It wouldn't be Christmas without...

[KBear]

Cherryade - (that no one drinks . "It's tradition" I cry, when questioned as to why I have to buy it at Christmas. When we were kids (cue Hovis music!) we didn't have fizzy drinks very often but mum always bought cherryade and limeade from the Bilco drinks lorry at Christmas.

What wouldn't it be Christmas without in your house?

Nausea. And inexcplicably greasy fingers. And uncomfortable clothes that seemed like a good idea before dinner.

The Sound of Music

oh yes, and The Great Escape

Aw, trefusis, yours sounds lovely

God, yes, sparkly knitwear!

I get bought some every year - and last year I got drunk clothes-shopping with my friend and bought myself a sparkly knitted dress .

I then wore it on Christmas Day .

It's hot and it itches and I'm not doing it again.

Quite apart from the huge fashion faux pas.

Port
It's A Wonderful Life

Carols from Kings on the CD player accompanied by slightly out-of-tune soloist in the kitchen (ie me)
Pine needles stuck in your socks/carpet/jumper/cat's throat/baby's nappy
Satsumas
A big bowl of nuts with their shells on that no-one is strong enough to crack. They roll around the house for 2 weeks tripping up the elderly until someone (usually me) throws them away
Gin and tonics while opening the stockings

Oooh can't wait, I love Christmas...

My dad always sets fire to the Christmas pudding with brandy and it always involves big palaver, drum rolls and fanfare when he walks in with it all alight and mum is behind him panicking that the brandy will spill off the plate and set fire to the carpet. Mum decorates the top with holly and obv that always catches light. DB is a firefighter so he's always on standby saying "Don't let a fire be your fault"!!

Bread sauce

Being duped by some crumby newspaper into buying their paper as they have christmas listings in November only to discover that most of it reads for all channels at primetime - 'To be advised'

Chocolate before breakfast

and scoffing a few mouthfuls of homemade chestnut stuffing in the kitchen that has crisped up whilst pretending to carve the turkey.

liqueur chocolates

turkey/stuffing sandwiches for tea just leaving enough room for trifle.

hmmm, mine seem to be mostly food related

turkey
srouts
stuffing
cranberry sauce

crackers

a big tin of chocolates!

Sherry trifle
Matchmakers
Only Fools & Horses Christmas Special
Tia Maria/Baileys/Kahlua/Peach Schanpps (not all together obviously)

my xmas vouchers from farepack. oh feck .

A nice big family..................ROW!!

satsumas
dates
mince pies with a glass of port (can't have them without)
also it's traditional in our house for someone to pipe up, just after the shops have closed on Christmas eve and say "I hope you remembered to buy the kumquats!", even though you never have because nobody eats them. Actually, I proved this by buying some last year just so that I could say "OH yes I have!" And nobody ate them...

Christmas crackers! (-which they don't have here in the USA so I need to order some!)

I really don't mean to put a downer on this thread - but reading it has just made me cry...

My mum and dad used to have soo many of the things you guys have mentioned... and this will be the first Christmas without them around (dad passed away 5 yrs ago - but mum almost 1 year ago)....

My brothers and SILs & I used to laugh at my mum for still having loads of these things even when we grew up and left home...

There are so many things I have never had in my house - especially as we knew they would be at my mums house...

I had no idea how important all these things are - but now that they won't be there I realise how nostalgic it is if you know what I mean...

I think I will have to have a rethink about what I buy in for Christmas...

heifer - recreate the things your parents used to do for your children and remember them with a smile. I hope Christmas is happy for you. x