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Christmas

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Original poster

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

79 replies

danceswithreindeers · 01/12/2006 08:14

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....

OP posts:
santasdoingtheironing · 03/12/2006 19:41

Okay heres our family tradition started last year

kids " Its not fair you and dad get to have a special breakfast and we dont (smoked salmon and bucks fizz)
me (stupidly) - okay you can have a special breakfast - what do you want??
kids - "doughnuts and icecream "
me - "okay"
and so they did - they are a bit older however 11x2 and 15
They still talk about Christamas breakfast and cant wait for this years - they have started to remind me already
( Santa now dons hard hat and awaits the arrival of MN food Police)

MeImAllSmiles · 03/12/2006 19:50

Loving the sound of the snow house, but how on earth would you make one, ideas please, please, please!

santasdoingtheironing · 03/12/2006 19:50

ha ha ha - have I managed to kill this thread[grin ] or are you too stunned to reply

janeite · 03/12/2006 20:26

We always used to have trifle for Boxing Day breakfast, Santasdoingtheironing - so I can't "police" your doughnuts at all! I think it's lovely that you listened to your children and let them create their own tradition.

McDreamy · 03/12/2006 20:28

I'm starting a tradition this year that I read in a magazine - first present of Christmas will be opened on Christmas Eve and it will be new pjamas just to get everything going. I'm so excited I've already got the Thomas the Tank and Barbie Pjamas wrapped and tucked away - and that's just for me and DH!!!

JackieNoHoHo · 03/12/2006 20:32

Googline 'snow house' brings up not a huge amount, but found this:

'...many of my toys at Christmas were home made or second hand, toys for a war baby and one growing up in the post-war years. I remember a snow-house, just a box covered with cotton wool, with tiny cheap gifts hidden inside.'

MeImAllSmiles · 03/12/2006 20:36

How would you make the rooms though?

JackieNoHoHo · 03/12/2006 20:36

googling, even.

KBear · 03/12/2006 20:47

My children have a christmas tree each in their bedrooms, just a small one (DD's is pink and silver, DS's is green and red). We've been decorating them tonight and DS (5) said to me "Mum this is so good, you're such a good Mum". "Why's that" I said, all choked up". "Cos you let us do things and have good christmas trees". Sob.

That is what Christmas is all about - making time for your children, that's all they really need isn't it. That is what I remember and hopefully what my children will remember...(emotional Kbear!)

Our traditions include making mince pies on Christmas Eve singing our heads off to Christmas songs and carols. We settle down and watch The Snowman in the afternoon and I make sure the Baileys hasn't gone off . We do the usual treats for Santa and write him a note (which he always replies to). We read The Night before Christmas before the kids snuggle down in their new PJ's.

hollyhobbie · 03/12/2006 21:57

Smithagain- I love the idea of a new decoration for the DCs each year. Going to adopt your idea in this household too.

orangecake · 03/12/2006 23:02

new pyjamas all round for the children on Christmas Eve night, we always do this.

On boxing day, we give books so that the excitment continues

fortyplus · 04/12/2006 09:40

I think my Mum's snow house was wooden - an old tea crate or something - like removal men used to use if you're old enough to remember! So the rooms would be just like in a doll's house.
Ours is much simpler - my Dad made it with the children when they were 3 or 4. It's made of 2 cardboard boxes - one of them cut across to make a triangular shape for the roof and stuck on top of the other one. Another little box made into a chimney.
Then the whole thing was painted white before cutting out doors & windows, painting on roof tiles - plant growing up the side wall etc etc. Then lots of cotton wool and glitter on the roof.
The presents are wrapped and the children just reach inside through the door to get each one.

fortyplus · 04/12/2006 09:44

Another thing we do...
The children's presents from Santa have a Santa shaped tree decoration instead of a tag. I write on them with a gold paint pen 'To (Child) Christmas 2006 Love from Santa xx'
So when they get the tree decs out they always love to look at the decoration Santa gave them each year.

MeImAllSmiles · 04/12/2006 13:40

fortyplus, thanks for the snow house idea, will have to get cracking. Absolutely love your santa tag idea, hope you don't mind but I'm just going to have to borrow that one!

fortyplus · 04/12/2006 14:13

You can borrow it with pleasure

fairyjay · 04/12/2006 15:00

When my children were still 'believers', we used different paper and tags to wrap their presents, and as they got older (and sharper!), got someone at work to write the tags, so that they didn't recognise the writing.

We used to put little messages from Santa like 'This is for being so brave at the Dentist', or 'You've done really well at maths this term'.

We also wrapped two or three potatoes in foil for each child, with a message from Santa saying 'This was going to be another present, but you kicked your sister' etc. How cruel was that!
Worked really well though, and the children always talk about it.

Christmas really is a magical time .

jabberwocky · 05/12/2006 08:19

dances, finally remembered to get this for you :

Children's Gingerbread House

Use your imagination and a variety of candies to make doors, windows, pathways, and a garden. Note, this gingerbread house takes 2 to 3 days to complete. You can buy a variety of candies for decoration."
INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup butter
7/8 cup packed light brown
sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup molasses
2 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground allspice

6 egg whites
4 (16 ounce) packages
confectioners' sugar, sifted

DIRECTIONS:

  1. First cut out in thin cardboard: a side wall, 4 1/2 x 8 inches; an end wall, 4 1/2x5 inches; a triangular gable, 4 1/2x3x3 inches; and a roof rectangle, 4 1/2x9 inches. Tape the rectangular end wall piece to the triangular gable piece: match the long side of the triangle, 4 1/2 inches, to one of the 4 1/2 inch sides of the end wall.
  2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and molasses. Gradually beat in 2 eggs. Sift the flour, baking powder, and spices together; stir into creamed mixture. Wrap dough in parchment paper, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  3. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 6 portions, 2 slightly larger than the others. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the 4 smaller pieces to approximately the size of the side wall and the end wall with gable templates; cut out two of each. Roll out remaining dough, and cut into two rectangular roof pieces. Transfer gingerbread onto greased baking trays.
  4. In a preheated 375 degree F (190 degrees C) oven, bake gingerbread for 10 minutes, or until crisp. When removing from the oven, leave the gingerbread on the baking trays for a few minutes to set, then transfer to wire racks. Leave out overnight to harden.
  5. In a large bowl, lightly whisk 2 egg whites. Gradually beat in approximately 5 cups confectioners' sugar. The icing should be smooth and stand in firm peaks. Spread or pipe a 9 inch line of icing onto a cake board, and press in one of the side walls so that it sticks firmly and stands upright. If necessary, spread or pipe a little extra icing along either side to help support it. Take an end wall and ice both the side edges. Spread or pipe a line of icing on the board at a right angle to the first wall, and press the end wall into position. Repeat this process with the other two walls until they are all in position. Leave the walls to harden together for at least two hours before putting on the roof. Spread or pipe a thick layer of icing on top of all the walls, and fix the roof pieces in position; the roof should overlap the walls to make the eaves. Pipe or spread a little icing along the crest of the roof to hold the two pieces firmly together. Leave overnight to set firmly.
  6. When ready to decorate, make the remaining icing. In a large bowl, lightly whisk 4 egg whites, and mix in remaining confectioners' sugar as before. Use this to make snow on the roof, and to stick various candies for decoration. Finish with a fine dusting of sifted confectioners' sugar.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2005 Allrecipes.com Printed from Allrecipes.com 12/5/2006

You may wind up doing some trimming after baking to get the sides equal, etc. A little extra frosting stuck in helps too! Anyway, we had a lot of fun making it, even if mine did turn out a bit lopsides

jabberwocky · 05/12/2006 08:20

Oh, and frosted mini-wheats cereal makes a great thatched roof!

noogles · 05/12/2006 09:36

Xmas eve day - I work and dp spends day with ds wrapping my pressies, watching xmassy films and eating lots of things I shouldnt know about! . I come home and we have dinner (takeaway or whatever we can rustle up).Have a lovely bath and put pj,s on. Leave Father Christmas his cookies and milk,and sometimes a lindor

Xmas day - Everyone is woke up at 7am (we live with my mum,brother 12yrs and sister 14yrs) so is quite hectic. Open pressies.Get dressed in casual but dressie. Go to nans and do pressies there and have a nice xmas drink.Come home have dinner and open one present that we have saved. Then just sit and relax and play with ds and toys. Maybe have guests in evening.

Issymum · 05/12/2006 17:10

My mother always makes us two Christmas puddings, using her Auntie Elizabeth's recipe, the one we had in all the Christmas's of my childhood. This year my mother came to my house with all the ingredients to make the Christmas puddings. In our cosy kitchen, on a cold, dark afternoon, the DDs (4 and 5) stood on chairs at the kitchen table, each with a big spoon, an apron and the mixing bowls that Auntie Elizabeth had used and, guided by my mother and helped by me, weighed and mixed the ingredients to make the puddings to her recipe. At the end we each stirred five pences into the puddings and made a secret wish. It was low-key, unexpectedly lovely and we'll definitely do it again. I'm not hugely enthusiastic about Christmas and this is probably going to be the best thing about it.

And before anybody gets carried away with inappropriately 1950s Cath Kidston images, my mother's 'Auntie Elizabeth' was not an auntie at all but my Grandmother's lesbian partner and my DDs are adopted from Asia which undoubtedly had the said auntie whirring furiously in her grave!

jabberwocky · 06/12/2006 04:21

I love it! Could you post the recipe?

BudaBauble · 06/12/2006 05:48

We do the new PJ's too. May even get DH some this year! (McDreamy - where can I get DH sized Barbie ones please??

Dad usually does lasagne on Xmas Eve but am trying to persuade everyone to a take away this year as Dad cooks Xmas dinner too and ends up stressed by then.

"Make" gingerbread cookies (Ikea ready roll) and decorate with DS and niece and nephews.

Champagne for me is a tradition - I'm the only one who likes it!

Love the idea of no TV but will be at my parents and Mum is a soap addict.

Xmas movie and book for DS.

2000milestoeidsvold · 06/12/2006 05:58

night before christmas read to dds on christmas eve...... this year have the aussie night before christmas ready to read.

then they go off to bed - I put up the tree ready for them to come down and check out the tree - christmas morning, dh assembles toys.

Last year we went to Aunt's christmas eve and had a fab dinner with two very spoilt little girls who refused to go to sleep before we went home ( around midnight sometime.)

they do have new pjs but they get them on christmas day.

Always go to carols by candlelight - week before or so.

go and visit friends who live in a street that does lights - so we go for a drive to see them one night.

bucks fizz and salmon and scrambled eggs for breakfast..... no smoked salmon for me this year - perhaps a small bucks fizz......

McDreamy · 06/12/2006 06:02

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danceswithreindeer · 09/12/2006 13:11

Jabberwocky - THANK YOU! I only just saw your recipe on here! I can't wait to make the gingerbread house this year. Last year we were at my mum's house and near to them is an old fashioned sweet shop with rows of huge jars behind the counter that you can choose from so we got a fantastic range of sweets Not sure where we'll get them from this year.

I love the snow house idea too, these traditions just make me feel warm on the inside

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