Ideas for a different sort of Christmas/ going away at Christmas

Butlins? It's actually relatively cheap compared to other places

We went to Tenerife last year, flying from Manchester. It was fab. Happy to share hotel if you like. They put on a lovely Christmas buffet.

Going away sounds nice.

For me I’d prefer finding a nice hotel, country or city, I don’t think I’d mind as long as it had lots of amenities like a swimming pool etc.. I think all I’d want to do is think about what I’m wearing and what I’m ordering off the menu and take the rest of the time to relax and enjoy DH&DCs company.

A few years ago we booked between Xmas Day and NYs eve at a hotel in Ireland, it was one of the best breaks we had with 3 young children. They had 2 restaurants and a bar to eat in, swimming pool and kids clubs, set in beautiful grounds to explore and a large lounge area where most families hung out in the evening.

If you did some kind of city you could see if there are any shows or events on you could enjoy at the same time.

We’re down in Dorset, we stayed in a lovely cottage last Christmas, not far from where we live. I wanted to do something different for a few years but our youngest always wanted to stay at home.
She finally agreed last Christmas and she had a lovely time, the cottage had a hot tub, I cooked like I always do but loved being away.
We’re away this Christmas too, again not far but it looks soo peaceful.
My DP’s have both passed away and my siblings like to be in their own houses, my MIL has plenty of company, lots of IL’s to be with.
Our 2nd DS is in Edinburgh, its lovely there, he’s explored a-lot of Scotland and it looks amazing
I hope you find somewhere special, its hard without your parents, mine were very involved with our DS’s, very much loved and I’ll miss them forever.

I'm sorry, it's very tough losing both parents close together.

Do you have an idea of how much you want to spend? That'll help people come up with some ideas.

I'm sorry for your losses. That does sound like a difficult year and Christmas can be such a hard time for those going through bereavement.

Would you like to share any more specifics on where you, your DH and the DC are looking for, or would you like lots of ideas so you can see what's out there?

Initial thoughts were a hotel stay in either Northumberland or the Yorkshire Dales, if you like the idea of not cooking, though it does mean you need to find other activities - walks, games, etc - to fill the day. Perhaps a bit more expensive if you're thinking of a one-off than if you want to set a new family tradition. Or, if you are considering setting new traditions, a holiday cottage you take for a week / few days at Christmas?

Another thing - you mention family members on both sides coming to you. If you don't host this year, do you feel you might want to host in future years, and is there anyone else who might step in and 'take over' the hosting if you stop, where it would be helpful to discuss beforehand if you think you want to host next year?

We did a Nile Cruise one year for Christmas. It was amazing and completely different

So sorry for your losses!
How about a log cabin in some snow?!
We went to Finland in March and spent a few days in a cabin next to a frozen lake and it was magical.. I would love to do that for Christmas!!
We did Rovaniemi and the touristy bits which our kids loved but I regretted not spending longer in the cabin.. it was incredible.. and maybe different enough that you won’t compare it to previous years?! Preserves the memories but marks a new era.