What Christmas traditions do you have in your family?

[GingerAndLemonn]

It’s just dawned on us (husband and I) that we’ve never ever spent a Christmas just us as a family. We’ve always gone to various family members homes or had people here. We’ve decided this year we just want it to be us and the kids.

Im just scouting for some ideas of what other families get up to over Christmas? We’d love some traditions that we can do each year and that our kids might then do with their kids.

Christmas Eve we go to Christingle service then come home have a Chinese while watching the muppets Christmas carol.
We also put reindeer (bird) food and shake the bells for Santa. Finally we looked for Santa on the Nordic tracker out bits for Santa.

Christmas evening we go for a walk through the village to get some fresh air and look at the lights.

Our traditional Christmas breakfast is scrambled eggs with smoked salmon.

We always watch white Christmas in the after noon

We have hot apple juice with mulling spices late after noon too. And a huge cheese board goes out about 8. After Christmas lunch around 3ish.

We do Danish Christmas on the 24th in the evening. (Its not a rice pudding the dessert. Really gets to me when it gets called that. Its rice based yes but not cold rice pudding) there needs to be a whole almond in ris ala mande (rice ala almond) and the person who gets the almond. Gets the almond present - the first present of Christmas. Usually edible or a game. Real candles on the tree.

I find though many of our traditions are before Christmas. Like collecting the tree. Driving around finding houses lit up with decorations whilst listening to Christmas songs.

Decorating the Christmas tree
Christmas markets
Visiting Santa Claus
Ice skating at Somerset House
Baking Christmas cookies
Christmas stockings
Buffet breakfast
Watching Christmas movies and playing games
Christmas dinner from M&S
Going for a Christmas woodland walk

How old are the children?

Make a list of typical Xmas things and cross off any you don't enjoy.

Get 1 or 2 board games and actually play them.

Have a vote for what you want to eat, are you going traditional or maybe you want a curry or a shepherds pie.

At some point go out for a walk just to blow away some cobwebs.

If your children are young then a picture with the tree is a nice tradition to start. I also like the idea of picking new baubles.

Spending time together! You don't have to go here there and everywhere. Watch a Xmas movie together, go and look at the local lights etc.
I find it really nice to just be all in the same room together, on a winters day. The kids may be doing their own thing, playing, reading etc, but we are together, enjoying each other's company without having to 'do' anything, nothing forced on anyone.

We always go abroad on holiday for Christmas and New year, so the day is spent lazing round the pool while drinking beer. Perfect.

The one thing you will definitely realise when you switch from a big Christmas that is largely prepping and preparing for everyone else for days/weeks/months on end...suddenly you have time to actually enjoy and savour the day yourself!

It really takes the pressure off, if the kids open presents for hours and run around in their pants, they can! There is no rush, no pressure to get ready for guests it is very chilled and fun as a result for dh and I, and I don't miss the stress of making other people's Christmas the best Christmas ever!

You need to factor in the emotional toll this might take if you are going NC as there is nothing quite like Christmas to make you feel awful about your family situation, so make sure you keep yourself busy.

Our christmases are like this:

Christmas Eve we dress up and go out or we invite lots of friends for drinks at ours with the dc all excited for Christmas. If you don't have friends nearby or available then we would definitely watch a show and have a lovely dinner somewhere super festive. We still do the carrots and milk etc for FC even though dc are teens! We have Christmas Eve baskets with new PJs and litttle gifts.

Christmas Day we do not rush around, we wake up and have our stockings in bed with music and dogs. We save some main presents for after lunch so there is something to look forward to, we open Christmas presents around the tree with a fire roaring and wonderful music. Call family and friends. We then pop in the lunch and head to the church (if we are awake and ready in time) or the pub for a drink with the dogs. We then head back for a late lunch around 4pm and have games and dancing! More presents, lots of wine and song. We settle down later in the evening for a rest and snooze and a film before heading up for a good sleep with zero mess, zero demands and zero stress.

Boxing Day is a long lie in! A hearty breakfast - some on line sale shopping before going out to a restaurant with live music. It is fantastic day and we love it! I always need to get out and about by Boxing day.

My dc and dh always say they love our easy Christmas, and I definitely have much more time with my dc.

Did you miss the part where op said she can't see her family this year as they are nc?

Did you miss the part where op said she can't see her family this year as they are nc?

In fairness her first post says nothing about that, just "We’ve decided this year we just want it to be us and the kids." And later she says she's going NC with half of her family, and DH's family is "dull". So it sounds like she has plenty of options to see family, but is choosing not to.

If you haven't ever been NC with your family you probably won't understand how painful it can be. Listing your massive Christmas was not especially helpful as she was asking for ways to enjoy a small family Christmas, so I think you misunderstood the op.

I definitely don’t give a shit about not seeing them haha! Thanks for all the lovely ideas, I’m actually quite excited for it to just be us. I’m just worried about feeling a bit underwhelmed going from Christmas with 40+ people to just the 4 of us!

Pad your christmas out with friends and neighbours instead and give a quiet Christmas a try! You may never go back.

It is good you are not sad about not seeing your own family again. I guess it must have been pretty awful to feel so indifferent. Good luck!

We've had a few years of Christmases as a trio, partly due to my family living 300 miles away (thank god!) and covid (Dd and I both had it over Christmas last year.)

It is perfect.

I grew up having to help my mother host and entertain the grandparents, not allowed to play with my toys as it was 'rude' so a quiet Christmas where Dd can play in her PJs is ideal for us. She gets to be a kid.

Some of the things we do in the run up:
1.Counting the Christmas trees on the drive back from somewhere (usually GPs house)
2.Christmas film sessions with hot chocolate and blankets
3.Buying a new decoration every year. That way when Dd is an adult and has her own tree, she will be fully equipped!

1. Lots of winter walks distributing painted stones for other children to find
2. New Christmas PJs (which Dd will wear all year round tbh)
3. Christmas crafting!

Go to outdoor village Carol singing event every year.

My son has an 'advent tree' where he gets to hang a new decoration on his own (mini) Christmas tree each day of advent.

Christmas Eve we watch Polar Express in jim-jams and with a duvet. (My son loves it.)

Walk around Xmas light trail at our local stately home.

Wintery dog walk followed by glass of wine in pub at lunchtime on Christmas Day.

I get a Christmas jigsaw every year and usually crack it open on New Year's Day - with a plate of cheese and Pringles at close quarters 🙂