outside the Lord Mayor's House where the Farmer's Association have various different animals, which is right next to a main shopping street and very close to my office. So DD comes to see that, usually a couple of times as I take a half day for DD to go "shopping" (a few bits she wants to buy, I am buying nothing that day, and a hot choc stop together chatting and peoplewatching, and Crib) and she also comes into my office on Christmas Eve (I have to show up for a couple of hours but everyone brings their DCs) and we meet DH afterwards for a nice lunch and any last bits we want.

I have a fabric advent calendar for DD - I pop in a chocolate figure every day (M&S and Aldi both sell nets of nice ones) and usually a mix of free printable colouring/activity sheets, a couple of small toys (like maybe 2 or 3 in the 24 days) and the odd note about an activity we will do that day. Sometimes the toys are at the end of a treasure hunt around the house, following notes starting in the calendar, which DD loves!!

We love Christmas!

[bexcee8]

Yes it is too early. It's August

[DrTinkle]

This is the Christmas topic so never too early. There are a million threads about traditions op so do a search. We do a wooden advent calendar; a pantomime or theatre production, local theatre also do a show; visit the local Xmas tree farm; ice skating at the garden centre or in London; xmas day long walk; Xmas eve drink in town.

[lavazzzalover]

Well, this is in the Christmas section so its not early. Granted, if it were in Chat we'd get slated, but its not.

So I guess its ok. If you don't like it, no need to be in Christmas

[FeelingSmurfy]

Pantomime on Xmas eve and pjs when we get home

The reason for new pjs are encouraging kids to get to bed so that father Christmas can come, new pjs help, and also so that everyone looks nice on the photos the next morning

[Bellebella]

Bex no fucking kidding its August?! Would not have known that
This is the christmas thread, don't like it don't click on it. Simple!

We have various things we do every year.
Go into London, see the lights and choose a special Christmas decoration.
Go to some sort of christmas activity, last year I took ds to a meet characters breakfast. He met various characters and santa. I also go to one alone, last year it was carols at the Royal Albert Hall, this year it's Elf the musical
Go see Santa and have photo taken. Christmas crafts. Got a big box of Christmas craft to do and will do some sort of Christmas baking.
Christmas Eve- church service and carols/quick visit to family and then home for pj's, special bath product, takeaway for dinner, dvd and book. Along with some treats.

I love christmas

[BiddyPop]

It's less than 4 months to Christmas - so if you want to have your activities planned, so that you can then ENJOY them with the DCs rather than being frazzled, now is EXACTLY the time to talk about them.....especially on the CHRISTMAS BOARD!!!!

(sorry, will stop shouting now)

[RuggerHug]

BiddyPop your message just put such a smile on my face I'm obviously in the same place as you and we always did the moving crib, shopping trip that was mainly for people watching / atmosphere and I still get to light the candle in my parents as the youngest (at 27 )

[Every1KnowsJeffHesUsuallyACunt]

At the end of November, we go to our annual town switch on. There's a fair and stalls etc. Kids love it.

Our tree goes up the first of December. Always. The kids make popcorn and then eat it string it for the tree.

On the night of the 5th, we write their lists (I've drawn up a template that helps them with what to write!) Then they leave their wellies out for the elves with the lists inside in the hope (if they've been good) they'll get some choccy coins or a little gift left in them. Sometimes, if their behaviour hasn't been so good, they get an elf warning too!! It's just a reminder to buck up their ideas before the big day!

On the 6th we go and buy a new ornament for the tree.

Some time in the next week, we go and see father Christmas and reindeer at a garden centre. We do christmas crafts and bake or make chocolates. Do the christmas card run.

We also do some 'rack-ing'. R.A.C.K = Random Act of Christmas Kindness. Basically, we sneak about and leave baked gifts or a bottle of wine at random houses, maybe people who need someone or an old person who's alone. The kids love writing a little note and posting it anonymously.

Christmas eve, we go on a big walk looking at local christmas lights. After, we do a gingerbread house, kids get a Christmas eve box with new pyjamas, bath stuff, hot chocolate, have a bath and watch a film. Bed early.

I usually go to midnight mass too.

[NeverNic]

EveryoneknowsJeff - your post has made me teary!

We are still making traditions.Oh is Christmas grumbly so it's tricky. We've always had Christmas pj's. My mum used to take our photo in front of the tree Christmas eve night. This is something I've carried on. The boys also choose a new decoration each year. We see father Christmas, go to a Christmas party the Sunday before Christmas. We have advent calendars, wreath goes up on the 1st December, cards sent the same day. We also now have a 'this house believes' sign and change the kitchen and toilet roll to the ms Christmas ones!

[BiddyPop]

RuggerHug - will you be at the place named by an insurance company on Saturday, guessing on the basis of your name?!

(My 31 year old DB still has the honour at home most years, and my 52 year old DUncle HAS to call in to the family home on Christmas Eve for "his job" - no one younger than him qualifies apparently, he is the "youngest of the household" )

[MidnightDinosaur]

Mine are 6 & 4.

We take the dc to see Father Christmas at the local indoor snow slope a day before the schools break up for summer. We have the whole place to ourselves for tubing and tobogganing because the kids are all at school.

We write & post their letters to Father Christmas, and good old New Zealand Post Father Christmas writes back to them individually.

We always make a gingerbread house at some point in the week running up to Christmas as well as popcorn garlands and paper chains.

We always make a new batch of salt dough decorations to hang on the tree/around the house and make Christmas cards to send to family in the UK.

I will have a pot of water simmering on the hob with oranges, lemons, cloves & cinnamon.

Christmas Eve afternoon we head to the beach for a swim/surf for a few hours and when we get back, the elves have dropped off a hamper. New pj's, hot chocolates and candy canes, new book for bedtime, new decoration for the tree and a DVD. Everyone has showers and gets into new pj's and we watch the DVD while drinking hot chocolate, then it's the new book & bed for the boys.

Then it's my tradition, the baileys comes out, a Christmas film goes on and I finish up the last little bits of wrapping etc.

[ChristmasZombie]

My daughters are only 2 years (will be 3 by Christmas) and 4 months, so we're still developing our family traditions, but there are some in the making already!
We'll be baking treats on Christmas Eve (last year it was Peppa Pig cookies) to take to grandparents' house later and to leave out for Father Christmas. DH is usually at work for most of the day on Christmas Eve, o it'll just be me and the girls. It's DD1's nursery day this year, so I think I might pack her off for a few hours and pick her up after lunch.
We go to church with my mum and dad at about 4 o'clock, then back to theirs for a bite to eat and a drink, then home to settle in for the evening.

Christmas day breakfast is always bacon rolls. Always has been, always will be.

We've got two traditions we're planning to begin this year. The first is one I read about on another forum: sibling presents are exchanged on Xmas eve, to avoid them getting lost among all the other gifts. I've already got DD1 some pajamas "from" her little sister.
The other new tradition is that Father Christmas will be delivering all the stockings (DH and I have stockings, too) to mummy and daddy's bed, rather than to each room. The girls can come into our bed to open their presents. The only reason I'm doing this is to make life easier in years to come!

[cherrybakewelltart]

Thank you all for your lovely ideas.

I know it's August but to be fair it is the Christmas topic but for a few reasons I won't bore you with I will doing the majority of my Christmas shopping and organising in September and October, which is why I'm thinking about it now.

Some lovely ideas on here.

[NeverNic]

I think the majority on here are doing the same Cherrybakewelltart

[NoisyOyster]

Started one tradition today, my Christmas cake fruit is currently soaking up a whole bottle of sherry. Usually takes a few days!

[BathshebaDarkstone]

Christmas Day the DC will have chosen a treat breakfast, they open their stocking presents in bed, all the Cbeebies and CBBC Christmas specials, any kids' films that are on, opening presents all day, we have a light lunch, DH cooks dinner.

[franksidebottom]

It's never too early, that's what the Christmas board is for . I don't always stick to the same traditions every year, although that defeats the object of it being a tradition but we always put our tree up first weekend in Dec with Xmas music playing and me and dp always have a tiff over where the tree will go, it goes in the same place every year but he still likes to have a moan about it . I look at pinterest for ideas for crafts with dd2 (7) and I pick a few to do. I also have Dd3 who will be 7 months this year so something easy. We always have advent calenders just the choc ones. I also do one special day out each with the dds. This year it's london to look at the lights with Dd1 and 3. Dd2 it will be ice skating and lunch out. Xmas eve we usually do a buffet tea, the kids love it and we always go on the norad website to track santa. I'm extra excited this year as we also have Dd3 even though she won't have a clue. Xmas day we don't necessarily have a roast we choose something we like. Last year we had lamb and ham, not sure this year

[Taytocrisps]

Let me think......

I always have a day out in the city with DD in December. We do a small bit of shopping but it's more about the atmosphere and the lights and looking at the window displays. There's usually a mini-funfair somewhere with a carousel etc. We have lunch and a hot chocolate.

We watch a Christmassy movie every week in the run up to Christmas.

One weekend in December DH is sent off to collect the tree and we decorate it and put up all our millions of Christmassy ornaments and decorations. DD puts up the angel at the top of the tree and then switch on the tree lights and stand back and admire our handiwork.

On Christmas Eve we wrap all the presents once DD is asleep and then relax over a few drinks.

On Christmas morning DH goes into the sitting room ahead of us to check if Santa came (and switch on the Christmas tree lights). DD and I wait outside. DD is usually shaking with excitement and anticipation at this point. Then DH comes out and and informs us that Santa has been. We go in and watch DD open her presents and then DH and I exchange ours. One year Santa snagged a bit of his costume on our fire guard and left a small piece of red velvet cloth behind. I'll never forget the look of awe on DD's face when she spotted it. I told her that Mrs. Claus was probably very cross with him. She brought it into school in January to show her teacher and friends . That's not really a tradition though because it's something you can only do once to make it credible.

Santa always puts a Christmas decoration in DD's stocking. After Christmas it gets put away with all the other decorations and she's always happy to be re-united with it the following year. We also like to buy a Christmas decoration if we go on a holiday abroad.

Can you tell I love Christmas?

Lovely to read about all the other traditions too. Lots of lovely parents making magical memories for their children.

[FeelingSmurfy]

Tayto we have ours plugged in to a plug you can control with a remote - very handy, all light up decorations turned off with one click and no scrambling under the tree! It's just a plug that you plug in to normal socket and then tree light plug plugs in to that, got ours from asda

[icclemunchy]

We only really have a couple although hope to add in a few more now we have DD2

DD1 (and 2 will now) picks a new decoration for the tree. We see Santa and the local urban farm and have pjs for Xmas eve. Stockings are opened on our bed and we always have McDonalds for breakfast Xmas day. We also visit my horses with apples and carrots

My favourite tradition is recording all the movies I watched as a kid and trying to persuade DD to watch them with me!!

[1122christy]

My kids for this Xmas will be 7, 5 and 3.

We do similar to the Xmas eve sack but we give it on 1st dec, so they can wear their Xmas pjs n socks all month long also goes in it is a chocolate calendar and fun advent calendar (this year will be playmobil and Lego ones, I always get them on sale), Xmas craft things I pick up cheap in pound shops etc, last year they got Xmas mugs but won't need any new ones for a while. If I find them cheap I put in a Xmas jumper too.

We do elf on the shelf, I know not everyone is keen on them but this house loves him! He comes on the 1st dec with the Xmas sack for everyone (things in the above). He does fun cheeky things every night that the kids love to come down and see what he has done, I get lots of ideas on Pinterest. - makes Lego Santa, makes cakes with teddies etc.

We go to our cities Xmas market, last year we got churros yum!

Last year I gave the 2 oldest £5 each to spend on each other, so took them to poundland separately and they bought each other Xmas gifts. This year we will include the youngest. They loved doing this.

We go to the panto the weekend before Xmas

We go see Santa the weekend before too, it's at a garden centre where we also let them choose a Xmas decoration each (cause so close to Xmas they are heavily reduced )

As above we let them buy one Xmas decoration each. Once Xmas is done I put their decorations in their own box and when they are all grown up and left this will be given to them for their own homes.

Last year we did salt dough decorations for the first time, we all enjoyed so will do again this year. As well as other Xmas crafts and baking.

We always go to our towns Xmas light switch on

We are going to a country park to some a Xmas craft free event, first time doing this but if good then will be tradition.

We have loads of Xmas books, so I bring them out end of November.the night before Xmas is always left for Xmas eve, as was the tradition when I was wee.


Last year my hubby got me a Yankee candle advent calendar, it was brill so hoping we do that again.

Xmas eve once all the kids were in bed and presents have been put out we put a Xmas movie on, get nice cheese and crackers and have a few glasses of prosecco. Was lovely.

Xmas morning we always have chocolate croissants.

Taking about all this has got me so excited lol

[Badmumton]

We have a few 'traditions', although nothing earth shattering.

I book one Christmas show for the DC every year. They aren't that fussed about seeing Father Christmas anymore, as they don't believe in him .

Christmas music starts being played on December 1st (I have a massive spotify playlist going strong ) and I get out all the DC's Christmas books, and our big Christmas crafts/baking book nd the Dc can choose what they want to make.

Tree goes up end of first week/beginning of second week of Dec (wherever a weekend falls). Always a real tree, as I like the smell. DH takes the DC to choose the tree.

If we're at home and not away for Christmas, I usually bake on Christmas Eve morning (one of the rare times I ever do it!) - mince pies, sausage rolls etc. Thats definitely become a little tradition for me.

I also try to palm DC off on DH and get out of the house on my own on Christmas Eve afternoon under the guise of 'getting a few last minute bits' , but really to go for a coffee or drink locally and feel all Christmassy .

We watch a Christmas film with the DC on Christmas Eve before bed, although I often slope off to listen to Carols from Kings and drink in the kitchen .

I started the new Xmas PJs thing when the DC were born and we have fully embraced that. Even DH now looks forward to getting his Xmas onesie on .

DC are too old for all the reindeer footprints/elves on shelves/malarkey now, but we do still leave a glass of sherry and mince pie and carrot out for FC and the reindeers .

DH and me have a bottle of champagne while while wrapping presents in the evening.

We have chocolate and tea while the kids open presents first thing on Christmas Day.

DH makes Christmas morning breakfast, I make Christmas dinner.

We play board games in the evening, and when the DC go to bed, we watch films and have a mahoooosive cheeseboard and port.

Boxing Day, we aways go for a walk on the Heath or a big London park about midday, then have a drink in a pub, then home to leftovers and more bubbly afterwards .

I love Christmas .