What do you do on Christmas day/Boxing day?

[theGreatYuan]

I never did much at Christmas growing up. We had a chocolate advent calendar every year from 1st December. We put a carrot, mince pie and glass of milk out just before bed on Christmas eve, then Christmas morning we opened our mountains of very expensive presents and then took them all up to our rooms so that the living room could be tidied straight after. Then us kids either sat in the living room watching tv all day, quite bored, or played alone in our rooms with our new toys while our parents spent the day in the dining room and got annoyed if any of us kids came in. We had fruit salad for dinner and then chicken, mash, veg and gravy for tea at about 7pm and then went to bed, and that was that. It was all quite boring really.

I have a just turned 5 year old and want to make Christmas really special, but have no idea where to start or what other people do. I've been reading other threads and got some great ideas for December days out and good food, but what do people actually do on Christmas day itself, and boxing day? I'm considering going out for a meal to a place with a softplay so that it's not just another day, but does anyone have any other ideas?
Thanks!

My whole family always celebrates Christmas together at one of our houses, so to be honest the day is entirely taken up with exchanging gifts, eating , talking, and the kids playing with their cousins. Usually manage to fit in the name game or charades or something. It always seems to go really quickly.
Boxing Day is exactly the same except at someone else’s house, starts a bit later, no gifts, and we only have tea not lunch as well!

“One of our houses “ - sounds like we each have many houses - I mean at my house or my sisters house or my brothers house or my parents house!

We always have main meal at midday, then a picky buffet type tea by candle light.

That account of your childhood Christmases is quite sad. Deprived of fun and joy if not deprived of material things. On Christmas Day it's everyone over to my parents' house and it's a fairly standard day I'd imagine, just a nice day of food, drink, presents, games and laughs. No children banished to certain rooms while the adults dine alone.

The following day is more of the same really but usually involves a long bracing walk at some point.

We have main meal Christmas eve. Then Christmas day wake up open presents, kids can eat a few chocs.no dress code pyjamas all day if you like.bacon butties about 11.30.we just play with kids and help build lego. Watch tv more,then buffet from 3pm onwards. We used to have main meal Christmas day lunchtime but I was always in kitchen preparing it and missing out on fun, so we scrapped it and opted for very lazy day. Family can visit anytime ,they just know we have chilled out day so not to expect to much.

Xmas eve.....just me and my partner meet friend for lunch.....later on go round to DDs to watch kids put out carrot for rudolph etc.. ..All my DC and FGC and sil and my DM to ours on Xmas day...my DD and eldest DS cook lunch....present giving spread out across the day....a few silly games.....a walk ( with dog) for those that want it..... picky bits for tea ..... boxing day , big beach walk with dog.....round my DDs for tea ,, all the family again plus my DDs inlaws....

Christmas Eve is Christmas films all day, we're W at my MiL's this year, whether she's still here or not as DD lives here. We normally cook a special Christmas Eve dinner but DD has a running buffet.
Christmas morning is mince pies and present opening. Breakfast is later and either smoked salmon or bacon and eggs with orange juice, cava or bucks fizz depending on age and preference.

We have dinner about three and then crash out on the sofa before pudding

We always did mince pie for FC.
Christmas am , stockings then church then get ready for lunch, family usually come to us but we have all been to DPs, DIls ,DSil and DSis over the years. Late lunch then presents then games .

There is a bit of an ‘anything goes’ vibe to Christmas Day in our house based around food.

My parents come round for fancy breakfast when Buck’s Fizz is served. Presents are then opened whilst the adults enjoy some more fizz.

Now the kids are older they tend to retreat to their rooms to message their mates about the presents. My DM and I get started on the lunch (we are usually fairly tipsy at this point, in a good way).

After dinner, snooze in front of tv then my parents tend to go home leaving us to snooze/ eat/ watch tv/ play a game as we please. It’s very relaxed.

We spend Christmas Eve making the different turkey stuffings and icing the (homemade) chestnut choc log with melted Nutella for pudding. Listening to Carols from Kings, and watching the Snowman. Going to the Watchnight service at church, wishing all the villagers happy Christmas as midnight strikes.
Christmas Day we give church a miss as it’s mainly a service for younger families. We open stockings and tree presents while having croissants and Buck’s fizz for breakfast.
We wrap the turkey in whisky soaked bacon, put in the stuffings and stick buttered garlic under the skin. It goes in a v slow oven while we all go out for a walk round the local loch for some fresh air, admiring the view of the hills.
We have the main turkey dinner in the evening, which we make an event with candles, crackers, silly hats, wine and proper linen napkins, to make it a bit special.
We then retreat to the log fire in the sitting room with our drinks and either play daft board games or watch tv. It’s a lovely time to get the family together at the old homestead!

We always open our presents with our pjs on and surround our selves with wrapping paper and chocolates
Have late lunch and then play board games - which may sound boring, but it gets way too competitive and just a really simple, fun day
Boxing Day: a lie in, brunch, a walk & a hot toddy, home for a Christmas dinner leftover fry up for dinner

DS is 4 and our Christmas is generally pretty quiet.

Christmas Eve:
visiting relatives, prepping some of the food for Christmas Day or baking something simple followed by a viewing of Muppet Christmas Carol after all the work is done. Then mince pie and milk for Father Christmas and carrot for Rudolph with a reading of Twas the Night Before Christmas at bedtime. Then DH and I move all the presents under the tree and fill the stockings.

Christmas Day:
Open stockings together in our bed after waking. Then have breakfast and put a Christmas film on in the background while we open the tree presents. Turkey goes on while we’re faffing with our new things and we might watch one of the Christmas TV shows on. We have a starter as a light lunch at the dining table. Then it’s back to playing and video calling relatives for a bit. Final bits of dinner prep and we all sit down to eat. DH and I flop on the sofa while DS plays or enlists us to help with a toy/game. Then we put DS to bed and have a relaxing evening or fall asleep in a food coma.

Boxing Day:
Some years we visit family and others we have a quiet day with a walk around the local park. I like a very low key day after all the hoopla of the previous days. Although every year DH convinces me to make a turkey and leek pie for dinner as it’s his favourite.

You could start small and try some new things. Decorate pre-made gingerbread men, make your own table centrepiece out of collected greenery/cones, get a special Christmas story book to read on Christmas Eve etc.

I think all DC want is to spend quality time with us and have fun, the magic comes from the stories we share and the little touches that let them believe.

Christmas Day is smoked salmon bagels for breakfast with champagne Cava, Church service, lunch 2pm ish, King's (Queen's ) speech, walk at some point, presents, board games .. maybe a film.

We have an 4 yo this year at Christmas, and will be only us.
23rd we will go for a panto.
24rd lunch out, walk to see the lights, bake mince pies (will be prepared in the freezer), xmas movie and bed. We will leave the mincepies and a tipple for Santa.
25th open presents/stockings.
Breakfast that will likely include eggs, bacon and chocolate.
I will start dinner and bang it in the oven meanwhile they play/build new toys. (Everything is prepared the night before or from the freezer so this will take me 30 minutes)
Go for a walk end in the local village pub for a drink.
Come back home, have dinner.
Play more, watch another movie with hot chocolate.
If anyone is hungry again can have leftover xmas sandwiches with crusty rolls.
26th trip to see grandparents and great grandfather. More presents more food more playing more walks.

I think you’re at the perfect point to start your own family traditions - you can go out or stay in, visit or have people round, food whenever it suits you, and the same with presents. You can try stuff this year and then make it a tradition or do something else next year…

the main thing is that you love it and it makes you happy, so pick and mix from the ideas on here and those you’ve found elsewhere and start having your very own lovely Christmas, you deserve it xx

After so many years we have finally cracked Christmas that works for us.

Christmas Eve - we go to the village Christingles service by candlelight, afterwards we have friends come back to us for mulled wine and mince pies, the dc are all so super excited together it is lovely to see. When younger they would make reindeer food with glitter and oats and sprinkle on the lawn, dance to the music and look for father Christmas. Now they are older they hang out being cool. Once our friends have left, we have a quick tidy up and open our Christmas Eve baskets by the fire for the children with hot chocolate and prepare the carrots and milk - still do it even though they don't believe in FC anymore and are far too old. New PJs and little gifts, usually a Christmas bath bomb etc. Warm baths and into bed. Dh and I have a glass of champagne before going to bed.

Christmas Day we open stockings on or in our bed with dogs and dc. The turkey goes into the oven as we open bigger presents. We sometimes meet friends on Christmas morning or we have a long dog walk and stop at the pub for a drink with neighbours before heading back for a late Christmas lunch and lots of games, I always save a few presents for dc to open as it gives them something to look forward to. We then sink into the sofa light some candles and relax - play the odd game or watch a festive film and look at the night sky, look for the Christmas star. We talk about what it would be like to have Christmas at different points of history. It is always an interesting thing to bring up with dc, they have so many ideas.

Boxing day we head out to a local restaurant that have live music, as as I am tired of cooking by then. It is fantastic and so much fun, packed full of relieved families happy to be out!!

Christmas Eve, we only at weekends have the day off work together. Not sure what we will do this year. I have my marks and Spencer food collection the night before, so hopefully all food sorted by Christmas Eve. I think we might do lunch somewhere and a walk. Then Die Hard and a bottle of champers with a buffet type meal.

Christmas Day is just the 3 of us. DS is 15 but I still do carrot and milk etc. then we wait for him to wake up rather than the other way round these days. We have a lazy time and a late lunch/early dinner. Sometimes we have guests in CD but other times we have guests on BD. This is just for cheese, port, champagne and deserts. Not sure of the plan for this year yet. Need to get sorted.

Christmas Eve was all about the magic when kids were younger - out for brunch then matinee pantomime. Special dinner then a walk round to see the lights or see Santa if the local rotary club were sending him out round the streets like they did some years! Then bathtime before polishing red apples for Rudolph and setting out the food for Santa on plates they had decorated at a pottery place and sprinkling reindeer food outside in pjs. They also got to put their presents for other people under the tree.
My friend and I used to take the kids to the £1 shop where we would swap kids and then have unlimited choice over what to buy their family for Christmas! Kids loved it and it led to some hilarious gifts over the years!

Christmas morning up early and adult had to check if Santa had been. (Going in and switching on tree lights really), then mayhem!! Chocolate breakfast or rolls and bacon - whatever anyone wanted while presents were looked at and played with! Light lunch followed by playing with toys, games etc then main meal at 5 as it suited older parents and younger kids better.
Chilled out evening collapsed in front of a film or something exhausted but happy!

Depended on who was staying/visiting etc as to how many guests there were but grandparents every year!
No own a similar theme but more chilled out and much smaller piles of presents!

For us it has been about keeping (and blending) the bits we liked from our childhoods and making a change to the other parts so it is enjoyable.

My DM used to take me to the panto Xmas eve and the anticipation in the air was always wonderful, so we've kept that. By the time we get home DCs are ready to collapse into bed too, which is an added bonus! DH is not a panto fan (it is a long way from the sort of things his family did together so somewhat alien to him), but the DCs love it as do I he is happy to suffer in silence with a couple of G&Ts 😬 he does secretly enjoy the heckling

My Xmas day was always very quiet with just DM and me at home, with a visit late morning to DGM to exchange gifts (we could never convince her to join us). DH's Xmas day was loud, full of people, and a mad dash to get presents done, go to church, then over to family with whatever hot food they were taking, and late home to bed. After a few years of alternating our styles, we've settled on a chill day at home just us. It is a PJ/loungewear day. DCs have no pressure to clear away their new toys, we watch films, eat all the fancy kinds of snacks and canapés I usually can't justify buying, and Xmas lunch/dinner is ready when it is ready.
We do love getting all together with family, but it is just too much with everything else that day and it turns things that should be enjoyable, such as opening our presents, into a time-constrained stress-fest. So...

We now do it all again the next day with a big family Xmas on boxing day! Everyone together in one house (about 20 of us) and full Xmas roast dinner. We all bring different elements, arriving with them hot shortly before we plan to sit and eat. After the meal we exchange gifts, some play games, some watch a film, some chat. It is loud and busy and fun, but without the early start from eager DCs clutching stockings and the tears later because they don't want to leave gifts, plus having the entire morning to put together your food contribution, it is a stress-free and enjoyable experience.

Christmas Eve everything is ready, house tidy, take away for dinner (kids choice) kids bathed, elf’s ready to head back to the North Pole, snacks and drinks put out then to bed at normal time. I’m lucky we have good sleepers, they are usually out of it within the hour so we can put presents out.

Xmas morning, kids to crazy, there is no restraint or one present at a time thing, they get to open everything as they want. The only organisation I have is having a bin bag ready for clearing wrapping paper. Once presents opened it’s a light breakfast, toast, chocolate crepes etc.. anything that can be eaten in the lounge while exploring their presents. After that we might tidy organise a bit, I use to put all their presents in a big gift bag each but now they have sacks so most things get put back in their sacks, purely to tidy up, they are free to get what they want out at any point, even make a mess but when we say right let’s tidy they know to put away in their own bag or sack. About 11ish we have brunch, this is the kids favourite, pancakes, bacon, sausage, berries, Nutella, maple syrup. We set the table up with colouring tablecloth’s or placemats, we all colour while eating and chatting, we do fun crackers, I usually buy games ones. After brunch is more chilling and playing, I will fall asleep, usually get sent to bed as my snoring disturbs the movie or games being played. Then we set up dinner for 5.30/6 ish.

Everything for us is child focused, I’d love to go fancy table settings but it’s a waste on the kids, we do fun plates & crackers, novelty serving dishes etc.. We usually play a game or just sit around the table, the kids love trivial pursuit type questions so we just make questions up about their favourite things, peppa pig, Harry Potter etc.. and sometime just play that.

Boxing Day, I’d happily chill at home all day and let the kids play we their presents but most years we go to in-laws which is a couple of hours away.

Gosh I felt quite sad reading your description of Christmas as a kid - can't imagine just serving mine fruit salad as a Christmas meal.

I'm the exact opposite of what you described and stretch Christmas out over a good few days. Lots of family rituals roughly along these line

Christmas Eve - was spent doing a spot of last minute shopping and an extended family meal out in a local restaurant however lockdowns have ended that and instead my DD and I have created a new tradition of baking ginger bread men/stars together; one of which gets left out for Father Christmas and the rest eaten over the Christmas festivities.

Christmas Day - stockings and biscuits followed by bagels/pastries for breakfast. Then it's over to family for more celebrating/presents and an inbetweeny Christmas Turkey dinner at around 4. Followed by charades/games.

Boxing Day - over to the other side of the family for buffet and presents. Kids play with presents and the rest of us chat/have a little festive tipple.

27th - our homey 'just us' Christmas Day - chilled out pj day at home. Party food and Gammon served and tree presents opened.

It might seem a bit extra but there is logic! My DD is a similar age to yours and gets overwhelmed quite easily. We used to try and do so much on Christmas day that it wasn't enjoyable for anyone but especially not her so by spreading it all out over 4 days she has a better time and I'm a lot less frazzled too - win/win!

Christmas Day dc do stockings by the fire, then we open our presents to and from each other. Bit of a rush as we then have a houseful descend on us (my side of the family), light lunch and then drinks etc, meal at 4, clear up and then joined by a few more friends usually at 7/8ish. Games for whoever wants to play, buffet of cold cuts and cheese and crackers usually put out at 9.
It’s a long, busy day but the dc love it.
Boxing day we have a big lunch at the in-laws, an afternoon walk with all of us, cousins about for the dc, then back to in-laws for pudding, presents and games.
It’s a hectic full on few days!

Well Christmas Eve (that's our main Christmas Day) we spread the 'fun' out all day, so stockings when we wake up (and try to keep DS happy upstairs for some time until DD is more happy to wake up), special Christmas breakfast and some open the presents under the tree (the ones from family and anything particularly big or awkward shaped and ones for the whole family). Around lunchtime we go to FIL's and eat and exchange presents there. In the afternoon or early evening back at home we have the hired Father Christmas come and deliver the main presents for the children. At some point we have our Christmas meal, usually early evening. Sometimes I do a treasure hunt too, especially if there's a longer stretch of time waiting for the next thing.

Christmas Day and Boxing Day are just relaxing days, play with toys, go for a walk, and eat leftovers, though last year we visited MIL and had another Christmas there, don't know if we're doing that again this year.

pre-covid

Christmas morning - go to my parents where everybody would gather to open presents (it was just a 2 minute walk away and my sister and her family lived just over the road from them), as my parents loved the chaos Christmas morning bought. I'd then go home to get the dinner cooked (turkey was always cooked and sliced on Christmas eve, so just needed to be warmed up), and mum and dad would come down for lunch and a slice of birthday cake in the afternoon.
Boxing day - Me and DP would go to the pub to meet friends for birthday/Christmas drinks. DD always went to her dad on Boxing day morning until New years day

Post covid.

Christmas day is now solely about my birthday. My parents both died in 2020 and Christmas has lost it's meaning now that DD has grown up, moved away and due to work commitments very rarely comes home for Christmas (we "do" Christmas the 2nd weekend of January when DD has her Christmas TOIL).
It was very strange last year not to be giving out presents on my birthday. 😄

Boxing day - spend the afternoon with Dp's dad, brother and SiL.

We do lots in December during the build up - visiting friends, Christmas parties, Santa visits, Pantomime etc, so Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day are actually pretty quiet compared to the rest of the month.

Christmas Eve we try to keep the kids calm / tire them out so it always involves a walk or a park trip, sometimes with local friends. We go to a family church service in the afternoon. Dinner is usually pizza for the kids, and we’ll watch a movie like Home Alone, then bath time which involves a festive bath bomb. Me and DH will then finish the wrapping and have something like Thai food and a glass of wine.

Christmas Day we spend with family and have the traditional turkey. Kids wake early and we do presents first, then drive to whoever is hosting. We spend the day there but don’t sleep over.

Boxing Day with the other side of the family. Buffet food and more presents.

The 27th is nice because we’re not travelling anywhere and we can spend the day in PJs building Lego!

I love it.