Lovely, cosy 'cliched' European Christmas for Australians!

[SecretEscapesWannabe]

Sorry for long title.

This year, for the first time in 15 years my parents are coming to us for Christmas. They live in Australia,and are Jewish to boot, so Christmas is not a big thing for them, or indeed for me growing up. (obviously).

I ADORE Christmas, and want to go completely domestic-goddess mad this year.

I'd love some assistance and thoughts from people about Christmas themes and menus. Our dining room is painted dark red so I am thinking a red and gold theme with lots of fairy lights. Our kitchen is pale, so i wanted white and silver decorations.

For Christmas eve I wanted to have a christmas eve box for DS (aged 7)and adults with warm pjs, Christmas dvds (ideas welcome!) hot chocolate sachets and marshmallows and mulled wine for adults. We will be attending a church service early evening for carols etc. I am mulling over a Christmas eve menu- when we used to have my ILs over I would always do a ham, but that is clearly our of the question this year. I'd love some ideas.

Christmas day we are doing our usual;

smoked salmon, quails eggs and bread and butter
slow-roast goose with all trimmings
christmas pudding icecream with lots of brandy.

Boxing day we usually had leftover ham and cauliflower cheese so again I am looking for ideas. We usually go to the pub late afternoon with friends.

I'd love to know what family traditions you have, what meals etc for Christmas eve and Boxing day etc. We literally have no family traditions of our own (maybe we would do a Christmas day beach BBQ just for the fun of it, but Christmas was not a big thing what with being Jewish and all!) and I sort of absorbed my DH's family traditions which to be honest were relatively simple....a couple of meals and some fizz and that is it. I'm a total sucker for European snow and schmaltz at Christmas time!

My parents are thrilled to be joining us this year, and will really relish a European Christmas. So any ideas thoughts, just general sharing of excitement is very welcome. :)

Thanks!

(sorry for long post)

Where do you live OP? National Trust houses usually do something Christmassy.

With friends we once did a gingerbread house decorating competition - got cheap kits from IKEA and all manner of edible glittery stuff/silver balls/gel icing pens. We got someone to adjudicate via picture message, you could do the same maybe, particularly if you can get another family member to do it.

We have some lovely wintery walks around us, there's a mountain bike centre that also has walking trails and a great cosy café so we've done a Christmassy walk there and collected pine cones for decoration.

Food wise if you're having fish and goose on Christmas Day how about a chicken or beef pie on Christmas Eve or Boxing Day? You could also introduce your parents to the wonder of M&S Christmas party food and do a buffet. Or something simple like lovely fluffy jacket potatoes or lasagne after a walk?

We like to go to the pub on Christmas Day, just for one, because the atmosphere is always lovely.

Hmm, what else? Baking Christmas spiced biscuits? We like board games with a slowcooker full of mulled wine as refreshments too, plus the Christmas quiz that you can usually get in one of the broadsheets. Crackers (bonbons) are not a big deal in Oz so you could maybe get some fill your own ones to do with your parents?

You should watch "Arthur Christmas" on DVD, definitely. It has become my firm favourite christmas film ever! and also the remake of "Miracle on 34th Street" was a childhood favourite for me.

If you do want to go to a christmas eve church service, but don't fancy a late night, lots of Cathedrals do 2 or 3 services on Christmas Eve. Our Cathedral has a children's service at 3pm, where the service is all about the nativity story and then a 7pm candelit service that we go to and then they have the actual midnight mass in the smaller church next door but its still given by the Bishop. I love going to the Cathedral on Christmas Eve, the choral singing often moves me to tears. We've also been to the church service at the church where we got married and it was also lovely but obviously not as 'theatrical' as the Cathedral services.

National Trust places can be really lovely to visit Father Christmas or see an 'older' version of Christmas. One of our favourites is Moseley Old Hall in Staffordshire where they do a 17th century Christmas. Also good for a stretch of the legs to walk off all the food and blow away the cobwebs between boxing day and new years, as lots of the NT places have lovely park land.

Food and drink:
Bucks fizz for Christmas morning.
Hot chocolate with Baileys is bloody delicious.
Mincepies!

God i'm so looking forward to christmas!

Depending on how far before the day they come, you could go and pick a real tree together from the Christmas tree farm.

If you are in the Midlands, Chatsworth House always make a huge effort at Christmas decorations.

Don't forget to have a Game Pie and you'll need Blue Stilton and Port too!

Another Aussie here

Are you in a London? The winter market by the Thames near Waterloo is great, so is winter wonderland (during the week).

Definitely all the great Christmas lights that just don't have the same glow at home

I'm going home for Christmas this year, first time in 8 years and I'm looking forward to a hot Christmas!

Another good film is Polar Express or the Snowman. We're off to a ballet production of the Snowman at Sadlers Wells but there are no doubt other productions like that or the Nutcracker etc near you if that's your thing. Panto is obviously a complete British classic ( not European though) but definitely one to consider if they've not seen one before. Outside ice skating at somewhere like Hampton Court because it's gorgeous ( rather than a random shopping centre) and yy to anything National Trust which are usually pretty reliable and traditional ( although I did see a NT Father C once who was awful).

Yep to picking a tree too... we go to a little place near Dorking set in a nice village with a traditional pub with an open fire