What do you do on Christmas Day?

[ToddlerTerror]

I absolutely love Christmas. I love the run up to it, I love the food, the decorations, the trees, even the Christmas jumpers. BUT the last few Christmas days, I have felt like they have been a bit of an anti-climax.
We tend to have a nice breakfast, then open presents, then I feel like I am stuck in the kitchen cooking and hosting until 4pm ish and then the day feels like it is over and I am knackered.
I was wondering what other people do to make the day feel a bit more special? I did suggest to DH that we have our main Christmas meal at 6pm ish instead of 1pm as then that gives us the day to do something but he wasn't overly keen.
There is just myself, DH and DD who is 3. We tend to have at least one set of parents if not both over for lunch but none of them, apart from my Mum, are interested in games.
I'm just a bit fed up of feeling like my favourite time of year is no longer magical like it was when I was a child.

We do presents with the kids then the last couple of years we've had my mil, bil, mum & stepdad round from about 4pm for Xmas dinner which we serve about 6pm. It's a nice balance for us as we have a quietish family day before everyone arrives. They don't generally stay past 8pm so then we just chill, eat & drink

kids Wake up early, try to hold them off by letting them open one stocking present at a time… rest of house finally wake up, we do all prezzies in the morning.
breakfast which has always been bacon sarnies
kids play with new stuff, we have a quick tidy up, my uncles usually pop round. We start dinner which we usually have around 2pm
everyone retires to do thier own thing for a few hours, then we all reconvene about 6ish to play games, cards etc… nd then usually snacks, chocolates, leftovers for evening.

I think that if you are the person who is cooking and hosting, it is up to you when you make food.

When you think of Christmas, what are the things which feel special to you? Maybe do those things and let go of some other stuff you don't need to do?

3 is a good age as this is probably going to be a Christmas where DC will really enjoy the day.

Some families take a walk, I quite like that tradition as it gets you out of the house, would taking DC for a walk in the park help break up the day?

I second this and I would also recommend her book (you shouldn't have a problem getting it from the library at this time of year)

our Christmases have changed a lot. When the kids were younger DH had to drive to get an aunt, then his mother, eat, then drive them home. We never got “our” Christmas till they died and the kids were older. It was all about everyone else.

Kids are now 15-21 yrs old. Only now we have our Christmas and enjoy them.
we go out Christmas eve for a pub lunch, walk, then home for a drink and prep the veg, set the table, watch a film,

Lazy Christmas morning , turkey in early to eat at 1pm. Walk in the afternoon then puck on food drink.

last year our friends (their kids have their own homes) popped round on a late walk and stayed till the following morning. We played games with our kids, cards, talked… it was the best Christmas for years! Our kind of Christmas

Christmas to me is all of December, I decorate the house and we fill the month with Christmas activities so Christmas Day is just part of that rather than the day being the big deal. But last year we introduced minute to win it Christmas games in the afternoon and they were so much fun. Really lifted what would otherwise be the afternoon slump

We made the decision when DS was born that we weren’t spending Xmas day in the kitchen and we wanted to be together/ prioritising playing with DS. So now we either go out for Xmas dinner or we’ve picked a theme for the meal that’s not going to require hours of one or both of us in the kitchen. Last Xmas DS (then 4) requested an Italian, so we made pizza dough together (very messily) and some funny Xmas themed pizzas and I’d thrown together some graze plated and honestly it was the most fun “Christmas dinner” we’ve had. This year he wants a Mexican feast. It’s something none pressured (although I’ve enjoyed doing some alternative Christmas table themes I admit) that we can do together with as much “fuss” as we like. If we simply had packet nachos we wouldn’t be bothered we’d just make a sofa fort and watch a Christmas film! If I’m feeling particularly crafty on the day I might make some epic burritos! Who knows, it’s Christmas - magic may unfold!

I also agree Christmas is the whole of December too. And we also see parents either very briefly on the day (they live close by) but actually we rather like to meet them on alternative days and it spreads the joy a bit more than the chaos of everyone wanting a slot on Christmas Day and dashing from one house to the next to fit everyone in with no chance to soak it up. I’m actually quite precious about our cosy Christmas days together as the days around the day itself are often filled with houses full of siblings, cousins, games, parties. Which I love in some ways, but Christmas Day is the one day we get to just chill together with no one to please but ourselves. I guess we’re lucky our families are fine with this, I know it would cause eruptions for some!

We’ve changed this a few times but the year before last we didn’t do a roast dinner and we chose our favourite dinners. DH and I had steak and DC wanted sausages and chips! That was quite nice.
Weve also started using some of the money we’ve saved for Xmas and booking a cheapie mini break (in the uk) for the day after Boxing Day for a few nights and that has been glorious!

We also do our big meal on Christmas Eve. We got fed up of trying to cram everything into one day, missing time with the DC and getting stressed. We agreed that we liked the relaxed feeling of boxing day best and wished we could have that on Christmas day. We've been doing it for several years now and wouldn't go back.

We have the meal with extended family on Christmas Eve, clear away and chill for a while before starting bath & bedtime routine. I prepare cinnamon rolls while the DC are settling & pop them in the fridge. Then it's time for Die Hard 😂

On Christmas morning the DC bring stockings into our room to open on our bed. Then we open some tree presents and eat freshly baked cinnamon rolls. We don't get dressed until at least mid-morning.

Lunch is whatever leftovers we fancy. Sometimes we have another full roast dinner, sometimes sandwiches or leftover meat with salad. We tend to graze through the day on leftovers, chocolate and cheese & crackers. The day is spent mostly playing games & watching movies together. At some point we either visit grandparents or they visit us but nobody needs to prepare a big meal so it's nice & relaxed. Plus the day isn't taken up by travel or visitors so the DC actually get to enjoy their new things without constantly clearing them away.

Wake
breakfast
wait for kids to wake
prosecco/bucks fizz/quality street
lunch before 2 (crown cooked Christmas eve)
tidy up
drinks
tv
board games

we always go out for lunch Christmas eve. Walk in the quarry, then tesco for bits.
prep veg, annual kids together photo (only one they absolutely have to), nibbles , film, bed.

Up early for stockings and breakfast when we will start the Christmas Dinner. Off to church. Back around 10.30am and now we open main presents. Family will start to arrive from 11am. More cooking. Off for a brief walk. Food at 2pm. Family presents around 3.30pm followed by games. Cheese and leftovers for supper. Me and DH share all the cooking so it never really feels like much of a chore and we both still enjoy the day.

I love Christmas but hate the actual day. My mother and siblings come to us for lunch and they are just plain old difficult

How are your plans coming along @ToddlerTerror? I stumbled across your thread and it’s inspired me to get thinking about the festive season and book pantomime tickets!

We are another household who eat later (5/6pm) on Christmas Day as it gives us time to enjoy the morning.

We do a huge amount of meal prep beforehand, eg the gravy, cranberry sauce, bread sauce, carrots and parsnips, stuffing puddings, cakes, even the roast potatoes which are peeled and par boiled in advance. Then all hands on deck with cooking it so that it doesn't take too much time. I find a detailed timed schedule helps loads.

@SadlyACupOfTeaDoesNotSolveEverything I have done a name change but it is toddlerterror here.
I haven't got much further with thinking about Christmas plans yet. Work and life have all been a bit crazy so I have just been trying to get through the last few weeks.
I have looked at a few pantomimes but haven't booked yet. I should really get a wiggle on though as I imagine they are selling out quickly!
A couple of places do festive light walks around us but they are so bloody expensive. We aren't that tight for money but I still refuse to spend £100 for 3 of us to walk around and look at mediocre fairy lights at the local posh house
Will keep googling to see what else is on. I am a fan of a good Christmas market and our local city has a good one that runs from mid Nov to mid Dec.
Still can't decide what to do on Christmas Day. I know I want the main meal that day but still flip-flopping between a 1pm lunch or a 6/7pm dinner.

When we had DS2 a few days before Christmas, we decided that year that we weren’t doing loads of cooking or schlepping to other peoples houses. Even now he’s older, he’s autistic so that won’t work for us anyway. The year he was born we got the M&S Christmas dinner for DH to cook while I was recovering from birth and bf, and liked it that much we’ve done it every year. No prep, just oven on and in it goes.
now we get up, do presents and everyone picks from a massive tray of pastries, cinnamon rolls, and all sorts of buffet things. Family pop in throughout the morning, we have the dinner between 4 and 5. By that time DS2 has actually calmed down enough to sit and eat something!

We have a nice breakfast, get dressed, open presents. Then chill for a bit before getting lunch ready. Eat about 1pm, then usually have parents or in-laws over if they haven't joined us for lunch. More presents from them, play with gifts, watch a bit of tv, drink and eat buffet tea!
Pretty chilled day but agree it is an anti-climax after all the build up!

@SpicyNoodleSoup i completely agree about the light displays at houses - we tried it once and it was a mega anticlimax.

The actual day changes for us every year. This year the plan is up with the older 2 kids, present opening with the Christmas music on, coffee, some gorgeous pastries from our local French patisserie, get dressed up and go out for Christmas dinner at our local at 2pm - some immediate family will join us. How i’m fitting the rest of the immediate family in, I don’t know, as i’ll have a 3 week old daughter via C section and really don’t want to have to do any travelling?

Then after Christmas dinner it’s home, PJ’s on, Christmas movies on, grazing on cheese/crackers/chutney’s/desserts, a glass of fizz and just relax.