Christmas traditions

[HappyForRainbow]

I know it's early! I'm trying to be prepared/not miss anything.

I have a 5 month old, my DH and moved to the US, so want to start some traditions with our baby from year 1 - even though I know she won't remember it now!

What traditions do you do that you love every year? That your DCs love?

We always go to the theater, usually a few days before but after this year as dc dont break up until 23rd

Last 2 years we've also been on a light trail in the weeks leading up to it

Christmas eve we always make a ginger bread house and have a Christmas eve box with a Christmas book each, a dvd, sweets and hot chocolate mixes

We usually put the tree up the 1st weekend in December and the dc get Christmas pj's then so they wear them all month (with washes!)

My Dc are given a new set of Pjs xmas eve, They love this!
Stockings are at end of bed and then Am , when santa has been-- The Dc bring in their stocking to our room and open.
We then go down stairs where santa has left presents on each sofa side for them.
A morning of playing with toys and bacon sandwiches for bfast!
Then lunch.
Then a gift for each of us from under the tree and then we open all other gifts off family.
A relaxing afternoon and eve till bed then too.

Christmas light trail with funfair in the week before Christmas.

When young FC visit was the big thing, now it has evolved we always go for a drive at dusk on Xmas eve to look at the lights, mass and then home for Home Alone and crispy duck and pancakes or French dip sandwiches, gin and / or baileys.

Christmas Day is chilled, we
Stay home, visitors welcome. Lots of
Food, only fools and horses always features.

Boxing Day long trek to the pub to see the Morris men (odd but tradition), home for ham egg and chips.

I think we've got a year or two at best with the kids being with us over the whole period, so making the most. Soon they'll be in the pub Xmas Eve, up at midday on Christmas Day...when I was a teen one of our best mates used parents had an open invite to have all the kids over and any parents that wanted to for turkey sandwiches on boxing night and it was always awesome.

I would say the best traditions evolve, you don't get to decide them as the kids get involved!

We have an advent calendar where we do something festive every day - simple things like watch a Christmas film or listen to a CD, make mince pies, make same decorations each year. Kids love that and it changes depending on how old they are.

The biggest tradition we have is we all love Christmas!

Santa/Father Christmas mugs comes out on St Nicholas day, 6/12, as do reusable stockings which get filled with new PJs and chocolate coins, if I am not seeing them that day I will post them to my children.

Christmas even hot chocolate and lights go on for the first time after midnight mass if we go at that time.

My children are adults and still like me doing certain things for them.