to ask what weird and inexplicable little Christmas habits your relatives have?

[Greensleeves]

My stepdad always cut deep crosses into the sprouts, to make sure they got extra waterlogged and mushy

My mother used to put a tangerine in the toe of the stocking, then all the stocking gifts/choc, then fill up any remaining space with tangerines and apples so it "looked full". So if it was a slow year you ended up with a big pile of fruit.

My dad starts on the brandy an hour before Christmas dinner "to numb the stomach" so he can fit more food in.

Any weird and wonderful Christmas quirks in your families?

My Mum cooks the turkey on Christmas Eve so we have hot turkey sandwiches with too much butter before bed .

My mother is a (self-confessed) dreadful and deeply unenthusiastic cook, so when I was about 9 or 10, she announced she was putting a stop to all the Christmas nonsense and we used to go out for lunch, instead.

However, following the sudden death of my father in my late teens, she decided that she wanted to 'do' Christmas again: unfortunately, her skill set had not improved in the intervening years and we had a couple of years of really, REALLY grim meals, until my sister and I put our respective feet down and insisted that we have Chinese instead.

Now been with my OH (who is a TERRIFIC cook) for years and we either host, or go to a cousin's who is a professional chef. My mother will occasionally make noises about cooking, but she is quickly shushed and I think we're all happier that way.

We have the sorting hat. Not that one. It's a giant stocking that fits comfortably on a head so whoever is dishing out the pile of presents must wear it.

Every year for 20 years fil leaves between dinner and pudding to drive home, change clothes and take dog for a walk. 3 hours later, he's back. Nope, i don't wait to serve dessert. He's a silly arse who gets his own when he returns.
Meanwhile, oh puts madonna confessions dvd on......for his 70+ mum who is rather deaf. Great stuff.

This one isn’t so unusual I think it’ll probably out me if any of my family or friends are on this thread!
After dinner we have Horrible Shots. It’s evolved over the years. People actively buy rubbish alcohol when on holiday and everyone has to have a shot of whatever is there that particular year (very small shots - we don’t try to kill ourselves). It’s a hoot.

Before eating Christmas lunch,a friend's family play Mike Oldfield's Portsmouth whilst prancing round the room trying to bop each other on the head with balloon. I have seen recorded evidence. Really really bizarre!

Because me and dsis have to do inlaws too we have xmas dinner at our dp on Xmas eve where we all get our Xmas eve presents, always pj's, chocolate and artsy stuff for granddaughters. Dh and ddad both need a nap after dinner so go to bed... Obviously not together cos that would be strange and very concerning haha.
Then Christmas day parents go to my sisters then mine to drop off more presents. So our Christmas is over 3 days, lots of presents and no where to put them.

@stylishduck and @cheeaenpickles - I’ve found my people! Only difference is we do it oldest to youngest and do one gift each in a round then start again (if that makes sense). Takes hours but it ups the anticipation and you can see what other people have got. Can’t stand the whole “everyone dive in” method. Why would you do that?!

@cheesenpickles - oops!

@Writersblock2 my mother-in-law constantly hands numerous presents out at the same time and I get so cross. She's on a cruise this year so HA!

@cheesenpickles - wow! How dare she?! Does she not know there is a designated hander-outer and that everyone must obey the rules?! How can you have a chaotic present session?

My maternal Nan used to try and jolly up the afternoon lull after lunch by organising a singalong with typed up lyrics sheets. My other Nan was significantly older than my maternal grandparents (20ish years) and would put in requests before the big day for songs from her youth which baffled everyone else, not least me and my sister. I have a particular memory of being taught to sing Run Rabbit Run and George Forby’s When I’m Cleaning Windows aged about six in the late 80s.

@mumonashoestring your account of your DGM's cooking has made me laugh out loud and I've woken up the cat, who has taken fright at the big pile of presents that's appeared while he was asleep, yowled and scarpered out through the window

@Writersblock2 That's what I like about it. We start about 1.30 and it takes us right through until we eat (which is later than most people, about 5.30-6ish). Everyone sees what everyone else has got and you get to enjoy people opening your gifts to them. It's a no-brainer! Yet I've never met anyone in RL who does this!

At PILs' we can't put presents under the tree until Christmas morning. Then they do a mass opening which really stresses me out as I want to see what others have got and like the little break.

My parents used to control unwrapping of Christmas presents by handing out gifts and only allowing a certain number to be opened at a time. One year we were still opening Christmas presents on New Years Day!!

Also, as children, the day had a very strict order - everyone had to be up, dressed and had breakfast before a single present was touched; then we were sent to church while mum got on with cooking lunch, on our return we were given warm homemade mince pies with the lids prized off and a dollop of clotted cream melting inside the pie.

Christmas dinner was always Heinz Cream of Tomato soup, followed by turkey and all the trimmings (including mashed potato) and then Christmas pudding and cream. We had pomagne to drink from liqueur glasses or orange juice.

Actually, I miss those days of the 1970’s and 1980’s and wish we could bring them back!!

We always did one present at a time growing up but DH likes to rip right in. I hate it. It's over far too quickly.

StealthPolarBearyou have made my Christmas Thankyou,thankyou,thankyou so much.

I have told my DH and 5DC about the Frog chorus for years except for I could never remember what it was called and my DH had never seen it.

Now I know what it's called me and my family can watch it later,I know they're all going to love it so from my home to yours have some of these

Mum keeping the nice wrapping paper for next year in a pile.....

You're welcome! Bom Bom Bom aiyha

We prepare the turkey for the oven in the front garden, family en masse. Undo the packaging, manoeuvre it into the roasting dish, season it, tuck it into a blanket of bacon etc, all right there on the lawn. Then wash our hands in the garage.

It originally began because my mum is so terrified of salmonella that she wouldn’t have the raw turkey anywhere near the kitchen where it might contaminate anything else. Now we just do it because it’s tradition, and we’re a bit odd.

We too hand out presents individually (there were 5 of us) and you have to announce who it's from. First Christmas at Husbands family and they all just opened them without waiting or watching, it was bedlam!

My mum loathes Christmas. She puts up with it, goes through the motions, but she really doesn't like it.

My dad is a great cook and always does a fab Christmas dinner. He makes a trifle every year which never gets eaten so we eat it for boxing day breakfast. Now I'm older and don't live at home I get some given to me to take home so I can still have it the next morning