Once D's is asleep, DH and I have a festive shag under the tree, with only the tree lights on. Pre-presents.
No idea if my parents did it!
DH's family hand out presents and open them one by one, clapping as each is opened. We definitely don't do that!
We do stockings, have avtree, open presents mid-morning. My Christmases were fairly ordinary - magical, but ordinary. They stopped when I was around 13 as dsis and I weren't children anymore, from then on there were no tree, no decs, handful of cards, no festive good bar the roast with cranberry sauce (December used to be packed with in-shell walnuts, chocolate matchsticks, Turkish delight, huge jars of pickled onions etc). Bam, it all stopped. The mother hates Christmas and had always put a front on for us kids. Looking back at childhood pictures now they all seem so hollow.
Anyoldhoo... Christmas now is relaxed and welcoming. Lots of Christmas music, dvds out, Christmas books and stories, old decs on the tree, a new dec every year from one of our holidays.
We don't do Xmas bedding, EOTS, Xmas Eve box/Dec 1st box,. We're in Spain so the Xmas season lasts until 6th January and DC go back up school around 7/8th. Plenty of time to invite friends over to play with new toys, or meet in the park/beach with new toys, blow off steam if we've been indoors too much.
DS always makes the centrepiece for the Christmas table. He's 7.5yo so it's mostly been cardboard looroll reindeer, tissue paper Holly and berries, that sort of thing. Very cute and he loves doing it. Xmas day breakfast is always gingerbread man shaped pancakes with coffee and juice.
We have a fog, so our day goes something like this:
Stockings opened on the bed.
DH pops out with the dog.
I make breakfast.
Open presents.
Play with presents.
Healthy, simple lunch (homemade soup, bread, fruit).
Big walk with dog - last year went to the beach, DS and DH both swam! Loons! So that might be a new tradition.
Home to relax and play more.
Make Christmas dinner to eat around 6-7.
I walk dog one last time.
Relax with TV/new dvds, have dessert if we're not too stuffed.
We see family 23rd or 27th. Boxing day is big here, we host friends or they host us.
Needless to say we have a Caga Tio (shitting log) as we're in Catalunya 