We need your Christmas customs and family traditions

For the whole of november/december- i don't cook roast chicken...sprouts or roast parnips.... that's so the christmas dinner feels special.

when i was a child (i'm 41) food at christmas WAS special...... but now we eat all the 'christmas food' ALL YEAR ROUND

(dates, clementines, coxes apples, after eights.... etc etc....its all in the shops alost all year round. )

I even have a memory of 'Canary Island Tomatoes' at christmas time being the BEST tomatoes i have EVER eaten! (and i've grown my own many times hoping to mathch them!)

MN asked for traditions, not reality!(grin) Anyway, here are mine from childhood:

in Victoria, Canada with English expat grandparents. Xmas eve we would walk round the neighborhood & look at everyone's Xmas lights - they were really lurid, lights every colour but I thought they were wonderful, especially in the snowy dark. Then home - bed for me & whisky & mince pies for the adults. Pillowcase at the end of my bed which would have small toys, a few sweets & tangerines to keep me quiet until adults woke up. Then mounds of pressies as I was spoilt only child. There was always the Queen's speech (no noise allowed). My mum & nana made Xmas dinner - I was barred from the kitchen, while grandad & dad watched sports on tv & I played with my toys. Then dressing for dinner, which was around 5pm. Turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed & roast pots, carrots, soggy disgusting sprouts & xmas pud with brandy butter. Dad & grandad cleared up the mess & then all of us out for another walk.

I still have some of the decorations my nana had on their tree in England during the war.

dd at her dads this year tho so maybe i will start a new tradition for me and have big glass of wine and the time to nurture my morning - after head

making sure we tidy all the toys away on christmas eve - otherwise mommy will fall over them and start to try-- not to swear the reindeer and father christmas will fall over them

im workng over christmas.

i used to love christams, then last year my collegue at work ruined it for me.

so DS and P and the rest of my family can do what they want, i'm going to bed and back at work at night.

My dad his brother and brothers in law all have a 'fancy pants' competition. The wives buy the most appalling, scanty/humongous underpants for the event and the men open the parcels and then model pants (over trousers). Judging by rest of family.
Think we do the same as many, nice brekkie, open prezzies and big lunch followed by games and a film accompanied by chocolates.
Going to read this thread though and pinch all the good ideas.

Oh... and something else we always do is get out the little tree with green feathers for leaves that my dad bought for 6d from Woolworths in about 1936

A SNOW HOUSE... Cardboard box painted to look like doll's house with cotton wool and glitter on the roof. A little wrapped present for everyone. My mum (74) did this as a child in WWII and we've resurrected the tradition.

On christmas eve......

. i always give my boys a 'christmas eve present'.... it's always something like new felt tips and a colouring book...or book to read...or something else 'relaxing' that they can do to calm down!!

.We always have a 'tea party' in the evening-

.DS3 makes paper chains

. I usually end up wrapping EVERY present for my boys....as i find it easier to hide them in carrier bags shoved in draws under my bed UNWRAPPED.... as they are used to seeing bags in there all year round!!!! As soon as i wrap them...the questions start...so i husually go to bed about 2 or 3 christmas morning-once the gifts are put into piles!

We started our own when we were married - which in the past when I have posted on this topic before I got roundly shouted at by Cod for. But as we both came from crap family backgrounds, we thought we would consciously try to do something nice. Ours is that we have waffles with squirty cream all together in our bed while we open the stocking presents - we do this on birthdays too, and the children love it.

Hi, haven't read the entire thread so sorry if this has already been mentioned.

As far as I know, mine is the only family that has a Fairy that brings a Christmas tree for the kids. When I was little, on the night on Dec 17th we would write a note to the Christmas Tree Fairy asking for one of the trees from the Magic Forest.
The next morning we would wake up to the glow of Christmas lights from the living room where the fairy has done her stuff. It was a magical time for us.
I have continued this tradition with my DCs, only changing the date to the 11th Dec as this is the day my father died (10 years ago) so we dedided to claim back the day to a happy occasion and honour his favourite time of year.
It can be hard work the night before but is usually softened by a large glass of Bailey's. The look of wonder and amazement of the kids' faces the next day is truly worth it though.
I'll be really quite sad when that tradition comes to a natural end and hope the children will pass it on to the next generation.
My daughter considers herself to be very lucky to be the only child in her class to have a Tree Fairy visitation. I know that others might argue that it's as much fun to decorate the tree together but there'll be plenty of time to do that in future years.

New pyjamas for the children every christmas eve.

We don't really have our own traditions The traditions we follow are basically my family's, I might nick a few from here to make our own though!
We open a small present on Christmas eve before going to bed-can be any present from under the tree.

Stockings are opened first thing in the morning, as kids we used to take them into our parents bed but dd has opened hers downstairs in front of the (extended)family for the past 2 years because she has been too young to really be excited about it and it is very boring for dh and I to watch her open the presents we shoved in a stocking a few hours earlier for her. I think this year she'll be more excited so I'll leave the stocking on the end of her bed and see what happens!

Then breakfast as a family, start cooking lunch then into living room to open presents. The children hand out one present at a time and everyone watches you open it. DH's family all get a pile of presents and open their own ignoring everyone else but I prefer my way-makes it last longer for one thing!

Then we eat lunch and then everyone else falls asleep and I get annoyed (am incapable of daytime sleeping).

1st Sunday of Advent, I make a wreath with evergreens & 4 candles & the 1st is lit. I put up some xmas lights (white) outside on one of the trees. We celebrate Santa Lucia on Dec 13th with saffron buns & glög (yum!) & on Xmas Eve we have a Swedish meal at my mum's as my stepdad is Swedish. Every year I insist on listening to my Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole etc Xmas music & Haendel's Messiah while dh loves his King's College choir carols. We buy a real tree about 10 days before Xmas which I decorate (dh gets cross with the lights tangling, dc break the ornaments). Xmas eve I'm always wrapping pressies at the last minute & stuffing the stockings. I also leave a Corona & some Xmas cake for Santa Claus, carrots for the reindeer & the dc write him a little note. Xmas morning, we have prosecco & orange juice & panetone. Dh & dc go to Mass (I'm CoE & intend to go to "my" church but never do because there's too much to do). My parents & any other family who happen to be visiting come over for lunch, which my mum brings - smoked salmon on toast & champagne & then we open the pressies. The rest of the day I'm chained to the kitchen, getting increasingly ratty because everything takes longer than expected. Dh makes the bread sauce, washes the brussel sprouts (& puts Xs on the bottoms!), peels & cuts carrots, peels potatoes. I do the rest. The dc play with/fight over their toys or can't put them together & pieces get lost or broken. We always get dressed up for dinner, which is supposed to be at 5pm but never really gets going until 7. We have xmas crackers that someone's managed to smuggle over from the UK & wear those silly paper hats & read out the stupid jokes. We have a traditional pudding, with flaming brandy & clotted cream. I'm always soooo glad at the end of the day that it's all over for another year & get sozzled on leftover champagne.

All DH's and my family arrive on xmas Eve.
I cook a huge pork and we eat hot pork sarnies while watching a movie.
Once the kids are in bed we put out all the presents. We also leave evidence of Santa's visit - glitter, a sleighbell, hoof marks on the drive. I think this will be the last year they believe
Kids wake us and GPs and whoever else is there at around five. After the present frenzy I spend the day cooking and drinking champers - bliss.

Ah now we don't 'do' Father Christmas for various reasons. I try to keep Christmas for religious reasons.

We usually contact the local homeless shelter and ask what they are short of for Christmas, also if you have a Refuge Centre nearby they are usually grateful for things too. So we go shopping and drop that off the day before Christmas Eve. The kids get involved too as I like them to know that Christmas isn't all about receiving.

Christmas Eve we'll go to Church. Then we'll get home and light a candle in front of the nativity, both kids will wish Jesus a Happy Birthday and then they'll put out their pillow cases for the morning and go to bed.

Me and dh will then finish off a bottle of red wine, naturally, followed by some Baileys.

Christmas morning - presents. They come first before breakfast, it's cruel to keep them waiting!

Wish Jesus Happy Birthday again.

Visit Grandma and spend Christmas Day and Boxing Day there, which is good because we tend to hunt out the pub that's open Christmas Day night and head off to that.

That's it really!

I always cook the Turkey on christmas eve so Dp and I can have turkey and stuffing butties when the Dc's have gone to bed, the boys always have new pj's for christmas eve because you have to look nice for santa

Christmas morning we have crumpets and croissants with fresh coffee, then open all presents with me sat there with a black bin bag for all rubbish!

I try not to have the telly on at all on christmas day but i think Ds1(4) will do my head in otherwise, so i'll let him watch something christmassy while i cook dinner.

Tip for anyone cooking dinner..get some big foil trays in for your turkey/spuds/parsnips/sausages and cook them in that, saves on washing up!

tree up about 2 weeks before xmas day, this year we are having a real tree so we'll all go shopping for that

Around that time is DD1 preschhol nativity/bazaar and xmas party (am chairperson of preschool so will be helping with these bits)

Xmas eve DH always has to work so me and the dd's will see my parents (normallyt my Dad as Mum at work) and go for a fry up in cafe and then a nice brisk walk to burn off some excitement. DD's put mince pie/drink etc out for FC and the reindeers and Xmas eve night is always a takeaway once kids in bed and then sort presents from a certain man and normally a fairly earlyish night as they'll be up early.

Christmas morning, downstairs for presents from FC and us and a few from friends. Then put a dvd on and ligfht breakfast and spend an hour unpackaging all the toys and trying to work out how they work. Off to my parents (or il's depending where we're going) around 12pm, Dad, DH and my brother go to the pub for an hour (this year dd1 (who's 4)going and nephew will go as FC normally makes an appearance. Dinner around 2pm (normally my Mum and I sort all this out whilst they are at pub) more presents from my parents/family. Then on to wherever we're having tea (last year I did it all at mine, this year we're going to my parents fro lunch and onto my brotehrs in the evening as he has moved and close to my parents house) more presents there from them and then home around 8pm as the dd's overtired/exhausted and generally throing a tantrum or wo by then.

Boxing day is spent with whatever parents we didnt see xmas day (so off to il's this year) presents from all of that side of the family, buffet lunch and generally chillk out (DH has to go back to worj 27th so less alcohol involved that day!!)

Decorations down by new year as dd2 birthday on the 5th jan!

We always toast absent friends at Christmas lunch - no matter where we are or who with.

We always eat sausage rolls and mince pies when we come back from the pub/midnight service on Xmas eve.

We always play cards on christmas night, after the party games for the kids that is!

Xmas Eve, DH runs around town frantically trying to find last presents, I prep the veg and some of the other food for the next day and get slowly sozzled on red wine

Very early Xmas morning, DH wraps presents...

Message withdrawn

Christmas for us starts the first weekend in Dec when the boys and I decorate the tree (cue Xmas music,glass of bubbly and first mince pie of the season). Once the boys are in bed I take all decorations and lights off and redo (control freak I like it to be symetrical and match the decor). They get a new bauble each every year from Father Christmas along with a letter thanking them for his letters from them.

We always go to a pantomime and the local cinema for a Christmas film as a family before Christmas.

Christmas eve we go to the 'birthday party for Jesus' at Mum's church, sing traditional carols, birthday cake and the children dress up as characters whilst the Christmas story is told then its back to Mums for tea and bubbly. Home then we all snuggle in new Christmas PJ's to watch The Snowman DVD before the Christmas story is read, stockings, sparkly reindeer food, magic key etc are put out.

Once the boys are in bed (and asleep!) I wrap all their presents (in the special paper Santa uses) and cut gift tags off those from DH's Mum (does not matter how many times I tell her the boys think ALL presents received on Christmas day are from Santa she still insits on putting tags 'with love from Grandma and Grandad on!!) whilst drinking wine and eating mince pies. DH assembles any pressies that need it.

Christmas Day I am usually awake before the boys as I am too excited, Daddy goes downstaors to see if Santa has been (in reality to turn fire and put kettle on), then downstairsto much glee at the size of pile Santa has brought. Presents are opened and excited phone calls to Grandparents erc with wonder at presents Santa has brought made then breakfast - selection box chocolate for boys, Champagne, croissants, smoked salmon and scrambled eggs for grown ups. We have a procession of visitors throught the day BUT always have dinner (with table presents) at home (although people are more than welcome and often do join us) then once all guests have gone about 6/7o'clock we walk to DH's parents for a party with extended family.

Then boxing day we do it all again (more presents!) with DSS and the day after is our wedding anniversary.

A tradition my Mum did and I have followed is we have a big fanmily meal New Years Day and we always get a New Year present, which makes the presents last a week.

Just thinking about this has made me all excited!!

we always have new PJ's for xmas eve and i always buy 1 tree ornament for DD each yr. DD in bed by 7pm, stockings put in about midnight, and pressies put under tree. wake by 7am, brush hair and teeth, have a cuppa T, then into lounge to open pressies, clearing up and xmas dinner on, usually turkey, beef & lamb with all the dressings inc brussels yuk!!! visit each family in afternoon, come home, bath and get cosy and snuggly and drunk LOL. same goes for boxing day too.