What are your personal traditions?

[WigglePuppy]

What are the traditions that you solely do for yourself every Christmas?

For me, every November I watch as many Hallmark style Christmas films possible. I don't seem to watch them as much in December, it has become a November tradition in the run up to the main month 😂.

Also, at work I only allow myself Christmas songs on every Friday from the end of Nov onwards until at least two weeks before we go on annual leave. Then it is Christmas songs all day 🤣.

Now I sound weird lol!

Over to you guys 🎅🏻

I buy one new decoration a year as soon as they come in the shops, I have the Christmas drinks with my breakfast roll in the Sainsbury's café as soon as they start doing them, I try them all. I always buy one piece of Christmassy jewellery or hair accessory, I just bought face masks with pugs in Santa hats on as well. I fully expect to be wearing them again next Christmas.

@CatrinVennastin
DP works a difficult job the full night through and he always says it cheers him up coming home in the dark morning to see Christmas trees shining through windows, so thank you.

We go to the cathedral for the candlelight service and have a nice dinner out. We’re not religious but it’s so peaceful and the music is wonderful.

OK so this is going to sound awful but bear with.
My DH died on December 21st (many years ago) so Christmas Eve was a shitter. Apart from anything else, it had sort of bollocksed up the shopping, I had no Christmas food in, sort of thing.
And I remember going into town on Christmas Eve and hitting M&S for a ready meal and there was a point about 4 o'clock when everything....stopped, and there was an absolute stillness and peace. The shops were shutting, you could't panic buy anything else, there was nowhere to be and nowhere to go You could almost hear the world turning. And it's sort of stuck with me.
We stop, about 4pm on Christmas Eve - there's another Mr Russell and a DS since then - but we raise a glass to J and we have a ready meal for supper and we just ...settle.

For myself: I buy one green angel to add to my "Angel chorus". When I was 10 years old my mother gave me a paper mache angel wearing a
dark green robe. When I was 20, she gave me a painted wooden angel with a green gown. Every five years until she died, she gave me an angel. I always displayed them on the mantel. She passed on 15 years ago, but every five years I buy myself a green angel. This year is my third time to buy my own. I am looking around now. I like to think that my mother is guiding my choice and I will find the one she would have chosen.

We always try to listen to Aled Jones telling The Snowman on Classic FM on Christmas Eve and then if the weather is suitable we will look to the skies to find santa (the international space station)

My parents, DH and I all book off a random weekday in December to go visit a huge garden centre that always has amazing Christmas displays.

We like going during the week to avoid the Saturday crowds and we always have a huge brunch in the cafe.

I probably sound very boring but I love looking at all the pretty things and having a fairly cheap day out with the family.

Absolutely love that we all do the ham on Xmas eve 😀😀😀

Also dec 1st put the tree up listen to carols and eat the first stash of mince pies I've made

Usually descends into chaos with a dog and 2 kids
But I love it every year

This is so lovely to read, I want to steal many of them. I don’t really have any personal traditions other than being very last minute and getting stressed! A habit inherited from my mother that I am trying to reverse, and many of these posts are really helping my motivation. I always experience things like Xmas card writing as a total chore, obligation that I resent, but maybe if I develop these rituals to find ways to enjoy it, it will be different. Also making me realise (my kids are small) that xmases are so varied and often in other peoples homes, that maybe it’s time to ‘grow up’ out of my childhood family traditions into my adult own ones that I want. Totally going to book the day off and mooch around twinkly markets and eat a nice meal to myself!

I can't sing...I mean really really can't sing. When I used to work I had a 30 minute drive each way to work. On Dec 1 I used to put my CD of Handel's Messiah in the player and do singalonga Handel while driving to and from work.

oh PS not a longstanding tradition because its not been around for long but also www.noradsanta.org

I also have an angel collection. It started as I had a couple I had made with my Nan as a kid and then DD used to make one each year at play school etc so she’s made or bought me on each year (she’s 13 now) and i often buy one if I see one I like, often in the middle of summer!

@BrieAndChilli

one of our traditions was created by accident really

When my 3 kids were babies/toddlers in order to not have to drag 3 small children to the hell that is supermarkets at Christmas i used to get up and go at 5:50am. When DD {middle child} was 4 she asked if she couuld come with me. I explained it would be really early and that i would wake her once {gently} but if she went back to sleep i would leave her be. to my surprise she jumped out of bed and came with me. She sat in the trolley and we got all the yummy xmas food then ogot macdonalds breakfast on the way back. We have done it most years since {she's 13 now}. on the odd year we have gone to stay with family for christmas she says how she misses our traditional supermarket trip!

Comedy presents opened first.
This year DH has Brussel sprout ketchup.

We have shepherd's pie on Christmas Eve, too. Followed by Angel Delight

MrsRussell that does sound oddly lovely

I have about 7 Xmas movies/shows that I watch each year. One of them is 'White Christmas' which my late dad and I always watched together. Another is the Alastair Sim version of A Christmas Carol which MUST be watched whilst wrapping Xmas gifts.

Not just my tradition, but my DS2 and I have a weird competition. The first one to hear Paul McCartney's 'Wonderful Christmastime' on the radio after Dec 1st 'wins'. But it only counts if you can get hold of the other and they can hear it playing for themselves. There's no prize, the winner just 'wins'.

A personal one is getting excited when you see the Coca Cola advert.... the whole family bundle into the lounge when we get a glimpse... ( thank god for sky +) we know it’s defo Christmas when that’s on 😋

Wrapping all the presents in one go on the living room floor, with the tree lights on, with DP offering to help but me saying no as they won't be 'just right' but then regretting it as my back hurts 😂. This year might start a new tradition of going for a light safari drive on Christmas eve and then if/when DS falls asleep in the car going to get a Starbucks as I'll be up for a few hours sorting presents, tidying etc.

To ignore Christmas as much as I can get away with. That's my personal tradition.

Everyone comes to us for a buffet on Christmas eve. I make sure I get everything ready in good time then sit down to watch carols from Kings with a bottle of lager and bag of crisps before they come. I don't really drink lager at any other time but weirdly a bottle of lager marks the start of Christmas for me!!

@UndertheCedartree I LOVE this, gonna snatch that idea for my DC

My contribution is that every year since we bought our house I make paper chains from this years Christmas wrapping paper and include a few pieces from the old ones from the previous years so we have our own family Christmas history surrounding us.

Mulled wine, mince pies and Christmas movies (Die Hard usually features)

Brandy cream and nutmeg on my porridge

Clean my house....OK this is for everyone, but it's the one time of year, I'm picky about it.

@OmaSwims

Shepherd's Pie on Christmas Eve, in memory of the shepherds

I do star jumps, in memory of the star of Bethlehem