We DO have an almost 10 year old, but lots of our traditions pre-date DD, or are suitable even for adults only.
I really like to get to a carol concert or seasonal orchestral musical event in the run up - choirs singing carols on the street are lovely (proper choirs singing multipart etc, not just school or fundraising groups singing Christmas hits and standards). There are usually a few different nice services in various Churches around the week or 2 before Christmas, and in local music venues too.
DD and I always take a trip to the city in the last week or so before Christmas. It is labeled our "shopping trip", but I don't do ANY shopping that day (and DD is usually pretty much done too by then - but may have a few bits to get). It is mostly to enjoy the atmosphere, see the "Live Crib" outside the Lord Mayor's House and having a stop for hot chocolate/coffee and a bun to people watch. We may have a couple of bags to bring home, but they are fun bits - the real slog of shopping is done either before then or I have plans for late night or early mornings to get the rest.
Even before we had DD, we always had a tree. And whenever we stayed at home (not every year but roughly every 2nd year before DD arrived, and more on average since) we have a real tree. The fake still comes out the years we are travelling (so it doesn't shed everywhere when we're not around to water it).
The youngest in the household on Christmas Eve lights the Christmas candle, so show weary travelers that there is "room at the Inn" if they need it (Irish tradition). I used to light it before DD, and my DUncle still goes home to the house he grew up in for the job, as the youngest of his siblings (in his 50's!). Our family has always tended to take a few moments around the lighting to reflect on the year just passed, including thinking of those who have died in that year or before, and remembering the good things to be proud and happy of as well, and gathering our hopes for the year ahead. What a lot of people might do at New Year's but we're always too busy, and Christmas Eve seems to fit well.
We do a nice roast dinner - even when it was just us 2 eating. We did pheasant one year, and duck another. But mostly a nice small turkey. Not VAST amounts of food, but enough nice food for us and some leftovers. And things we like, so yes to pudding but no to cake, and always plenty of cheese. I've grown up doing the prep on Christmas Eve, so it makes sense to me (peel potatoes, make stuffing, prep veg etc) and then cooking is a lot easier on the day.
On Christmas Eve, we also do a hamper. OK, it started as a MN idea for DD, but now it's for all 3 of us. New PJs for everyone, a Lush bath bomb each for DD and I, naice hot choc (lumps of good choc on a wooden spoon to melt into hot milk) for everyone (I take an amaretti version, DD likes milk choc, while DH likes chilli choc or choc & orange). Dh also gets a Christmas beer (he likes different beers and I always get a small selection of seasonal ones), and I have my "Nightmare before Christmas" slipper socks in there along with DD's Christmas stocking. Our copy of "Twas the night before Christmas" is the bedtime story - which you can leave out.
I am planning, once DD is gone beyond a FC stocking, that the hamper will continue and that there will be stockings for everyone to open in the morning then. That we will all put a few bits into each one.
I am also enjoying, in the past couple of years, buying a couple of nice bottles of good wine for the celebration itself. So a bottle of bubbles (half is fine) for the cooking and present opening (done at the same time - pop in the turkey, open a few presents, pop back out and turn on potatoes and refill crisps bowl before opening a few more, and just relaxing about it all with nice music in the background). A good bottle for turkey, (sometimes I buy a 2nd, which we might open or not - and if not, use again another time), a half bottle of dessert wine for pudding, and a bottle of port to have a glass each with cheese if we are not stuffed (or cheese can be the following few days instead). Not getting blotto, just enjoying NICE wine at a relaxed pace.
We also have people in on Boxing Day afternoon. So we have various nibbly bits to serve (mostly M&S, but some salmon on brown bread etc that I make up - easy catering!), I make a pot of mulled wine, and we light the fire. Most of our neighbours like to drop in (including their visitors - we're a friendly street), and quite a few relatives who are near do too. And because it is casual, and all afternoon, there's never too many people at one time but everyone gets to relax and chat.
We used to like midnight mass before DD and usually morning mass wherever my Uncle was saying it as well, but go to family mass in the mornings instead now (between DD not doing midnight mass, and my Uncle being overseas, this works).
While a full on holiday may not be practical, do you get a few days off? So could you take a night or 2 over the season in the UK or a city break? We actually used to go to European cities for a city break in December before Christmas, Germanic ones are great for markets (Austria or Germany) and Paris is just magical. One year, we had a week in the Canaries in mid-December which was lovely and nice to see sun, but I tend to prefer a decent blast of cold (bordering on snow!).
And get nice new books to read, DVDs to watch etc that YOU want. So being able to catch up on box sets you've missed, or an old tear-jerker movie, or just curled up enjoying the escape into your imagination or learning new stuff. And relaxing about cooking, and baking too, is a great opportunity. Especially if you are working normally and will cover part of the holidays as well.