Favourite Christmas traditions

[ChristmasSparkles1]

From childhood or ones you started:

Homemade advent calendars - a mix of useful presents, cards with activities (we just write a card with a visit to a Christmas Market, etc. A lot of it things we do anyway to not add to the cost) and festive gifts.

Making chocolate bark to give to school friends.

Kids having a sleepover to decorate the tree.

For the last 15 years or so DH and I have met up with friends on Christmas Eve afternoon to do a walk and then end up in a pub. It's a lovely way of starting Christmas and my favourite part of Christmas. It's not always exactly the same people - so it changes from year to year as people bring friends etc but the core is the same. It's not a session in the pub - but there'll be a couple of pints for the non drivers. We'll sometimes do lunch first - not fancy but something.

Making Jamie Gravy. It's the start of Christmas.

Secret Santa with friends, we've been doing it since college and I love the fact we're keeping up with the tradition even after so many years.
A newer one is a family one, we book a professional photographer and a studio to take christmassy photos every year, and then either make collages or smartshow 3d videos with them. On Christmas eve we rewatch photos and videos from previous years.

Cutting down our Christmas tree. There would be a hut with a wood stove and hot chocolate, where we could thaw out a bit afterwards.

For me it's the normal Christmas eve traditions of baking cookies for Father Christmas, getting the carrot and milk (and blanket and book) ready for his visit and then tucking up my dd with all her hope and excitement. Then, once she's in bed secretly setting everything out under the tree and sneaking in with the stocking. It is probably what houses all around the country are doing so not a tradition that's exclusive to us, but I love it.

I still read ‘The Night Before Christmas’ to DC before they go to bed on Christmas Eve. They’re 16 & 14 now and do eye roll a bit, but indulge me because ‘it’s tradition’ 🤣

🤣🤣🤣 love this

Thank you. Had forgotten this book. Will find a copy and read it this year.

Thank you for all these wonderful shares!

Looking out recipes for old sweets we used to make in childhood. Peppermint creams. Truffles. What was the pink and white coconut slice?

Always do simmer pots on the woodburner. Orange peel, cloves and cinnamon. The house smells wonderful and without synthetic chemicals. If I don’t it stinks of wet dog and mud 😆

I try to do this but dc are young adults now so doesn’t work too well! The book sits on our coffee table all month though 😊

We do an activity advent calendar though which they insist on. I change some of the activities as they get older and tailor it to fit what we’re doing and who’s at home when…

I love reading about others traditions 😊

For me it starts with decorations up, which we did yesterday. We collect decorations on our holidays so it’s lovely unboxing them and remembering the various trips and memories. Means the tree isn’t too ‘stylised’ but who gives a damn! Usually a Baileys on the go while we do it too.

Christmas Day we’ve always had a tradition to do stockings/small presents in the morning and main presents after lunch. Used to drive me mad as a child but I think it’s a proper sign of middle age I now love it!

A couple of Christmas Eve pub drinks are nice around 4ish but like to settle in back home by about 6. In my 20s I could never understand why people would go “out out” on Xmas Eve and spend Xmas day hungover - it’s the best day of the year!

I buy ribbon with the year printed on it every year, we use it to measure each child then it gets rolled up and put in a clear bauble with their name on and on the tree. A little thing but we all now look forward to it!