Is it too early to ask what you're Christmas traditions are?!

[cherrybakewelltart]

My dd has just turned 3, so this will be the first year she vaguely understands any of it.

Christmas is absolutely my favourite time of year but apart from opening new Pjs on Christmas Eve we never had any sort of traditions when I was growing up. I really want to make some for our little family, and the new PJs will obviously be included but I'm stuck.

So for inspiration, what are your family Christmas traditions?

My DC will be 16 and 13.6 so our Traditions have evolved over time.

DH and I are vegetarian (and now I'm gluten free/dairy limited)

Things we don't do now:

The tray (toast,tea,jam) for Father Christmas by the fire (this was DDs thing)

DC used to wear fancy dress after dinner on Christmas Eve

We used to go to the cinema in the week before
We used to go to London to see the Lights

Things we still do:

Christmas Eve main meal at lunch (fishfingers for DC , vegetable grills for DH and I, chips, salad. Trifle, ice-cream) That'll need a tweak.

A walk to the Park.
The Christmas Eve Hamper

Late night buffet

Stockings in the early hours

Christmas table is set and we eat after dark with candlelight

DD and I go to the ballet/theatre (Swan Lake, Nutcracker)

DD and her Best Friend go shopping (I carry the bags and bodyguard them)

We do a £2 coin jar to share and this year I've started a 1p/2p/5p/10p jar that I'll cash up

We go for a Toby Carvery Meal (early December )

DD and I watch "Lost Christmas" and "A Christmas Carol"
Watch something on Netflicks on Christmas Eve (I love a spooky story)

Last year we went to Harry Potter (DH,DS,DD and me). DD and I went to see The Little Matchgirl
Year before we went to Kew Gardens
We've been to Hyde Park Winter Wonderland

I think this year we'll see what's on at the iMax.
DD and I can have a London shopping day ( grmace) - TopShop, H&M, Primark.

Oh, and DH and I have a Shopping Day on the last Friday in November. Child free. Usually Bluewater. After three shops he's so I buy him coffee and a sandwich .

Nice clothes for Christmas Day (even DS)

Not sure if it'll be just us or us plus family.
I'll plan my menus though like a Military Operation

I have some gorgeous canvas baskets for the Hampers ( new PJs, jar of sweets, annual, bath bomb)

Stocking gifts for teenagers take more planning.
Their main presents don't make much of a pile (small and ££ now) so the Stocking Gifts are useful (underwear, Lynx,jewellery, make-up) and a Selection Box.

Need to start on them soon................

I love our traditions. We always go to pick out a tree on the 1st of December. DD puts the candy cane star on top. On the weekends between the 1st and Christmas we go to see Santa and have a Christmas play date with DD's cousins. On Christmas eve, the Elves leave us a hamper. It contains; tickets to our Christmas eve activity (last year it was panto, this year we are thinking the cinema). New pj's for all, Christmas story, DD'S stocking to hang, The magic key so that Santa can get in, a special plate and cup for Santa's treats, cookie making stuff to make the treats and some sweeties. On Christmas day, we open stocking in bed, then downstairs for main presents. Breakfast is croissants for dh and Christmas shaped crumpets for me and dd. Christmas jumpers are worn on Christmas eve and Christmas day. We have a selection .

There's a Christmas market I take the dc to for hot chocolates (and hot chocolate with disserano for me) they usually have over priced marshmallows on sticks with chocolate and sprinkles to.

I've always bought them a snow globe to but it's getting to the point where we have to many now.

My favourite tradition is drinking captain Morgans spices rum and wrapping presents with the tree lights on.

I always take kids out Xmas eve, there's a pub near me that does a Christmas party in their softplay part I've took them to a few times, or something to wear them out and make them sleep. It's all very well getting them excited about Xmas but getting them to sleep could be hard. That's why I do softplay and keep them up a bit later.

I always wrap the living room door in wrapping paper. This is my favourite tradition and they are so excites in the morning to rip through and get into the living room. (it also means I can have a cup of tea in bed whilst they have their stockings and they can't peek.)

We used to take ours out to a nearby lake to feed the geese/ducks (brown bread) and a walk round to tire them out and jump in puddles.

Then we found a Visitor Centre that had some deer (safely in an enclosure) but they were fed by everyone (they had a list of what you could/couldn't give) so of course they weren't bovvered. DS used to complain that they'd be too fat to fly

Then we took them to the local park but as they got older, the novelty wears thin for them.

Need to think of some new Traditions for them this year...

Everyone knows - I love your RACKing idea, I'm going to steal that one with pride!

Loving this thread, we don't have many traditions, we're a married couple with no children, we really only have the tradition of going to my parents on Christmas Eve lunch time for hot pork sandwiches.

I'm definitely going to try and create some more traditions after reading this thread!

Not much to add but on the last week of November we always do a clear out then on the 1st December the write their lists, usually in front of a christmas film.

We always get our street on the same day each year (8th December) and as part of the clear out we get all the decs down and tidy them up (test the lights) and shuffle furniture around to make way for the tree.

We also have christmas bed linen and that usually appears on their beds on 1st December.

We usually eat fish on Christmas Eve, ideally in the form of fish and chips, which makes everything a bit more relaxed as theres no cooking or tidying up to do.

We do lots of other things but its all pretty similar to whats already been said.

Not many but DS gets to pick a new Disney decoration for the tree each year. This year it will be from Disneyland Paris! My tree is all Disney stuff. Much of it vintage. I love it.

We do a hamper on Christmas Eve. We also do elf on a shelf but not ever day. If he goes out and doesn't come back for a day or two that's fine!

Tree and decs up 1st December while listening to Christmas music for the first time that year (except for for me, who has a habit of listening to some before that...) , eating party food and mince pies. A Christmas film will usually follow.

Weekends throughout December we usually make Christmas food and more decs with clay etc.

Didn't happen for a few years due to ds refusal, but we always used to go to the Theatre to see a Christmassy themed show. Last year was the first time in ages and we went to see Elf the Musical.

Theatre,when it happens, is always followed by KFC and last minute shopping of random Christmassy stuff!

Always make a gingerbread house that invariably ends up looking like Amityville . Ds then quickly demolishes it..

Christmas Eve, ds is very excitable during the day and hard to please or occupy! In the evening we start with baths with Lush Christmas bubbles. While ds is in the bath the elves deliver new Christmas pyjamas. We then snuggle up on the sofa watching The Polar Express, eating Chinese and drinking hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows.

At bed time, we put out a note, mince pie and carrot. Ds puts his 'Santa stop here' sign out, then it's off to bed with me reading The Night Before Christmas, and his old favourite The Christmas Story (still the version I gave him for his very first Christmas!!!!!). When he was younger we'd read Shhh! Santa too.

Once he's in bed I wrap presents while watching tv. Put the magic snow outside and make footprints in it, coming into the hallway, finish off decorating the cake and wait for him to sleep so I Santa can put the presents in his stocking and finally get to bed!

No huge traditions for the big day itself, that's all dominated by ds, but we usually have pancakes for breakfast, after getting up at daft o' clock, play, watch a million films and something goes wrong with the dinner...

Boxing Day we always go for a walk and to the park, the quiet atmosphere is nice and have a mini party tea

First Sunday in Advent (29th Nov this year) we go to a German friend's house where she makes an absolutely HUGE brunch. Fantastic German tradition. There will be, let's see, about 8-10 adults, 2 children (ages 4 this year) and some dogs. It's enormous fun, really relaxing and a great start to the Christmas period.

I'm an expat, and the only slightly-expatty thing I do all year is go to a Christmas Fair run by the Brits down the coast. They have a Santa, games (fishing for ducks, etc), tombola. I can buy UK food I can't get hold of here - mince meat, giant tube of Smarties, oxo, stuffing etc. Tha's usually the beginning of December.

Tree goes up on 8th Dec, it's a holiday here so we can all chip in. The Christmas CD goes on, DH wanders off shaking his head, me and DS decorate. DS has a silly cheap tree in a pot that I bought for about a fiver last year, with some 75p baubles and silly beads, he has that in his room and can play with it til his heart's content, although I do put non-breakable stuff on the main tree at child height and I'm not so precious if I come downstairs from a wee and find the felt reindeer is being arrested by the Playmobil police!

Christmas Eve we go for a wander round a tiny town near us: cobbled pedestrianised streets, hot chocolate, look at the lights. Last year they had a live nativity in the church garden (not a graveyard!). Cute goats. We buy takeaway roast chicken in town and have that for dinner. No preparing and washing up is minimal.

When home, we do dinner and bath, then we have a caga tio caga tio a Catalan log with a smiley face that you feed and cover with a blanket. You then beat him with a stick while singing a song (about poo) and he poos small gifts and chocolate! This year he will poo a couple of Mr Men books and Polar Express dvd which we'll watch that evening. (Caga tio is closely related to the yule log in that he comes down from the mountain and stays in your house for all the festival). Oh, the Caga Tio arrives the day we decorate. We sneak him outside the front door, then make a knocking sound so DS find him! It's the same log every year, and a firm favourite Christmas thing.

DS brings his stocking into our bed, usually to ask us to help open his chocolate coin (he was just-3 last year). We open presents after breakfast, so put something Playmobil-esque in his stocking to help keep him entertained, just a small thing.

Christmas Day breakfast is made by DH, something of his choosing.

We open presents after breakfast, then take it in turns to shower and get dressed. We usually wear something fancy/pretty/ironed.

Christmas lunch is made mostly by me, but DH also has a hand in it. We have FIL, BIL and SIL for a late lunch (all single, all lovely) around 4pm. Not much traditional food as I'm a lousy cook, we can't find the right potatoes for roasting, I can't be arsed to roast a chicken, hate turkey.... and so on! Last year was salmon for FIL, something meaty for the rest of us, mash, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mince pies, pigs in blankets, random veg. I think we even had stuffed vol-au-vents for starters - very 70s. I make mince pies. No one eats Christmas cake except me, so I don't bother any more (my English friend makes it for her Catalan in-laws and they call it El Borracho - the drunk one!). SIL brings pudding - tiramisu last year.

We all go for a country walk after lunch, although it gets a bit dark - DS got the IKEA wind-up torch last year, great present! Still loves it. 4€

We'll probably watch Polar Express again and lie on the sofa with our trousers open

Boxing Day is either us to a friend's house, or them to us. More food, very relaxing, some games with their DC and ours.

6th January is celebrated here with the 3 Kings arriving in the port and doing a procession through town to the main square, all the while flinging boiled streets to the children in the crowds. Then people go home to a nice meal and to open presents the Kings have brought. Some Catalans (and Spanish, actually) only celebrate Kings, not FC. Or they'll do toy gifts on 25/12, clothes/stationery/books on 6/1. Oh, and 24/12 is bigger than 25/12 for some.

So, DS celebrates: birthday in December, Caga Tio 24th, Christmas Day 25th, Kings Day 6th January. Then NOTHING for the rest of the year! Poor bugger! Really though, Caga tio, Christmas stocking and Kings Day gifts will be small - Caga Tio is perhaps like a Christmas Hamper; albeit a hamper you don't hit with a stick

I love Christmas

1122 love your pound land idea so sweet.

Might let the youngest just choose whatever and give it to older, be it scrubbers or whatever.

we are still trying to find a groove but trying work panto in, trip to london, love harrods windows, and baking and we go to a wonderful xmas shop that opens up near by and let dd choose a decoration.

i try to repeat the nutcracker but i got bored and so did dd asking why we do it all the time, she is even asking why I am reading same books to her every year!

Tree (real, bought 5 years ago, lives in the garden the rest of the year) goes up first weekend of Dec.

Going to see the local lights being switched on.

Boat trip to see Santa in early December (kids no longer believe but we are going regardless!)

We always have a Christmas theatre visit - this year it's Dear Santa but we've seen Room on the Broom and The Gruffalo's Child. We also ended up going to the panto after Christmas last year. I found it cringey but the DCs and cousins enjoyed it.

I love these threads.

Am going to take away the wrapping paper over door idea this year.

DD and I went shopping today (admitedly I went to bed late 1.15 am and woke at 7.30am) .
We went to Lakeside (shopping centre) then Costco (retail park) then couldn;t get out of Lakeside, the traffic was hellish so we went back into the shopping centre for a wander and food.

So staggering round with DDs shopping (including a parka and two jumpers) I was thinking "Why on earth do I imagine Christmas Shopping is fun? It's not busy now (well it was but it'll get busier) ".

Need to get buns of steel before December

elQuintoConyo I had to Google caga tio...it's genuinely the funniest thing I've heard in ages, the wiki entry has made me laugh so much! No more or less bonkers than any other traditions but have never heard of it. ..our kids would love it

Just had a good read through of this thread, some really lovely ideas so thank you all for your inspiration .

I love the idea of wrapping the door but how? Is it wrapped with the door open or shut, do you just tape it to the walls? Sounds fun either way

The problem I find is that we live in a small town that doesn't really have anything going on and we don't drive so it will be mainly home activities.

Thinking about it I actually do have some traditions. December 1st tree is up with Christmas music, and then watch love actually. Presents are all wrapped on 23rd in a big wrap-a-thon, again with obligatory Christmas music. Christmas Eve is new PJ, takeaway and Christmas tv programmes (usually Gavin and Stacey). None of which are particularly suitable for a 3 year old mind you, hence me starting this thread!

So this year is going to involve lots of baking. Ginger bread men, cookies and cakes with green icing like trees.
I will vow to finally watch polar express this year, after saying every year 'oh I'm going to watch it tonight' and have never got round to it!

Dd is very shy and would be terrified of Santa (she doesn't talk to anyone she doesn't know) so won't be doing that but I will take her to town and have a look at the grotto etc.

love the idea of a family Christmas walk to look at the lights, will definitely be adding that onto my list. Sounds lovely.
Will be making a Christmas Eve box with Pjs, bedtime book, bubble bath etc for after tea.

I will be buying Christmas jumpers this year, without a doubt!

Will also do the footprint thing as long as it cleans off my carpet easily , and the plate of food for Santa etc.

That's just off the top of my head, please keep them coming!

A tradition we started with our dc is that first thing, come downstairs, dive into christmas stockings, which are santa gifts - colouring books, crayons, a few sweets, fruit, cuddly toy - nothing expensive. Other gifts were opened sporadically over the next few days. The last presents were opened on new year's eve, which is dh's birthday. This meant there was no great rip-a-thon, we were able to note which gift was from which person, and if emotions were getting a bit frayed, etc, we could distract bickering kids with, oh, isn't it time to open another present?
This tradition lasted until they left home. Even now, every person who stays overnight at Christmas has a socking in the morning

oops, stocking!

I love these threads as most my traditions have been nicked from Mumsnet!

On 1st December our Elf arrives with advent calendars, Christmas fleece blankets and Christmas DVD - same ones every year!

We put the tree up on the first weekend of December - always takes much longer than expected due the sheer number of decorations I've collected! I let doc decorate the porch in any wild way they want.

The dc and I make decorations and bake lots throughout December. We lays try to make cards for family.

Last year we went to the local city's Christmas festival which was great so will do that again and visit Santa at the same time. And hopefully our town will have a Christmas light switch on again this year.

And now the big day - Christmas Eve! Dc's will help me prep some the dinner for next day whilst listening to carols. We will make some Christmas bark and deliver to neighbours. When we get back our elf will have left a little hamper for dc's with new pjs, toothbrush, bubble bath, chocolate treat and maybe some finger lights. I did this for nephews too last year, and it was fab!

I collect glass jars throughout the year which we decorate, put LED tea lights in and line them up in the driveway - so Santa can find our house. After dc's are in bed we cover the living room door in wrapping paper and leave footprints throughout the house, although this year we have a fireplace so don't know what we'll do.

And in the morning it's a free for all!

I love Christmas especially the build up! I love the idea of pound land for sibling gifts, my older 2 would love that.

First Saturday evening in December, (now) 5yo DD goes up to brush her teeth and get ready for bed, as she does this our elf arrives with her suitcase for the month (cue DS/DH and I scrambling to scatter glitter, jingle some bells and bring out the suitcase). DD rushes out of the bathroom, follows trail of glitter and finds case and elf.
Case contains (for DD and DS):

• pjs
• slippers
• all the old Xmas books plus a new one
• a dvd
• snowman soup (hot chocolate with mini marshmallows)
• sometimes a new dressing gown or other items that need renewing
• a new Xmas decoration for the tree.

The suitcase itself is an old trunk, which we add stickers to so DD thinks she's been travelling all year. Elf is a Disney fairy with orange hair (wings removed).

cherry we pinned paper round the doorframe (our doors open inwards, don't know if they all would, maybe not) but we tape large leftover sheets togeter and pin to the doorframe for the DC to burst through.
Once it;s done you can't get into the room though.........

Another of our Seasonal Must Haves (not really a Tradition) is the Christmas TV Times and some highlighter pens . Everyone goes through and marks off what they want with their colour.

And I pick a day to take over the table with the Christmas magazines (Good Housekeeping, Prima, Woman&Home and one of the cookery mags, maybe the Sainsburys store mag) and a pen and coffee.

Is it December yet?

lachatte I admire all your hard work there.

Esp details of the travel stickers on the case, some magical memories being created.

We try to visit a different Christmas market each year.

I like the idea of wrapping a door in wrapping paper - I'll use that!

My DH and I have an evening session of wrapping everybody's presents, on our own, always with Xmas music. It's quite a task which takes us a good hour or two.

We have our favourite seasonal couple's ritual at the end, when DH wraps all my presents... in front of me! Before he does this, he gives me a small present to unwrap, which might contain a scarf, a Santa hat, or a pretty mask from Claire's Accessories. I always ask sweetly if I can just keep my eyes closed instead, but I know he'll only bring the presents out of their hidey hole when I am suitably blindfolded. Even though I can't see a thing, I love to hear him wrapping, and to feel each present as he has done it. Sometimes he lets me have a feel before they're wrapped, but only if he thinks I won't guess what it is! Of course I wouldn't dream of peeping (but the temptation can be overwhelming).