Tell me about your Christmas traditions

[HappyAsIAm]

so that I can adopt them and make Christmas even more special for my DS (nearly 4 yo). I would like to think that its traditions, rather than actual presents, that create the memories we keep from our childhoods, and I would love to start some off.

We have a couple of traditions.

On November 30th, the children write their Christmas lists to Santa, and leave them out at bedtime.

When they get up next morning, Santa's elves have been and collected their lists, and in their place are advent calendars and a small chocolate Santa.

Also on Christmas eve, at bathtime, they suddenly hear sleighbells, and when they get out of the bath, they find that the elves have dropped by with new slippers and pj's for them.

we do the christmas hamper thing.
new pj's,
bath bombs
mug with hot choc and marshmellows
dvd
tube of sweets.

6pm , kids are indoors, close the curtains, they have their bath and we settle down with the hot choc, sweets and watch the dvd . We dont have people round and we dont go out this is OUR thing.

Christmas day, we are ALL indoors, again no visitors we stay in for the whole day and resurface Boxing Day

Every year we each buy an ornament for the tree at the start of December.

Me and my sister take the kids to panto on Christmas eve.
New slipper and pjs are left on ds's bed for when we get back.

Christmas day we do presents early then round to my parents at about 10ish where all the kids are left to run wild till about 10pm when we leave.

Boxing day is films and snacks on the sofa till 3 when we and about 30 other family members go to dh's parents where we eat lots and again the kids go feral

We do the new pjs and a new decoration every year. We all guess what colour dress the queen is going to wear for the message. Guesses must be submitted by December 6th.

A couple of people liked ours last year so......

When the Christmas decorations go up a Magic Robin arrives in the house. During the day he keeps really still and almost looks like a pretend one , actually though he is watching the children for Father Christmas to see how good they are (excellent bribery material here!)....during the night he flies around and each morning the children have to spot his new perching place (unless Mummy has too much wine, in which case he flies around and perches back where he was the night before ). If the children are really good the magic Robin gets all the real robins in the garden to leave an extra present on the doorstep on Christmas Eve (whatever is needed in way of new nightwear/underwear etc plus a nice book.)

We have a lovely little tree -about 12" high, resin, with little hooks to hang decorations that are in a hand painted cupboard with 24 little compartments.I put a couple of chocolate coins in each compartment.

We've had this for over 7 years and it's lasted much better and much prettier than a normal advent calender.

We go to London to look at the lights and have a family competition to count the Hamleys bags on the way to Hamleys. (DD and I versus DH and DS). DD and I are very competitive

I have ELC "Jingle Bells" which I hide and ring while the DC are in the bath just as the Christmas Elf delivers the pyjamas.

This year I am going to ring them faintly every so often just so they know that he is listening

We always track Santa on the NORAD website and make mince pies / reindeer food on Christmas Eve. A huge tumbler of wine must be left out for Santa. He must adore it because it is always gone when we all wake up.

Oooh demented I love that tradition, I might steal borrow it

For the last couple of yrs we have written letters to Santa and put them in post box so may keep that bit the same but say his elves have "visited" and left advent calenders

An early list also helps as I tell DC to think carefully about what they want because there are so many children in the world he needs lots of notice!! So hopefully I avoid any last minute changes of minds/additions

We also track Santa on Norad, have new PJs on beds etc on Christmas Eve.

We also watch Polar Express on Xmas Eve and read The Night before Christmas.

We have a magic key (no chimney) so DC (6 & 3) have to leave it outside for Santa and at the same time do the glitter/oats thing and leave Santa a snack

Oh I forgot, both DC have an Xmas bauble with their name on which I know is a bit tacky but they love hanging it on the tree and making a big deal about it.

We have Christmas songs playing in the background when we decorate the tree.

Since we emigrated to Australia four years ago we have had to rejig some of our traditions which is a bit sad, but some have survived.

Everyone gets to choose a new decoration for the tree each year.
New PJs for Christmas morning.
Church on Christmas Eve.
Putting out port, cake and carrots for Santa/Rudolph.
The tree is always decorated to the sound of the tackiest Christmas CD ever and everyone gets some champagne (quantity being age appropriate!)
We watch "The Snowman" on Christmas Eve.

One new tradition which is nice is the Christmas Eve pre-bedtime swim!!!!