When DD was young: we’d be up between 7 and 8 mostly, where she would open her stocking in the sitting room as we”d turn on the oven and kettle then help her. We’d stick in frozen pastries and make a cafetière of coffee and have a relaxed breakfast. And pull the turkey, and the seasoned butter from the fridge. Then proper showers and getting nicely dressed for mid-morning service and a few visits to extended family locally.
We’d get back around 2-2:30 (or pop in on the at to the final visit) to get the seasoned butter under the skin of the bird, stuff it (made stuffing on 24th) and laid streaky bacon over its back and adding a good slosh of white wine to the tray before making the foil tent and putting it in the oven.
When we got home early-mid afternoon, one of us lit the fire and opened a bottle of wine/fizz, while the other dealt with the turkey (prepping or basting as needed), and put a couple of packs of M&S party nibbles in to cook, and any other kitchen bits got done together.
When the nibbles were ready and the kitchen things down for the time being, we’d all have a drink in hand and start opening presents by the fire.
It was a relaxed early evening as we opened presents, popped in to do the next small job on occasion in the kitchen, enjoyed a few small bites and just relaxed with music playing. And making a few calls to family not living nearby to fit around their turkey plans (some eat at lunch, some eat in the evening, and there are different sets of visitors at different times).
Turkey dinner around 6ish. Then a family game of some sort or watching a movie together. And a relatively early night for all (which was a real treat in our house as the slow day was almost only ever on Christmas Day!).
As an adult household now, DD still gets a stocking and we still enjoy a relaxed start with a nice breakfast. We have fewer family visits to make as older relatives are no longer with us. But more phone calls to make. DD may have a glass of fizz (she’s really not a drinker as she’s sports mad) but DH and I will enjoy a bottle of fizz and a nice bottle of wine with dinner. And it’s still a shared job to make the dinner and a quiet relaxed family evening - which is still a rarity for us and our busy lives. Sometimes we go for a family walk depending on what time we have and the weather (DD and I often do a Christmas Eve swim so don’t do it on 25th). But we’ll definitely have a big walk on 26th.