How do you make Christmas magical!?

[icecreamplease]

Just that really. What traditions & little things do people do every year to help keep the magic of Christmas alive?

We go a bit overboard on decorating the house, and do it as a family whilst listening to carols!
We have food that we only ever have at Christmas time
We have a Christmas movie marathon: Home Alone, Love Actually and Miracle on 34th Street, with hot chocolate and popcorn
We go to the local carols by candlelight service and also go out carol singing.
We get a new board game and everyone has to join in and pretend they’re enjoying it even if they’re not really.

That sounds lovely 😍

I like the board game idea but my partner is such a scrooge when it comes to games 🤣

I have two children, not sure if all these are relevant to your family...

Advent candle
Yule log (real log to burn on the fire, decorated and sitting in front for now)
Making puff pastry mince pies together (superior by miles!)
going to a walk after dark to see other houses lights and trees etc
Muppets Christmas carol with a tin of M&S biscuits

I make an activity advent calendar. Only did it for the first time last year, but DS5 loved it, am looking forward to DS2 getting involved.

We go for a festive afternoon tea with both sets of parents. We pick a different venue each year.

We go to carols, kid friendly, at the Royal Albert Hall every year.

We play christmas songs in the morning before school for the whole of December, decorate the tree altogether and eat mince pies!

I love Christmas :)

Church Christingle service and the Nine Lessons & Carols get me every time.

I love the idea of the activity advent calendar @FilthyforFirth . My DS is grown up now - but wish I had thought of this .

@FilthyforFirth what activities do you do??

We do the usual advent calendar stuff to count down, write letters to fc, do a santa visit, a Christmas lights trail (we book in the summer), we go for a drive to see decorated houses, then we have the whole elf thing for all of December so everyday is like bloody Christmas, the excitement everyday over the elves is lovely, they get lots of treats/fun things from the elves. Christmas eve there's a box delivered with lots of nice treats in and a reply letter from fc to confirm they are on the good list. My husband has an app where father Christmas can ring up (automated but young kids dont realise) you can request he calls if they have been good or bad and you can save their name so he says their name. We always watch the snowman together at somepoint and other old Christmas films. Christmas eve we track santa on the website all evening and then we sprinkle reindeer food on the lawn and the usual traditions setting things out ready. We also all have matching pjs for Christmas day so we all match opening our presents together.

I go ott, although my parents did lots with us and I wasn't remotely deprived I had fantastic Christmases I try to take it to the next level for our children. It's hard work but they really believe for such a short time plus seeing their faces light up, I love it! I wasn't that fussed about Christmas as an adult pre children either, was just the season of drink and eat too much!

So I include all the things we are doing anyway, visit santa, afternoon tea, light trail etc.

We have going for a walk to look at lights, foraging for pine cones/berries to decorate, a north pole breakfast, hot chocolate in a cafe, writing his christmas cards, baking, playing festive games, christmas disco (we do this every christmas eve) decorate his bedroom (the main decs go up end of Nov), do something kind for someone, donate to a food bank (he picks something) driving to look at lights at night in pjs, go shopping to pick a present for daddy/brother

I'm sure others I have forgot, need to get it out again to update it for this year!

Hang any things from the ceiling,create something totally different from year around room. Pretty soft light, fruits in bowels.

Christmas music, dress most of the house (we buy a new piece or two each year and as I have mine from my youth, it adds up) including quilt covers. And I’m firm about it being all put away on the relevant date.

get out the relevant DVDS, Love Actually being one of them…

Make an effort with the dinner menu for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and then Boxing Day. Use the good cutlery and crockery. Home make sausage rolls and finger foods to snack on for lunch during other days.

I have started buying walkers shortbread, lollies, chocolates, special things that are put away until the family are here.

Take the dogs for a walk along our nearest beach. Get out into the garden together, no work calls. This year I’m looking buying a couple of outdoor games including the tennis ball on a pole thing, haven’t had one of those for years as we play adult style and are not so gentle with them these days, but geese we laugh and it confuses the dogs… But normally we would do backgammon, scrabble etc. just depends on the weather.

it’s our first family one in 3 years having been “locked down” the previous two and family not being able to get back home.

bring it on!

fruits in bowels
Only after you've eaten them @Puddywoodycat

Oh yes! Homemade sausages rolls;
I do a cherry me love recipe.

I always Found fruits in bowels, especially pineapple to appear decadent.

Does it have to be "magical"?

Tree, decorations, presents, nice food are enough surely?

I’ve never come across a festive afternoon tea but I could get behind that idea!

We always go out to a garden centre and pick a bauble each, the boys love seeing the ones they have choosen in previous years. Lots of 'do you remember'.

I am trying to make most of December special. Candles in the morning, hot chocolate for breakfast, that kond of thing.

others as above with move nights, carols etc

Some freebies and some nice days out
Longleat festival of light
Visiting santa
Making tree decs foe their trees free
Paperchains free
Social club xmas kids party
Walk locally to see lights, we have a really lovely one locally. Free
Xmas carnival free
Local farm seeing santa

We bake gingerbread men on Christmas Eve.