Your Christmas traditions

[dorotheasc]

I'd love to hear of your traditions as by this Christmas we will have a 10 month old and a 7 year old SC.

I remember hanging stockings up, leaving out a mince pie, milk and a carrot and mum reading us "twas the night before Christmas".

We have recently moved to a house with a fireplace so stockings will be hung up there and although SC won't be waking up here with us this year Id love to start some traditions!

We always visit Santa on a steam train and since my LO was three we’ve been going to the theatre on Christmas Eve.

We watch the snowman with hot chocolate on Christmas Eve

Mine jingle a bell (get the sleigh sounding one from home bargains) at the window or door to send Christmas Spirit to Santa and his sleigh and power him on.

Leave out things for Santa and reindeer.

Watch a film or the BBC Julia Donaldson offering on Christmas Eve with a carpet picnic.

North Pole breakfast on December 1st. When we wake up the elves have already laid the table and made breakfast with Christmas music playing. They bring a personalised letter from Santa and the advent calendars as well as the 1st December sack with Christmas jumpers and books in (reused from last year if they fit).

Always have at least a night away as a family to a Christmas event or similar. Some years we've been to London, others seaside Christmas markets or panto.

Walk around local villages looking at the lights.

Make a Christmas cake (usually done by now but will be next week). Everyone has a stir and we all decorate it.

Collect brambles and Holly and make wreaths for our doors and neighbours.

Watch Christmas films with cheese and charcuterie boards every weekend.

Strictly Come Dancing final Christmas themed buffet

And probably more. It sounds a lot but it not really, we don't take it too seriously and when the kids were very little it was just magical. Save Laplanduk for when they are 5/6 and it's brilliant.

Thanks all! Loving these!

Camp around the Christmas tree! We drag mattresses downstairs and watch a Christmassy film and then sleep there overnight - 'tis lovely with the treelights twinkling...

Read Enid Blyton's Christmas book about all the Christmas Traditions. We start it about mid December.

A Christmas market.

Make a Gingerbread house

Christmas Eve we always read "The Night Before Christmas" and Christmas Day we always read the nativity story. We usually go to church on Christmas day as well.

A carol service

A torchlight walk in the woods telling ghost stories.

Multiple picnics by the Christmas tree, lit by candles and tree lights

Christmas movie nights with treat boxes and hot chocolate. Christmas with the Kranks, the Grinch (cartoon version), The Nightmare Before Christmas always get watched.