Little personal Christmas traditions

[WombleishMerryChristmasOfThigh]

Every year, in the run up to Christmas, I read three books; Jilly Cooper's 'How to Survive Chritmas', 'Hogfather', by Terry Pratchett and, finally, in the 2 or 3 nights before Christmas Eve, 'A Christmas Carol'. I've done this every year for at least the past 8 or 9 years. This year I'm going to start a new personal tradition of watching three DVDs, which will be 'Hogfather', 'Flint Street Nativity' and a version of 'A Christmas Carol'.

What little, personal Christmas traditions do you do, purely for yourself?

Our local cinema shows It's a Wonderful Life on Christmas Eve each year.

I’m now feeling an urge to do midnight mass this year. I’ve always resisted when my Ma has invited me, but it sounds oddly tempting.

I burn frankincense essential oil, and read every Christmas themed comfort murder I can get my hand on.

I also drink martini (dry) with R Whites lemonade (as a throwback to one of the first drinks my parents let me have)

I had mine today! Dds were at the pantomime with brownies so I had a day of wrapping and watching micheal buble coming home for Christmas 2011! As I do every year, well usually I do it once kids are in bed so felt very indulgent having a whole day and no risk of intruders!

Once DS is safely fast asleep and before we put out the gifts, DH and I turn off all the lights bar the Christmas tree and have a festive shag 12 years and counting!

Then we sort the presents before Die Hard and a hefty glass of Failey's (fake Bailey's, usually the Lidl knock-off).

We go to a nearby town that has a massive beach sculpture every Christmas, let the dog run about, DS runs about and burns off some energy.

A few years ago I made s big felt fire with three logs and I make a mock-fireplace in the living room to put it in. Haven't made it yet, so should get cracking.

We try not to jam in too many activities before Christmas as it gets overwhelming, not to mention expensive. DS has made a recyclable decoration for the school tree, his school have half-price tickets for the ice rink on the 20th after school, he saw FC last weekend. With the advent calendar, decorations and amazing tree, I think he's got enough to get excited about. Oh, plus the music - lots of lovely traditional carols. We're in Spain, I've married a local, so I'd like DS to hear some traditional British Xmas music as well as 'Fum Fum Fum'

I have a full day in the run up where i wear fresh Christmas jarmies, get on the couch, get a blanket, and watched back to back Christmas films all day long eating chocolates. Very simple, cheap and easy and something i do every year. Dedicate Atleast one full day to this maybe a week before haha x

Just the Christmas tree lights and some Christmas songs when I get the house to myself. Bliss

@70isaLimitNotaTarget
Have you got any recommendations for a ghostly tale please?

We watch Scrooged every Christmas Eve with a festive drink.

Rick

I liked "The Turn of the Screw" (it was on one New Year)

"Crooked House" a 3 parter by Mark Gatiss

I watched the Inside Number 9 Christmas one last year

There's "Whistle and I'll Come to You" too

I'm on the lookout for this year

We go to the crib service at church every Christmas Eve

I like that the parents amongst you (I'm not one) make sure to allow yourself some time to yourselves to take a breather from the family merry-go-round in the run up to the big Day and do something for YOU. @elQuintoConyo, I love the homemade fire idea! @Niki93 That sounds like bliss!

Good tradition in front of the Christmas Tree elQuintoConyo

Thanks @70isaLimitNotaTarget
Will check those out.

My DH and I have a favourite tradition, because I feel that I missed out on ever having had childhood presents that were too big to wrap, like bikes or climbing frames. While he wraps my presents, I'm there with him, listening to him in action, blindfolded so I can't see what I'm going to get. Everyone tells us it's weird, but we love it.

I like to sit on the floor in the front room to wrap up presents, fire burning, Bond film on, glass of wine, constantly missing scissors. It's only on Christmas day do I realise how much cat hair and the odd pube I've stuck on everyones presents with the sellotape.

I like to sit on the floor in the front room to wrap up presents

This is me too. When I was a child, my Mum and I always sat on the floor together wrapping our Christmas presents, with the family dogs wandering over everything and leaving hair and pawprints all over the place. My Mum died 24 years ago but I still sit on the floor to wrap Christmas presents as it always reminds me of her and happy days past.

My more modern tradition is that on the long drive (7-8 hours) to my father's on 23rd Dec, I always stop off at the same hotel and spend the night there (unusual for me as usually I never stay in or visit the same place). I ask for the same room every year and I have a quiet evening to myself enjoying a glass of wine or two and reading a book. It relaxes me and means that the next day I only have another 1-2 hours drive left and I arrive at my father's feeling happy and refreshed (rather than grumpy and exhausted after being stuck in traffic for what feels like days).

@Sweetchicken 'It's only on Christmas day do I realise how much cat hair and the odd pube I've stuck on everyones presents with the sellotape.'

My Christmas traditions mostly consist of making a huge list of things I intend to do;
Special spring cleaning
Wrap presents and write cards, and have a tree decorating extravaganza with candles, music and baileys late November early December.
Bath with fairy lights, festive bath bomb and carols
Christmas crafts galore
Make wreath, and Rejig my plant pots with mini conifers, fairy lights, scheich reindeer etc
In practice, I this list gets longer every year, as I work every day in December, and barely have time to shower, let alone relax in a bath! I put up a tree, takes nearly a week and accompanied by blaring TV, rioting dogs, me chanting “not now, wait a minute, [dog] put down that [box] you #%*€$¥, ok, I’ll stop this for now!” and repeatedly microwaving a cold cup of coffee that plays hide and seek in the tinsel.
The house gets a fresh layer of mud and dust, with the festive addition of pine needles everywhere and bits of shredded paper and tinsel sprinkled on top.
The front door gets a wonky tinsel star blue tacked on it on Christmas Eve, and (3 years running) I’m frantically wrapping on Christmas morning while someone bellows from the kitchen that dinner is burning...
The one thing I love is having a cup of tea first thing with only the tree lights on. You can’t see the rest of the room, and I have a whole day ahead where I could get things ready to the standard I am aiming at (if only there were more hours in the day!)

Oh yes sweetchicken, all my labels say “happy Christmas from the Elves, and Elfpets” as the amount of fur (and bloody tooth marks) involved in my wrapping suggests they did it themselves. Using their ears and tails to manipulate the sellotape.

We take a family photo on Christmas day every year. They're all framed and hung in the hall in chronological order so you can see us age, change in number etc. We have them from the year we got engaged onwards and I love them.