AIBU?
To ask if you make a 'big deal' about 1st December?
mumof2sarah · 10/10/2018 13:41
So this year, after having so many years of struggling with my mental health and illnesses I'm excited for Christmas.
I want to make Saturday 1st December a really special day. I'm going to have the tree up and all the baubles lined up ready with the advent calendars and a nice breakfast with Christmas songs on. I literally want to make the most exciting start to December for my girls.
Do you have any traditions or things you always do on 1st December?x
PeterRabbitt · 10/10/2018 14:30
New pyjamas and chocolate advent calendars left outside each DCs door for when they wake up and we have a traditional wooden advent calendar that goes up with extra chocs/Christmas activity ideas inside. I've never said we put them there or not but all the DC love the magic of waking up to them just being there on the 1st 
BabyDubsEverywhere · 10/10/2018 14:33
We have a big 'December box'. Its filled with the things we will need through the season and we get it out on the 1st. We have 4dc, so it's sizable!
Advent calendars
New onesies,
Collection of Christmas books,
List of Christmas movies (it used to be the Christmas dvds, but now they are all on a memory stick so we put a list of the movies instead) same for music,
Christmas crafts stuff including the papers and envelopes for Santa's letters.
And I put in a December calendar, (one a4 page) prefilled with the things we will be doing through the month like advent activities, visits to santa, grottos, trains, those sort of things.
Also some festive foods to much on whilst putting the decs on the tree.
A lot of it is the same stuff we get out every year, but having it all bundled up together makes it exciting for them :)
crimsonlake · 10/10/2018 14:34
What happened to the 12 days of Christmas? That said we would watch a Christmas dvd . My tree never goes up until the weekend before Christmas day. Too many times I see people putting their tree up early and they are fed up of it by Boxing day, seems really sad to me when Christmas has only officially just begun.
Funnyface1 · 10/10/2018 14:34
We don't do anything specific on the 1st of December except for advent calendars. I do like to build up the excitement throughout December though. First writing letters to Santa, then decorating the tree and house. Then Christmas bedding and Christmas pajamas. Towards the second half of December we'll listen to Christmas songs and start having Christmas food treats. By Christmas day we're all in the spirit and have enjoyed it all.
mumof2sarah · 10/10/2018 14:49
I love the fact some people are now considering doing something similar. I've always loved Christmas and it's been a struggle the last few years going through the fake excitement for the kids well really not feeling it.
I do get the ones who don't do it so early etc but Christmas is such a small festive period I like to drag it on for as long as possible ha ha.
I've spent some of today starting to put together the home made advent calendars and finding out all the crafts and (dreaded) sparkles the elf etc so they can be stored in the wardrobe easily reached when needed.
I'm doing so well with the presents etc that I can do my wrapping in the next few weeks and literally enjoy every minute then x
ahhh I'm so excited!!!Fridaydreamer · 10/10/2018 15:02
I make my own advent.
I buy 24 small gifts and wrap them. Things that cost no more that £2 each. I then attach a raffle ticket to each one and put the matching raffle ticket number in one of the doors of a wooden advent.
So each day it’s like a tombola.
DD is so excited for advent to start. She tells me she enjoys advent more than Xmas day itself.
StylishDuck · 10/10/2018 15:02
I'm considering doing a book-type advent calendar for DD(3) this year. Wrapping up 24 books and letting her unwrap one each night in December to read before bed. She has loads of books that she's never read before so I'll probably buy a few new ones but just take some of the ones she's already got to wrap too. Good way to encourage her to read something a bit different and not the same bloody story every night!
Dobbythesockelf · 10/10/2018 15:03
This sounds fun .Last year I was in and out of hospital for most of December so I'm hoping to do lots of festive things for dd this year. I love Christmas. And she's nearly 4 so is really starting to get it.
Our plan this year is start of end of November when we are going to a lantern walk at Chester zoo. We are also going to a Xmas market in December. Planning on getting her a Christmas blanket to use on her bed in December but I wasn't sure what else to do other than an advent calender. Lots of nice ideas.
KurriKurri · 10/10/2018 15:34
Consume, consume, spend, spend. Ridiculous
I neither consume nor spend a great deal on Christmas - don't assume everyone does. Just because you celebrate the coming of Christmas (and many of us have reasons for wanting to find joy where we can - the OPhas given her reasons)
I spend very little on actual Christmas presents - me and my family exchnage home made gifts - a pair of knitted gloves, some home made biscuits etc.
All our decorations are home made - mostly stuff my (now grown up) children have made at school and nursery during thier childhoods or things I made when they were children, that we bring out each year.
The advent calendar I get for my DD is a vegan chocolate one as she can;t eat dairy and never usually has any chocolate things - so it is just a once yearly treat, and is counted as an early Christmas gift. Her other gifts will be very small things, - home made - she never asks for anything expensive and never has done.
I do think there is a lot of over spending and consumerism in the world, but don't assume everyone is flinging money around and overeating (we never over indulge in food at Christmas because my DD's diet is very restricted) just because you want to say something grinchy.
There are loads of ways to celebrate occasions without over spending or over eating. you can be joyous without being extravagant - but some people hate joyousness (I divorced one of them, and he was amiserable bastard to live with, it's nice to be able to celebrate without a total kiljoy muttering and grumping and spoiling everyone's fun)
TheKitchenWitch · 10/10/2018 15:36
Advent calendars, obviously. And I start bringing out a few bits of decoration, including my Christmas Tee Light village (although I use a string of fairy lights in it since DS2) gets put on the sideboard or windowsill. I also get out the Christmas mugs (I replace all our usual mugs with festive ones, and I usually buy one or two more each year).
The first weekend I usually do my Christmas biscuit baking (a variety of traditonal german and east european biscuits) so we have lovely things to nibble on all month. I also make eggnog (Eierliquer) for evening sipping, and a big pot of spicy nuts. Christmas playlist comes out too.
I LOVE Christmas!
justwantedalaugh · 10/10/2018 15:40
Glad to hear things are going better for you now, OP.
Yes, it all kicks off here on 1st December. After all it is the festive SEASON, not the festive day!
We look forward to Christmas hugely. We do not spend much at all on Christmas. It's quite low-key actually, but we DO make a season of it.
1st December for us:-
Our village lights and tree get switched on to Christmas carol played by brass band. Santa makes an appearance for the children. Mulled wine passed around.
We open our advent calendars.
We watch a panto after the village event with a mince pie and hot chocolate. It's the only time I drink hot chocolate, as it's a fattening treat for me.
We have a chat about our Christmas arrangements.
TubbyTubster · 10/10/2018 15:45
Consume, consume, spend, spend. Ridiculous
Not necessarily. I reuse almost all Christmas stuff. Children grow and need new winter jumpers and sleepwear anyway. We maybe add one age appropriate book to our box, we don’t buy them plastic tat, we reuse the same decorations. It’s not especially wasteful or expensive.
ProfessorMoody · 10/10/2018 15:48
On the 1st the decorations go up and the advent calenders come out. The Christmas book and craft boxes come down from the attic too.
Our Elf on the Shelf used to come on the 1st December but this is our 8th year of doing it and after the first fucking two years of thinking of something different every day, he now comes on the 12th with a North Pole Breakfast.
You could do a North Pole Breakfast on the 1st - there are loads of ideas on Pinterest.
Jelly0naplate · 10/10/2018 15:51
Our Elves leave the advent calendar on 1st Dec (kids wake up to it) - it's a garland on the fireplace that has the little bags on for each day. occasionally there's a toy or chocolate (Nanna gets them a chocolate advent calendar every year) but a lot is activities/things to do in the run up to Christmas...i.e. go to the farm choose a tree (they have reindeer at the farm so it's a special trip!), write a letter to santa, etc it's lots of things to help us get ready and build the excitement!
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