What are you doing differently this year?

[Iamnotacerealkiller]

So we normally we have a big 14/15 person family Christmas but since we have has two children (1 and 3) we have been thinking about going and doing our own thing for a couple of years. This year seems the the perfect time so it will just be the 4 of us at home. It occurred to me yesterday that we can now make our own traditions as we actually don't like some of the old ones ( some of which have been in the family for generations) what will you be doing differently or what would you do if you could.

Mine
No traditional Victorian breakfast (including pork pie) it's way too much on Christmas day and my family get up late it's then only a few hours until Christmas lunch and we are still full!

No Brussels. I like them but wasted with boiling.

I plan to make at least double the pigs in blankets, there can never be enough.

No Christmas cake or pudding or mince pies. Don't like any of them. Will make a nice tort or tart.

We will do a lovely seperate present opening session with grandma before she goes off to spend Christmas with my sister so more one on one.

We (dh and i) will not make ourselves ill with exhaustion shutteling back and forth and supervising children in a house full of precious antiques.

We will not dress up for Christmas dinner.
We may stay in pjs some days.

I fry Brussels with bacon and chestnuts, much nicer. Think the main change will be no church, will probably sing some carols instead.

More time in PJs
More pigs in blankets
More naps
No rushing from one part of the family to the other.

I just wanted to say how lovely your changes are, small simple things but sounds like you’re in for a lovely Christmas! We stopped doing the endless travelling around family and basing what happens on older family members traditions a few yrs ago when we had our 3rd dc. As fab as a big family Xmas is, it’s been lovely to work out what we like and want to do (including watching a bit of tv on Xmas eve rather than endless board games 😆)

We usually host 18-20 people. Not this year. We’ll have beef instead of turkey and we won’t bother with all the puddings (trifle etc) we usually do.

Main difference will be that it will all be nice stuff from small businesses instead of supermarket stuff as there are only four of us. So I’ll get cheese from the posh cheesemonger, aged beef from the posh butcher, super swanky salmon etc from independent retailers. Those businesses need us

We normally travel hundreds of miles to visit parents / in laws. This year I got a new job and am now working Christmas eve and days in between so even if restrictions are lifted we won't be going anywhere.

Also this year, I'm in a support bubble with a single parent friend and her two children. They will be coming to ours for dinner. But she's not a big meat eater, I'm not fussed on turkey, our four kids between us all hate roast dinners, and DH doesn't care either way. So instead of having a traditional roast we're getting loads of picky party food.

Ive never heard of a Victorian christmas breakfast will have a little google!

It will be our first nuclear family Christmas, which is something I’ve longed for over the years. I’m not sure how I feel about it now though!
No mass will be a big change. I’m quite sad about that. I’m not very religious and I don’t really get on with internet services. It’s more the feeling of being in church, the smell of incense, and the familiar chanting of responses and the lovely music and seeing friends and neighbours and all the children with their new toys. I’m really going to miss that.
Without relatives to entertain the dc, I won’t be able to faff quietly in the kitchen pretending that it’s all such hard work. There may be more tv than usual and certainly more drink consumed.
I’m wondering about dressing up. It’s necessary for going out to mass and for entertaining but if it’s just ourselves it will naturally be more casual. I’m not sure I’m in favour of a pj day, but we’ll see. I may be out voted.
We may have to break up the day with a walk, and maybe a movie later as the rhythms of the day will be different.
I guess, for me it’s a lot of wait and see.

We are used to xmas just the five of us, so not much changing other than knowing for sure that we wont be having guests.

We tend to stay in PJs or comfy clothes anyway.

Boxing day we usually put on a big buffet for guests, but we'll just do a smaller one for just us this year.

I love xmas when it's just us though, no stress, no feeling the need to perform, and no certain selfish family members ruining it.

Thanks to Covid we can't invite the awful relatives that ruined the day last Christmas..
Shame that!!

Ah I'm not actually sure if it's a traditional Victorian breakfast but a family ancestor used to be staff in a manor house and this is what the posh family ate, the staff emulated. It's pork pies, boiled tounge, mustard, bread etc heavy on the meat and to be honest a massive meal itself that I could do without. Hmm this may be outing as I don't think I know anyone who does similar.

It needs to change anyway as we have more and more new family members marrying in who look slightly green at the offerings.

I really want a Victorian Christmas breakfast now. Pork pie for Christmas breakfast? Genius!!

Not much different as it's only DH and I anyway.

No presents this year as we have decided to save the money as neither of us need anything and if we do we tend to buy it there and then.

Getting two turkeys this year as we like to freeze a lot of it for later. Will give our ILs some as well so they don't have to cook.

No travelling hours and hours.

More time in jammies.

The usual spag bol on Christmas Eve.

N/a fizz for breakfast.

FX not another trip to A&E with DD/croup. 3/7 times so far, weirdly.

Generally much more chilled. I'm really looking forward to it, though we will miss family and DH is quite down about it. DD will cheer him up with her antics.

This year with Covid we will probably all have pared back celebrations.

Just a word of caution though on the PJ day Christmas for subsequent years.

When you think back on your childhood christmases what did you enjoy ? For me, it was seeing lots of family, a sense of occasion, an opulent table , granny’s pudding even if we didn’t like it, etc

By dumbing it down to ‘just us in our PJs ‘ , you are kind of making it like any other day. I was, like you, sick of shuttling back and forth and a crazy busy Christmas, however I came to the realisation that this is what memories are made of.

The 27-1st can be PJs and movies but the 24th-26th are choc full of celebration and this is part of the fun for children.

I did put my foot down though when family celebrations started to drip into the post Christmas days - enough is enough

The most significant change for me will be no Church services (or if they are possible they will be very different) which I am sad about.

We are a family of three, I am assuming my elderly parents, who live locally can still join us. I expect our day will be fairly traditional, large meal, Queen's speech and board games.

I work in retail and am quite happy to just have two days off and get back to my shop , I love my job and my team and two solid days with family is enough!

Agreed @merrygoround51 - celebrations are generally hard work. All the ‘we’re just going to chill’ stuff will not feel like the joyous Christmases where DH & I work our socks off and host our family for a lovely couple of days as a result. I think pjs will feel a bit flat.

Having said that, pandemic so this year... we’re just going to chill.

We normally spend Christmas alone, unless it is our year to host my mum. If possible, this year, DHs parents are coming to visit.

I think otherwise, the biggest potential changes are things we don’t know for sure yet. We always do a Santa train on Christmas Eve, but as yet, have no guarantees that will happen. We also normally go to the afternoon crib service and then to the village pub for a drink - I don’t think they’ll happen this year! Instead, I plan to spend the afternoon in Merry preparation while the kids snuggle up with a film.

@merrygoround51agree completely with this. Have been toying with Christmas being a pj day but like you said, it just feels a bit flat (particularly after so many pj days this year!).

No difference for actual Xmas day. My parents turn to come over, had in laws last year! So we'll be in our 6 for the day. The big difference will be at 'twixmas'! We usually have lots of in law's family over for a meal (DH's parents are divorced so have to split it somehow!) and the presents that haven't been exchanged yet. It's a shame as we had a big extension built last year which is great for Xmas and entertaining!
But in general, we will do the same stuff for Christmas itself.
BTW, we always roast the sprouts now - much sweeter and tastier! And we do a turkey crown in the instant pot. Quick, easy and tasty. Did have someone worried last year that the turkey wasn't in the oven and still raw! Only takes about an hour! But he loved it and gave our lunch 10/10, so very happy.

We will be staying at home just us 3, we normally have a set of parents with us every year but probably won't be able to this year. I also normally travel to my parents over New years if they don't come for Christmas and I sometimes feel its too much.
Dh is a vegetarian and ds isn't a turkey lover so we will be having party food and a cheese board for dh instead. I'm looking forward to not spending all day in the kitchen for a change.
I haven't booked any days out, but I've planned loads of activities for inside which I'm really looking forward to.

Yes, we always make an effort and dress up. The children often get given new clothes so they wear those. PJs are nice for opening stockings and having breakfast, but then we wash and dress before opening the rest of the gifts and do lunch.

We usually host between 10-16 people, DD has just bought a house so she's supposed to be hosting for the first time.
If restrictions don't lift myself, OH and my mum (in a bubble) are going have a buffet style lunch, charcuterie board, pigs in blankets (love them) turkey crown, biscuits and pickles.
Really looking forward to not cooking a full Christmas lunch.

We were planning a quiet one anyway as we have a second baby. I'm not against the idea of travelling for Christmas but not every year.

The Victorian breakfast intrigues me. I like to have something simple for dinner on Christmas Eve and that sounds like a good option.

I'm getting married so we're going to create new traditions together. Plan on starting a family very soon. Plan on wearing matching pajamas and sit around the fire. Really have been noticing the importance of family and embracing each other. Like it says, "The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other." biblereasons.com/christmas-quotes/. I'm also thinking about fun scavenger hunt ideas to with everyone. I think it will create warmth and bring more people together. Honesty, I'm just excited lol. I have a lot to look forward to and can't wait. I know this year is going to be fun and unlike any other. I also love reading the other ideas. Makes me even more so thankful.

Ive always preferred the Christmases at home with just us. We do family stuff on other days. Hoping beyond hope I'll be able to visit my parents for the day n December though. I know my mumwants to give her grandaughters their presents in person (I don't mind them getting a few early, they are never bothere by late ones). Same with PILs. Currently the tiers mean we can't.

Our main tradition is having fun. We don't have the big Christmas dinner (as I means people have to cook). We have a BBQ and firepit outside. Still waiting for snow!

Stockings in bed is one of my favourite bits.