Best thing about Christmas?

[notenoughtogoround]

I love reading the positive, happy threads about people’s Christmas traditions, activities, plans and experiences. What are you most looking forward to? What film can’t you wait to watch? Which treat in your Christmas food stash can’t you wait to crack open?

I love Christmas Eve. We get our turkey early and when we go home and shut the door, I know that’s it for the ‘chores’ and we can relax, enjoy our Christmas Eve food (fondue for dinner!) and watch the Muplets Christmas Carol. I also love Boxing Day, no work, just play with toys/presents, eat leftovers and nap!

Now that my children are adults, I find it one big chore and can’t wait for it to be over. I’m looking forward to a spring clean.
I prefer the run up to Xmas, I’ve been enjoying frothy coffees and Xmas films since November!

• Gavin and Stacey
• Delicious lunch - seafood, lots of amazing salads, pigs in blankets, lovely cheese board
• DD being so excited

I love how even my two non believers (10 and 11) are arguing over the tiny details of how to wake up and in what order and who gets to walk down stairs first on the morning, they love it so much. I love Boxing Day because Christmas is quite a graft usually. I love how every year I come up with more ways to cut the work involved and foolishly believe every year it’s going to be a breeze. 😅

I can’t wait to be with my teen and watch open her presents. We’ve barely spent any free time together because she’s glued to her friends or they’re here hanging out and sleeping over so it will be nice to get time with her without them 😂

She has no clue what she’s getting this year since she’s been so busy so I hope we get back a glimpse of childhood excitement.

Massive Christmas fan here. I love the first time we drive home and the outdoor Christmas lights are on. I love how my teenage DS rolls his eyes about how I "make" everyone wear matching Christmas pyjamas. I love having at least one Twixtmas day when we don't plan anything and just sit around eating leftovers and watching silly Christmas things on telly. I love watching It's a Wonderful Life every year and always crying. Oh gosh, there's more, but those are my best bits!

Oh I love this thread! My boy is only just turned one so I haven't even been able to start the Christmas stuff I'm really looking forward to yet! This year I'm most looking forward to:

All waking up together and opening stockings on the bed (including the dog!) with a lovely coffee
The Gavin and Stacey special
Cooking and eating an amazing Christmas lunch
Watching my partner open his presents (my son too but he will be less appreciative obviously 🤣)
Chilling out in the evening with Christmas buffet and watching Scrooged

So basically... the whole day! We're visiting both sides of the family on Christmas Eve so that will be lovely too, and this time next year our little girl will be here so we will have a two year old and a six month old so no doubt will try and enjoy the restfulness this year before a chaotic Christmas 2025!

Merry Christmas 🎄

Absolutely not trying to wish the time away at all, but my children will be 19 months apart in age and I can't help but smile and think how lovely it will be to hear conversations like this between them (hopefully!) when they're older!

I love all of it tbh! Getting the tree and decorating it on about the 15th, then putting the tree lights on and sitting down to start our annual watching of The Box of Delights. Spending 24th to 27th with family and then a few days over NY too. Lots of games, walks, presents, wine, amazing food (very little of which is cooked by me!).

The food - Christmas Eve buffet at home with my mum and DD and whichever friends pop in. Dinner at my sister’s on Christmas Day with all the trimmings followed by a choice of indulgent desserts. Seeing my DD’s delight as she opens her stocking even though she’s 19 now and well beyond the childhood excitement stage. Spending time with my little niece and nephew playing with all their new toys. Gavin and Stacey and eastenders! Boxing Day leftovers in my pjs with DD. 2 weeks off work to just hibernate and relax after all the socialising. I just love it all!

Roast parsnips
New Wallace and Gromit
Lovely cheese, dates and walnuts.

I'm easily pleased.

Waking up with my lovely husband and the dog and opening our stockings in bed.

lighting the fire on Christmas Eve and eating a spread of delicious food in front of a film.

it’s all just lovely isn’t it. I’m very lucky.

I love reading all of these! @Dobbythechristmaself and @MaltipooMama we have one believer and one non believer and I love hearing the older one telling the younger one all about Santa, he’s now part of making the magic and it’s lovely.

Im glad so many people have things to look forward to. I appreciate it’s not true for everyone but sometimes just a little thing, like a special film, book, meal or snack can make Christmas ❤️

@notenoughtogoround that's the cutest thing ever, I bet your older child loves feeling like one of the grown ups who's in on the secret!

Seeing what presents I've got from my husband and kids

Oh and err then enjoying themselves too of course

I love the time off work. Down time with my family and a break from the endless rush that is family life. Christmas day is a bit manic as we host so enjoy the days after between christmas and new years where we have no real plans, just chill and visit family and friends. We usually have a day or two out to the cinema/fun fair and dinner after with a takeaway on one of the days for a break from the cooking.

Cant wait to crack open the Blonde chocolate florentines and Baklava along with copious amounts of baileys consumed hot and cold

The trees and lights around the beautiful town where I live.
Some downtime to do v little and not getting up at 5 am for work.
The sales.😊

My favourite bit is when I'm just finishing off the the last bit of cooking, I'm on my own in the kitchen and I can hear everyone else at the table talking and laughing just before we eat.

Looking forward to going to the pantomime today and seeing Santa and real reindeer tomorrow! Then some gingerbread baking on Monday.

On Xmas day looking forward to DC excitedly seeing what Santa has brought and then just lots of food, particularly pigs in blankets and yule log 🎄

Like @Aliflowers , it will be the time off work for me. This year has been incredibly busy and stressful so even when I'm on leave, I'm still checking emails. I now have two weeks off and the office is closed til the 2nd so I actually feel like I can rest. I've bought three new books and am determined to finish them!

I love Christmas Eve drinking baileys or hot chocolate with brandy and watching crappy Christmas movies with my family
It's the best oh and lots of naughty nibbles too!!

Oh yes @itsallbowlsbaby Ill invariably get a few books as gifts and will spend a lot of christmas chilling with book. Its one of my favourite things

For years I've always sat by the tree and enjoy a cup of tea and xmas cake on xmas eve after putting out santa gifts when the adult dc were younger and teen was younger. Now I still enjoy that tea and xmas cake with the teen who doesnt even like xmas cake but he realy enjoys that moment with me.

Getting up before everyone xmas morning and putting on the heating and xmas lights and just enjoying the stillness of the morning before I hear the footsteps of teenager coming down the stairs, and adult dc coming in and the noise and banter from all the kids and generally eating, drinking and having a banter.

Our now teens still bring their stockings to open either side of our bed, which is still super cute.

We have a Bailey's coffee, put turkey in, make toast or whatever and give them their "present to keep them occupied".

Prep veg whilst music on, chatting playing games.

Presents are opened in dribs and drabs throughout the day.

We love the Goes Wrong Show, so watch their Nativity and drunk Santa episodes each year.

I really like the Get Santa movie. And we always watch Muppets Christmas Carol, "there's only one more sleep till Christmas" last on Christmas Eve.

We read "night before Christmas" at dinner Christmas Eve.

And on Boxing Day eat far too many garners pickled onions.

I love decorating the Xmas tree. I always have a real one about 9 foot and have beautiful hand blown glass decorations I've bought over the years also 2 glass angels. I love putting them on the tree.

Same here - this year I have a nice break from work, almost 2 weeks. December was really busy so I was counting down the days. It will be nice to chill out and have a proper rest.

I'm having a low key Christmas this year instead of cooking for a lot of people, so the meal itself will be pretty easy - lots of delicious ham and leftovers. Also, not having to find the right presents for my nephews, which used to be a stress - they are teenagers now and are happy with money and chocolate.

Basically, it's a time to relax and eat yummy food, listen to cheesy music, watch fun stuff on tv and spend time with people.

I know there can be a lot of faff, but I quite like that there is a sparkly, twinkly warm distraction in what is otherwise a very dreary time of year (shit weather, long nights).