The unusual moment you look forward to most?

[penguinwithasuitcase]

Chatting to a friend this morning and she said that of everything about Christmas, the one moment that she loves most is:

Opening the front door to her extended family when they arrive on Christmas morning –the noise and madness of way too many people crammed into the hallway trying to get their coats off while juggling presents-stuffed-under-arms and kissing the kids at the same time and handing over a bottle of wine to put in the fridge and someone calling "Can you move the car over a bit so I can pull right in?" all at once.

I thought it was just the loveliest thing – that THAT's what she looks forward to most! Not presents, not lunch, not turning on the lights of the tree, but a cramped, chaotic moment of cold air and shoe-wrestling in the hallway

What are your unexpected favourite moments of Christmas?

Sticking cloves into an onion to make bread sauce on Christmas morning. Always makes me feel it really is Christmas!

Oh yes that's lovely! When everyone arrives and the day is full of promise.

I love the way my dad starts the turkey in his dressing gown looking like the ghost of christmas past.

When I have persuaded my adult dc to sleep here and have my dc under my roof again and going to bed smiling Xmas eve - usually 1am Xmas morning!

My lovely DMIL showing off the cooked turkey as it is taken out of the oven, before it is rested. Everyone has to file into the kitchen, almost ceremonially, to have the bird presented, we all make the approving noises of appreciation etc, as the turkey always looks and smells beautiful. My DH's family have apparently done this forever! My DMIL's turkey is always absolutely delicious and she is always so proud of her handiwork (she is a wonderful cook and it's everyone's way of appreciating her effort), I love this little ceremony on Christmas Day!

Arriving home after church on Christmas morning, and opening the front door to be greeted with the amazing smell of the turkey in the oven all mixed up with coffee!

My family is a mix of christians and atheists, and the non church goers always thoughtfully have a pot of coffee ready for when we get back. We open tree presents after lunch, so its a lovely moment of wellbeing and anticipation knowing that there's Christmas lunch and presents still to come

Popping into the kitchen in the evening and snaffling pieces of coca cola ham dipped in leftover mushroom sauce. Mmmmm.

When the kids come home on the last day of term. All happy and excited and I always let out a happy sigh of relief 😊

Last year it was Christmas Eve night with my DS. Watching Polar Express snoodled under blankets and eating Quality Street. 🥰

Lovely thread. It's my birthday on Christmas Day so for me it's the one day of the year I have Classic FM on while DH and I drink champagne and make eggs benedict for my birthday breakfast. My Dad always used to ring me up and whistle Happy Birthday down the phone! It was excruciating at the time but I miss it now

This is lovely :) I go home every Christmas and parents still leave a stocking on the end of my bed. Waking up Christmas morning and feeling an oddly shaped weight against my toes takes me right back to childhood with the promise of the whole day of rare family time to come

Why am I crying... god I love this thread thanks OP.

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Last year it was dd coming down the stairs to Santa's footprints and her excitement when she opened the living room door.
I hate Christmas but dd makes it special.

I love the way my dad starts the turkey in his dressing gown looking like the ghost of christmas past. @Palavah that did make me laugh!

I love getting to my mums and opening the fridge, it’s always chocka block for the five of us and struggling to jam in the bits I’ve bought. Going to the shops for the ‘last few bits’ which often ends up bigger than the ‘main’ shop and fighting over who pays for it. Making jokes about my grandma staying with an en-suite kitchen because the downstairs is open plan

Exactly what your friend said plus having long conversations over breakfast with everyone while we are still in pijamas.

Going Christmas shopping with my mum and having an eggnog latte and sharing a Christmassy sandwich. So boring but it the best thing!

Walking home though the village in the cold after the crib service on Christmas Eve. All emotional after hearing little children sing carols and looking forward to a cozy run up to bed time

When i lived at home, it was the sound of my mum getting up at 4am to put the turkey on - think I only started hearing her in my teens and only then I appreciated how little sleep she used to get christmas eve to make it magical for us!

Going to bed on Christmas night and breathing a huge sigh of relief .

That moment when I drive out of my work car park for the last time at the start of the holiday

I love lots of it, but putting the stockings out on Christmas Eve is always a lovely moment.

Digging the kids Santa presents out of their hiding spot and arranging them next to the tree, filling the kids stockings which are hanging on the bedroom doors and eating whatever the kids have left out for Santa!

When Christmas is finally over for another year. That's the best bit of the whole sorry fiasco that Christmas has become.

When I was little, my brother and I used to wait in bay window at the front of our house for the extended family to arrive and see who could spot them first and then run out the front door to greet them. Whenever I think about Christmas as a child, that's what I think of.

Christmas Eve, Me and the kids go to beach for fish’n chips. Sitting outside in the biting cold chomping through chips watching the world going about last minute errands and moving into sleep mode which for me is the essence of Christmas, given it follows quite quickly after the longest night. It’s a lovely time of reflection.