Christmas Traditions

[KateJ521]

I would love to start a few Christmas traditions for my family. Can I ask if you have any ideas or if you would be able to share if you have your own traditions over the Christmas/New Year period?

PJ competition. Three generations, both sides of the family. Strict judging criteria and are worn on Christmas Day.

Mince pies when opening presents
Storming off after dinner because no-one helps clear up the table.

My tradition is making a Christmas cake and then complaining when no one eats it

These responses are cracking me up! So true 😂

Gingerbread House Day.. the kids each invite a couple of friends over, they all get their own gingerbread house kit (that I build for them the night before) and as many toppings and decorations as they want. Christmas music or films on, pizzas for lunch.

Started it as my key stage 2 kids were outgrowing Father Christmas etc, and I wanted some traditions that could last a bit longer. We love it 😀

Baking: depending on age we did simple biscuits, mince pies, gingerbread houses, yule log and lots more

Salt dough ornaments or other decoration arts, great for the first week to get in the spirit and decorate the house

Trip to buy a real tree and one new ornament with cafe visit

Ice skating with friends

Taking DD to buy a present for the other parent

Watching Christmas movies on Saturday

Carol concert trip

Realising I hate everyone who has come for Xmas while wearing a sparkly dress because the TV told me that's what people do.

Vowing to never do it again.

Doing it again this year.

It's been going on for for what feels like an eon so I suppose thats a tradition

Having got young adult children now, the traditions that have stuck are:

Going to the nursery to choose a Christmas tree. Son insists on carrying it to the car on his own. Getting it home where we inevitably find it's about a foot too tall and having to chop the trunk down to get it into the room.

Home made Christmas cake with our family of fondant penguins doing various Christmassy things. DH and I do this together and always have fun planning out what the penguins will do and modelling the scenes.

DD always makes and decorates the gingerbread house.

Mince pie, glass of ginger wine and a carrot left out for Santa and Rudolf and stockings left by the fire.

When our kids were primary school age, we started a tradition of a family night on 23rd or as near as possible.
We went out for a meal together and often exchanged presents amoung ourselves when we got home.
I'd found that our immediate group was too caught up with the extended family, and the big "Santa" presents on the actual day, and we didn't actually spend time just the 5 of us unless we really planned in advance.
We kept that going while they grew up.

More for you, no? I start eating mine on 1st December and finish it around February after Christmas.

Me too!

Panto at local theatre - really intimate and low key but we love it.
Santa train
Xmas tree day - full day of putting up decorations, mulled wine, chocolates and always Elf on the TV.
It’s a Wonderful Life afternoon - this is mandatory!
Carols in Village Green by candlelight
Xmas Eve morning - Santa cookie and mince pie making
Dunham Massey Christmas Lights.
Xmas Eve early evening - dinner at our local Italian who go all out and put up a screen for the Santa Sleigh watch.
Mince pies and whiskey for Santa and carrots for reindeer on Xmas Eve.

Go for a family drive with Xmas music to check out all the festive lights : )