Christmas with just your family

[Shesuitsblue]

Does anyone do this? Christmas with just your immediate family as in just you, Dh, Dc, pets maybe? Is it nice or a bit lonely? Would you feel sad to do this?

We did it last year as we had a week abroad for New Year (special birthdays). It was lovely - country pub lunch on Christmas Eve (we’re a four), then really relaxed Christmas Day with present opening and then the big dinner when we wanted it, followed by great TV ❤️

We are three here + 2 dogs. All parents are gone so that’s our Christmas. Having a friends party during Twixmas as daughters 21st on the 28th

Yup. So much nicer. Kids love it

We do this - it's great! No rushing about to either pull the house together for guests arriving or chivvying DCs to leave their new things alone and get ready to go, dinner is served when it's served with a gentle pottering in the kitchen (and plenty of tasty morsels to stave off any hunger in the meantime), comfy clothes, Xmas TV, and 4 relaxed people. For a household that spends most of the rest of the year rushing from pillar to post, it's bliss: hide from the world with plenty of good food and drink, and an elasticated waist band!
Xmas days were just me and DM when I was a DC, so it is my normal. I've carried over lots of little traditions from my childhood and added some new things that DCs now expect. Last year I suggested a different starter for a bit of a change, and you would have thought I'd announced I was rehoming our pets. I haven't even mentioned it this year, but have the expected already nestled in the freezer!

We do 'Xmas day' all over again on Boxing Day with extended family. There are up to 20 of us, and as lovely as it is to see everyone, it is a lot of work and completely draining whether we host or visit (everyone contributes a few dishes). However, at least it isn't having to be shoe-horned after stockings and gifts, fighting DCs who just want to play with/set up their presents, so it feels manageable. Me and DCs always come away feeling completely frazzled though (DH grew up in a big family and seems to cope better).

Oh I love Christmas day just with DH and the kids (plus my DM as sadly DDad died recently) but they are my favourite people in the world so love it when it's just us.
Boxing Day is my side of the family for lunch and DH's for tea. It's lovely but it's a lot and very busy.

That was our Christmas every single year growing up. It was mum and us 3 siblings, there was noone else. Mum made it magical every year (and we were poor as hell!)

Now, in adulthood, there’s DH and I, our 3 children, mum, my brother and my sister, her DH and their two children. Last year Dsis stayed home for their own little family Christmas and I think she’s doing the same again this year so it’ll just be my little family, mum and bro at mine.

I love a small family Christmas but it’s all I’ve known.

We have small ones
We tend to have Christmas day at home just DH, me and the kids. So they can open and play with toys. We have our favourite food (not Christmas dinner)- think anything that's easy- party food, cake, ice cream etc
On boxing day I go all out- and family come round. We have a big Christmas dinner, lots of puddings and definitely lots of leftovers
It's my favourite as I can be present in the moment of opening presents and playing as a family!!!

Other than the addition of my mum, who’d otherwise be on her own, it’s almost always just us. We went to my extended family a couple of times when the kids were young, which was nice, and we’ve had the PIL a couple of times, which was less nice (our house is tiny, so it felt very cramped, and they’re a bit “full on” as guests).

But generally we’re happy to keep it just us. We have our own little rituals and traditions - Christmas Eve mass at the local cathedral, Santa Tracker and a film afterwards (the kids still want Santa Tracker even though they’re too old to believe!). Christmas morning is stockings and croissants and Bucks Fizz (for me and DH); then we take the dog for a walk and then my mum comes over for lunch. We don’t need or want a turkey, so usually have venison, as it’s a bit different and fancier. After lunch we FaceTime the rest of the family, then mum usually heads home after Christmas Strictly.

It’s lovely. Very relaxed and warm and filled with my favourite people in the world.

Every other year (and the four years of the pandemic ) we have Christmas just me (im a widow) and my (now adult) kids. My Christmasses until I got married were with my larger family and always a few waifs and strays back where I grew up in the US. With my DH it was us, his older sons every other year, and family if not for the day then Boxing day. After my DH passed away we started to go back again to the US to spend with my sisters and niece and others, but it’s not affordable to go every year. To me it feels quiet to have Christmas just the three of us but I don’t think the kids mind as they’ve spent half their Christmases that way since they were small. We tend to eat slightly later in the day and play a few games then watch a movie. The food is the focus (after presents, but you don’t really give adults that many) and this year my DD, who has been cooking up a storm at uni, is in charge of the meal. My son only gets Christmas and Boxing day off then has to return to his home for work so we just spend the two days relaxing and eating (well it’s not that relaxing for the cook).

I love it. Just me and my 2 boys.
We usually pop in to see FIL (care home).
I have a large extended family and see them all over the Xmas period but Xmas day - sleep in, lazy stocking opening, visit FIL, go for a run while boys cook Xmas lunch, eat, tree presents, games or a film, nibbles if anyone’s hungry. Not sad at all.

Another one with a Disappearing OP ...

? People do work, sleep, look after Dc.
I’m just reading all comments now and thank everyone for the feedback.

It was lovely.
We do Christmas with sil now. Also lovely.

We always have Christmas with just our family.

But we go to church so are not lonely on Christmas Day.

Why?

Same.
We get out on Christmas Eve - main meal in a real nice restaurant, carol service in the afternoon
We get together with another family for a walk, lunch and games on Boxing Day - take it in turns to host
On Christmas Day we do the park run and then have a glorious, happy day with presents, food, a game and telly. It’s heaven.

The only time we did it was during lockdown (two kids two adults) . I was very sad in the run up although tried to make it special. We spend a lot of time together anyway, both work from home, kids around a lot, so while presents and turkey are nice they aren't really enough to make it feel really festive without the wider family.

We have done this for a few years now. It's bliss.

I do sometimes miss the excessiveness of several days in a row with all the extended family, although we often had rows! But parents are dead, we have fallen out with my brothers, cousins are all grown up, DH sisters like quiet days, so..... It's just us and grown up DD's.