Who does a Christmas/North pole breakfast on the 1st?

[UndertheCedartree]

For a few years now I have done my children a 'Christmas breakfast' on the 1st December! We don't have an elf so I don't call it a 'Northpole breakfast' but it is pretty much the same.

I decorate the table and I have silver chargers that I put the food on - Christmas tree crumpets, mini mice pies and gingerbread men. This year I'm doing them a 'candy cane' of sliced strawberries and banana. I always put a little chocolate figure next to their place. They have Christmas plates and bottles I will get out. On the table will also be their Christmas card from me and their advent calendar (traditional picture one). They love it and it gets us all in the festive mood. Anyone else?

@iheart - I don't see it as a job - I enjoy it. I have been very unwell this year and away frpm my children so I want to spend as much time as I can with them doing our traditions.

@Courtney555 - wtf? Plastic tat mentality? This is just a tradition I made up for my children. Originally it was because I worked long hours and over Christmas (nurse) so this was a special morning for us together.

@low - I will put some photos on FB but we're hardly the perfect family! I've spent the last 2 years in a mental hospital!

Enjoy your special breakfast OP!

@courtney - but why should I only be allowed to celebrate with things from your list? As I've said I've been unwell and we'll be eating food bank food at Christmas. I can't afford to go and see santa or the panto. I can't afford to go to fairs and buy presents and cards. Why can't me and my kids celebrate Christmas how we like?

I've never heard of this but might do a nice breakfast on December 1st and put up the tree.

I will be feeding my children plastic tat.

Ffs there are some miserable gits on this thread! What exactly is so horrifying about cutting some fruit up in the shape of a candy cane to bring your child happiness?

@canter - you've made me feel much more inadequate than I think I've ever made anyone feel with our breakfast.

We do it, but we don't do any other things like Xmas eve boxes and elves. We do it because it's a nice way to start off December as a family, and ours is in the festive spirit for putting the tree up. We don't go overboard - pancakes with whipped cream and strawberries to look like Santa, some brioche and hot chocolates in Xmas mugs with whipped cream.

I've only heard of it this year but I love the idea.

I won't be doing it on the first because our decorations won't be up. It'll be some time later in December.

We spend the actual Christmas week away from home visiting relatives so I think it's nice to start a few traditions in our own home.

It will probably be quite simple- cakes and biscuits and hot chocolate. Plus peanuts and clementines. I might even bust out a starfruit.

I am old and lots of this didn't exist when I was little, but I can absolutely guarantee that if my mum made me a special breakfast like this I'd have loved it. It would have been magical and exciting.

My mum was also an in-patient in psychy hospitals when I was little @UnderTheCedarTree

@elbeagle - thanks

@pinkys - thank you so much

It sounds lovely OP

OP, people are being mean because it unsettles them that you put extra effort into parenting and they see it as a competition. It's so clear from what you said that no plastic tat is involved - you just have set up a gorgeous advent tradition for your DC. If I'd thought of it, I would have done just the same thing. Ignore people who sneer at you for putting time and effort into making your children's lives magical at Christmas.

I didn't have this lot in my day either @PinkysEars (old gimmer) but I did have the Blue Peter Advent Crown.

Sounds lovely OP.

Oh what a lovely idea, OP! I hope you have a magical morning on the 1st with your family.

And I'd love to borrow your idea and arrange a little North Pole breakfast this year, if you don't mind? We haven't done it before but we'll be bringing out our Christmas plates and mugs on Sunday so it would be perfect.

You’ve inspired me to make banana and strawberry candy canes on Sunday OP! The kids will love it, and no plastic tat in sight .

Do you know what the world is a really shitty place in general so much crap going on and here are a lot of people criticising someone for trying to do something nice.
It’s Christmas ffs it’s meant to be fun and magical I think it’s a lovely idea OP ignore the grumpy few

Aww...thank you - you've all made me smile again! I was feeling a bit upset about all the nasty comments. Trying to make out it's about consumerism and plastic tat - when it's really about having fun and spending time together! If you can't post this kind of thing in the Christmas thread - where can you?

This sounds really nice OP and a lovely way to start Advent after a hard year.

Yes indeed @AnnaNimity! Also Snowballs, glace fruit (brought out every year, never eaten and yet mysteriously never mouldy...) and proper, really heavy lametta.

No Christmas jumpers (except for the appalling, scratchy one your Auntie knitted you and yes, you had to wear it), no Christmas pyjamas and definitely no Christmas crumpets.

My childhood Christmases were the 60s and 70s and they were very, very different to now. But I think the hope of loving parents has always been to make their own family's celebration exciting and magical for their children, which is exactly what the OP is describing.

Omg. I hope my kids don't find out about this.

We do it. It's nothing extravagant. But I love all things Christmas and want to enjoy the magic for as long as my children are young. I have two teenagers and two younger ones. We don't spend much on toys all year so we go all out in December.

We have elves visit on the 1st December. We don't have elf on the shelf but instead just a soft elf toy each. The elves bring Christmas bedding (reused), chocolate, a cheap activity book for the younger two, a book, advent calendars and pjs. Breakfast consists of a festive paper table cover, festive paper bowls and plates, Christmas tree crumpets, fresh orange juice, Nutella & a box of the mini multipack cereals. Christmas Day is over so fast. I much prefer the run up to Christmas.