Your Christmas family traditions?

[AlwaysColdHands]

For various reasons we won’t be spending Christmas Day with wider family this year, so for the first time it’s up to myself and DP to make it all really Christmassy for DDs (age 5 and 8 months). It’ll just be the 4 of us (+ dog) on Christmas Day.
Neither of us grew up in homes where Christmas was made particularly special/ exciting and so we need to start making our own family Christmas traditions.
What are the kinds of things you do to make it more magical for the children in your family? Or, what are your lovely memories of Christmas Day traditions/ activities when you were younger? Please inspire me!! 🙏

Day starts with excited kids collecting the stockings from the top of the stairs. These are opened on our bed- we all have one. Then breakfast- whatever we fancy. DH prefers bacon sandwiches, I prefer pastries. Get dressed.

Then we do presents. Pause if the kids fancy trying out a new toy.

Light BbQ around 2pm. Eat food throughout afternoon while playing bwith presents.

Snuggle up for a film at some point.

Just general relaxing really, esp if DH isn't on call. If he's on call he will pop out to check on things and take chocolates or mince pies to those on sentry duty.

Ooh I like the idea of a ‘whatever you fancy’ breakfast 😊 thanks!

DD has the stocking at the end of her bed for the first time last year and was GOBSMACKED that Santa had actually been and put REAL presents in it 😂😂 so we will definitely creep in and do that again!!

christmas eve i read our children nativity by jane ray its a beautiful version .If we can we go to late night mass.I place the gifts under the tree after mass.On christmas eve we eat takeout so the kitchen is spotless for the day of cooking.

for stockings we tell our daughter this if she is good of course father christmas will leave presents in her stocking but if your bad he will swap one every time you have been very bad for coal.In other words put the same presents but place a wrapped piece of coal inside if they have been particularly naughty.

for my other half and i we do the sock swap.We give each other the others stocking and anything small we want to give each other we place in each others stocking.We place each others big gifts under the tree

Unwrapping stocking before breakfast and the big gifts from family under the tree after breakfast.

I make a buffet breakfast of favorite foods and drinks and let people decide what they want.pancakes or french toast,bacon,sausages,beans,mushrooms,bagels,salmon,eggs ,hashbrowns.

We then cuddle with duvets and watch christmas stuff after presents

Then until christmas dinner its eat what you feel day the one day i dont care if they load up on chocolate.

Christmas Eve, new PJs, "party" food, a game or something on TV.

Christmas morning, stockings opened first, main presents, laze around for a while eating sweets, an Irish breakfast and then the rest of the day is really just enjoying each other's company, eating, drinking, playing with new gadgets etc.

We don't do anything fancy, we just do what we have always done and it works, it has always worked, my family are MASSIVE Christmas lovers. We buy too much of everything, we spend too much on each other but it means the world to us because it's how my mum did it for us growing up and now my siblings do it for their kids, just passing the experience on.

In the evening it's more of the same really, snacking, drinking, playing a game or watching a film.

We do a xmas stocking too that they bring into our room and open on our bed. We try something fun each year that chnages but gets the kids really excited aout seeing their presents. Last year we did chocolate coins leading down the stairs to their piles of presents, the year before we wrapped the door in wrapping paper so they had to burst through it to get to the presents. This year I am thinking of sprinking "snow" on the floor and making footprints that look like Santa has been.
Unwrap presents.
Breakfast is sausage butties for adults and cereal that isn't usually allowed for kids.
Play with toys, xmas dinner, play with toys and xmas film.
Prosecco for adults whilst children go to bed early after an overwhelming day.
Boxing day is at my parents house with more presents and also overwhelming and busy!

When we are at home our routine is much like the ones above. Lots of time at home to eat and play with new toys.

We also go to church for a very short Christmas day service in the morning. It's lovely, everyone saying merry Christmas to everyone else, a couple of carols, a ten minute message aimed mostly at the kids then home again.

When we got to DMIL for Christmas, we always go for a Christmas day walk along the beach which I love to do.

I think a tradition that gets you out of the house for an hour is a good idea. It breaks up the day and stops the kids getting fed up of one another.

I need to start my own traditions this year too!
As a child we had our stockings in the morning and then opened our ‘under the tree’ presents after lunch. Kept the excitement going for longer. My mum also held back three presents each for Boxing Day which made that a special day too but I know mumsnet gets upset about multiple present days!

All 3 dcs come into our room and sit on the bed to open their stockings. This year they are all home and 29, 25 and 17!
We always watch Carols from Kings on Christmas Eve with champagne and nice nibbles.
We open the tree presents one by one in turn so we can all enjoy seeing the gift and it takes longer.

I think people spend a lot of time stressing about the food, when it’s not really the food that makes it magical for the kids and brings the memories.

Like a previous poster we’ve done fake snowy footprints and big wet woolly red socks on the radiator. Always leave Santa and Rudolph a snack and a drink.

We try to do something fun; one year we had a real blast with that Pie Face game. Even grumpy old FiL joined in, kids laughed so much. Another year I bought some of those tuned hand bells. Everyone had a couple each and the kids took it in turns to conduct us in Christmas songs. Again was very funny. Every year we play lots of games, play charades, have a Twister tournament, that sort of thing.

Christmas Eve early tea at pub with friends , home to out on our Christmas pjs then we open Christmas Eve box. Put out a gin and tonic for Father Christmas , carrot for Rudolph and sprinkle reindeer food outside. Next morning all 4 children pile onto our bed to open stockings and then go downstairs and wait for in-laws so we can do presents under the tree. In laws go home then come back later with all my family for a big lunch. Evening we have a buffet and games and Boxing Day we have a brunch for any family who have stayed over then in-laws for Boxing Day tea. We all love it and are already getting excited.

Mince pie and sherry for Father Christmas and carrot for the reindeer on Christmas Eve (be sure to leave the end with tooth marks in to be found on Christmas day).

Silly dance down the stairs Christmas morning.

Extra present each on Boxing Day after lunch.

Growing up our christmas started with me and my dad going out to find the perfect tree. As we lived in a city this meant trying out two or three places and looking back I realise how patient he was! Then he put it up and I was in charge of decorating it once I was 11 or 12. I guess my two sisters weren't that bothered with that part. My dad has been dead over ten years but it's that part he and I did just the two of us that really is a special memory.
For my family we would go to a tree farm and cut one down. My husband has now passed away too (when my kids were 4 and 6) and where we moved there wasn't a tree farm but we make a big deal of going out to find the perfect tree as a family even now they are teens. We do it first weekend of December and that starts the season for us.

One of my favourite traditions that my parents did with me and now I'm doing with my own kids is when I was in the bath before bed on xmas eve my dad would go into the garden and stand directly underneath the bathroom window and ring some bells and I honestly believe I was hearing Santa fly over my house. It was so magical! My kids now live this too

I love Christmas!

We play games and take the dogs for a big walk Christmas eve. Once home everyone has a special bubble bath and puts new pjs on. We then watch a christmas film eating popcorn and whatever we fancy. We have chip shop food at lunch time. During the morning and afternoon we bake cookies and do some crafts as my DC love anything crafty.

Christmas day the DC open stockings in their bedroom before coming to show us what Santa has left them. Its is then downstairs for free gifts. Breakfast is whatever they fancy. Last years was a mix of chocolate, pringles and nibbles. We spread our Christmas lunch over a few hours, so starter at around 12.30 then the main meal an hour or so later and then pudding when ever we fancy it. We always take the dogs out for a walk after the main course of dinner.
We then spend the rest of the day playing games and enjoying the gifts we have received. Once we get back from pur walk the children have a gift from us under the tree. Sometimes it is a board game, garden toys or a trip. We don't have any extended family so our DC only have a few gifts from friends.

Stockings opened on our bed.

Parents checking to see if Santa has been via kitchen to put kettle on

Present opening.

Breakfast and Buck's Fizz.

FaceTime relatives.

Shower/get dressed.

Leisurely cooking, eating, drinking, board games, setting up new toys/gadgets etc. throughout the day.

Cheese and wine once DC in bed!

Thanks for these everyone!
I especially like the PJs and film on Christmas Eve idea, and Santa’s wet socks left behind! 👍🏻