Christmas Traditions please

[PepsiTwirl]

Hello.

Especially looking for Christmas Eve traditions please.

What lovely things do you do with your children?

Many thanks

Heard about Elf on the shelf

HI I adore these threads. Our elf is customised to fit in with us, I cant be doing with weeks of Elf Work, get into bed then think - the bloody Elf, we have not done anything!

So, Elf comes for week Max. Elf is not there to report back about behaviour, Elf is there to say Hi, and check out the children to suggest gift Ideas for FC to bring.

Xmas Eve has always been flat for us. Dh working, me toddling round, this year he is off so I am taking older DC to the ballett.

Xmas day pretty relaxed no set time for anything....

Boxing Day Panto

elf on the shelf christmas eve little gift or hamper for the kids xmas movie keeping track of santa on norad the kids adored it last year :D

We went ice skating last year as something a bit different. We normally do a long dog walk up a big hill with flasks of hot chocolate and warm mince pies wrapped in foil for the top. This covers the dual purpose of wearing both DS and the dogs out, as well as allowing a smug glow of "healthy family fun" :o

When I was little we always went for a Chinese then drove through the town to look at the lights before bed. We chiddlers are now in 30s and have Chinese takeaway in our respective households as the Chinese restaurant closed 10 years ago. I refuse point blank to give anywhere else my Christmas Eve tradition custom! Takeout it is!

It's a really simple thing but my DDs and I always have new pyjamas on Xmas Eve, I wrap them & put them under the tree & we all have hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows in Xmas mugs that only come out once a year. DDs are 15 now but I think I'll be still doing it in 15 years time!

My favourite childhood memory on Christmas Eve was going to the shops with my mum to pick up the special food - and the feeling of Christmas in the air as we walked around town. I will be doing this with DSes - going to pick up the bird from the butcher, having some roast chestnuts, stopping for a hot chocolate and listening to Carol Singers.

This is our first proper Christmas as a family of four - and I will be insisting on Proper Stockings and also an Xmas Eve family movie (not animation but old school: A Christmas Carol or Meet Me in St Louis for example).

One that I read on here and am planning to nick, is all having a Christmas Eve present of pyjamas / onesie that we wear to bed that night.

x-post with mental!

YY to new pjs! All wrapped up as a Christmas Eve gift.

We all watch Carols from Kings with candles lit and chilled Champagne. Dcs are older though

Christmas dinner at the village pub, drive around to see the Christmas lights, followed by the 7pm panto (where every year they run out and shout to the audience that FC has been seen over a neighbouring town so we better rush home to bed).

Then once at home it's just leaving out milk, biscuits and a carrot as well as a thank you letter to FC. We also move the stockings from being decoratively hung on mantle to the end of the bed and read about the birth of Jesus from Mathew.

Christmas Eve is my absolute favourite .

Breakfast is Santa Claus pancakes then the DC watch movies such as the snowman, the snowman and the snowdog, frosty the snowman etc while I crack on with any things that need tying up that are dreadfully boring for DC. Lunch is vegetable paella, naice crusty bread and salad. After lunch we bake a snowman cake together and Santa claus' cookies- this year I've decided we're baking him macadamia white chocolate cookies . Once that's done we go for a lovely walk, when we return our elf on the shelf has vacated and left behind a Christmas Eve hamper for each of the DC- contains chocolate coins, lovely new PJs, slippers, socks, teddy bear, marshmallows, naice hot chocolate, box of chocolates and box of festive friends. After that's been opened we have dinner which is a huge buffet with all sorts of homemade foods- selection of hummus, olives, dried fruit, cheeseboard, crackers, coconut macaroons, veggie fake meats etc. Before we eat we also light a candle carousel with a candle for whoever we feel needs it most . Snowman cake for afters! Then we get into our new pjs, have hot chocolate with cream, chocolate flutes and marshmallows and watch the polar express. We eat the chocolates while we're watching it too and the DC get to eat a tree chocolate. We then light paper lanterns up the driveway to 'lead the way' for Santa, leave his cookies, milk and reindeer food out on a special plate and finally read DC Robert Sabuda's Night before Christmas. Once DC are in bed DH and I consume Booja Booja ice cream and drink mulled wine .

Other traditions include- watching a different christmas movie every day of December from 1st to 24th. NO TV allowed on Christmas Day, we play a lot of board games , we have a different Christmassy activity every day of December in the lead up- crafts, baking, christmas days out etc. We bake something different every day of December too. Elf on the shelf is a huge part of our Christmas, on the 1st December we have a North Pole breakfast to welcome him. Christmas duvet covers, always a real tree, garland I made myself, every room has some form of Christmas in it.

Oooh getting some lovely ideas here. Anything but elf on the shelf - I have a completely irrational hatred of it. I love Christmas but come over all angry when I hear people banging on about their bloody elves. Sorry, I can't explain it.
liking the idea of new pjs, hot chocs all round and this year we're going to start a family board game after dinner as dc are just about old enough. Christmas film in the afternoon while I sort stuff.

Bloody hell Poomoloo, you win Christmas

I feel strongly however that Panto is a post-Christmas day activity. Something to brighten up late December or early Jan.

Panto Xmas Eve, then home for hot chocolate and new pjs :)
We also ALWAYS put the tree up on the first weekend of December and watch Xmas films all weekend. Wrapping is done with baileys and mince pies in the evenings leading up to Xmas day.
Eat Xmas dinner and then watch the Queen's speach.
Do absolutely nothing on Boxing Day but eat leftovers and set up new toys :D

Christmas eve us my favourite bit. We wake up to the family Christmas eve hamper. This year it will contain: new pj's for everyone, Christmas jumpers for everyone, cookie mix, Santa's special plate and cup, carrots, the magic key, dvd and tickets to the afternoon panto. We will have breakfast, bake cookies ect in the morning before going to the panto at 1 pm. Might go for a pub lunch after before home to snuggle up in new pj's and watch the dvd. Before dd goes to bed she puts Santa's plate out and hangs the magic key. Once she is asleep me and DH do our santa duties with a nice glass of red and watch a grown up Christmas film

I feel strongly however that Panto is a post-Christmas day activity. Something to brighten up late December or early Jan.

Standing shoulder to shoulder with you on that, def post xmas.

Anything but elf on the shelf

Never say never I felt that way too, then got a little Elf in for a few days...went down a storm.....

What is elf on the shelf?

Last weekend of November we put the outside Christmas lights up so they are ready for switch on on december1st . First Sunday in December inside decs / tree go up , week of the 16th we usually have a couple of days at Disneyland Paris, we go to the Saturday night performance of the olympia pre Christmas horse show , Christmas Eve is a buffet and a carry on film ( carry on camping this year) . My DC are 15&21 , they dip in and out but generally do most of it !