Having Christmas Day on 24 December

[ImogenTubbs]

Spending Christmas with the in-laws this year. BIL, SIL and DN are also staying but leaving on Christmas Day morning. Because of this, PILs have said we are holding Christmas Day on Christmas Eve instead. DD and DN will have stockings, there will be full Christmas lunch, presents, etc. They want their grandchildren to enjoy spending Christmas together (even though they won't be).

On actual Christmas Day we will have leftovers and watch films.

I am finding this really weird! Does anyone else do this??

Yes. Couldn't care less what actual day. We do a Christmas 'thing' on the day my daughter and co can come, because they always spend Christmas actual day with her DPs parents, because for them it matters. For me it doesn't. Can't understand why any of this would ever bother anyone. You do understand it's all human made up shit, right?

I do xmas dinner on Xmas eve. Leaves xmas day to relax and enjoy.

What? You mean Santa isn't real???

we have Christmas with grandparents the weekend before Christmas.

Christmas Eve is still Christmas. We always do something - breakfast with friends, then panto or rugby match. On Christmas day there is just the two of us. I do lasange so I have time to spend with my son, watch movies, play with the pressies.

We do Christmas dinner on Boxing day.

We have a lovely time. Its still Christmas

I've done Christmas on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. It makes exactly zero difference, given that it is a wholly human construct.

It is a bit odd... Why are your in laws leaving on Christmas morning?

Iamagreyhound - they are leaving to go and spend the rest of Christmas Day with SiL's family, which is totally fine (I wonder how they'll cope with full-on roast dinners on consecutive days).

I accept it's just me being precious and I will go along with it wholeheartedly (it's all about the kids, after all), I just will find it odd on Christmas Day when all the excitement will be over for us but not the rest of the Christmas-practicing world. DH said - just pretend we're celebrating New Zealand time!

And of course it's just a human construct, but aren't most things people care about? Like, I dunno, marriage? Jobs? Possessions? Cars? All manner of rituals we follow in our day to day lives?

Yes we have done this when DH has had to work on Christmas Day.

Oh and this year we will have a big Christmas style day a week before Christmas as a big part of our family will be abroad for the actual thing this year.

wonder how they'll cope with full-on roast dinners on consecutive days

Child of divorce here so always had one Christmas on Christmas Eve, one on Christmas Day. It was fantastic, and having two Christmas dinners in a row was by far the best bit. Could have gone for another on Boxing Day!

My sister last year actually managed two dinners in one day last year in an effort to keep both our DPs and her in PIL happy. That would be a bit much I'd say.

Orichietti - sounds like the Vicar of Dibley!

We did it on Boxing Day last year !! Made the excitement last longer x

Onalong you are obviously a troll with your rubbish talk. .

We have another Christmas on Epiphany. It's Ok though/ Father Christmas may be asleep by then but The Christ Child is 12 days old, so he takes over!

Imogen bugger - I now have the biggest need to watch that again!!! There go my lunch plans...

Re your OP I actually think you're not at all strange to find it weird - I'm just lucky in that me and my DH both grew up doing all sorts of odd Christmas Eve/day/Boxing Day arrangements so are quite flexible. Also Christmas Eve is a far bigger celebration in lots of Europe so we work that in! If I were you I'd be v tempted to have a big Christmas Eve with presents and all the normal things but reserve some things for Christmas Day itself so that you don't get sad that it feels over too soon - special breakfasts, making another batch of mince pies up, maybe reserve some stocking gifts?

Actually not nearly everyone celebrates the main bit of christmas on christmas day, I know in many places in Europe, Christmas Eve is the main event (i.e. big dinner, presents, etc).

Eg. in Iceland (where I'm from) we say that christmas arrives at 6 pm on the 24th. That's when people will generally sit down for their main meal (eg turkey dinner), although some people will be at church at this time. Then presents after dinner and then maybe desert. Christmas day people will chill out or go to family members for a party (eg my dad's family has a big get together - think like min 40-50 people) and eat their body weight in food 😉😝😂

So just maybe think about it as European style 😉

I am finding this really weird! Does anyone else do this??

About half of Europe, and quite a few don't do it until January.

Orecchiette and Sashh - that's a good point about most of Europe not celebrating on 25th. We actually live on mainland Europe now (moved away from U.K. last year), so I just need to tell myself I'm embracing my new European lifestyle! Actually here the big day is 5th January. Good idea about saving a few things for the 25th though. We can have the best of both worlds.

Yep, you're a double Christmas celebrating cosmopolitan continental, OP!! I'm genuinely a little bit jealous! I might try to convince DH that I really want to embrace our non-UK European roots and celebrate both... Not sure I'll get away with it though if the only impetus is me wanting more Christmas.

Just read you last post properly, OP - you can have THREE Christmases!!!!! I say go all out for all three. Can me and DH come?

My friend's dad when I was growing up was the vicar - they had stockings on Christmas Day, then went and did lots of duty things including endless church services and Christmas lunch at the church for the elderly.

Then they had the rest of the presents on Boxing day, plus family meal, as it was in the Dark Ages I assume they found a film to watch or played family board games etc.

I liked that idea as it split it up. If we have family coming later than Christmas Day we save their presents for then (sometimes we post them to them but usually we keep theirs, they keep ours, and we all open another small round of presents).

I used to have Christmas Day on Christmas Eve with my ex, as ex-MIL worked Christmas Day. Then we'd have Christmas Day with my family. I have to say, all the food got a bit much two days on the trot!

orecchietti - yes, I'm sure you can. MIL is very hospitable, as long as you turn up with a bottle of Baileys

Be thankful for your DSIL that she is not so close, and timings are not such, that she's expected to eat turkey lunch in one house and turkey dinner in the other house ALL ON THE SAME DAY!!!!

(I am thankful that there are some elegant clothes available for winter that are very very stretchy!! We are staying at home, in our own house, this year, a couple of hours away from that madness!).