Local Traditions

[mam0918]

It seems obvious there are several different ways of doing traditions so I thought we could share our geographical area and traditions to see if they are standard to the area or personal to the family, I'll start:

North East England -

• Santa does not wrap anything

• Santa delivers gifts on the night of Xmas eve that are laid out on the sofa/chairs

• As a child everything was from Santa (we have tweaked this for our kids so Santa 'brings' things but we pay for them)

• We do LOTS of gifts and big things (trainset, skillextrics, marble runs etc...) are set up ready to play with instantly, the impact of walking into a room full of open ready-to-play with gifts is like walking straight into the elves toy workshop

• Wrapped gifts from the family go under the tree as received throughout December

• Stockings aren't a big deal (not from Santa either, just 'tradition')

• As kids we always got a net bag of mixed nuts (hazel, brazil, almond etc...) and orange in our stocking (but I haven't continued this myself)

• We do Xmas eve 'boxes' (book and PJs) and our family has since the '60s

• We spend Xmas at home and always have

I know a few Scottish posters in another thread said the 'present unwrapped on the sofa' is a very 'Scottish' thing to do and being close to Scotland might explain why we do it too.

Just thought this might be interesting if people want to share.

I live in NW England now but lived all but 7 of my 50 years in the SE. We call him Father Christmas not Santa. He comes on the night of Christmas Eve but only fills a stocking with little bits and bobs. The other presents are from whoever they're actually from, not delivered by FC, and are under the Christmas tree.

Although I'm from the SE, my DM's side of the family (whose Christmas traditions I think we probably continued) were from the NW. I'm not sure how regional the traditions really are, given how much mixing there must be due to mingling families and people not living where they were brought up etc!

I'd never heard of presents being laid out unwrapped on the sofas until I read it on here this year!

SE England
Wreath creation workshop
Card making club
Christmas singing competition
Christmas movie day
Christmas music at breakfast
Christmas festive lunch and tea and cocktails
Christmas stocking and present opening with coffee
Christmas photo shoot
Christmas game night etc
Christmas art and crafts
Christmas baking
Christmas church services
Christmas cartoon contest
Christmas puzzles and quizzes
Christmas candy canes
Christmas drinking

Christmas decorations and tree

I do not think these are regional differences
my dd is past Father Christmas now but in her small village class of 10 pupils there was 10 different ways, some FC bought everything some people wrapped everything FC in different paper some do stockings and 1 present from Fc some stockings only from FC some have stocking gifts wrapped others not. Some have stockings in the morning and open main presnts straight away or after breakfast or after church or after lunch. Some spread the main presents out and open a few in the morning and rest later. The only presents I have heaqrd off not being wrapped are huge things like bikes and trampolines. presents were never made up but something for kids to set up with an adult while dinner prepared for us everything is wrapped
For us personally only stocking is from FC rest of presents are from whoever sent them as per label, when she was very little al presents hidden until Christmas day, now they go under tree as part of decorations
I think there may be more regional differences in food
I am from the Midlands but live in Scotland

@languagelover96

SE England Wreath creation workshop Card making club Christmas singing competition Christmas movie day Christmas music at breakfast Christmas festive lunch and tea and cocktails Christmas stocking and present opening with coffee Christmas photo shoot Christmas game night etc Christmas art and crafts Christmas baking Christmas church services Christmas cartoon contest Christmas puzzles and quizzes Christmas candy canes Christmas drinking

Christmas decorations and tree

Oh my god, do you start your Christmas in January. How the fuck do you fit all that in!?!

South East England

Mince pie and drink left out for FC and a carrot for the reindeer
Stocking containing small things from FC
Stocking hung on fireplace
Stocking always has a tangerine in the toe, chocolate coins and Christmas socks
Cuddly sticking out the top and a candy cane hanging on the outside
Stocking presents not wrapped
Presents under the tree wrapped from family and friends - opened after breakfast
We make Christmas cards, mince pies and a gingerbread house
Candlelight Carols service on Christmas Eve

My DC's dad is Dutch so they leave their shoes out for St.Nicholas on 5th December and get Dutch sweets.
DC's grandparents live in Spain and they get a book from the 3 Kings on 6th January.

@UndertheCedartree

South East England

Mince pie and drink left out for FC and a carrot for the reindeer
Stocking containing small things from FC
Stocking hung on fireplace
Stocking always has a tangerine in the toe, chocolate coins and Christmas socks
Cuddly sticking out the top and a candy cane hanging on the outside
Stocking presents not wrapped
Presents under the tree wrapped from family and friends - opened after breakfast
We make Christmas cards, mince pies and a gingerbread house
Candlelight Carols service on Christmas Eve

My DC's dad is Dutch so they leave their shoes out for St.Nicholas on 5th December and get Dutch sweets.
DC's grandparents live in Spain and they get a book from the 3 Kings on 6th January.

We do the St. Nicks day shoe sweets too but I know that's personal to us not local to England and I added it in after learning about it as an adult.

I think it's a nice tradition though and I love learning different worldly traditions.

and we do the carrot and drink too :)

Northern Ireland - exactly the same as OP aside from the nuts and xmas eve box, though we did get new pyjamas on Xmas eve.

I grew up in the North East (but live in the NW now).

When I was growing up:

• Santa brought everything except maybe one present from parents
• stocking on bed and rest of gifts in sack or larger stocking downstairs. Never did the sofa thing.
• Santa wraps everything
• lots and lots of gifts but most were little things. Only one or two big presents. Always a board game.
• stocking always contained an orange, chocolate coins and some real money (my nana used to collect shiny coins all year for my stocking)
• Family presents were opened when we saw that family member (usually later on christmas day). No posting of presents so granny's gift was under the tree on christmas morning. Christmas morning was devoted to Santa and immediate family gifts.

These aren't regional differences, just personal ones. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I agree about it being a personal choice as I am Scottish and never heard of leaving the big present unwrapped on the sofa

I don't think these are regional -- some are generational and some are income-related, apart from anything else. The 'LOTS of gifts'/walking into the elves' workshop effect' thing in the OP, for instance, is income-related. Some (whether you go to family, or host them on Christmas Day) are to do with whether or not you live close to your family, or regardless of distance, are emotionally close to them.

West Midlands

Hot pork sandwiches on Christmas Eve