what chritsmas traditions do you have?

[CodRestYeMerryGentelmen]

pliz

croissants for xmas day brekkie - we only ever used to have them on xmas day when we lived at home but now we have them most weeks for the kids so it isn't quite as special anymore.

I also always like to take the kids to an xmas eve carol service (I'm not religious at all) to get the atmosphere and sing the songs!

We have friends and neighbors over on Christmas eve and dh always reads the night before Christmas to the kids. We opne presents in the morning followed by pancakes and champagne. We all go on a long walk then back for lunch. We open the rest of the presents with whole family in the evening and then board games.

you mean apart from dp's Christmas day strop?

it normally happens in between the opening of presents and the cooking of christmas dinner.

He will storm off upstairs because nobody loves him/the toys are too loud/the telly is on the wrong channel/the wrapping paper isn't in the bin/it's christmas.

These are all mine:
Girls get to choose a new decoration for the tree each year.
Watching Polar Express on Christmas Eve.
Having Baileys and watching Love Actually while I wrap presents.

Family ones are difficult as used to be at Mums one year and Dads the next. Presents after lunch is one in both homes.

family spat, usually involving my sister

granny falling asleep on sofa

everyone demanding xmas pud but nobody eating it

Oh and smoked salmon and scrambled eggs and brown bread and bucks fizz for breakfast!

oh and my mum always gets cross at children ripping off the wrapping paper: "In my day, we had to take it off and fold it up for re-use before we could even LOOK at the present"

cookign the turkey overnight so that it smells delicious in the morning when you wake up!

Hosting my first christmas so no traditions yet

Using a carefully conserved piece of wrapping paper that my parents bought in 1963!!!! (sellotape and ripping absolutely verboten ).

And champagne & smoked salmon on Christmas eve (can't do it Christmas Day as we're going to my sister's this year).

there MUST be:
a carol service of some description
chmanpagne at breakfast on the day
no pressie opening except stockings until after the dinner
too much food in general
a trip to panto on boxing day
tears before bedtime

god I love the idea of doing something special (eg nice drink and film) while wrapping presents. I HATE wrapping presents.

Dahling, goose-pimples are the badge of the truly glam.

oops, wrong thread

12 - pissed off
4 - pissed
7 - maudlin

I'm sure I've written this before

Our traditions;

Christmas Eve; children have Church nativity play in the afternoon. They also like to listen to carols afterwards.

Christmas Day; morning is always a bit of a rush - I will try and do something nice for breakfast, then we all have to dash off to church - dh goes to one, we go to another (because of work!).

After church, I get busy making lunch, kids will play, or get under my feet, generally just relax.

After lunch, we usually put the repeat of the Kings 9 lessons and carols on the radio, and finally open some presents. During which ds1 mysteriously disappears, and Father Christmas comes to visit, with a present for everyone, but he has to leave ds1's, as he has missed seeing him! We do 'rounds' of presents, so everyone opens one present, then we play a game, then everyone opens another. Dd always has far more than everyone else!!!!

Then we have some tea, put the kids to bed and crack open a bottle and watch something like the Vicar of Dibley Christmas special.

(Dh always does midnight mass, and I do if we have people staying who can babysit, but otherwise not!).

We do rounds of presents too and fall asleep on the sofa by 9pm.

CharlieandLolasmummy - I agree about the wrapping, but now I have my little tradition I enjoy it and feel all Christmassy