What are your Christmas traditions?

[TennisFan42]

Just wondering what family traditions different people have eg going for a walk after the Christmas meal or giving the children new PJs for xmas?

[YouOldSlag]

The children are allowed to open one present on Christmas Eve. I make sure it's something they can "do" rather than something to wear or anything.

Me and DH open our presents after the kids have gone to bed on Christmas Eve. That way we can totally concentrate on the kids in the morning.

We go to a local Christmassy shop and choose a bauble each every year.

I love Christmas and make no apologies for fantasising about it in July.

[EdwardorEricCantDecide]

I love Christmas and make no apologies for fantasising about it in July
I'm not the only one then

My eldest DC is 3 this year so we are just starting xmas traditions i've always given new PJs on xmas eve although this year i have bought "festive" ones and will be giving them on Dec 1st with a hamper of xmas books dvds and activity books etc. our new Elf will bring them and i'm sooo excited about it.

[TennisFan42]

We go to a local Christmassy shop and choose a bauble each every year.
That's a lovely idea. Our first baby is currently due and I want to start a tradition of getting a Christmas bauble with her photo in each year as she grows up. I've found this on Photobox

[BikeRunSki]

We have Mexican food for Christmas lunch - I am veggie and DH is not bothered about turkey.

And we watch a Wallace and Gromit on Christmas Eve evening.

[AngryFeet]

We do the elf on the shelf everyday from 1st Dec along with the advent calender.

After they break up from school we take them to a grotto - different one every year.

Put up the tree and decs together a week before xmas day.

Xmas Day with MIL and family then Boxing Day with my family (my parents work on Xmas Day).

[AngryFeet]

Oh and I do wrapping on Xmas Eve with a glass of wine while watching a xmas movie :)

[Doodlekitty]

We have always done new pjs, from me being little, so we continue this. No elf or hamper though, largely as no kids yet (dc1 will be 2 months).

Ever since we got the dog we do a lovely walk on Christmas day. We go somewhere special and take a million photos. Usually before lunch (work up an appetite) but that might change once kiddy is here.

We also do a special bauble every year, we try and link it to what we have done that year (baby's first Christmas this year)

[LittleAbruzzenBear]

YouOldSlag for the last two years DS1, 4yo, and I have chosen a new bauble for the tree together so will do that again. We also read xmas or wintery stories up to two weeks before. DH and I have a bottle of prosecco, some ciabatta, fresh anchovies, cheese and prosciutto on Xmas Eve.

[YouOldSlag]

aww, some lovely ideas and like minded people on here.

I think it's a great idea to do Christmassy stuff throughout December Edwardo. I might follow suit. Sometimes it's such a downer to get it all over with in one day when really it's a festive season, not just a day.

We also keep a few gifts back for Boxing Day and New year's Day- surely the most anti climactic days of the year!

Oh and our tree goes up around the 25th November.

[Pancakeflipper]

We have a Christmas Eve treasure hunt. In our pirate outfits.
We have a walk Christmas Day evening where we live as the trees are full of fairy lights and I fill my pocket up with Christmas sweets.

[Knowsabitabouteducation]

We celebrate the birth of Christ.

[BetterTogether]

We always go to a Christmas Market at the start of December and buy a tree decoration each.

We go to the crib service at the local church on Christmas Eve which is lovely, although last year I was "volunteered" to do a reading which was a bit embarrassing!!

Christmas Eve - we all get new PJs, change into them then watch a new DVD whilst eating baked Camembert the popcorn for dinner (eating in front of the tv = part of the treat for DD!) & then after the film DD sets out milk, a mince pie & carrots for Santa and the reindeer.

Christmas Day itself we take it in turns to go to my parents & DH's parents so the traditions depend on where we are, but the DC always open their stockings (just little unwrapped gifts) in our bedroom first thing in the morning before we leave our house.

I love Christmas, this will be the first year both DC properly understand what's happening, can't wait :)

[BiddyPop]

On Christmas Eve, after we light the Christmas candle (and say a few prayers for those who need them and those no longer with us), we put out refreshments for Santa and the reindeer. Then DD gets new PJs (well, it's now all of us having started with DD) and a Lush Christmassy bath bomb (usually used Christmas Eve).

Then, for her bedtime story, it's the first annual reading of Twas the night before Christmas. I have loads of Christmas books that we read during December, but that is kept for the 24th.

As my dec's box is QUITE full at this stage, I don't get one every single year. But I do try to get one on every international holiday we are on (I have some from 4 different continents at this stage) and they evoke lovely memories when decorating the tree.

I am currently working on getting a full set of a traditional German grouping for my 2 bros, as they are both engaged (1 getting married next year) - some are cheap while others I have got heirloom type ones, but they each represent something that you wish for a newly married couple on their first Christmas. (Things like Santa, Angel, house, rabbit, fish, flower basket, fruit basket, pinecone - can't remeber the rest). I'll eventually gather a full set for myself too (probably not heirloom ones though).

The year after both events (i.e. cheapskate found them on sale) I got 1 for our wedding and 1 for DD's birth, but both Waterford Crystal that I couldn't justify original price.

[BiddyPop]

We also go to mass on Christmas morning rather than midnight mass - it's always been traditional in both our families. Some years we do both, but never just Midnight.

[parsnipcake]

We have a hot chocolate tray from 1st december, on a Christmas themed tray, themed cups and little pots of marshmallows. We also have a basket of Christmas books and DVDs. Another tradition is to go to b&q and set off all their animatronic toys, occasionally buying one before we get thrown out by security! We go to snow play at the chill factor every Christmas eve, followed by a curry.

[RedGreenRouge]

We light our final candle - we have advent candles - before bedtime on Christmas Eve. They put on their Christmas pjs and go to bed. We drink and are in bed by midnight (so Santa comes, obviously).

Christmas presents in the morning; a walk after Christmas dinner (any royalists in the family (cough...MIL...cough) stay to watch the speech.

[RedGreenRouge]

Posted too soon.

In the weeks before Christmas, we buy a bauble for the tree each and give one to our best friend and the person we want to thank the most. We go to the Christmas Market once a week for every week that it's on.

In the evening of Christmas Day, we play games and the children stay up late. When they do go to bed, they all sleep in one room together.

Religious members of the family hold a family service on Boxing Day morning.

[Lifeisontheup]

Now DC's are more or less grown up we have Rudolph's pie for supper on Christmas eve, go to Midnight Mass, have kedgeree and Bucks fizz for breakfast, always new PJ's for all except DH, open presents after breakfast and either play a game or watch a soppy christmas film on Chistmas night.
Will make the most of it this year as DD will be a qualified nurse next year and unlikely to get Christmas off and I will most likely be working too as I've had the last two off.

[TennisFan42]

What is a Rudolph pie?

[pinkyp]

We put our tree up late around 12th as ds2 birthday is 7th dec so we don't want it to be over shadowed by Xmas. New pj's on Xmas eve and we always eat out the evening b4, leave out a mince pie & carrot for Rudolph and Santa. Oh me and dh always have a row when putting the tree up...it's tradition ;)

[fuzzpig]

My birthday is 7th dec too :o we don't put decs up before then, but haven't as yet got a specific day for doing it. I wouldn't mind actually having a tradition of doing it on my birthday, maybe.

We have some traditions mostly nicked from MN - both of us had shit childhoods so have nothing to base it on. I love these threads.

So far we do stuff like jammies, tree dec etc from the elves. This year we are starting a new tradition where we get a load of (non Xmassy) DVDs at some point, as we are DVD mad as a family, but haven't ironed out the details yet.

[lookingforgold]

chinese take away for christmas eve

[TennisFan42]

Can someone explain the elf tradition to me? Seen it on a couple of threads now but not sure how it works.

[Lifeisontheup]

Rudolph's pie is a shepherds pie but made with minced venison and minced pork, our family have a rather weird sense of humour but in our defence the youngest is 16 so no worries about how Father Christmas is going to get here. It's a Nigella recipe.

[YouOldSlag]

Do you stick a cherry tomato in the middle for his nose? please say yes!