Can you tell me your Christmad Day routine?

[KrayKray00]

Not really an AIBU but got Christmas Day makes me stressed. We end up visiting that many family members that next year I am saying “no, if you want us to visit you can come to ours.”

The day starts quite early 7am open presents at home, go to the in laws, pop to the pub for 1 drink at lunch time go to my parents and have lunch. After lunch we visit elderly members of the family then on the night go to someone’s house for a party.

It is such a long day. One drink limit with lunch due to having the car for travel too. I just want to stay at home, play with the kids toys, lounge around, drink, eat and be merry!

Can you tell me your routine for Christmas I love hearing about other people’s day

Up fairly early, open presents, then I'll collect my brother late morning, do lunch, play games, watch tv, and eat, drink and be merry, then drop my brother back later on and tidy up, and watch more tv. So fairly relaxing. We don't have any family close apart from my brother so no one to visit!

Up earlyish, open stockings, kids play with the things in their stockings whilst adults do lunch sometimes a walk if everything is done, lunch, clearing up, main presents, games/play with toys, more food, drink, TV and relax!

Same as lonecat plus some phone calls & Skype to people who are miles away.

stockings are opened at about 7am (or later depending on kids and the ex who has to come and see them opening their presents )

coffee and tree gifts after that

then they get dressed and visit his parents and various family members

I cook dinner

kids come back at 12:30 - eat lunch at 1pm

Their dad picks them up at 4pm and they stay with him until the 27th (when we go to my family up north)

I put on my PJ's and prepare to watch the greatest TV show ever - aka Doctor Who

12am fall into bed pissed!

That sounds like my worst nightmare Kray! We stay at home and family come to us (none live close so they come for three nights). Up around 7 and do stocking. Breakfast then tree presents. Brisk walk if dry then back for DS' nap during which we will drink mulled wine and put things in the oven (have bought whole meal from M&S so not much to do. DS wakes and we have lunch so around 14:30. Then collapse in front room and watch Christmas film. Put DS to bed and then graze on cheese and biscuits and Christmas cake all evening while getting merry.

The boys bring the stockings down to our room to open.
Then Skype our parents while the boys open one present in front of them.
Boys open rest of presents
Go to local beach and cook sausages and bacon. Maybe have a quick dip in the sea or at least a walk along the beach.
Home to do a late lunch. Probably will have a roast as not to hot here this year.
Veg at home for rest of day.
Just the 4 of us. Pure heaven😃

Christmas Eve Chinese take away then bed for everyone by 9pm.
Up at 7am. Kids get croissant/cereal/fruit/yoghurt while me and dh get up and dressed. Present opening and then this year dh is cooking so I get to play with kids (we alternate cooking). Lunch at 12:30 and then the rest of the day is spent relaxing and playing with kids and eating whatever we want.
Boxing Day will be spent at in laws drinking wine and being polite !!!!!

Get up. Dh takes dss to see his brothers who live with their dm. I start cooking. Come back. Open presents with me and dd. Stick music on. Go pick up my dm, ds and stepdad. Have lunch. Watch a rubbish film. Eat chocolate. Play a game. Take family home. Have a cuddle on sofa

Up 6-6.30 (normal wake up)
Straight downstairs to open santa presents
Have breakfast/cuppa
10am-12ish any family that want to see kids call so normally, both sets grandparents, great granda, my bro and hubbys sis and partner. We only offer them shortbread and tea.Boys open presents from each family member when they are there
Visit Nannys Grave
Lunch 1ish
Rest day spent chilling and playing
Buffet tea around 6.30.

We open our own gifts whenever we get a chance.

Ours changes slightly ever year due to toddler now on the scene. We have also learnt valuable lessons from family members!

This year our parents are coming to us before going out to lunch. We will open our couple presents in the morning - no set time yet. Toddlers presents will be staggered thoughout the week - last year was too much for him. After lunch back home for rest and chat and friends coming over at 6pm for buffett and drinking. Family that is not local is staying round overnight, no one is obliged to stay late - FIL tends to leave at 8pm and Mum and I will probably retire before evening is done

We alternate each year with my parents coming to us and staying (they live hours away) for the whole period and us staying at home and visiting the in laws for the day.

Christmas version 1(this year)
Get up when kids wake early and they open stockings in our bed (with coffee)
At a more reasonable hour (7am) we all go downstairs and coffee up and then open presents, try and drag it out a bit.
All morning we then just mooch about, Buck’s Fizz, pancakes or eggs for breakfast, playing with toys, get the lunch going, get dressed in casual Christmas jumpers etc and sillily hats.
Men usually nip to the village pub for one before lunch.
2ish Christmas lunch
After lunch prob get some fresh air and walk dogs
Afternoon spent eating and drinking
Tea of cold meats, pickled onions, hot bread, cheese etc in front of Christmas tv.

Christmas 2:
Morning the same
12pm arrive at in laws wearing something reasonably smartly dressed.
Champagne and nibbles
1.30 Lunch
After lunch coffee and opening presents that they have at their house.
5pm a tea of cakes and scones etc
Kids in pjs and Home
Evening quiet night in tv with more drink with dh.

6.30 start (kids not allowed out of bed before then) open stockings, then back to bed for me - dh usually goes out to work. Get up again about 9, turkey on, odd bits of cooking/tv/food prep until 12 ish when it properly starts. Family arrive, dinner ready for about 1.30, finish about 4 and open other presents. All leave by about 7-8ish.

Strip the turkey carcase in a bit of quiet time, strangely one of my favourite parts of the day, then chocs/leftovers/drinks and Christmas tv. Always stay up until midnight. Love it.

Get up at 7am, DC open their stockings on our bedroom.

Go downstairs and make coffee then open all of the presents under the tree.

Breakfast of scrambled eggs and smoked salmon.

Speak to relatives on phone.

Friends arrive at midday. Champagne and canapés.

Lunch at 2pm (ish) (roast turkey and beef plus all of the trimmings).

Play Games/watch tv/drink wine.

Possibly eat some leftovers, mince pies etc.

Can’t wait

Usually get up around 7 o'clock, open stockings on our bed then down to see if Santa has been, cup of coffee then start opening presents. Breakfast which this year is Buck's Fizz and Pandoro. Then get ready late morning ready for lunch at in laws, more presents then a quiet afternoon in front of the tv with chocs and drink. Then walk to brothers for tea and drinks until late.

Stockings opened around 8 and DH makes niiiiice breakfast & opens champagne. Classic FM goes on and we laugh good naturedly at all the call ins. And I cry at a few. Play with what's in stocking.

SIL and nephews usually up too.

V late morning or even lunch time DM & DB get up! More present swapping with every so often someone retrieving a pressie from under the tree for someone to open. Walk in park

Too much chocolate. Silly Christmas film from DVD or Netflix. Probably Elf for 3rd time this Christmas

Lunch due for 2 - normally 3:45 when it's ready. I get into dress.

Pull crackers and play games over and after dinner

More presents and more games - including a quiz

Watch dr who

Still too many presents to open so some get left to next day.

I basically follow what my family did when I was young - just us at home, eating and drinking and lounging about. Immediate family (parents, siblings) are always invited for lunch and some years they come, some years not.

We don’t see anyone on Boxing Day either. Any visiting we do is between the 27th and New Year.

I prefer a relaxing time rather than an intensely social one, and it’s the way it’s alwsys been in my family, I guess.

We usually have DM and her partner, MIL and usually another random person (we've an our au pair before, a distant cousin of DH's, a friend of DH's, a neighbour before - this year we have another cousin of DH's.

So we open Santa presents with the children at around 7.30, then have breakfast, get dressed and I prep the meal, whilst the children play with their new stuff.
At 11am, we open a bottle of champagne and have that with nibbles in the lounge whilst we open the presents under the Christmas tree.
Usually eat main meal about 2pm, with more wine, crackers, party poppers and then watch a film (and fall asleep!)
Then in the evening we play board games, drink more wine and eat turkey sandwiches.

I dislike going anywhere on Christmas Day.

I forgot to mention, we have quite a big house so everyone stays over.

Up when dc up so usually 6am, coffee and opening presents, then set up and play with presents till about 10.30, go out visit family in various locations, home for around 1.30, have dinner at home and mooch, watch Christmas telly, drink and be merry.

Your day sounds hard work op and I think you should be kinder on yourself. Why on earth do you have to go to the pub on Christmas day though? Isn't it there the other 364vdays although why you need to go at all when you have young DC is beyond me.

Children stockings (used to be very early but they are 19 and nearly 23)
Tea/biscuit
Get Turkey out, lay table, do a few bits
I'm usually head sidesman on Christmas morning so church at 8.45, family follow to arrived at 9.29!
Presents at 11.30 with champagne and smoked salmon sarnies
Family then go for walk
"Lunch at 3"
Clear lunch away by about 4.30.
Have a sit down
Tea or champagne at 6ish with DS's birthday cake and birthday presents and cards.
Then it's TV time and I do bugger all else.

This year will be MIL and DS's girlfriend and the four of us.

I do not visit on Christmas day. We have my Mother and step the weekend before.

We have no family nearby (for the last 3 years) so it's just the four of us on Christmas Day.

Up early with the kids for stockings, usually straight into main presents but I think I might push for breakfast first this year. I've got some cook your own pain au chocolat so looking forward to baking those. Then main presents.

Then a mix of preparing dinner (we've got a chicken so that'll go in the slow cooker early), playing with kids gifts, watching a Christmas film or two, light lunch, then dinner about 5pm. Kids in bed from 7:30-8:30pm.

Off to the inlaws on Boxing Day at some point (not super early) so DH and I will have a quick tidy up on Christmas Day evening. Totally relaxed and chilled.

My children have grown up anow, but when they were small, we stayed in one place for the day. Either at home, or staying with in laws. We sometimes had dinner at my mum's, but as she only lived 2 doors along, we'd just pop round after the presents had been opened, and then come home in the evening.

We didn't visit various family members on the same day, that's too much to expect of you.

I have refused to leave the house between nightfall on xmas eve and nightfall on Boxing Day for the last 5 years. I have a lot of animals to care for so we do that but otherwise enjoy each others company and repel visitors whenever possible :)

This year the plan is:

Up, toddler can open a few presents, yummy fry up.
Church at 10.30
Visit my gran to see if Santa has been there (I keep telling her he better not have but that's another story!)
Go to my mums for dinner at about 3.
We're all staying at my mum's overnight so we can have a few drinks.

In laws the week after for new year.

OP. That sounds like hard work.
Tell everyone that next year you and kids are staying at home on Christmas Day. People can visit you if they want to.

Since we had children we have been at home for Christmas, generally with guests. No way was I travelling with kids.