Family Traditions?

[thatboysmum]

What are your family 'traditions' at christmas?

DS was only 8month old last Christmas, so our 'traditions' won't officially start until this year!

We got/started things last year tho that I want to use/do every year. We got a velvet personalised Santa gift sack, a personalised stocking, a first Christmas bauble to be hung on the tree, one of those advent trucks with little drawers to fill with treats and surprises. I also got a set of traditional Christmas story books that I packed away and intend to get out every year, bit too delicate for DS yet but they're very lovely!

DS was too young to know it but we also also put out a mince pie for Santa (sad parent emoticon ) and put him to bed in Christmas pjs!! (DS not santa!)

What tradition are you looking forward to doing/starting this year?!

Our DS is 4 but I don't feel we have any traditions, as such, yet.
I would really like to do something each year that he will remember and hopefully do with his children one day.
I have made snowy (talc and glitter) foot prints around the tree every year. DS has his own little tree to decorate so he doesn't touch the main one. We put out mince pies and carrots for Santa and his reindeers, he has a stocking and last year he got a letter from Santa.
Most of these are from when I was growing up. I would really like to do something that is 'ours' iykwim.

Go to a pantomime? He will be old enough now to enjoy it.

There has been a wealth of fantastic ideas on various Christmas threads.

Christmas Eve hamper with new PJ's, choosing a new bauble, a walk on Christmas morning, Elf on the Shelf, lining the path (if you have one) with tea lights in glass jars on Christmas Eve, Advent House, or one of the various shoebox appeals.

We also have a little Wishing Tree which we use throughout the year but also for our Christmas list.

A few years ago, stomping around my bedroom trying to hide more Christmas stuff that I was sure we didn't need, I came up with the idea for Resolution Revolution - we all make a resolution to do something for someone else - it's become a family tradition, has given us all lots of fun and we've done some things that we probably wouldn't have done otherwise - I've volunteered with a local Horticultural Training scheme for young NEETS and this year we all helped set up some garden tea parties for people with dementia and their families which were a great success.

I approached the British Humanist Association to see if they would like to take on the idea and run it as an open for all seasonal idea. They said yes. We have just launched packs for teachers to run the project in school www.humanist.org.uk/resolution-revolution. We are gearing up with a website for everyone that will be launched end of November www.resolution-revolution.org.uk. Here you can sign up now and will be able to get ideas, find out about how to make resolutions you'll stick to and make a pledge online - receiving email reminders to help you make it happen.

Would love to hear what you think and be great to get more families involved this New Year. Make a resolution - join the revolution. All the best Joanne

Winefairy, the shoebox appeal is run by evangelical Christians who include literature on this in the boxes

www.humanism.org.uk/humanism/humanism-today/humanists-doing/charities/samaritans-purse

I definitely like the idea of involving DS in some sort of charity appeal, so will look into the shoe box appeals or something similar.
Also quite like the idea of watching xmas movies on xmas eve in new PJ's, just the 3 of us.
We've never actually had a christmas at home on our own before which is probably another reason why we haven't really got our own traditions as yet.
Thank you for suggestions... Would love to hear more of them!

Santa drops in just before bed on Christmas eve, and delivers brand new PJ's before bed, and we all get a small gift (not from santa obviously) but from a family member on Christmas eve, this has been a tradition ever since i was a child in my family, whereas the PJ thing was tradition in DH's family.

It's nice that you've combined the two from both of your childhoods! How does your santa story go? Does he come back to drop off other gifts later or do your DC know that it's you giving them gifts?

Well he's just dropping in with the pj's to make sure you're ready for bed of course then he's off to make deliveries elsewhere in the world so he knows you are sleeping when he visits our house, then he can safely deliver all the "big gifts" so to speak.

We always had a soft toy of some form or other as kids at the top of our stocking, so I do that for our kids. It wasn't until out step siblings to be (when I was a late teenager) came to stay at our house for Christmas that I realised that not everybody had a soft toy at the top of their stocking .

My DS will be 12 and DD 9.6 at Christmas, so our Traditions have evolved a bit.

We have a Christmas day out to London, look at the lights and go to Hamleys.We count the number of Hamleys bags people are carrying.

A day to Hyde Park or Bluewater for Winter Wonderland. Too old for Santa's Grotto

A cinema trip to see a Christmas film (Arthur Christmas this year) for DH and DCs while I waft round Sainsburys. Too old for Panto (according to DCs)

DD and I have been to ballet for the last two years

Christmas Eve lunch- fish fingers (DC) vegetarian fingers (DH and I) chips, salad, trifle.
A Christmas Eve walk to feed reindeer.
Bath/new PJs/film/late night buffet/Father Christmas tray/bed.
I've never done a hamper, but this year I am.

DS sleeps in his sisters' room on an air-bed. We put their well wrapped stocking gifts in gift bags that have sparkling lights.They wake at some unholy hour (6.30 am!) and start unwrapping and chatting.

Each year we introduce a new tradition. Last year was to dress up nicely for dinner.
This year DD wants to spend Boxing Day in our PJs!

DS only sleeps in sisters room on Christmas Eve. Not all the time-or he'd get Girl Germs (like Bart and Lisa Simpson)

Christmas eve trip to the cinema, followed by dinner out and taxi home. Get set up for the morning, watch some TV, DDs get a lemonaded down snowball and sent to bed. I think I maybe enjoy Christmas eve more than the day itself.

I always buy a new decoration for the tree each year, and try to make it fit in with something thats happened that year.

DH and I have a Shopping Day ~(usually when I have done all the actual shopping, but its fun to wander round John Lewis etc relaxed, have a long boozy lunch, etc) at the start of December, and a cinema and dinner night out between Christmas and New Year.

We have loads, and I apologise as I have written these on here many times (under my various different names). So apologies for the repeats .

Before Christmas
Have a 'Christmas starts' weekend where you buy the tree / any new decorations / start new Christmas food / get out the Christmas music / Start on the mulled wine or Baileys or whatever takes your fancy. Spend the weekend decorating your house and getting in to the spirit.

Have a Christmas shopping weekend / day. Take the children on a special day out, so they can buy their presents for people / see FC / Have a special lunch / Choose their annual Christmas decoration for the tree.

Spend time preparing for Christmas. Get the children involved. Mine always make decorations / calendars / presents for people.

Over Christmas
Christmas Eve:
Movie for the whole family to watch during the day.

Friends / family over in the evening.

Usual Christmas traditions of putting food out for Santa / leaving key out etc.
Present under the tree to 'start Christmas off'. One per person. For the children it is usually a pair of pyjamas and a small item that they can take to bed with them - a book, activity pad etc...

Christmas Day:
Special breakfast for all to enjoy

People take turns opening presents - not one big bun fight in the middle. Lengthens the time to open presents and you get to see the enjoyment on the children's faces.

Spread out the opening of the presents so that it does not overwhelm the children / dominate the day and the children get to appreciate what they have been given and spend time with that item before moving on. Presents do not all have to be opened on one day .

Buffet tea followed by family games.

Wine flowing from beginning to end of the day.

After Christmas
Lots of mini parties with either friends or family invited over for socialising / merriment.

Pantomine

At the start of December we go to the Late Night Shopping in our town and buy presents for grandparents from the dc.
1st December the Chritmas cd's come out, and nothing else is allowed on the cd player for the whole of December.
Dh always carries the 6ft real tree home on his back. This is hilarious, only a 20 minute walk, but so funny!
We always have a walk around town to look at other peoples Christmas trees.
Christmas Eve we go to church for the crib service, come home and have new pj's. We watch A Muppets Christmas Carol and read The Night Before Christmas at bedtime.
Christmas morning we have scrambled eggs on toast with smoked salmon for the dc and dh and bacon for me. Then church and a walk, before going to my parents in the afternoon. Christmas dinner is at theirs at about 5pm,, Mum does the turkey, potatoes and dessert, and I bring the veg (slow cooked red cabbage, mashed swede, extra roast potatoes and parsnips, sprouts and carrots).
In the evening we come home, dc's go to bed at 9ish and dh, myself and dh's cousin stay up playing board games.
Boxing day, we have some more presents (split the pressies between the two days), and have meats and salad type food, and do lots of lazing around and playing with new toys/games.

All your lovely traditions have made me smile. There are some really nice ideas on here. Keep them coming!
We always went to church for midnight mass when growing up, my partner isn't religious at all and taking DS to church on my own isn't fun. Have normally gone with my mum and sister and whoever else wants to join us but we didn't go last year and christmas just isn't the same. This year I am definitely going, we have recently moved and have a lovely cathedral near by so will take DS to the nativity mass at least with or without DP (hopefully with!)
letchlady I love your 'christmas starts' weekend especially the 'mulled wine or bailey's' part and tummytickler the fact your DH carries the xmas tree home is hilarious but also a lovely touch, it makes it extra special!

We listen to old Christmas LP's when we put the tree up.
In the run-up to Xmas we always watch Meet Me in St Louis and Muppet Christmas Carol.
Christmas Eve - we now always watch the Patrick Stewart/Richard E Grant Christmas Carol, and always leave a mince pie and sherry out, even though no-one believes any more. We have always taken our children to Midnight Mass, from being babies until now they're in their late teens. It's a lovely tradition and also means they sleep in on Xmas morning.

DandyDan That is a brilliant idea - I wonder if I am brave enough to take the dc to midnight mass! I would love to sleep past 6 am on Xmas morning!

Our other odd tradition is that we have 'lent' before advent. As in, we don't have any sweets, choc, puddings etc through November, then through advent we can only have any 'treats' that we have made - usually mince pies for adults but as the kids don't like them they get to make cakes, sweets and biscuits.
We make our own Christmas puddings so there is the tradition of stirring it and making a wish.
Oh and DH is always very bah humbug before Christmas (as in really over the top in a joking kind of way) so on the first weekend of December he always goes out saying bah humbug bah humbug, there had better not be any decorations up when I get back. Cue the kids getting excited and the decorations being pulled out the loft and frantically put up before he gets back.

Another thing we do through advent - Christmas stories by candlelight every evening.

My friend, every year, after her two children have opened all their presents, are told to choose one present each. They then re-wrap it and about 4pm walk up to their local children's hospice & donate the presents.

I think this is a lovely idea.

We have a Willow Tree Nativity set, but the mother and child is replaced by a pregnant lady from the same range. Each day the girls check to see if the baby has arrived yet, and on Christmas eve (obviously!) I swap the figures over. We make a big deal of Christmas being Jesus' birthday.