FAMILY CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS....... What are yours?

[Tas1]

We have Tree presents on Christmas day and Boxing day. They are just silly things that only cost £1-£2 each. We have them between our main course and pudding.

Such as a scratch card, a lip balm or one of those flannels that are realy small then open up in water.

This tradition has been passed down from my Grandparents.

Another tradition we have is, we always have Ham and Eggs for breakfast on Christmas Day.

[Weegle]

DS chooses a new tree decoration every year - I mark them with the year, so by the time he is an adult it will be an eclectic mix!

Satsuma & gold coins in stocking.

Also, we did this last year because we had a German with us, and we'll do it again because again we have a German living with us so rapidly becoming a tradition... St Nicholas on 6th Dec. So outside their bedroom door we leave a little boot filled with sweet treats & little nick nacks.

[LadyOfWaffleIsScaryEnough]

lol, are you quite new?

[Weegle]

No - I know it's done every year, but I like reading other people's traditions. Problem?

[LadyOfWaffleIsScaryEnough]

Yikes, no.

[HeinzSight]

LOL

[JustPoppedIn]

Is weagle Tas1?

[Weegle]

No. What's the problem? I don't get why you guys are being rude just because the thread doesn't float your boat? Genuine question...

[Weegle]

Think you've safely killed it for anyone who would be interested - so guess you got what you wanted!

[Surfermum]

We have Poundland presents in a little sleigh on the table with our meal. DD and dsd always buy ours and we buy theirs. Last year I got a pink, sparkly cowboy hat - dd apparently chose it becuase "mummy needs a hat for when she's drunk" .

[LadyOfWaffleIsScaryEnough]

I am really sorry, just made me chuckle as I remember Cod posting loads of these last year and it's the first I have seen this year... sorry.

[LadyOfWaffleIsScaryEnough]

I doubt my comment killed it though. Wasn't my intention though, honest.

[Weegle]

No worries

[MOrticiaAdams]

Me & DH buy each other the tackiest Christmas card we can find for each other. Really nasty stuff, like goey words or something that lights up and sings Oh Come all Ye Faithful!

[Gettingbiggernow]

I like to read other people's traditions too Weegle!

There are (gasp)new people on here all the time with new contributions who (gasp) ARE NOT CodFish/WierdCod/Coddy/NotCod/ICod, y'know!

[Surfermum]

That's funny Morticia!

A couple of years ago I sat and added up how much our cards to each other (dh, me, dd, dsd) had cost and decided I'd rather spend it on a takeaway. So I put the cards away in the decorations box and every year the same ones come out and go on the mantlepiece ... so I suppose that's a tradition.

[Mercy]

I'm not sure a tradition is something that has only been passed down from grandparents to tbh.

If you mean what do you every year I think for us it's

Sausage rolls
Mince pies
Wreath on the front door (genuinely home-made, s rolls and mince pies, half and half!)
Saltdough tree decs
Those satsuma thingies (can't remember the name)
Drink too much, have a row, fall asleep

[HeadFairy]

We do the French thing (or at least that's what my mum told me it was)... Instead of putting presents under the tree, we used to leave our shoes out by the fireplace on Christmas eve for Father Christmas, he would come and inspect them, and if they were shiny enough he'd leave our presents next to our shoes. Of course this was probably a ruse to make us polish our shoes at least once a year, but my mum swears it's a French tradition.

[RupertTheBear]

We have presents from the Christmas tree fairy that appear after lunch on Christmas day (tradition passed down from my parents), and we have ham for breakfast on Christmas day.

[SqueakyPop]

We have a tree.

We have work colleagues over for mulled wine open house etc the week before Christmas.

We do all the church stuff including Midnight Communion and Family service on Christmas morning.

We have a full-on turkey spread.

We open presents one at a time.

We focus on the real reason for the season.

[MOrticiaAdams]

We have a tree tradition too! Its the only time of the year I get total control on a household decision. We go to the local farm and I have DH and any farm workers stand and twirl trees for me. It can take some time, but DH always just says, 'its her choice mate, just go with it!' Then, when I've chosen, we bring it home, DH sets it in the stand and leaves me to it! I will not have help. My tree has to be perfect and I have to have the Xmas CD on and a glass of sherry whilst I do it!

[MarsLady]

Our Christmas is devoted to Delia and my sisters. I buy and prepare the turkey. My sisters do a ham and lamb. We throw together salad and veg (middle sister does brussels -yuk!). Brother in law brings a salmon. We divide the alcohol list between us. Our day goes as follows: the kids wake up - anything from 7.30am (they all sleep in one bedroom so as not to confuse the man in red). We listen as they "discover" that FC has left them stockings. We hear lots of laughter and then footsteps. When they go into the lounge they see the Christmas tree and all the presents (put there by us the night before). We go in and all open prezzies. Not as restrained or as good as some of you. We open as many as we want to. But then my three sisters arrive with even more prezzies later. I make smoked salmon and scrambled eggs and pop open a bottle of champers. The kids eat chocolate. The turkey goes in the oven and we phone everyone we can think of and sing badly down the telphone at them. We can't ring my mum until the kids have gone to bed because she lives in Jamaica. We go to Church and enjoy the family service. The family arrive about 1pm whereupon madness ensues. The kids and their cousins eat more chocolate and junk. We serve up lunch. Drink too much and then the bossy sister(because there has to be one and no it's not me) will clear away. The fellas will wash up and then we'll divide the remaining food into tubs so that we all have lots of lovely leftovers. They all leave about midnight and we fall into bed. We go to friends for leftovers lunch on Boxing Day and take the kids to run around the woods. We do the same thing every year. The kids love it, we love it and so it will remain. I posted this last year. Will continue to post it cos my Christmas always makes me smile.

[Surfermum]

One year we got whistles in our crackers, each one with a different note. Every year the whole family (aunts, cousins etc) sit like a choir and Dad tries to conduct us (and we're crap ).

We had a break of a few years when my aunt moved and lost (??) them, then my cousin found a new set of crackers a couple of years ago and the band was reformed.

[MOrticiaAdams]

AW, Surfer, that's lovely!

I've got another one! DH and 3 of his mates, take the day off a few days before Christmas and go to Smithfields in London for the Christmas meat. They get up at 3am and get the freshest and biggest peices of ham, beef and turkeys. Then they get out of the congestion zone before it kicks in, have a greasy spoon breakfast and arrive home at 8am, with all their buys! Its the moment that Christmas really starts for us and we can open the Baileys then!

[Surfermum]

Christmas always starts for us at the end of November when we go to Clearwell Caves in the Forest of Dean to see Father Christmas. We have a weekend away in the Holiday Inn and I spend lots of time in the jacuzzi!

We were thinking of not going this year .... but this thread has made me realise that we must!

[Starbear]

Surfermum that's a great plan. DH and I get someone else to look after DS. We go Christmas shop all morning then have a lovely lunch with wine then go home for a cuddle and a nap I love it but realise that I have to do all my serious shopping long before that(because we now have more children to buy for) and I get annoyed at not having enough time so close to Christmas. I just buy his present and some fun stuff for friends and one for myself (just little)He doesn't know very much about the rest he thinks it happens my magic