Page 4 | Christmas isn't Christmas without ........

MrsOnyx · 2022-12-16T20:35:50+00:00

..... today I bought the three things without which, to me anyway, Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas - A copy of The Radio Times, some fresh walnuts and several bags of those chocolate coins in foil. Small things, but I just can't do Christmas without them. Anyone else got any small, but essential Christmas "must haves"?

Fairislefandango · 17/12/2022 07:34

... the annual watching of the Box of Delights after decorating the tree. Started it yesterday!

mam0918 · 17/12/2022 07:44

TheLightSideOfTheMoon · 16/12/2022 20:37

Watching the Father Ted Christmas Special.

”Maybe I like the misery.”

This is my DH thing too... I dont get it but Xmas eve we MUST watch Father Ted.

gettingolderbutcooler · 17/12/2022 07:50

A satsuma in the stocking!

Theonewheretherewas4 · 17/12/2022 07:55

Radio times
die hard
elf
home alone
chocolate milkshake and chocolate spread on bread for Christmas Day breakfast (everyone gets their favourite breakfast Christmas Day) it’s our little tradition

mam0918 · 17/12/2022 07:56

abblie · 16/12/2022 21:18

Children they make so much more magical

controversial opinion on mumsnet but 100% agree.

Xmas is just utter misery and might aswell be any other day without kids and I'm not a grinch I LOVED xmas as a child and LOVE xmas now I have kids but those xmas inbetween where the worst of my life and I just can't see any point to celebrating without kids (unless your the religeous type where its about going to church and celebrating Jesus but I don't know anyone like that in real life thats under 60 and I am a church going christian myself but not on xmas day).

I can litrally go for a cold walk, drink hot chocolate and watch crap tv almost anyday and I would frankly rather do it alone on another day (and busy myself with work at xmas as a single person) than trapes to family to sit in an uncomfortable enviroment where a bunch of 'only loney' relative slowly getting drunker adults walk on egg shells with a tention you can cut with a bloody knife.

gettingolderandgrumpier · 17/12/2022 08:03

Buck’s Fizz on Christmas morning
Lindt chocolate just for me
nuts
cheese & crackers
fully stocked fridge of wine 🍷

MontageOfHeck · 17/12/2022 08:10

A box of marzipan fruits…that will likely not get eaten 🤦‍♀️😂

Tumbleweed101 · 17/12/2022 08:26

TV guide (cheaper version of radio/tv times) - we only ever got them at Xmas when I was growing up. Not quite same now with so
many channels but it’s my nod to childhood lol.

Quality street tin (sadly much smaller these days)

These days we have to have Pringles. They are expensive so only get them as a Xmas treat.

UnfortunatePoster · 17/12/2022 08:54

We don't have Christmas cake as DH and kids don't like it, so for the last 13 years every year I've made this instead:

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2008/dec/06/puddings-christmas-recipes-desserts

It's bloody delicious - I have to make 2 of them so DH can take one to his ward (he's a nurse) on Christmas day.

Most years I also make some truffles, using a recipe from "Cookery in colour", which my dad emailed me in 1999. He died in 2003, but I still have the email as the oldest thing in my inbox. If anyone fancies trying them here it is:

4 oz plain chocolate
2 oz margarine (this recipes was from the 70s, I usually use butter)
3 heaped tbs sieved icing sugar
2 egg yolks
half tsp Angostura Bitters
cocoa powder
desiccated coconut

Gently melt the chocolate in a basin over a pan of boiling water. Cream together the margarine, icing sugar and egg yolks and stir in the melted chocolate. Add the bitters, beat thoroughly, then leave in a cool place for the mixture to thicken and set. Form into balls and roll half of them incocoa powder and half of them in coconut.

CousinKrispy · 17/12/2022 08:55

Bendicks mints! I don't buy them any other time of year.

UnfortunatePoster · 17/12/2022 08:55

Just spotted the link has more than one recipe - the one I do is the Clementine and Almond Syrup cake

Emotionalsupportviper · 17/12/2022 08:57

A fight with my next-to-me-in-age sister ending with everybody taking sides and no-one speaking to each other for the rest of the holiday.

ChessieDarling · 17/12/2022 08:58

The Muppets Christmas Carol (ideally watched 2-3 times over the festive season), several open tins (or plastic tubs now I suppose!) of quality street, heroes etc with the ones no one likes just left in there when starting a new tub, Baileys (so much baileys!!) and Christmas special reruns of the Father Ted and Gavin and Stacey persuasion.

Emotionalsupportviper · 17/12/2022 09:01

UnfortunatePoster · 17/12/2022 08:54

We don't have Christmas cake as DH and kids don't like it, so for the last 13 years every year I've made this instead:

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2008/dec/06/puddings-christmas-recipes-desserts

It's bloody delicious - I have to make 2 of them so DH can take one to his ward (he's a nurse) on Christmas day.

Most years I also make some truffles, using a recipe from "Cookery in colour", which my dad emailed me in 1999. He died in 2003, but I still have the email as the oldest thing in my inbox. If anyone fancies trying them here it is:

4 oz plain chocolate
2 oz margarine (this recipes was from the 70s, I usually use butter)
3 heaped tbs sieved icing sugar
2 egg yolks
half tsp Angostura Bitters
cocoa powder
desiccated coconut

Gently melt the chocolate in a basin over a pan of boiling water. Cream together the margarine, icing sugar and egg yolks and stir in the melted chocolate. Add the bitters, beat thoroughly, then leave in a cool place for the mixture to thicken and set. Form into balls and roll half of them incocoa powder and half of them in coconut.

I was going to ask you to promise me that these weren't Jack Monroe recipes, but when I read them the ingredients went together and the instructions were clear and make sense, so I can rest assured. 😄

I think I'll give that cake a go.

Mischance · 17/12/2022 09:02

Lanterns Across the Snow by Susan Hill, read round a roaring fire.

LuckySantangelo35 · 17/12/2022 09:15

mam0918 · 17/12/2022 07:56

controversial opinion on mumsnet but 100% agree.

Xmas is just utter misery and might aswell be any other day without kids and I'm not a grinch I LOVED xmas as a child and LOVE xmas now I have kids but those xmas inbetween where the worst of my life and I just can't see any point to celebrating without kids (unless your the religeous type where its about going to church and celebrating Jesus but I don't know anyone like that in real life thats under 60 and I am a church going christian myself but not on xmas day).

I can litrally go for a cold walk, drink hot chocolate and watch crap tv almost anyday and I would frankly rather do it alone on another day (and busy myself with work at xmas as a single person) than trapes to family to sit in an uncomfortable enviroment where a bunch of 'only loney' relative slowly getting drunker adults walk on egg shells with a tention you can cut with a bloody knife.

Show quote history

@mam0918

bit sad you couldn’t see the point in celebrating Christmas before you had kids!

surely you worked hard and deserved a good time and to treat yourself??

what about those who can’t have kids or who don’t want them- for decades should they just not bother with Christmas?!

nah!

adults are every bit as important as kids

merrymelodies · 17/12/2022 09:17

A Christmas tree, fairy lights, carols!

Limer · 17/12/2022 09:22

Stone's Ginger Wine - it literally is the taste of Christmas.

IWillBeWaxingAnOwl · 17/12/2022 09:26

Croissants for breakfast 🥐
The Christmas Day dog walk 🐕🐩
Boardgames last thing on Christmas night 🌃
A real tree 🌲

MountainChalet · 17/12/2022 09:40

Ferrero Rocher
Baking cinnamon biscuits with dc
Baileys coffee after dinner
Home Alone movie
Cinnamon candles

TheDogsMother · 17/12/2022 09:43

@mam0918 Not sure that's strictly true. We don't have children but love Christmas. We celebrate with various friends and family over the period, decorate a big tree and have lights up around the house, get all the Christmas goodies in and make it magical for us.

Mrsjayy · 17/12/2022 09:43

Matchmakers I bought some yesterday just for me .

LuckySantangelo35 · 17/12/2022 09:49

@mam0918

you must have really lacked an imagination/ social life if you couldn’t enjoy and celebrate Christmas before you had kids!

Mrsjayy · 17/12/2022 09:53

My children are adults we enjoy Christmas still what a really sad point of view that adults can't enjoy Christmas.

mam0918 · 17/12/2022 10:01

LuckySantangelo35 · 17/12/2022 09:15

@mam0918

bit sad you couldn’t see the point in celebrating Christmas before you had kids!

surely you worked hard and deserved a good time and to treat yourself??

what about those who can’t have kids or who don’t want them- for decades should they just not bother with Christmas?!

nah!

adults are every bit as important as kids

Show quote history

My experiance is mine and is fact... you dont get to argue with it.