Favourite part of christmas?

[SevenZebrasDancing]

Mine are;

• biting half the mince pie, carrot and drinking the sherry left out for Santa after the Dcs have gone to bed

-The Snowman! -watching the Norad Santa Tracker -Pouring the first glass of buck's fizz -Boxing day lunch -christmas afternoon films

The End

Mine was deffo the end when as a teenager I had to traipse around the extended family with my mother (my father refused to come) because she felt she had to play happy families with her toxic siblings and abusive parents.

Things are loads better now since I put my foot down and created christmas the way we like! (Although I have to say after one particularly stressful year hosting my usually very lovely ILs I definitely broke out the vodka after waving them goodbye and shutting the door)

@SevenZebrasDancing

Bread sauce

There has always been me and my dd's, oh and when I was with my ex. Think we only spent 1 time when my youngest was a baby. They are both 24 and 22 and since I divorced many moons ago there has just been the 3 of us.

Now they are older I work every Christmas night.

Oh yes- bread sauce. I can;t understand why we never make it any other time of the year when almost everyone in our family loves it.

There is only me who likes bread sauce, my dd's don't understand why I like it. Even brussel sprouts they don't understand why i like them lol

The planning. Especially the early planning when I can still maintain the delusion that I’m in control and it will all be lovely!

The actual reality of Christmas is something else but I'd rather ignore that and concentrate on the version in my head

Christmas Eve, about 4pm. Dessert, sauces and stuffing done for the next day, presents all bought and wrapped, time for a sloe gin and letting the Christmas spirit in - the one that isn't gin

27th December

Late afternoon on Christmas Eve. Everything is ready for the next day. Time to cut the Christmas cake and go out for a twinkle walk admiring all the local Christmas lights.

Choosing presents!!! I realise I might be in the minority here. But in about mid October i start thinking and looking (mostly online) and making lists and squirrelling things away around the house, so I have about 2 months to do it and it's unhurried and enjoyable (for me). I love it.

Waking up at 5am for presents

I love the whole thing tbh. We do it just how we want and it is bliss.

Starts on 1 December here and runs through til Boxing Day.

I like the tree going up, drinks with friends, Christmas party, everything that goes on at school. Finishing work for 2 weeks and then Christmas Eve standing in the queue at Marks and Spencer at 6 am to collect food. Getting home when everyone is still asleep. The big day of course and then I do an open house on BD.

House is tidied, tree down on 27 or 28 and then chill for 10 days or so. Plenty wine, home made soup and cheese.

Wrapping Christmas presents in front of the tree with a drink whilst ds is in bed- usually with a crappy Christmas film on in the background.
Tucking ds into bed on Christmas Eve and reading him a story when he’s so excited.
Seeing ds face on Christmas morning.
Eating lots of yummy foods (not so much fussed about the main Christmas dinner itself but all the yummy snacks and leftovers)

I love it all, the planning, seeing what's in the shops, the different foods, the lights but most of all I love Christmas Eve. We go to a local bakery to collect cinnamon rolls for breakfast the next day and we try and go to the local crib service. We live in a town centre and I love to see people walking around, doing their last bits, hot chocolate in hand. For me mostly all the jobs are done, the fridge is full and it's just enjoying it all with the anticipation of what's to come. Thank you for this thread, it's making me so excited!

1. My kids finding that Father Christmas has been
2. Christmas dinner- in fact, the food in general
3. Sitting with a mug of mulled wine on Christmas eve, all the presents wrapped and stockings done
4. The build up - light trails, seeing Santa, Christmas rides in town, school play

Oh all of it - I'm so excited!!!

The build up wth everyone in a better mood than normal

When my children were small it was all the magical things you mention OP and a highlight was the visit to Santa. It really was such a magical time - enjoy every second.
Now they are older I enjoy the prep more - wrapping presents while watching love actually, shopping for a Christmas bauble etc

As soon as the house is decorated, so from 29th November. I love spending nights with a toasty fire, mulled wine, wrapping presents whilst watching Love Actually (for the 29,765th time) 😆

I feel quite sad on Boxing Day and beyond, as the run up is so amazing!!

TBH I think I enjoy the run up and the week after, more than the actual day, only because the day itself usually pretty hectic.

I love making the puds - lovely Christmassy smell - and the first mince pies on Dec 1st, with carols playing and mulled wine. I love seeing lit up trees in people’s windows, however early.

I love the relative relaxation of Boxing Day, and the whole week before New Year - no shopping! Or very little. And lots of lovely leftovers to eat up.

Our tree and decorations don’t come down until the 6th. I’m always a bit sad to see them go, but by then it really does feel like the right time. I can never understand people taking them down on Boxing Day, but then I’ve never been one of those people who need everything tidily decluttered all the time.

Christmas Eve - the anticipation!

That moment on Christmas Eve when the children were finally asleep, the presents are under the tree, the stockings on the mantle are filled, the house smells delicious with the foods you’ve prepared for the next day, the living room lit by the twinkling lights everywhere and there’s a sense of calm & magic in the air.

Even now, with the kids grown up & moved on, it’s magical. The Yankee Christmas Eve candle has been my go to scent since the kids were small, and even the smallest whiff takes me straight back there.

Getting home from school on the last day of the winter term (this year 22nd), we can finally relax and unwind.

Muppets Christmas Carol.

Crackers (homemade and stuffed with personality!)

Caga tio (Catalan shitting log) on Christmas Eve.

Stockings on our bed in the morning.

Gingerbread Man shaped pancakes Christmas morning before tree presents.

Seeing that HE'S BEEN! And waiting a couple of hours before opening them (after taking the fig out for a widdle). The anticipation is amazing!

Christmas music. Boardgames. Jigsaws. Making the Christmas cake (I made it 2 weeks ago), every time I feed it I smell my childhood.

Going to a local beach between Christmas and New year to see the enormous sand sculptures that they make, they're incredible.

Zoom calls with family (we're abroad) is nice, sometimes we play bingo while we chat, my dad loves that. Other zooms with family and friends far away (NZ, South America, Mumbai!) We sometimes do a quiz and have a drink.

Christmas crafts and sewing.

So much! I love Christmas.

Fig - dog!

So, so many things.

The beginning of December when we decorate the tree. SiL always comes over to rummage about in the loft for me (DH is a lump and likely to put his foot through the ceiling and two rungs of the step ladder is way too high for me). We go to the pub round the corner for a nice lunch then have a lovely afternoon putting it all together (it’s huge). Then she goes home, I put Bing Crosby on and decorate it to appreciative comments from DH. It’s the start of Christmas time for me.

Out local church has a mince pie and carol service in the first couple of weeks of December, so it’s really nice to go to that.

Food shopping for the last few fresh bits. I put my earphones in, listen to Christmas songs and, once I’ve got potatoes and sprouts in my trolley, take my time. No rushing, I smile at everyone and have a lovely mooch about.

Christmas Eve when DH gets home from work, I have a hot bubble bath waiting for him, we get into new pyjamas, make hot sausage rolls and cheese straws and eat them watching ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ or The Bishops Wife’ or one of the Christmas Carol versions. I’ve got one particular set of Christmas bedding which is so incredibly soft, so that always goes on Christmas Eve with lots of hot water bottles shoved down the foot end.

Christmas Day is just bliss. We spoil each other rotten, so we each have a big pile of presents to open, and we both really make an effort to get things the other would love. We facetime his family in Wales and cook dinner together, listening to music and having a bit of a dance around in the kitchen. And then we just do whatever we want. It might be going down to the beach for a walk, it might be watching tv, it might be reading or playing board games. I usually get DH a big set of Star Wars Lego so he needs to fit in an existential crisis on whether it’s going to be a building set or a looking at set.

Boxing Day lunch. I think I prefer it to Christmas dinner. Bubble & Squeak (made with lots of sprouts), cold meats, hot pigs in blankets, DH’s home made stuffing and crusty bread and butter.