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?

I love watching the Late Late Toy Show, chatting to old neighbours outside after Midnight Mass, and the phase of dinner where we are replete and sitting at the table after a 2 hour meal sampling my parents vast collection of obscure liqueurs. Also the annual ritual of the extended family photograph with everyone in their traditional place crammed around the dining table at 11:30 pm on Christmas night.

Sitting down at the table to take them first sup of bubbly and a mouthful of smoked salmon.

@coodlemoodle They're 7&3 so might not get away with it much longer.. we did it way into our twenties so there's hope!

@actiongirl1978

Boxing day, when the stress and strains are all over for another year.

I love boxing day lunch when I can drink too much red wine and spend the afternoon reading a new book.

Same. Christmas Day is such a strain here- 4 sets of family who don’t really get on but have to be together because ‘it might be our last one’. Our holiday starts on Boxing Day- gifts to attend to, lovely food, no pressure or eggshells to walk on.

Making stuffing the way my late mam made it…..just onion, herbs, breadcrumbs and a ton of butter. For various reasons I didn’t have Xmas with her from my teens onwards, and she wasn’t known for her cooking skills, but Christmas stuffing is the one thing I remember her making and I refuse to deviate from her method.

I'm 38 but my dad still phones me Christmas morning without fail to ask "well, has he been??"
Also I love sitting down with a glass of wine on Christmas Eve with dh once the kids are sleeping and I've arranged all the presents nicely around the tree. Thinking all the efforts been worth it and looking forward to excited faces on Christmas morning.

My DCs faces Christmas morning. I always go down stairs first put the Christmas lights on and stand where I can see their faces as soon as they walk in the room. Everything is worth it just seeing their faces light up.

Watchi

Watching 'The Snowman' on Christmas Eve huddled together with a hot chocolate.

Singing carols on the church green in the village on Christmas Eve at the loudest of my voice (even though I'm a terrible singer!) among all the other villagers, many of whom I know and many of whom I don't. All of whom have smiling Christmas Eve-y faces.

I especially like when the snow machine starts to blow out snow to the delight of all the children and then trying to find said children in the crowd to walk back home. All the families splinter off towards their own houses ready to head to bed and wake up on Christmas Day.

I grew up in the same village and it's so, so magical to see my own children reliving the childhood memories.

When my mum used to go to work to clean the theatres always worked xmas day, we didnt have a car and my dad would walk down to the bridge to make sure she got home ok about 8pm on Christmas day and me thinking phew they are both home safe. Nan and uncle popping up for an hour while dad went to get her and we played silly games or watched only fools and horses. Realising my parents asked the neighbour across the road to hide out presents and popping across to get them about 1am. The best thing is the way adults, every single one, when talking to or around children, will always, always talk about santa like hes real. From the postman to work mates, they always go along with it and keep that magic alive x

When my kids all pile into my bed with their stockings on Xmas morning and I can't move (2 of them are teenagers) and there's rubbish everywhere and kids are scoffing sweets and I'm kicking my husband to make coffee. I hope they never stop piling on the bed.

Walking back from midnight mass with dh and any of the teenagers who care to join us. Often seems to be a clear night with bright stars that makes our London suburb look like something out of a Richard Curtis movie.

Going to bed Christmas Day Night

@TheChosenTwo And what was your DS' reaction to the present? You can't leave us hanging like that!

When I used to live in Manchester, I used to go Christmas shopping with my parents and coming home on the bus from Ashton, usually in a very fine grey rain, late on a December afternoon and seeing all the lights in the houses from the bus, all lit up into the dark.
I live on a main road a long way from there now and I still feel a moral obligation to leave my curtains open, for all those people on the bus.

@Joystir59

For me there was a moment in time. Dec 10th 2019. Early evening. I'd brought my dearest darling home from hospital following major surgery. She spent a week of very difficult recovery and here she was home. Safe, the house warm, we'd eaten a light simple meal of fish and mash and veg because her digestive system was still delicate. Soft lamplight, we were holding hands on the sofa watching TV, and both of us had tears streaming down our faces. She'd come through an awful time. There was uncertainty, probably more treatment ahead. But we'd arrived in this perfect pause, this perfect moment. Safe, together, Christmas around the corner, hearts full of gratitude, peace, love. I will never forget it. It was to be her last Christmas.

What a beautiful description. I lost my mum just after Christmas, so my heart is with you this difficult time of year.

Oh I love reading these!

Mine is having all my DC and step DC under one roof again. The noise, the chaos, the clutter, the laughter, wondering where everyone will sleep and do I have enough spare pillows and did I buy enough pigs in blankets and will the ever burgeoning brood fit round the table! It's manic but it's the sound of home to me.

What a beautiful thread 💖

Now I've read everyone's replies lots of moments keep coming back to me and I can't decide which is my favourite.

The last day of term is always accompanied by a Christmas holidays dance party and drinks with friends at home.
The bit where my family all walk in on Christmas eve, presents everywhere, piles of coats, shoes, etc stuffed everywhere and the dogs are all barking, it's madness but beautiful chaos.
The bit where everyone in the house goes to bed and I get DCs presents set up from Santa in the morning.
My cuppa on Christmas morning, every year I've woken up before the DCs. It's so peaceful.
Our boxing day walk with my best friend. Sometimes all our families go, sometimes it's just us two, sometimes me, BF and the kids. We always get lost and cold and end up walking an extra hour/two hours than we'd planned. Coming in from the walk and pouring myself and BF a large glass of wine!

This year we are spending Christmas with my grandfather in deepest darkest North Wales. He lost his wife very suddenly just before the start of the pandemic and hasn't been able to spend Christmas with anyone since. So excited and really hoping for serious snow!!

@MrsRussell

When I used to live in Manchester, I used to go Christmas shopping with my parents and coming home on the bus from Ashton, usually in a very fine grey rain, late on a December afternoon and seeing all the lights in the houses from the bus, all lit up into the dark. I live on a main road a long way from there now and I still feel a moral obligation to leave my curtains open, for all those people on the bus.

This is lovely. 🎄🎄

Going into my DCs bedrooms early on Christmas morning to kiss them on their head and wish them Merry Christmas. They are 17, 21 and 22. In the rooms they have had since the day I brought them home after being born. The 22 yo hasn’t officially lived at home since she was 17, but she always comes back for Christmas Eve.

This has been wonderful reading, I'm just sat here having a little cry. May these be the worst of our days, indeed.

I love Christmas and I love every bit of this thread! Christmas Eve is always fabulous but I too love having everyone arrive and we do a FaceTime with my relatives in Holland later which always makes me cry! Cannot wait to have everyone home again- going to put Tim Minchin Drinking White Wine in the Sun on, hug my girls and warm up the mulled wine! Yay!

This thread has reminded me of another: I'm old enough to have gone to a school where we had religious assemblies.
We always knew it was beginning to be Christmas when we started to sing the Advent hymns, the very old-fashioned ones like "Hills Of The North, Rejoice".
My son is now looking at me like "mum, WTAF?" as I'm listening to it now....

Once a year, I like to sit on the stairs in the dark looking at the lit Christmas tree. I think about the year that’s passed and the new year to come. I’ve done it since I was a child and It’s my own little ritual. I’ve never mentioned it to anyone before now.