What pre-Christmas traditions do you and your family have to get yourselves in the mood for Christmas? Tell Cadbury and you could win a £200 Love2Shop voucher NOW CLOSED

[AngelieMumsnet]

In honour of Cadbury launching their biggest ever advent calendar, Cadbury would like to know what gets you and your family into the Christmas spirit in the countdown to Christmas.

Here's what they say "This year we’re launching Cadbury’s biggest ever advent calendar and setting out to bring even more joy to the countdown this Christmas. 24 trucks, 24 doors, opening daily in 24 different locations, we’reringing joyful festive surprises to the nation on the countdown to Christmas. While we’re counting down, we’re also keen to hear from Mumsnetters about what you and your families do in the countdown before Christmas"

Find out about the Cadbury advent calendar by watching the video below:

So, what traditions do you and your family have to get that Christmas feeling? Do you spend an evening putting up a Christmas tree? Maybe decorating Christmas cookies is your favourite family activity? Or perhaps you all gather around the TV to watch a particular Christmas movie?

Whatever your pre-Christmas traditions are, Cadbury would love to know.

Everyone who posts a comment will be entered into a prize draw where one lucky MNer will win a £200 Love2Shop voucher.

Thanks and good luck,
MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

[TrollTheRespawnJeremy]

We spend a day putting up Xmas decorations (and then probably another 3 days making more decorations to add to it!)

We like making paper chains, gingerbread houses, gingerbread men for the tree and cotton wool snowmen.

We also indulge in a bit of baking, making cards and watching Xmas films like Elf together.

When the weather is as wet and windy as it is right now, there's nothing better! We get some real quality time together.

[MissFitt68]

Christingle service! And a Santa run in aid of charity. Kids love both even tho eldest is in her 20's

[voyager50]

I always go back to my home town for a couple of days a week or so before Christmas to help my elderly Grandmother with her last minute Christmas shopping and to wrap all the presents she has bought as she can't manage it any more. It's a lovely time for the two of us to spend together and I enjoy chatting to her on my own without the rest of the family around for a change!

[ProfYaffle]

Oh, we have tons. I've always treated Christmas as a season through the whole of December iyswim.

This year is challenging as the dc have finally openly admitted they don't believe in Santa anymore. However, we've now adopted our own version of Elf on the Shelf, except our Elf is a naughty one! The dc and I are secretly planning various things for him to get up to over the advent period. We'll take turns setting them up at night to surprise everyone else in the morning. Plus the Elf will be bringing small advent gifts every day (to replace the Playmobil calender we used to have in previous years)

We also embrace any local events we can find, Xmas markets, craft fayres, lights switch on, Santa Race (!) and the like. No FC visits this year but we'll choose a local show/panto to go to instead.

Now that we've dropped the FC pretence the dc are more involved in shopping, wrapping, making lists (for other people) etc which is different but nice.

I put the tree up on 1st Dec. I usually pack away all the Xmas CDs and DVDs in the decoration box so we normally dig those out first, put the tree up to the accompaniment of Slade then once we're done settle down for a few festive films.

[Cocacolaandchocolate]

Christmas Eve morning visit to local garden centre for Father Christmas and ice skating. Children's mass in afternoon/early evening.

[Chelsea26]

We go to a Panto and then to see Santa and then home for hot chocolate and snuggles on the sofa, that always puts us in the mood! I can't wait!!

[timeforabrewnow]

Christmas fair at the school, play at theatre,Christingle service, Christmas 1000 piece jigsaw to do for December and plenty of logs for the wood=burner.

[AGrinWithoutACat]

Tree and decorations go up first weekend in December after I have completed a deep clean. The DCs make paper snowflakes to decorate the windows and we start watching Christmas movies :)

Christmas Eve Story is always The Night Before Christmas cuddled up with hot chocolate and then it's off to bed

[foxessocks]

From this year onwards our tradition will be going to the pantomime with nanny! Dd is nearly 2 so she was too young last year. I think she still.might be a bit young but nanny is determined! We've also got a lovely new advent calender this year so I can fill it with sweets and toys for us all to share. My mum brought it for us which is lovely

[WarmHugs]

We have lots, but my favourite is stealing the Cadbury chocolates off the tree and blaming the DC.

My own Nan used to do it, and it's a great excuse for chocolate!

[PurpleThermalsNowItsWinter]

We put our tree up the first weekend in December, make a full day out of going to see Santa/Father Christmas, plan Christmas Eve boxes, and book pantomime tickets. Nothing feels more Christmassy than a good panto with the DC. Oh, and we have Christmas outfits too, not the Christmas jumpers but nice dresses, shirts, chinos etc for the theatre trips and parties. I don't replicate my Christmas though. I had to wear party clothes every Christmas Day and was never allowed to play with my toys, Christmas was about being dragged around relatives houses for drinks and canapés, then church, then more relatives for Christmas dinner, until we finally got home tired and grumpy - so now my Christmas day is about smart loungewear and relaxing whilst the DC play with their presents.

[GloopyGhoul]

We usually have my parents, brother, and sister round a week or so before Christmas, once the tree and lights are up. I make loads of garlicky roast potatoes, homemade mince pies, and a huge pan of mulled cider, and we just have a relaxed evening. Once they've gone, and our daughter has gone to bed, my husband and I drink even more cider and watch It's a Wonderful Life in the dark.

[Robertaquimby]

Christmas jigsaw - nice Victorian Christmassy scene
A Christmassy book that we read a chapter of each night. This year it is The Dark is Rising.
Watching The Box of Delights
Making decorations

[chumbler]

We always make a wish when stirring the Christmas cake :)

[BeeMyBaby]

My daughters and I love to make a gingerbread house and decorate it, yum yum.

[Gazelda]

Christmas starts with Stir Up Sunday. We make the pudding together and all make a wish before it goes in the steamer. Then I nag DH until he brings the Christmas decorations down from the loft and we have the traditional cross words about too much tinsel.

[elvisthehamster]

We like to visit a local reindeer centre ,feed the reindeer and donkey's have lots of hot chocolate with the works and then decorate the Christmas tree (whilst playing Christmas tunes in the background and burning a Christmas scented candle )
Christmas films nights also get us into the mood. Walks in the snow also used to feature quite heavily in my own childhood pre Christmas and my children when they were little but the last few years have seen little of the white stuff before Christmas :(

[CMOTDibbler]

Lots of different things - choosing a tree, going skating at an outside rink, donating a big pile to the food bank, panto on christmas eve. But my personal one is always reading the Box of Delights and the Dark is Rising in December

[MakeTeaNotWar]

DH is always very busy at work, right up until late at Xmas Eve so he isn't just too busy to hang out with us in the lead up to the big day so as soon as he finishes work on Xmas Eve, Xmas truly begins in our house wrapping presents over mince pies and red wine once the kids have gone to bed and having a good old natter and catch up peeling the spuds and veg for dinner on Xmas day!

[MagicAlwaysLeadsToTrouble]

Sprinkling reindeer food (glitter and oats) on the lawn in our pjs on Christmas Eve so the reindeer come and land in our garden!

[AugustRose]

First weekend in December (or earlier if I let him!) DH takes one of the children to buy our Christmas tree, we let it open for a day and decorate it the next with our many different baubles and ornaments collected over the years. I try to buy at least one new one each year and there are often extra homemade/school made decorations to add.

We then start working through the Christmas films over the following weeks, sprinkle reindeer food on the lawn on Christmas eve and get the DC to bed early. This year will be a bit different as oldest DC is at uni and won't get home until 18th December, also DC 3&4 are sharing a room for the first time so I think we may be in for an early start on Christmas Day

We also try and have a couple of forest walks while the DC are off school, usually between Christmas and New Year as it's always quieter. There is nothing like standing in a frosty/snowy forest with not a sound around.

[CopperPan]

We love spending an evening riding on the double decker buses in London and enjoying the views of the lights on Oxford St and Regent St. Doesn't cost anything and it's especially nice when we can get the front seats!

[EasterRobin]

My family loves putting all the decorations up together. We decorate the tree, hang up the cards and put out the same decorations we've had since we were little. Then we all have a mug of hot chocolate to celebrate a job well done.

[gadfly90]

My Mum hangs a shrunken head in the corner of the living room. It's got a false Santa beard and a red hood, and the grizzled countenance of an evil walnut.

I have no idea where she got it from, but it wouldn't be Christmas without it!

[CheeseEMouse]

We enjoy putting the tree up together as a family. The toddler was hilarious when she was "helping" last year and I hope that she will perhaps be a bit more useful this year!