How does your Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing day go?

[VillageFete]

Interested to know how you spend these 3 days. Mine tend to be fairly the same every year, but this year we're doing a few things different and I can't wait.

Christmas eve this year is up early, hairdressers at 7.30am home to our Christmas eve hamper from the elves and will watch a Christmas movie whilst eating breakfast with DP & DD (Breakfast will consist of pain au chocolat and bucks fizz, wooo hooo!) Then it's off to meet some friends and family at our local pub, they have lots of lovely family activities and traditional carol singing and we'll possibly eat there this year. After this it's home for Carols from Kings, The Snowman & The Snowman and the Snowdog, bath, reindeer dust sprinkling, mince pie/carrot/milk for santa, hot chocolate and T'was the night before Christmas. Once DD is in bed, DP and I will have some gorgeous food and drink and watch some Christmas telly. All the wrapping is done in advance so we bring DD's presents down and then I go to midnight mass with a couple of friends.

Christmas Day - A nice long and leisurely champagne breakfast at mine for the inlaws, Christmas dinner is with my family at a restaurant this year, then it's back to my auntie's to see the extended family for a few hours. It's always lovely, loads of Christmas music playing, chocolates being passed around, wine flowing... Around 7pm we'll go home, pj's on, DD goes to bed and DP and I usually have some cheese/crackers/chutneys and a dessert of some kind while we watch Christmas telly or a Christmas film.

Boxing Day - Full breakfast for the 3 of us, a long walk in the woods, back home for hot chocolate mulled wine and then a little later on we go to my Cousin's house for a get together with some of the family. She does a buffet, the Christmas music is still playing and the chocolates are still being passed around. I then wonder why on the 27th i've gained a stone.

How does yours go?

[Galaxymum]

The last two years have been quite different as my lovely mum died in 2012. She was the hostess for Christmas Day and as an only child, I helped her.
So Christmas Eve we would be busy preparing for Christmas lunch by preparing veg and then DH, DD and I would take presents to his parents for the family. Mum and I always went to church together on Christmas Eve.
Christmas Day was always ALWAYS at my mum's. Until she died I had never spent Christmas anywhere else. We always went round to her house about 11.30 and opened DD's presents from her grandma as Santa went there as well! And I was always thoroughly spoilt. Then Mum and I would finish making lunch and I set the table. Christmas lunch was wonderful - my mum was a fantastic cook. After lunch, we stayed a short while, sorted washing up and then mum wanted a rest. I used to go back for an hour in the evening to watch Strictly with her while DH and DD watched a children's film.
Boxing Day was at PIL or BIL - but as mum was on her own as Dad died in 1998, I'd often spend time with her.

Now it feels very different. I cope when it is just DD, DH and me and we make out own traditions. Each year I am adding more. This year I am going to do the Christmas Hamper. Christmas Eve we have pain au chocolat for breakfast, take presents round, and I prepare a roast ham for a special meal. Last year I made time to go to church to remember my mum. We try to go out for a walk together. In the evening we watch a Christmas film and then lay out Santa's treats before bath and bed - and checking NORAD! DD worries over Santa and won't sleep till he has been so we have a very difficult time of going to the door, pretending he has been and then she sleeps. Afterwards DH always watch Love Actually - after we first bought the dvd it has always felt appropriate! It sets us up for Christmassy spirit and makes us feel loved!

Christmas Day - new tradition of a stocking on DD's door handle which she opens first. Then we get dressed and have croissants or sausage butties for breakfast and open presents together. I go mad on DD as I make up for my mum missing. For me, it is hard. I miss my mum a lot but if I focus on DD I cope. Then we put Lego Friends together which I find very therapeutic! PIL come round if they are here and have a coffee and chocolate and look at presents. (I hide in kitchen then as usually in tears). Christmas lunch has been a success last two years considering my first times! Just us three and again, I manage that. Last year I fed DH so well he slept for three hours afterwards! DD and I watched the Xmas film and fixed lego and her toys.

Boxing Day - usually we have been at a loose end or gone to PIL or BIL. But due to my allergies it's quite stressful. So new traditon starting this year is pantomime on Boxing Day - just us three and we are really looking forward to it.

[Harrin]

cariads your Christmas sounds so lovely and welcoming

[KnittedJimmyChoos]

And my late mum is always there on the day as well. Her name meant Star and I always have little stars scattered over the tables so she can listen to everything thats going on and be part of it

Thats so beautiful.

[Turquoisetamborine]

Galaxymum your mam sounded lovely. I hope you can make your own traditions now she's not here.

[thegreenheartofmanyroundabouts]

Christmas Eve last minute shopping and generally making sure everything is in place as Christmas is a busy time of year for clergy.

5pm Children's Nativity service - children come dressed up as a character in the nativity story or come and dress up in our spare costumes. Utter chaos for about 45 minutes which is wonderful. We had two Marys last year and they took turns to look after the baby which is a pretty good idea really

11pmish get ready for midnight mass. Go home and fall into bed as I have to be up for...

Christmas Day 8am early service, home for coffee then back for the 10am family service. Then home and collapse over Christmas lunch prepared by wonderful family.

Boxing Day - day off and a family celebration.