So... What do you do for Christmas?

[curiousgeorgie]

See family, stay at home, go away, have people over?

Do you open presents in the morning? Eat at lunch or dinner?

Stay home. See family a day or two previously. Have family to visit during the day if they would like.

Open presents in the morning after breakfast. (although a very brief breakfast! ) Eat our Christmas meal at lunchtime, but usually around 1 or 2 pm, depending on when I get things started cooking.

Dcs stay in pyjamas as long as humanly possible, as it's usually new pyjamas for Christmas (so the pictures don't show icky old holey pyjamas!). Usually send them up to get dressed around noon. Although I get dressed right away when I get up, as obviously I don't want family popping over while I'm in pyjamas.

And what do you do OP?

I usually go to my parents ( with DH, DDs, DDog and about 15-20 relatives) but I'm thinking I might do it at home this year for various reasons and was wondering if being at home with just husband and children was uncommon )

Stockings in the morning from "Father Christmas" - socks, chocolate, lip alms etc collected bits from me, DM and DSis

Get dressed around 10-11 ish and go for walk (used to be church) while DM & DH start food prep. Back for first fizz around 12ish to feed DS2

Nibbles and champagne cocktails from1 ish lunch around 2.30 to 4pm

Used to have to watch Queens speech when DGP's were still kicking

Tea coffee and chocolates in sitting room and presents brought through from under tree - this goes on for ages as everyone me likes to procrastinate and delay actual opening. DS1 will be allowed to open all his presents first

I'll bath and bed DS2 to put off my presents (I like to try to get through the whole day without opening any if I can)

Eventually someone will crack and make sandwiches and well watch whatever TV is on

This is Christmas with my DBros, DSis DH and my parents, but Christmas with FIL and Step Mil is essentially the same.

My plan is:

Stockings when the children wake up. Hopefully keeping them entertained while OH and I get a lie in.

Breakfast and tree presents.

Midday - travel to visit family for presents and dinner.

Leave family at about 6ish to chill at home and enjoy the rest of the evening.

Stay here ..h, dd and D's 18 and 15.
Go for drinks at friends house 11.30-2
Stagger home.
Eat about 4..usually lasagne or shoulder of lamb.
That's it.

Don't visit family at all .

Where we are depends year on year but open presents the minute we open our eyes of course This year will just be me and DD at home so will have a lovely breakfast, play with DD and her new toys, watch lots of Xmas films, go for a walk, small Xmas dinner and that's it. Just a chilled out day.

My husband is German so we start Christmas on Christmas eve and the kids are allowed some presents.Sometimes we invite friends for a Christmas dinner on the 24th. Then they wake up Christmas morning,have stockings and we go to our local Church Service at 10am. Have tree presents after church and then go to family for lunch.Usually at my parents with 1,2 or 3 of my brothers with their families.Often 23 of us and always total chaos but I absolutely love it. We did do Christmas on our own one year when the kids were quite little and I was surprised at what a lovely day we had.

we always stay at home- if people want to come over ,theyre welcome.
we dont usualy get up till 8am ,open gifts and eat bacon rolls.
cook dinner together ,eat around 3 pm
dh takes dc to see his mum for an hour whilst i scrub up for evening drinks.
eat ,drink and watch tv.

We stayed at home on Christmas Day last year. It was ace. Got up, had some nigella breakfast muffins to keep us going through the present opening. Had starters for lunch. During the afternoon toys were built, Christmas dinner was cooked etc. ate main course around 5 I think. Some family popped on for a mince pie around noon-ish. Lovely relaxed day and we'll do it again this year. Makes such a nice change from having to rush presents and then get ready to travel to family. We saw family for meals/get-together in the run up to Christmas & Boxing Day.

Every year at home , myself , DP , ds1 (17) ds2 (14) dd (7)
Open pressies around 8.am by this time DP is screaming at me to get up as I'm being selfish and the kids want to open their presents
Spend the next couple hours opening and admiring pressies
Put turkey in oven around 11.am
Eat around 3-4pm
Watch queens speech and the Chrisymas Day film
Anyone who wants to come is invited but tbh my mother wants to spend it alone with her husband and mil and pil are 70 years old now and have stopped hosting Christmas many years ago
Her dinners were always minuscule anyway and I'd always come home and eat more food

My Christmas is manic and I love it. Parents, brother, spouse, children, my one children and a couple of friends arrive Christmas Eve Md afternoon. Always have a takeaway delivered and play games get pissed at night. Everyone stays over
Christmas morning, salmon bagels and champagne for breakfast everyone opens pressies, prepare lunch for about 2-3 pm for about 12 people. After lunch it's all over to my brothers for a buffet tea,
Boxing Day roast lunch, then usually go to the football match

Presents in the morning, turkey etc in the evening.

This year we are doing something completely different! I am hosting for all parts of our family, so I'm trying to do things that compromise between all traditions.

We will get up and have stockings in our room. Then we will go down and DP will do bacon sandwiches and sausage rolls. Then we will hang out, drink and films etc, while I cook dinner for 1ish. After dinner, we will open presents leisurely. Then we will have tea, and everyone will go home.

It depends which country we are in.

In DH's home country, the main celebration is on Christmas eve.There is a huge evening meal, you exchange wishes before it and then the kids get to work on their presents. They also go to bed very late because of being hyper.

If we are in England, then just our little family. On Christmas eve I give the DCs a box with a film, popcorn, pyjamas in. On Christmas day, we open presents in the morning, then have a late lunch/early dinner with whatever menu I plan :)

Christmas at my house. I'm happy to have visitors but I don't like cooking in anyone elses my Mothers kitchen and don't fancy the idea of Christmas Dinner in a resturant.

DC will be 12.6 and 15 so a bit calmer now, they don't get up at 5am now
We don't have a big breakfast (save that for Boxing Day) maybe nice bread toast and croissants.

First of all though, the guinea-pigs have their house made ready (heater on, breakfast prepared) cuddled and go out for their meal.

Presents opened then breakfast, shower, dress

Then we phone relatives.
I set the table (DD helps)
I spend the day pottering about in the kitchen until about 2pm (cooking not just slurping gin ). I watch the soaps - the characters are having the terrible Christmas that they always seem to have.
I try to get everyone to dress up (a bit) for Dinner.

Dinner when it gets dark, with candles on the table.

Then Dr Who.
Then maybe lard about with chocolates and more TV.
Guineas then come inside for a cuddle and bed,, eventually the humans do too.

Previously, we have got up, dd opens her stocking gifts in bed, then we go downstairs to open more presents before rushing off to the in laws. We spend a couple of hours there before rushing off to my parents for dinner. It is manic, I feel overwhelmed. MIL always cries when we leave, DH always comments that we are late and I feel a bit frazzled. Not this year though. This year we would do stocking in bed, presents downstairs and then dd will get to play. We will have breakfast before popping up to see in ils for an hour. Then we will go home and I will pop all of the delicious food I have pre - prepared in to cook. DH, DH and my brothers will arrive about 2pm, we will eat about 4. I will use disposable trays to avoid too much washing up, then we will drink and be merry until they decide to go home

DM, DF and my brothers ^ stupid phone!

We stay at home. Just me, DP and DS. We do presents as soon as we wake up, then I make breakfast while DP starts putting the toys together. Then get dressed and start cooking the Christmas dinner for around 1-2pm. Then after dinner we eat the millions of boxes of chocolates we're given every year, DS plays with his new toys and I try to sneak in a late afternoon snooze in front of the TV

DP is working this Christmas Day but only for a half day. Not sure yet if it will be in the morning or afternoon.

We've spent Christmas at my parents' house once since having DS but I prefer to be at home and cooking the Christmas dinner myself. I love DM but her entire Christmas meal is courtesy of Aunt Bessie, which is fine if you like the taste but it's not something I enjoy!

Get up normally around 7am or when my DS decides to waken then straight downstairs for present opening.

Breakfast afterwards normally consists of eggs and toast, croissants, pastries and lots of chocolate.

We get ready and go to the inlaws (who live 100 yards away) open more presents, laze around and then have dinner around 3pm.

We go home around 7pm or 8pm and watch rubbish on tv and eat more rubbish.

Its total bliss.

I usually get up at about 7am and go and get the heating/coffee/fire/Christmas carols and lights on, might have a coffee alone in that perfect peace before the chaos fun begins. It's so cosy and festive with the twinkly lights and music and roaring fire. At 8ish I get DH and DD up (DD is 17) and we let her go into the lounge in front of me and DH so she sees all her gifts (arranged the night before over scotch and midnight mass) straight away. Present opening takes up the next hour and a half or so. Then we have breakfast of coffee and panettone. I put a couple of Quorn roasts in at 11ish and set them aside when they're done 45 minutes later.

DH then cracks open a bottle of champagne and we all have a glass, and me and DD then go off to dress - we always have something new and special to wear. Last year I wore a medieval style dress with holly and ivy in my hair and DD had a new suit with cravat and silk waistcoat - it's Christmas, being overdressed is allowed Then there's more champagne and I start on lunch - it's all prepared the night before so it's just a case of chucking it in the oven at the right times. No meat to worry about which makes it really easy. We usually eat at about 3ish and spend about and hour and a half at the table.

The TV goes on after lunch, usually about 5. We get changed and cocoon for the rest of the evening, maybe have a scotch or Bailey's while we watch the Christmas specials.

Every year on Christmas evening DH sighs deeply and contentedly and says 'Christmas day is the very best day of the year'. He's not wrong

Husband n I have been together for 17yrs (married 8) n have always had Xmas day at home and have continued since having a little person.

I used to work Xmas day early shift when was nursing on the wards.

We have stockings in bed n then get washed n dressed then a light breakfast like freshly made pan au choc n then some present opening, brunch is 11/11.30 as used to fit with little one lunchtime and then we open more presents n play now little one is 4 n doesn't nap. Xmas dinner is at 4ish and then if we r hungry in eve is Xmas choc!

Boxing day is at home n sometimes we now travel the 200miles to family for couple days n fit all in.

This yr though baby 2 will be 4-6 weeks old n def no travelling to family n we will go with foo Xmas day :)

Always stay home, just the five of us. The advantage of DH being a foreigner is that his family live half way across the world and I don't have to socialise with them . My family are all fairly dysfunctional disconnected too so there's no one that would come around or that we'd go to.

In the first few years with baby DC we didn't bother getting anyone dressed, just stayed in pjs all day. Last year I started the tradition of buying DC something to wear for the day so now we all get dressed for dinner. I've bought the girls lovely tartan dresses this year and DS a tartan button up shirt to wear.

DH and I always wake up before DC do so we can have a chai latte in bed. Then when DC wake they rush downstairs and open presents. We then have breakfast which is different every year, this year I've planned a lovely homemade pastry selection so croissants, pain au chocolat, cinnamon rolls, thumbprint jam cookies using homemade jam. I also make my own version of Nigella's Christmas morning muffins because I wasn't blown away by hers... There's also nut butters, marmalade, jam, honey and a fruit platter to pick at to make us feel a bit healthier. DC drink pink milk out of their little milk jars, we have another chai latte.

Then there's a bit of playing with new toys, faffing around in general before DH and I make a start on the dinner. DC used to nap when we did dinner but last year only the younger two did, this year maybe only the youngest will. We have dinner when it gets dark so I can light the candles at the table and put the fairy lights above the table on so it can be all cosy . After three course dinner and crackers we crack the board games out. This will be the first year eldest DC at least will be able to join in with a bit of connect 4 and jenga, really looking forward to it. When they're older I can't wait for charades and pictionary . Then DC go off up to bed and DH and I play the more grown up board games like cluedo and monopoly with the champers and a naice box of chocs.

Excited doesn't even cut it...

Stay at home (no one would want 7 of us) but have an open house policy. December is manic with christmas concerts, disco & parties for 5 dc. Add 2 works dinners & usually a black tie charity do & we hardly have a minute. I finish up last of the food bits on the 23rd & we only leave the house for mass apart from that we go no where.
Various callers on Christmas eve. Mass at 9pm & then few neighbours come round for few drinks. They usually dont leave till midnight and we do our santa duties then.
Christmas day varies in numbers from year to year. Not sure whats happening this year. Christmas night is an early enough bedtime as we are always exhausted.
Boxing day we have family to stay & its our party night. Relatives all play instruments & it will go on till all hours. Great craic.

At 2am dh nudges me asking "do you think he's been yet"

At 3am dh nudges me again "I think he's been" you get the picture? This goes on till 6am when I finally agree to get up.

He then very noisily bangs down the stairs till dd who is now 12 wakes up.

We have coffee and juice whilst opening presents.

Breakfast is mostly pancakes followed by chocolate.

At 1am we drive for an hr to mils picking dss up on the way

Dss opens his presents from us at mils. Dd opens her stocking then so she has something to open.

We then open all family presents their are 14 of us so it takes a while.

Eat 6/7 then leave mils at 9/10 drive an hr home feeling very tired.

This year I have decided were staying home well eat turkey cobs and sides at 1 dh will then collect dss and bring him home to open his presents and then were all going to spend a chilled out afternoon/evening at home eating and doing what ever we want.I can't wait.

The fact were staying at home will cause an atmosphere when we visit but this christmas is about us for once.

Really enjoyed reading everyones plans, feel so excited now!

We stay at home. Me and Ds1 don't sleep well with excitement, so the past two years we had a Christmas story in the middle of the night. It was 3am last year, and I loved it. Sneaking down the hall so not to disturb dh and Ds2 (he was 2 last Christmas, it may change this year!) and having a cuddle in the quiet was lovely.

Then we all officially wake at 8am, straight downstairs for Santa gifts. It's a pretty much free for all for the next hour or so, with Christmas music in the background! While dh helps get some toys open, I put the coffee on and get breakfast organised. Nothing major, the kids are allowed a box of sugary cereal of their choice, they only get it at Christmas, so a box of coco pops are a huge treat and easy for me! I do toast, pastries, preserves, nutella etc too. The me and dh open our gifts from each other while the kids watch a movie and play with their new things. More coffee and chocolate.

We get dressed around 12, and give the place a bit of a tidy. My family come at around 1.30, so we have a quick drink before I head to the kitchen. My mum brings the meat, I do the veg, so doesn't take long. Eat dinner around 3pm.

General merriment until around 5.30, then the in-laws arrive. Mil brings the most amazing desserts, so we all eat together, coffees, Baileys, Tia Maria flowing. Presents, merriment and lots of laughing.

Everyone goes home around 7.30, then the kids get some warm milk and stories for a bit to unwind, but generally they are carried up the stairs at 7.45, already asleep! Then me and dh have some treats and watch some Christmas telly.

The most wonderful time of the year.