New traditions after Covid cancellations?

[Eggsinabasket]

So with lots of normal traditions for December/christmas being cancelled I wanted to see what traditions people have that don't include pantos/breakfast with santa etc, we normally do a December box for the family (same things each year stories, mugs hot choc and baking recipes) but will definitely miss the show and breakfast we normally do.

I will start with one of ours that's definitely not going to be cancelled by Covid!
We get lots of fake tea lights and line each side of the drive to create a run way for Santa, we make reindeer food (bird seed, meal worms etc) and sprinkle all over the garden.
So thought would be nice for us all to share so we can have the best possible chance of ending 2020 on a better note than the most part of it so far!

Christmas Eve we always go for a family walk, then have a Chinese takeaway for tea. We then get in our new pjs, sprinkle reindeer dust and make up a plate for Santa.

We go for a drive around the neighbourhood to look at the Christmas lights and get a chippy tea to eat afterwards. Usually do this just before Christmas .

A very simple tradition but ours love doing it every year.

Christmas bbq over the Christmas week with hot choc/mince pies/mulled wines and cocktails hopefully made by the DC

Christmas tree decoration:
Each dc has their own box, and I spend fine with them individually putting them on and reminiscing about where we got them. I suspect ds will find this a bit naff though this year. We also have decorations from different countries, some we’ve inherited from relatives that have passed. It’s very much an event.

Advent:
We have a few advent calendars on the go- we used to have a daily lucky book dip but that’s harder now that they’re better readers.
We wrap all the nativity figurines and some extra animals so that the scene builds up over December.
We’ve had a doll house advent which dd is keen on again so I’ve been collecting up little bits and bobs.
Once they got old enough to discover commercial advent calendars we have those as well.

Baking:
I make a small proper fruit cake, to eat with cheese until Easter but no one else is particularly keen.
So I make a cake closer to Christmas for the dc to decorate. I put the fondant base on and then we spend an weekend afternoon making fondant figurines. It’s something even small ones can do as it’s basically edible play dough, (if you don’t mind arguments about whose snowman goes where and slightly grey icing )
We also make cookies for Santa and sometimes gifts for relatives too.
And a chocolate biscuit pudding.

Solstice:
There are lots of ancient sites that have solar alignments, and it’s very interesting to visit around the solstice. It might not be possible with social distancing requirements, but it’s still a lovely morning to watch the sun rise or set.

Outdoors
We roast chestnuts and make s’mores on the fire pit in the garden. I think we might do a bit more of this
It’s definitely worth getting good cold/wet weather clothes as it makes walks so much more enjoyable. A hat with a brim over your face makes the rain more tolerable. Avoid coats that are labelled “shower resistant”. I pop on some soup or stew before I go (you can use a slow cooker or oven timer). And we have a quick hot shower and then a lovely bowl of soup when we get back.

Christmas eve box every year. We don't open ours until everyone is together as DP usually works until 8pm on Christmas eve. We have a family box which will have the pyjamas and slippers etc and then DC have one each with filled with novelty items and chocolates. We either have a Chinese take out or a buffet on Christmas eve but we all prefer the take out as it's less prep and washing up afterwards. We always watch polar express together before bed. I will have made hot Chocolte in the slow cooker before hand and we'll have that with the movie and I always serve it when the kids on the train get their hot Chocolte 😃 also in the Christmas eve box we each have a polar express tickets (I find them on ebay).

We dont actually do much over xmas as i refuse to pay the crazy prices.

We go for a walk on xmas eve with my friend, we go across the local common which then leads into our town high street where we stop for lunch at a cafe. The cafe we always eat at isnt open yet post lockdown so I'm praying it will open again.

Other than that we literally just chill out and relax and watch crap tv.

Dh and I book a day of leave on the last Friday in November to go shopping . Used to be Lakeside or Bluewater when the DC were little so we could get back for school pick up.
Then when they were older we had a day out in London we could stay later .

This year we booked a 2 day trip - Designer Outlet Shopping Centre /hotel , meal /trip to Bath Christmas Market then home ( coach so no wories about parking or driving) .....but the Christmas Market was cancelled and now the whole trip.

We still have the time booked off so maybe London but an area we don't usually visit ?

Not a fan of Panto but in the past I've taken DD to an Abba tribute , a performance of A Christmas Carol, Swan Lake , The Nutcracker , The Little Matchgirl.
Took DS to see The Snowman when he was little .

We've all been to Winter Wonderland but last time vowed not to go again ( busy , ££ and long queues and that was about 7-8 years ago . It got bigger each year)

None of that this year

The lights might be on in Regent Street ? Not sure if our local ones will be they'll have more things to spend the money on and I don't think local businesses will have spare cash.

DD and I usually go to Oxford Street a couple of days before Christmas , the 23rd if we can.
But this year she's starting University . And I don't know what my work days will be .
DH and DS won;t go to London so near Christmas