Order of the day

[ByLilacMember]

How does Christmas day go? What actually happens at your homes apart from the eating of lunch (which I do).

My family aren't very ceremonious/traditional and we have made a lot of our own traditions over the years but Christmas is just the lunch. We have been a bunch of adults for a long time, no kids until now.

There are young children involved now so I'd be keen on some ideas.
I'm also just really curious in general as Christmas is so magical for so many.

Thank you

Only DH and I at home now. Assuming he isn't working xmas day, we get up, put presents out*, drink coffee, attempt to wake up then open our presents, tidy up and start getting organised for lunch whether that be at home or visiting other family.

Back in the day, I was generally jumping around in DS room shouting wake up, Santa's been as he was the most chilled kid ever and never woke up quick enough, even from being a baby he would just sit quietly in his cot waiting for us to wake up!

*presents can't go out the night before or the cats destroy them....

Thanks CherryKerry, that sounds lovely

We have a day of doing what we fancy last year we took our very early dog to a beach he loved for walk. Came back ate steak and watched TV.

we do

1. get up
2. come downstairs
3. see everything laid out
4. put on oven/grab bin bags
5. open presents under tree (everyone takes it in turns)
6. have breakfast
7. kids play while food is cooked (this is probably the largest chunk of the day)
8. eat food
9. do santa sack
10. more playing
11. do stockings
12. bed

According to mumsnet we are very odd in the fact that we do stockings at the end of the day not the beginning.

We don't host or leave the house, we get new PJs or lounge wear the night before so everyone just wears that so no getting dressed up. We don't really watch anything either although the tv usually ends up on in the background with no one watching for some unknown reason.

curious, I have seen people mention this a few time and wonder have you tried putting them out with the cats or do people just assume?

We have cats and our presents are under the tree all month in the run up, the cats are not even remotely interested in them. They might knock a bauble or two off the tree (mostly by accident as they jump up around the windows etc...) but thats about it.

Get up
Grab coffee
Open presents with DC
Have breakfast
They head off to IL while I start cooking.
Lunch together.
Meet family for desserts and games.
Play with toys.
Watch tv in the evening.

Adult dc and 1 dgc..
Some sleep over.. some arrive at 8am.
Stockings while I shower!
Cooked breakfast( having pre ordered before The Big Shop and menu designed by dd ).
Present opening free for all.

Homemade crepes and coffee about 11.
Lunch between 2/3pm..
Games after lunch.

Some dc off to their ils..
Games without small dc interrupting!
Film and snacks later on.

The night before we take the presents from under the tree and put them in piles per person (tree isn’t in the living room).

Then we get up and do Santa stockings, have breakfast. Used to visit my GP but passed awah earlier in the year so I think it will be get dressed, open presents, cook lunch while DC play and finish opening presents. Then TV evening with a cheeseboard and nibbles.

It’s the first Christmas morning DC aren’t with me this year. So we’re doing a Christmas brunch and film on Christmas Eve.

They are back with me at 4pm the next day, so I’ll greet them in pyjamas with matching ones ready for them before we open presents (ones from or to them will be saved) and have a Christmas buffet with the telly on.

No idea what I’ll do during the day!

We eat our main meal in the evening- I find having it as lunch cuts into the day too much and means that you can't do much in the morning as someone has to stay near the kitchen.

• Wake up and open stockings
• Breakfast (usually just a normal one)
• Church for those that want to go
• Longish walk
• Home for canapes (lots) and champagne
• Open tree presents
• Playing with new things/reading new books/board games
• Turkey etc at about 7pm
• More raucous games after dinner

We get up, do presents as kids are still young enough.
Breakfast, chocolate, kids play with new stuff whilst we start dinner.
Grandparents arrive around 12ish. Food served around 1pm. Granparents leave from 3ish. We play some games, watch a xmas film and then crash.

Our day usually goes:

Get up very early and do presents with kids.
Coffee and salmon bagels.
Dog walk in our pyjamas.
Eldest may go to his dad’s around lunchtime, or coming back from his dad’s as we alternate Christmas Eve/day. So my day usually involves dropping or picking him up.
While I’m doing that Dh will be cooking.
Family usually come to us and we eat around 2.
Watch the Kings speech at 3.
Laze around watching tv for a bit.
In the evening we will either visit our friends down the road for a drink or go for another dog walk to get some fresh air.
Home, pjs, Baileys and cheese.
Fin.

Our day varies depending on who is hosting (I have a bunch of adult children who host on a rotation that includes me). This year my eldest DD has offered to host for the first time as a married woman in her new home!

I'll spend Christmas Eve with her younger sister because they both live in the same town. I can't stay over with eldest DD because she and her wife have a cat and I have a dreadful terrier. So it will be up and breakfast with younger DD and her partner, walk the dog around the fields with them. Drive across town to eldest DD, put presents under their tree and await the arrival of DS and his wife and DGD.

DD and her wife will be cooking, we will be snacking. Dog is staying back at youngest DD's house as she doesn't do well with a) cats and b) lots of people and disruption. When DS, DIL and DGD arrive we will open presents and eat an enormous meal. When the meal is over we'll maybe take a short stroll to a nearby beauty spot,maybe play some games then all go back to our respective houses (mostly because I and DS both have to get back for our dogs). I might stay Christmas night with DD or I might drive home, it can feel horribly flat coming home to an empty house but I might well have had enough socialising by then.

Only downside of having someone else do the food is that I won't have a fridge crammed full of delicious leftovers, which is part of the beauty of Boxing Day, so I might have to lay in some nice food specially.

Kids wake up to see that Santa has been (this year I think they will know it's not real but the Santa stockings will still be there downstairs). They then open these with us in our bedroom.

We then have a light breakfast and open presents under the tree (won't take long this year as kids want high price items)

Kids usually speak to grandparents that live further away and show them on video call what they got.

We start cooking lunch.

The afternoon varies. Some years we go to my parents along with my brother and niece. Other years we stay home. Usually watch the Christmas shows. Husband usually suggests going for a walk if dry. Kids often reluctant.

It's kind of a normal weekend day in our household.

Xmas stocking collected from by the front door. Exclamations at carrot being eaten by reindeer.
Stocking done. Nigella muffins plus choc for breakfast. Presents from under the tree divvied up. Tidy up!
Turkey in ocen. Down thd beach for a walk.
Now visit to elderly in care home
Home for dinner

Thanks so much everyone for sharing your plans, I think I understand what's normal now! 🤪
Just 2 questions from these replies, why wear new and matching pyjamas?
And
Are the games played from the presents received?

Thank you for indulging me. I love the sound of the walks. For the past couple of Christmases I've used the excuse of quiet streets and family for childcare to go for a jog!! As it doesn't happen any other time of the year it's my Annual Christmas Jog!

We have lots of adults and several kids for Christmas every year. Our day goes: get woken up by over excited children at stupid o clock, kids open stockings. (In our house, Santa only brings the stocking gifts.)

Then we all have breakfast and then do presents all together. Kids play with new gifts while I make other adults help me prep (I always cook) and then I do the cooking - I aim to serve Christmas lunch around 2pm. I encourage everyone go for a walk around 1pm so they don’t bother me in the final hour of cooking and they come back ready to eat.

Lunch lasts about an hour, then everyone cleans up. Kids get to watch a film while adults sleep off the food and recover from early start. Congregate together again at around 5/5:30. Then games (we have loads but sometimes get a new one as one of the gifts) while picking at leftovers. Children in bed by 9. Adults stay up to drink and chat.

As a child Xmas day seemed so beautifully long. We took our ‘sacks’ that were at the end of our beds along with dad’s ‘sock’ into our parents bedroom and we opened everything there around their bed. Then downstairs for our main present which was under the tree.
mum always made a cooked breakfast, then Xmas lunch with grandparents and anyone on their own that mum invited, then a huge buffet for tea with uncle aunt and cousins.Games were after that. Always homemade.
the drawing game now Pictionary ( wish my dad had patented it!)
the chocolate game- dice and hat, scarf, gloves, and a big coat required. Also a big bar of cadburys dairy milk chocolate and a knife and fork. Throw a 6 and you could start eating the chocolate but you had to put everything on first and use the knife and fork to cut the chocolate.
Finally dad’s treasure hunt pure genius.
Then bed!
I recreated this for my children too!
Fast forward now and it’s just me and dh for breakfast. Cereal for him and a croissant for me. Cook lunch and dd, dsil and dgd arrive. Eat lunch then presents, games and a very light buffet for tea. They leave around 6.30 and we’re done!
How my parents did it heaven only knows.
oh and all the men when I was a child all wore shirts, ties and sports jackets and the ladies all smartly dressed too.

I get up really early then watch the snowman ☃️. Try and wake up my sons but they don't normally surface till later 😔
Open presents and eat chocolate 😄.
Then dinner and watch TV.

Wake up as soon as we hear DS moving around
Sit in bed with him as he finds and opens his stocking (which is on the landing)
Switch on music and lights downstairs via smart plug
Ill make myself look a little tidy but keep Christmas PJs on then we go downstairs
DS will open presents while DH takes 100000 photos and I make tea and toast
Somewhere in this DS will also hand out presents to me and DH and get excited watching us open them
DH will start dinner while me and DS go upstairs and get dressed
Lots of playing with toys with music or the grinch etc playing in the background
(When we weren’t hosting we’d then leave to go to ILs/my parents)
MIL will FaceTime
This year my dm will arrive, give DS his presents and watch him enjoy around 12:30pm
Eat dinner around 1:30
Chatting and playing with presents
Pudding
DM will leave to go to my sisters around 4pm
We’ll drive to FILs (10 mins away) where we’ll see SILs, BILs and all the kids
Presents exchange
Walk around the local park and lake
Opening presents, chatting, games
We’ll be offered food that no one wants as we’re all still full
Home around 7pm
DS bedtime
Me and DH will do the dishwasher, any last bits of tidying then sit in front of a Christmas film. Will probably look at/use any presents (ie start the new book/play the new record etc)
We’ll have a cheese board (this is something I’ve done every Christmas night since I was a teen)
Fall in to bed.

In answer to your questions:
We do matching PJs with all of the ILs when we see them on Christmas Eve. Started the year DS (adopted) came home as a way of showing that we’re all family/connected and we’ve just kept it up. It’s funny and makes for nice photos then and during Christmas morning when DH, DS and me are still wearing them.

And the games - yes, generally DS gets a game we can all play and we’ll use that. I have found that sometimes he’s a bit overwhelmed by the new stuff and will pull out an old favourite toy or game and get everyone to play that - a comfort thing I think.

My kids are young adults and my son lives away. It’s just the three of us (I’m a widow) or we are abroad with my siblings. It runs pretty much the same just with more people when visiting.
Up and gather around tree - usually by 10-11am - open gifts.
Then someone makes breakfast, something like french toast and bacon.
Kids drift off unless one of them is cooking the main meal (last year my DD did it).
Set table/prepare meal.
Eat around 4pm
Game of some sort after - we’ve done poker, scrabble etc. If with family there’s usually other guests do just chat.
in the evening pick at leftovers and watch a Christmas movie.
This year we are going to my son’s house by the sea so a walk on the beach might be added in depending on weather.

7am, shower, coffee
Put last of presents under the tree
Prep the veg
Lay the table
Make any sauces or extras

DS gets up about 10am
We open presents
Breakfast - me smoked salmon & scrambled eggs, him chocolate croissants
Bumble around, he calls his dad. I ring rellies to say Happy Christmas.
Elderly neighbour & her dog come in for coffee & a chat.
Friends arrive and we go for a long walk.

Lunch, about 3ish
Tidy up
Board games, general silliness

8pm - picky bits supper of cold meat, cheese and salad/pickles
More general idleness, music rather than tv

New PJs are just a classic tradition. Also as we wear them all day its nice to have something new and fresh. We dont really do matching though but my youngest two do match this year as they are both into the same thing and would be upset if only one of them got that theme.

We have only been doing the game thing after dinner for the last few years (totally forgot that on my day plan). I usually just buy a classic game and its not a present to anyone. We have done Jenga, Kerplunk, Pop up pirate and stuff like that. Not sure if theres a 'correct' way to do it as it was just something I saw mentioned on here so added it into things we do.

Only DH, me and one 18yo at home. Wake up at a reasonable time, wait for DS, give up and wake him about 10ish.
Champagne and bacon or sausage sandwiches. Pressies, chocolate.
My mum comes, after church, more pressies, more chocolate.
"Lunch" is about 3-4pm, full works, often seafood starter and pavlova or a novelty M&S pudding.
Maybe a short walk at some point.
TV, wine, snacks
DH and I walk Mum home
More wine, bed

We’re just me, DH and our toddler, so Christmas is still evolving for us, but it’s something like this:

• get up, put Christmas music on, make a cup of tea
• first lot of presents from under the tree (while I do the organised mum thing and write down exactly who got what for our daughter so we know what to say thank you for)
• Have a break for breakfast - usually pastries or something fancy like smoked salmon on toast (which I’ve started serving as breakfast instead of a starter at lunchtime)
• a few more presents
• one parent starts lunch prep while the other entertains DD (these roles are fully interchangeable as both DH and I enjoy making the lunch)
• watch a Christmas film or similar while lunch is cooking - also during this time try to fit in as many family phone calls as we can
• lunch around 1-2ish
• one parent takes DD to the park while the other does the clear up
• washing up parent meets the others at the park and all go for a walk
• any remaining presents
• evening watching Christmas tv
• combo dinner of leftovers and picky oven stuff (sausage rolls etc)
• drink once DD has gone to bed (we have a champagne with lunch but don’t want to be drinking too much when we’re taking her out during the day)

We spread the presents out during the day so DD doesn’t get overwhelmed and so the things she opens can be appreciated a bit. I doubt we’ll be able to get away with this for many more years because she’ll want to rip them all open, but while I can moderate it, I will!

We get up at about 7/7.30… open stockings first. I make them open one at a time so it’s wastes some time. DS18 and dd14 still come to our bed to open stockings, they love it. Do the tree presents. Breakfast (always bacon sarnies), then my uncles pop around, shower, take the dog out. Then start the dinner, we always have it around 3pm. Then everyone retires to the lounge whilst me and mum tidy up. Then around 6/6.30 we play games, then cards with Christmas tv on in the background.