Christmas Stick or Twist - lighthearted!

[CactusLemonSpice]

I was just gazing at my tree and thought it might be fun to chat about our Christmas traditions. I am keeping some from my childhood but changing some. Just wondering what everyone else kept from the way their family celebrated christmas (stick), or what you've changed (twist) now that you are the grown up?

I'll start

STICK
Gifts all in a jumble under the tree
Watching The Snowman and Father Christmas
German biscuits!

TWIST
Having xmas dinner in the evening, not lunchtime
Xmas eve box (well, we decorated the shoebox I keep the stockings in)
No more Queen's speech!

Lighthearted and no judgement implied by my twists, interested in how we each celebrate in our own ways!

STICK
Designating the same chair for each person for their presents so they know instantly which are theirs on Christmas morning
Christmas Cards on ribbon taped to the back of a door
Cracking open the Buck’s Fizz at 10am!!
Crackers for Boxing Day too

TWIST
Christmas dinner at about 4pm instead of lunch so have a more relaxed morning and therefore no big spread of food on the evening but just some picky bits/desserts
No big buffet on Boxing Day but instead in ham in coke with some lovely sides - simple and tasty (and cheaper)
Open our family secret Santa (just the 4of us do it for fun) on Christmas Eve rather than being allowed one present but it always being new pjs

Yay @snowmanshoes thanks for indulging me

Hmm, wish I’d considered before I started Sticking with some, but late now eldest DC is 15.

Stick:
Most of the presents are from FC (wish I’d ditched this)
Stockings are actually Dads old hockey socks (also wish I’d bought into a bigger more flexible stocking thing from a shop!)
I fill the other sock downstairs and swap once they’re asleep
Buck’s Fizz early on (except I often start with a no alcohol option or I’m asleep by lunch!j
Stockings opened in our bedroom before we go downstairs for other presents

Twist:
No one is obliged to watch the Queen (sorry Queenie!)
Happy to move eating to any time that actually suits us rather than a set time
Nothing ‘has’ to happen according to some fictional rule book
FaceTiming family abroad (would’ve been nice to do that years ago)

Stick:
Apart from Covid Christmas last year, I've been to my parents house every year for the past 42 years. And I've loved it all to be honest, however....

Twist:
This year they are coming to me!

Stick
Er, not much actually. We still have stockings but we do santa unlike my family growing up. I still watch The Snowman on christmas eve. But my childhood christmases weren't very happy so I invented my own happier way of doing things.

Twist
Traditional christmas dinner
Share the cooking
Play board games
Santa brings the stocking and a small sack
Toy advent calendar
Pizza on christmas eve
Christmas day dog walk
Have an elf
Have a christmas eve hamper
Baking with the dc

STICK
Stockings on waking, presents after breakfast.
Taking turns.

TWIST
Pretty much everything. We do it different every year!

Stick:
Watching The Snowman Christmas Eve
Pigging out on Mini sausage rolls and boxes of Roses & Quality Street (also on Christmas Eve)

Twist:
Going to church Christmas Day (sorry Nan & Mum!)

Stick:
Christmas Dinner at lunch time.
Small finger buffet in the evening.
Muppets Christmas Carol

Twist:
Instead of stockings we have small hessian sacks.
Santa brings one present unwrapped and set up ready to play with.
New pjs on Christmas eve.
Take out on Christmas eve.
Presents after breakfast.
No big dinner on boxing day.

Thinking about it I've actually changed a lot of 'traditions' although reading everyone else's Christmas traditions I've realised that as a child I never did what most people did/do, we never went out for a walk on Christmas and I don't think I've ever seen even a second of the Queens speech we also never had family visiting (just a quick phone call)

@Aroundtheworldin80moves

STICK Stockings on waking, presents after breakfast. Taking turns.

TWIST
Pretty much everything. We do it different every year!

Exciting twist!

@LivingInABuildingSite interesting to hear about your 'stick' regrets! I wonder if they will be what your kids carry on or not?

I'm considering putting the 'Santa' presents in a hessian sack this year, but don't know if I would regret starting doing it that way...

@ThankYouVeryMuchGerry that's lovely

Stick
Presents all mixed up under the tree
Dinner about 3
No getting dressed up
Stocking and main present from Santa, rest from family

Twist
Being super organised and not leaving everything until the last minute
Xmas eve box
Xmas eve PJs (non Christmassy)
Elf on the bastarding shelf
Decorations up early December not 24/12

Stick - opening stockings in pjs first thing in the morning.

Twist - only opening stocking presents on Christmas Day, saving presents for Boxing Day. Double Christmas!!

Twist - not buying a bag of nuts in their shell to gather dust until January and then go in the food recycling.

Twist - buying a nice sponge and buttercream birthday cake for Jesus rather than a heavy fruit Christmas cake that ends up in the recycling next to the nuts.

Stick:
Presents all under the tree jumbled up.
Stockings before breakfast, tree presents after breakfast.
Lunch at lunch time (dd2 has ASD and if dinner is at 3pm it would cause a huge meltdown).

Twist:
Anything that’s not on the stick list 🤣
Sometimes we visit family after dinner, sometimes we don’t.
Sometimes we have Turkey but sometimes we don’t.

STICK
Open a bottle of champagne when decorating the tree, and on Christmas Eve
Smoked salmon dinner on Christmas Eve
Read 'The Night Before Christmas' just before bed on Christmas Eve

TWIST
We never did stockings in my family! But DH's did, so now I do stockings, which is lovely!
Eating Christmas dinner at lunchtime
I don't buy tins of chocolates - too expensive and would rather spend money elsewhere (scrooges!)