whats your fave part of christmas?

[zazzabeans]

for me it has to be the run up to xmas... people putting up xmas trees, festive xmas shoppers, xmas music in the shops, smells of xmas such as gingerbread yankee candles and the xmas lattes in starbucks

When it's over and we don't have to sit through those bloody TV ads anymore and everybody just calms down.

[grump]

LimburgseVlaai and WorksforPotus, we should make a bah humbug group, happily ignoring everything until it's over

I really love putting out the DC's presents, trying to be quiet which is hard as am usually a bit 'merry'. I always like to survey the room when it's all ready knowing how excited they will all be.

I love Christmas though so I love all of it!

What parts do we like?

Stir up Sunday.

Mulled wine.

Advent Calendars, notably the wooden ones with doors for little gifts.

All the church services: Advent procession, carol service, Christingle, Midnight Mass, Christmas morning.

We don't do Santa (no DC's young enough, plus why should he take the credit?): our wrapping is ceremonial for us. We wear pyjamas for the occasion (nothing to do with the new PJs thing, whatever that is, it just feels festive). Lots of Christmas songs played; we write and pick the tags (often made from old Xmas cards). The presents are wrapped in order of recipient, so that the appropriate person can leave the room. However, I can't bear to leave the room while my presents are wrapped, so I make use of a present from a few years ago: a comfy sleeping mask, so I can't see what my presents will be!

Another grump here. I bloody hate it as it will just be me, DH and DD, just like every other day, but with a bigger bird. I love a big family Christmas but unfortunately all my family live miles and miles and miles away and my Dad is housebound.

Bahhumbug

Oh dear. I killed the thread. Sorry!

I love the build up - the slow burn of it; first the shops get Christmassy and I give a little grumble at summer being definitely over. Then I start my shopping list, and the shopping itself. Then the telly ads start to talk about Christmas delivery. Then lights start to brighten up the horrid dark journey home from work. Then I put up my tree and festive sundries. Then the Christmas songs come on the radio. Then it's the sitting down in front of a cheesy movie (Love Actually, or The Holiday or something else fairly vapid but feel-good) and wrap up all the presents I've bought.

Christmas day itself is usually good, but I much prefer everything running up to it.

I really hope that by Christmas 2014 I'll either be pregnant or have just had a baby, and I'm so hugely excited to have a future excuse to be all giddy about Christmas, and eventually to pass all my festive joys on to a small, amaze-able person!

This will be the first Christmas I have had in my own family home! (We always went to my parents in the UK, I was single for years then moved abroad when i met DP but was always in the UK for Xmas)

Now we have a lovely new house and DS is 3 so I am beside myself with excitement. I haven't been able to put up my own decorations in 5 years as we were always away, so they are going up on December 1st so i can enjoy them for as long as possible! DS and i will start making some decorations this week.

Best bit will be the whole thing, we will be doing it our way and starting our own family traditions! (Although i will be on Pinterest for inspiration!)

Christmas lunch through to the end of boxing day...all of the work is done and I can rest and eat cold meats, chutneys, cheeses etc... Lovely.

Christmas lunch with huge family gathering.

Just the 4 of us on boxing day pottering off somewhere - cinema, skating.

The tree ( even the smell of it)- DEC 1st sharing with my daughter - aren't I good, I let her do it too!! Just bought our few extra baubles this year - - we go looking for additions every year.
Lovely!!

I am 38 and got new pyjamas on Christmas Eve when I was a child, so it has been a thing for at least 34 years.

Carols by candlelight at church. Only have done it once but it was truly magical. I hope they do it this year too.

Definitely Christmas Eve. It's the anticipation that's the best part.

I love Christmas Eve when the shops are closed, the presents are wrapped, the stuffing and cranberry sauce are made and there's nothing else to do except open the damson gin. I also love the days between Christmas and New Year when the fridge is full and people come round and help you eat it all up.

Forgot to say the very best bit: picking my DCs up from the station/airport.

This won't happen again as the DCs are too big now, but when they were about 4 and 6 it snowed the week before Christmas. We got the sledge out and I pulled them round the streets delivering cards and looking at all the lights while they sang Jingle Bells. That really was magic.

Other than that, ice skating at Winchester cathedral, making mince pies on Christmas eve to put by the chimney, choosing a tree and a new decoration each for the DCs, Christingle service at church.

Christmas Eve.. Carols from kings, mince pies, presents and anticipation.

WhoKnows that's such a lovely memory :)

I like the run-up, doing things like baking Christmassy things with the DC while listening to my xmas playlist, and having cosy evenings in wrapping presents while drinking crabbie's green ginger wine, and eating bendicks bittermints (2 things I love but only buy at Christmas, to keep them special and stop me necking them all year round)

Xmas day itself is a bit more stressful. It is the peaceful bits of the run-up that I like.

Midnight Mass.

Without a doubt.

Growing up and up until I moved out 2 and a half years ago, it was ALWAYS the build up to Christmas... The first monday of December, we put up all of our decorations altogether as a family. I loved seeing shops, houses etc transform into christmas mode! I loved seeing the lights being switched on in the city centre.

One of my favourite things to do was decorate the old people's home near to us and sing to them. Lovely memories of doing that.

Christmas films on TV!

That bloomin' Mariah Carey Christmas CD!!! That came out every year and we would sing along!

Christmas eve, getting our stockings out and leaving them on our beds and waking up feeling the heavy weight of presents on our feet! Waking up super early. General excitement even though I was 19!

I am one of 12 kids and was the second eldest before I moved out, and I loved buying presents for the younger ones and the nice feelings that gave me.

The tins of Chocolates! Being a big family, that's what family friends always got us!! You know, the roses and the quality street... sneaking the best ones out before anyone else gets to them (even though I also loved the ones no one else liked! :P)

Eating WAY too much christmas dinner and feeling so full up, but still being able to eat a whole bag of CHOCOLATE COINS after!!

I like shopping around for gifts for people.

Now I have my own family but my LO has only just turned 1 so it's not as exciting as it once at home was JUST YET. When he is old enough to get into the spirit of Christmas and understand it a bit better, it's going to be a great time! :)

{I saw the coca cola advert today and so I was feeling excited for christmas anyways but after seeing these messages, I'm super SUPER excited! -Thanks OP!}

Xmas eve.
Kids to church then a pint at the pub then walk home for a takeaway and Xmas movie before settling kids with stockings and mince pies for Santa.
It's out wedding anniversary too so extra special for us. We just snuggle up with a glass of proseco and open the chocolates.
I also quite like Xmas night when all the work is done and we can finally relax

Christmas meal out with my mates (two lots this year!)
Getting the Christmas Radio Times and circling everything I want to record with a pen (have been doing this since I was about seven!)
Wrapping the DCs' presents with a large glass of wine and some Aldi stollen bites on hand
The DCs' nativity/Christmas play
Digging the Christmas tree out of the garden and decorating it
Christmas Eve curry
Christmas Day - all of it

I'm a real sucker for Christmas