To ask what you do at Christmas

[hmmjustwondered]

I know it's ages away but I just wondered do you spend Christmas Day as just your family unit? Or with your parents and adult siblings and all the kids?
We usually spend it as all our family taking turns who hosts but if I'm honest I'd rather host every year as love doing Christmas. We also have dogs so makes it tricky as can't take them with us but also can't leave them for long.

Same as last year, and the year before that, and so on...

Get the wretched sleigh out, check the runners are correctly inflated, have a quick snifter of brandy, round up the reindeer, quick snifter, attach said reindeer to the sleigh, snifter, get the elves to bring the presents out and load them CORRECTLY. Have a quick swig of brandy, check the schedule, another swigg, look for boots (where's me sodding boots?) one boot missing, swiggg, can't find the schedule now, no map, NO MAP, swigggg, brush snow from outfit (fell over) Fetch second bottle of brandy for medicinal purposes on journey, Climb aboard sleigh. Prod Rudolph with long stick... and we're off.

We alternate between parents. Last year the 4 of us went to MIL and FIL for the day. This year my parents are coming to us. 6 people in one house = still allowed.

Normally friends over on Xmas eve, then Xmas day, just me and ds, stockings, presents, traditional meal, fresh air, log fire, film. Then ds goes to his dad's for 6 days and I spring clean/redecorate and see family.

This year might be covid different so I'm planning lots of extra stuff at home, in case there are restrictions.

We alternate my side and DHs side. This year is my family which is only my DM and grandparents. We will have a 2 month old baby so will be hosting at our house but my DM will do most of the cooking so we can enjoy babies first Xmas and more so our DS 3rd Xmas which I’m hoping he will really notice/enjoy this year. This should fit the guidelines as in Wales children don’t count, as long as the local lockdown is lifted before!

For years I have had 12 plus family at mine. I do the full shebang, Christmas dinner, quizzes etc. This year a couple of additions to family, plus uncertainty about Covid at Xmas, means we have decided to change plans and me/DH have booked to go to the Lakes with just dd, her partner and DS. Lots of lovely local walks there and just so looking forward to it. It’s caused drama within the family as they say they feel we’ve cancelled Christmas and they are lost as to what to do now!

It's split three ways.

Morning we see my dad and sometimes my older sister, her partner and nephew.

Lunchtime we see DH's family around his sisters.

Late afternoon/evening we go see my mum, stepdad, my other sister, her partner and my niece. Sometimes I'll see my older sister (et al) here instead or maybe not until boxing day.

Our daughter was born in March so while she is small, we will carry on this year.

Next year we will spend Christmas at home and will travel to see family from 27 Dec.

We live two hours away however because our families live in close proximity its hard to alternate (mainly because his mum will still want us to pop in on Christmas day if we are in the area).

@justhetwoofus I've done chutney before (also been gifted chilli jam).
You can get little jars with nice lids and stickers in Hobbycraft.

No parents to think of any more, and my siblings don’t live anywhere near. We nearly always host, or go to a dd not too far away where we can stay the night. Last yr we went to a dd but took absolutely everything and I cooked, because she was very heavily pregnant. (I never mind doing the cooking.)

I don’t like going to anyone else’s house that’s a drive away, where we can’t stay the night (in a big enough bed!) - it means someone can’t have even a couple of drinks, and Christmas isn’t Christmas to me without loads of Buck’s Fizz.
Luckily that’s only rarely happened.

After years of being lumbered with a guest (inherited one, not us asking), its now just me DH and the kids.

Bloody bliss. No driving, no small talk.

just us... shy of the house burning down or a gas leek nothing would get me out the house on xmas day and no one gets in my house at any time of year (its my hideaway from the world)

I just couldnt drag my kids around from pillar to post visiting family on a day where they just want to relax and play + I would hate to have to host, I'm usually knackered by dinner time when its just us nevermind having to cook 10 times as much and cater to a bunch of people... it litrally sounds like hell to me

I always opt to work over Xmas. My husband just lazes around with the dog.