How can I make christmas special for him?

[Radley]

I have invited someone to spend christmas with us this year and want to make it really really special for him, the reason being, up until this year he was a jehovah witness so this will be his first year 'celebrating'.

Has anyone any ideas on how I could make this year memorable for him (he will be 19 by the way)

I think I'd be tempted to go 'silly' and do all the stockings at the end of the bed kind of kid stuff he's probably too old for really. Will you be celebrating in a Christian stylee, i.e. a midnight service / songs and whatnot? Or more of a secular thing?

No, there won't be any midnight service or anything, he will be coming to ours on christmas morning and spending the day with us.

make sure you have crackers with paper hats - very silly but entirely necessary I would say.

My MIL wraps up small presents for the children and puts "from Rudpoph" and "from frosty the snowman" and stuff like that - that's quite fun.

Lots of "traditional" food and customs if he's never done it before.

Sounds like fun

sloe gin, advocaat, visit to a pub that's open on the day (do you live town or country?), pray for snow, nice walk in the frosty woods, Christmas music playing, games with the family... oh I love Christmas.

A trip to the PUB? On Christmas Day?! Surely not (I once went clubbing in Paisley on Xmas Day but really cannot recommend it).

I like all the other suggestions, though - lovely to get out for a crispy walk in the cold, lots of silly presents from Rudolph, card games! - although in fairness I would try not to try too hard, if you know what I mean. You might put him off Xmas forever

I'm assuming the reason he's coming to you is because his family don't want to know now that he's turned his back on being a JW, so I'm sure this will be a difficult time for him in many ways.

I agree with Tribpot. Provided he is not feeling too raw about the estrangement from the rest of his family I'd go for a few "My First Xmas" type little treats and gifts.
How nice of you to do this for the guy. It will get him through potentially a very tricky day

His mother is still talking to him, but, only to try and get him to go back home and join them again, he is adamant he doesn't want to do this.

I couldn't take him to the pub really as I have dd1 and dd2 and don't want to take them, plus, he doesn't really drink anyway, though the suggestions on here have been fab, thank you.

Oh i used to be one of them.

I can safely say that after years of being deprived of all the xmas goodies the more christmassy the better.

Crackers, eggnog, rosted chesnuts, sherry, stockings, family games, xmas movies/tv, decorations, xmas cookies etc and I must say that I'm like a little child at xmas I feel all the excitement build up inside. Oh and I totally believe in santa clause (y not, I wasn't allowed to when young)

Same applies to bdays etc, the best thing about my last birthday was that i had a bday cake and candles and people sang happy bday. Silly, but I hadn't had one since 3yrs old and really felt as though I missed out.

Oh i used to be one of them.

I can safely say that after years of being deprived of all the xmas goodies the more christmassy the better.

Crackers, eggnog, rosted chesnuts, sherry, stockings, family games, xmas movies/tv, decorations, xmas cookies etc and I must say that I'm like a little child at xmas I feel all the excitement build up inside. Oh and I totally believe in santa clause (y not, I wasn't allowed to when young)

Same applies to bdays etc, the best thing about my last birthday was that i had a bday cake and candles and people sang happy bday. Silly, but I hadn't had one since 3yrs old and really felt as though I missed out.