How can I make Christmas fun?!

[daffodilrosedaisy]

This year, my twin will be abroad for Christmas. It will be me (23), my Mum (late 50’s), Dad (65), Aunt (68) and Granny (90). My Grandpa passed away 2 years ago and was the jolly one who really added the Christmas spirit to the day. My Aunt and Granny aren’t massively chatty/jolly people.

We always do the same thing every single year and I know this year is just going to be the same old. We’ll just miss the two people who aren’t there, sit around and be bored. I’m single so no partner/new person to add excitement/make it different, and no young kids in the family. The other half of the family do their own thing and we can’t think of anyone else to invite. Aunt & Granny don’t like too much change either (e.g inviting homeless or elderly person for lunch wouldn’t be an option as they wouldn’t want to).

I want make it fun for everyone and a bit different this year, but finding it really difficult to think of anything. Any suggestions?!

What do you normally do? I think the key is to tweak things a little bit here and there

Get everyone pissed.

Play games, we usually buy a new game for the festive period. Something silly like dobble so there's not much brain power involved. Or something more high brow l, or a quiz type game?

Day is normally:

Get up, have a cuppa, one of us will walk the dog, we’ll lay the table etc., start cooking. Around 10 my Aunt and Granny arrive. We might make a cuppa and chat whilst doing the cooking, maybe open some cards/presents (sometimes do this before and sometimes after lunch), then have lunch around 1. After that we’ll sit in the lounge and exchange presents if we haven’t already, maybe watch a film, do a Christmas quiz some years (though as there’s so few of us this year may not), maybe a board game etc., few little bits (leftovers mainly) for tea, they go home around 7. It’s usually a day of milling around, Mum’s on the wine from about 11 to try and make it more fun for her (she finds them a bit annoying sometimes). They only really talk about things like what they bought at the supermarket, deals on at Aldi, going to a local cafe etc so conversation’s usually a bit basic and dull. Hope this helps!

Go to a candlelit carol service on Christmas Eve. Then have dinner by candlelight and watch a classic film together.

Play some silly games. You know your family best so pick ones they might like. We do our own versions of games like Would I Lie To You or Call My Bluff (making up definitions of rare words and guessing which is a true one.) Sometimes we play Charades or race wind up penguins etc.

Have bucks fizz at breakfast on Christmas Day.

Go for a Christmas day walk somewhere pretty - we go to a local lake and feed white doves or to a stunning landscaped garden.

At one meal go round the table and everyone remembers the best things of each year - the highlights or silliest parts and then say what they are looking frward to next year. That sounds really forced but it;s always brought us some really happy memories and gret discussions for the year ahead.

You could also have an open house for a few hours and invite neighbours to drop in for minced pies and mulled wine. That breaks up the feeling of being cooped together.

Thanks @DonPablo, but none of them really drink, it’s not really that kind of setting if that makes sense, Mum will have some wine and the others might have a glass of sparkling wine throughout the day but it’s not really a vibe like that! 😔

@milliefiori Thanks so much some really good suggestions, we’d love to walk somewhere but can’t and my Gran is really old and my Aunt is a bit disabled when it comes to walking. Otherwise something we would deffo do :( but love your other suggestions, thank you!

It sounds like your aunt and grandma are happy with the current arrangements.

How do your parents feel about it?

If you’re the one that’s bored it’s ok to not spend Christmas Day with the family. Pick up a shift at work or volunteer for the day (but sign up soon if you want to volunteer as Xmas is a popular day for it).

How about this:

They arrive at 10, you all eat a nice brunch together
12pm Go out all together with the dog to a scenic spot for a nice walk
2pm home for mince pies and mulled wine/ coffee while you start the cooking
Once everything is in, open some presents and do your Christmas quiz
5pm dinner
7pm they go home, you and your parents can probably relax a bit more, play games or watch a film

Sorry I just saw that you can't go for a walk. Could you go somewhere else just to get out of the house for a bit?

I’d definitely go to Church on Christmas Eve.
Decent film no one has seen. I’d suggest the Downton movie if on DVD by then, or something similar.
Play a game - charades or a name game?
Have plenty of alcohol even if they don’t and go for an afternoon nap.

Just an idea. Would aunty and granny mind ig they could be wrapped up and have a flask and some mince pies somewhere pretty whilst you 3 walk the dog?

Call the whole thing off and go to Hawaii! That’s what DH and I normally do!

It sounds like you need to arm yourself with some topics of conversation to spice up the aldi deals discussion.

Thanks everyone! No it’s not just me that’s bored at all! My Mum, Dad and even my Aunt said it would be nice to make things a little bit different this year. Really appreciate your suggestions, I really like the idea of a brunch, maybe 2 proper meals would help to eek things out a bit! As my Mum does find it a bit of a drag I wouldn’t want to go off and do my own thing as then I’d be leaving her, plus whilst it isn’t the most fun day I want to be there for my Granny and Aunt. Re. Topics of discussion... it’s the same issue I have every single time I see them! Thanks so much everyone 😊

Have you enough space for a jigsaw table? I have one left over from Christmas at my Dads house that is still on the go waiting for me this weekend. At times, we are all gathered around it and it's nice.

Family jigsaws a big hit here. I've started my yearly trawl of eBay looking for ones....

Another great idea!! Thanks

Maybe change the normal Christmas quiz for a music quiz - play the intro of some songs and have to guess the year - but play some from key moments in your lives to prompt some happy memories/anecdotes.

Family skype with your twin/other friends and family?

Bad Santa!
Everyone brings a wrapped present from home or a charity shop. And somehow you end up snatching someone else’s presents. Look up the rules and circulate beforehand. It’s the highlight of our christmas. We’ve had half packs of biscuits, a book that was given from one party to another and now reappears every year, a rather lovely charity shop jumper etc. It’s a hoot.

If they struggle to walk, can you drive somewhere pretty after lunch and just go and chill for a bit. We usually walk every year after lunch but one year dsis broke her leg, so we drove to the local park which has a beautiful lake. We took the dogs, we all wrapped up, took a couple of thermos fulls of tea and one thermos with mulled wine. Couple of blankets and we had a really nice winter picnic and a slow walk around the lake. Dsis just sat on a bench and we all took turns to sit with her. It’s was really nice a a good way to kill a couple of hours

I think games may be the way to go, how about charades, articulate, or maybe the game left centre right for a bit of gambling fun!

@daffodilrosedaisy - on walks, we usually go to National Trust properties where there are free wheelchairs - pushalong or motorised self-operated ones. And often mini trains too. We have two wheelchair bound older relatives and one who has to walk snail's pace with a stick, but it's still worth getting out, even for a very gentle stroll. Some places have special Christmas Decs up or light up the gardens at dusk. Doesn't have to be a hearty hike. One Christmas when the kids were small there was heavy snow and we took them sledging around Fountains Abbey. That was magical.

We always make sure we have an elderly-friendly set of films or box-sets lined up. Anything Jane Austen is usually welcome. Or Dickens. Or one of the classic musicals (On The Town, Kiss Me Kate etc). They loved Bright Star one year (about Keats' love affair with Fanny Brawn.)

I've had a few Christmas days like this, when I was around your age OP. It's hard work and I was always itching to get to the pub and see my mates!

Go out for lunch? Save your mum the hassle of cooking?

Have your meal at dinner time instead of lunch then the able bodied people can go for a long morning walk - just shift the day later.

Ask everyone to bring/prep something for the meal? And do something a bit different.

Think what you and your Mum would enjoy and not just try to please other family members? If you're hosting I think it's okay to set the tone of the day to what works best for you and not just pander to others.