Ok, we're allowed to be christmassy now - please tell me some more lovely traditions!

[danceswithreindeers]

Resurrecting this threadhere
but I didn't want the title again!
Here's a new (hopefully going to turn into a tradition) for us - dd asked if she can make a gingerbread man for father christmas and we're going to ice on a beard etc

Come on, please cheer me up I've been a miserable cow all week....

When my mum was a little girl her family had a 'snow house'. A house made out of an old box painted white with cotton wool on the roof. Inside the rooms were small gifts for everyone - it was war time and no one had heaps of presents like they do today.
Anyhow, we thought this was such a lovely idea that we made our own snow house. Each year the children choose & wrap a small present for everyone. Then on Boxing Day afternoon we all get together at my Mum's house and the children give out the gifts from the Snow House.

Our tradition, from when the children couldn't read, is that FC labels the stockings with a gingerbread boy for ds and a gingerbread girl for dd. Which they then have for breakfast on Xmas day.

Someone will be on in a minute telling you it should be a boy and a girl hand carved from a raw carrot - fancy letting children have gingerbread for breakfast once a year!

We have all the neighbors, family and friends and family around for a drinks party on christmas eve. I love the house being full of warmth and people.

traditions hmmmm ok. well as you know we have the open a pressie on xmas eve. the kids always do this after their baths and they always have new pj's to wear to bed. i think there is nothing better than getting into a nice clean bed after a bath with new jim jams on. also do the mince pie/glass of milk for santa and carrot for rudolf thing. dont really have any other traditions really other than eat loads of chocolate and xmas pud and loads of xmas dinner.

always leave stuff out for Santa, mince pie, little drinky and a carrot for rudolph.
Xmas morning we always have smoked salmon and scrambled eggs on toast for brekkie and I love it.

Something we started last year that was so good we decided we had to do it every year. DD (then 2.10) and I made a gingerbread house that we all decorated on Christmas Eve. This year we are taking it N Ireland as we are at my parents - even more help with decoration

always we leave out a mince pie and milk for santa and carrots for the reindeers. we alos try to send a letter to santa up the chimney, quite hard to do but we manage it

also we have bucks fizz on christmas morning

Between Chrstmas and new Year we always go for a day by the sea ( approx. 1.5hrs away) - its a lovely change, gets everyone out for some exercise and blows a few cobwebs away (and lets face it theres usually a few by then!).

Sometimes we go for the whole naff seaside thing -amusement arcades, fish and chips in a little cafe etc. Great fun though

In fact I really envy people who live by the coast and go for a walk by the sea on Christmas Day.

great, i need a thread like this! was just thinking i might have peaked too early this year

we're definitely all going to go for a walk in the forest, after presents, before lunch.

will be watching National Lampoon's xmas vacation and this year hope to watch Polar Express on xmas eve after hearing other MNers rave about it.

ooh, i'm beginning to get excited again

We listen to DH's ancestral LP of Captain Beaky while clearing breakfast / making lunch...

Every christmas eve, wrap last of presents in front of 'Carols from Kings' (BBC2 usually).
As children, my sis and I used to get a bottle of lovely bubble bath in our stockings. we would use it up, but save just enough for one bath, which we would then use the following Christmas eve (DD1 now does the same!) Always new Jammies and then carols around the tree before bed. Put out cookies and milk for santa ( I used to put out sherry and a mince pie when I was little, but I think Santa likes cookies better!)

Nearly forgot!!!!
Always read same battered old copy of 'Twas the night before christmas' even though many of the pages are torn/missing, we all have it memorised anyway! Saw a beautiful new version in the USA a couple of weeks ago, but resisted temptation - I couldn't imagine replacing our lovely old book.

We (DH and I) have decided tha tthis year we are all going out for a walk on the beach on christmas Eve. When we get back, i shall have a nice soak in the bath with a bottle of wine and a few Christmassy magazines. While i'm doing this DH will be playing with the DS. Then we shall settle down to watch Polar Express or similar.
We have also decided that the TV is not going on until after 6pm on Chrismtas Day. Its a habit that it's on, and we have some really good christmas CDs we intend to play, plus will get the chance to play games with the DS. MIL won't like it one little bit though, especially if any of the soaps are on during the day.
We always do the glass of milk and carrot for FC, and the boys watch the track sants website for five minutes before going to bed

Last year when ds was 2.4 we made a gingerbread house. I never expected him to remember it this year, but he saw a picture of one and said "Can we make one again this year mommy?"

A new tradition begins...

Like the idea of no TV during the day, but don't know if my constitution would hold out against the army of philistines that is my family. Classic FM is lovely to listen to at Christmas, they play requests all Christmas day, and it helps to soothe the beast as dinner is prepared. Keeps the mood nice and christmassy.

I love this thread - some fab ideas.

When I was little we used to listen to Dylan Thomas reading 'A Child's Christmas in Wales' in the early evening of Christmas Day, after all the presents were open, and things had gone a bit quiet - have tried it with the DCs, but they haven't really got a long enough concentration span. Will try again though, as I love it.

Xmas eve....

During the day, off to the coast for a walk and to throw some stones in the water for mum (her ashes are scattered on the beach in scotland so its as close as i can get)

Back home to dads for last minute wrapping and family time

Xmas eve night, chinese takeaway with brother and SIL at dads and then games until midnight service

To bed

Xmas day

Stockings opened once awake
Washed and dressed
Breakfast - scrambled eggs and smoked salmon or bacon croissants
Church
Main prezzies opened
Lunch
RELAX

boxing day

brother and SIL over for buffet lunch
games and giggles all afternoon

Oh yes! Dylan Thomas! I had that on tape and DD1 and I listened to it loads when she was little! We listened to it in the car though, and she seemed to enjoy it (you need to trap them, initially.)

Advent wreath made of fresh evergreen branches, which I tie up with red silk ribbon. There's a great fat red candle for each sunday of Advent. I love doing this & it puts me (sort of!) Xmas mood. No other decorations or carols yet, though. Way too soon.

Also, soaking fruit in booze for cake, buying Xmas issue of GH (not so good this year -- boring, in fact) & digging out address book for card writing & sending. My least favourite part.

Good thought, about trapping them, HoHoHorsewoman (and fellow HoHo-er). I have it on tape (recorded from my parents' record - if it still works) but just looked on Amazon, and they have it on CD too.

Swimming on Xmas Day. Very lucky on this one as if we are at home we go to local (heated) open air pool or if we are at IL's go surfing.

posted near start of thread. have remebered another tradition we always wrap pressies with xmas cd on and the xmas lights on. xmas day we put the cd on while opening presents

Just had to bump this thread. After reading this I really got in the Christmas mood even though it was started in October

Christmas eve traditions