Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without...

[MissMashMissMash]

What are everyones favourite silly little Christmas traditions that Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without for you?

I think mine would be

Listening to carols from kings whilst putting up Christmas tree

Carols by candlenight

Watching Love actually roughly four weeks before Christmas

Wearing new socks from stocking on Christmas day

Blue Peter carols around Christmas tree ( actually not seen this for a couple of years, do they still do this?)

Wrapping presents whilst watching a Christmas film and drinking mulled wine

Decorating the Christmas tree whilst listening to Christmas songs (cheesy ones)

Eating a whole tin of chocolates (not just me the whole family ) before Christmas Eve

Watching Santa Claus the Movie

Making Mince Pies, sausage rolls & biscuits on Christmas Eve

Jesus, obviously.

PJs and a new Xmas DVD on Xmas Eve after T bone steaks and los of wine for dinner

Doing all my wrapping in front of the tree and fire with Miracle on 34th St on

MY lovely DCs faces when they see that Santa has visited

Taking my Dcs to the £1 shop to do their entire Xmas shoping in 3 minutes!

School nativity

slumping on the couch half asleep on Xmas day evening with my DC and watching rubbish on the TV!

Xmas shopping - I love it!!!

Also

Satsumas, love them and the smell of them makes me feel very Christmassy

watching santa's progress on that website, can't remember what it's called,on Christmas Eve.

Calling dh a Grinch.

Putting out carrots and cookies for santa and his reindeer.

Eating satsuma's infront of the Christmas tree...

and snow!

DH saying `is it REALLY only 7 days before Christmas?? I need to buy presents!!'

Watching Miracle on 34th Street and Muppets Christmas Carol the week before

Mulled wine - in copious amounts - all Dec and Jan long

carols on the village green around the christmas tree on christmas eve - used to be followed by several pints in the pub but since DS arrived this has ceased

Cadbury's Santa's festive friends biscuits.

Buying the Radio and TV times (I only buy them once a year) and marking what I want to watch with a pen!

Staying up late on Christmas Eve to wrap pressies (I always leave this to the last minute)

Crappy Christmas music on the ipod

School nativity - I always cry, especially at the angels

Trying to book a Tescos delivery slot!

A row

Hogshead- Carols on the village green sounds lush

teeny- I forgot about the radio times, only buy it once a year too

Baileys;

Pinching all of the green triangles from the Quality Street before anybody else can get to them;

Carols on the green with the vicar singing out of tune;

Creeping around at night on Christmas Eve after the girls have gone to bed and then going downstairs to 'see if he's been' even though they are teenagers now;

Listening to Fairytale Of New York and Last Christmas whilst peeling the sprouts;

Watching Elf!

MissMash it could be something out of a film - the whole village comes out (last year it was still quite snowy too) with lanterns - the Sally Army play too and the pub serves christmas ales and free mince pies.

One of the reasons we moved here

We have a christmas carnival in our town, usually at the end of november. That's when I start to feel all christmassy.

The Muppets Christmas Carol.

Dr Who!

Big tins of Roses or Quailty Street.

Baileys.

The Coke advert.

Ooo yes forgot about the coke advert

Having a kitchen full of goodies that I won't allow anyone to touch untill Christmas eve!
Christmas Eve has to be my most favourite day of the year!
I do any last minute shopping, Dd will decorate biscuits to hand out to her cousins the next day, we'll watch Santas progress on the computer. Dh will be in the kitchen preparing things for the Christmas dinner, bath and pj's for the Dc, christmassy film (usually Santa Clause the movie!) then Dc will leave out drink and snack for Santa and go to bed.

Dh and I will then have a nice takeaway and drinks, watch a film (national Lampoons is a fave!) and do any last minute wrapping, make muddy boot prints on the floor, Dh will bite the mince pie and carrot too!
Am all excited now!

O Holy Night - very loudly, played a lot! It is now dd's favourite Christmas song too!

Crib service at local church

Late night shopping in our town, looking at all the lights.

Baking mince pies even though we don't like them, because they smell so Christmassy!

Putting the tree up

Home Alone, Muppet Christmas Carol adn National Lampoons Christmas Vacation.

Dc's being sooooo excited.

Eating lots of naughty things we would not usually have (too many sweets and desserts!)

Wrapping presents and putting them under the tree.

Watching nightmare before xmas

Spending xmas eve drinking with friends

Watching the coke advert

Eating scrambled egg and smoked salmon on toast xmas morning

Most of all acting like a kid again!!!!

The dog getting a squeaky toy from FC.
The toy being confiscated from the dog around teatime as he is driving everyone batty. My Dad proclaiming that if everyone has enjoyed Christmas half as much as the dog then we've done OK. Every year.....

ooooooooh

Seeing all the christmas decorations and lights everywhere...

xmassy films

christmas eve in general!

The german market coming to town

Helping DD live the magic that I remember as a kid

Spending time with family, laughing, arguing, drinking

seeing DC's faces christmas morning

LOL @ Jet's jolly dog

Dressing the tree with DD listening to Xmas jazz
Explaining to DH for the zillionth time on Christmas Eve what I we have bought for everyone so he can nod knwingly at the appropriate time
Laying Santa's trail of Smarties down the stairs
Poking a Stitch toy out of the top of the DC's stockings
Doctor Who
Advent stocking ( next weeeeeeeek!)
Clove studded oranges
Cutting greenery from the garden to bring indoors
The smell of the tree - oh the smell, can't wait!

Flying out the door on christmas eve day screeching (in my head) 'I havent got them enough!' despite having more toys than Hamleys. Its not the same with Wollies though, thats where I always used to scramble to

Spending 3 days preparing a HUGE ham. Soaking it, boiling it, baking it. I have been a veggie since I was 19 btw

Christmas Eve buffet. I search all the shops looking for christmas shaped food. Stuff like chicken nuggets in the shape of christmas trees. Its getting harder and harder to find the stuff thanks to the likes of Jamie Oliver pah! . I have had to change things a bit and now include mini food. Tiny little burgers in buns and weeny little cheesecakes. What larks.

Butterflies. Every year since DD died I have collected butterfly decorations and now have loads. I cant pass one by. I bought 6 last week . I know they are not tradional christmas but they are OUR traditional christmas.
The Oncology Childrens' christmas party at work and the general childrens' party. I love them and dress up like a fairy (was a very pregnant fairy last year)

Stranded - it's called Norad tracking and it starts December 1st!

Christmas starts once the tree is up - IT'S UP so it's already started for me!

Listening to Xmas tunes on ipod daily and wrapping pressies whilst watching Xmas movies (Home Alone or Miracle on 34th street generally).

My favourite part is when i have done the last BIG family shop and i am on my way home!

Love, love, love Christmas

I meant its not the same without Wollies (and I mean the shop, not the sweaters)