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Original poster

Do you have any special Xmas traditions??

32 replies

Pinklaura80 · 31/08/2006 12:28

This year will be the first Xmas that we are gonna spend together as a family - me, hubby and Damian (3), we normally spend the day at my mums - I'd like to create a special day with our own traditions and was wondering whether you have a special traditions for the day xx

OP posts:
Original poster
Pinklaura80 · 31/08/2006 12:30

The only thing we do at the minute is to visit the graveyards and put flowers down for family and friends who have passed xx

OP posts:
Greensleeves · 31/08/2006 12:35

We do - I'm not sure it qualifies as a "tradition" yet, but we've done it every year since we've had ds1 and I plan to carry on doing it as they grow up. We have "Snowman Night" on Christmas eve. The children have snowman pyjamas - bought specially - which are given to them to put on on Christmas eve. We make snowmen biscuits, put white icing on them and decorate them with little sweets, raisins etc and eat them. Then we make snowmen out of card, cotton wool, glitter etc and put them up around the dining room. Then we all adjourn to the living room, have cocoa with white "snow" marshmallows and watch "The Snowman" before the kids put their stockings/sherry/mince pie out and go to bed.

I love things like this - I am very twee at Christmas

Original poster
Pinklaura80 · 31/08/2006 12:39

me too, greensleeves, i love to create happy and magical moments that my kids will remember for the rest of their lives

OP posts:
fattiemumma · 31/08/2006 12:40

not necessarily for the day but i bought one of those old fashioned advent calendars...you know with the spaces for you to put sweets.

well instead of sweeties i put tree decs that i have made with the kids.
every day they put another dec on the tree (we have a little 3ft one especially for this) and the xmas eve one is the star for the top.

I have a stencile shaped like a boot that i use to make glittery footprints on the back step...the idea being they see where Father christmas has walked. i also spread a little bit of glitter through the house (its murder to hoover but great fun)

We alwasy leave mince pies out for father christmas and (as much as i despise them) i always make sure there is half of one left, with teeth marks in.

The presents that are from father christmas are always wrapped in different paper. and the gift note is always printed with a handwritten font. that way it looks like its someones writing but its not my own....as they get older its a bit of a give away if mummy has wrapped and written the card!

DD is only 2 but i will ake them take turns in opening their presents. Ds opens one then DD then mummy then ds again etc etc that way theyw ont be rushing through what they have and will both enjoy watching each other get their gifts.

they arent really traditions as such but things i like to do (or wil do) to make it that littel bit more special

MrsBadger · 31/08/2006 12:44

Um, just Advent calendars, stockings (always with chocolate money in the toe) and DH's old LP of Captain Beaky while we make lunch.

To be honest anything Christmassy is exciting for children, even if it's only making cards, sticking the sprig of plastic holly in the pudding, rolling the sausages in bacon etc etc.

I have a low tweeness threshold though!

MarsLady · 31/08/2006 12:47

Got to start the day with scrambled eggs and smoked salmon washed down with champers!

MarsLady · 31/08/2006 12:47

Greeny.... how lovely. I might just do something like that with the DTs. Awwwwwwwww

puddle · 31/08/2006 12:50

Most of our traditions are Christmas eve ones.

We make a lollipop tree (getting a lovely bit of branch and decorating it with ribbons and sweets).

We read 'the night before christmas' and 'kipper's christmas eve' before bed.

We follow santa's journey round the world on Norad and work out when he'll arrive at our house.

And we always go somewhere nice for lunch on Christmas eve and go for a walk afterwards(this tradition is more for the adults.....)

puddle · 31/08/2006 12:54

We do different wrapping paper from Father C too. We do stockings in the morning and open the family presents after lunch. Everyone has stockings in our house.

We a Rat Pack Christmas songs cd which I always play on the day. I also insist on listening to Radio 4's lessons and carols on Christmas eve.

AnelaSunshine · 31/08/2006 12:54

Ooh these all sound lovely!
Sorry , am I being thick? What's norad?

puddle · 31/08/2006 12:56

On Christmas Eve hundreds of thousands of children will be tracking Santa Claus on the Internet thanks to North American military satellites.

BBC Science Correspondent Sue Nelson: Follow Santa's progress on the Net
As Santa delivers presents around the world, Norad - the North American Aerospace Defence Command - will use their satellite surveillance network to keep track of him.

"It's a thumbs up for Santa's move into cyber space," said Danny Meadows-Klue of The UK's Electronic Telegraph.

"There are a lot of Santa Websites out there but there's nothing else on this scale, which lets you watch him fly round the world on his sleigh."

MrsBadger · 31/08/2006 12:57

Norad - the American defence radar track Santa in real time around the globe.

Forgot to mention Nine Lessons and Carols as it's impossible to envisage Christmas without it - like I didn't mention we have a Christmas tree .

puddle · 31/08/2006 12:58

Oh, and the children have chosen a new tree decoration every year each since they were little. They get really excited remembering them all when we do the tree.

muma3 · 31/08/2006 12:58

we have a massive fried brekkie
open all the small prezzies
have lunch started by prawn cocktail
drink too much
open rest of prezzies
friends and family come round
have a buffet in eve
wacth cheesy films when kids zonked out

SherlockLGJ · 31/08/2006 12:59

Does anyone go to Church ??

AnelaSunshine · 31/08/2006 13:03

How fab is Norad?! Thanks for that.

foxtrot · 31/08/2006 13:19

Norad is FAB but my DS couldn't get to sleep for the excitement!
Homemade crackers (got cheapo kits in the local pound shop last year)
Santa footprints outside made from instant snow found on ebay
Fruit juice 'cocktails' for the children with paper umbrellas etc.
Candles on the christmas cake (well it is supposed to be someone's birthday!)

Nemo1977 · 31/08/2006 13:26

My two are only 2.10yrs and 8mths but we spend xmas eve making little biscuits, take children to xmas eve mass or will go to midnight mass but they tend to be asleep. Always have no xmas themed pjs and clean bedding etc. Put out our santa plate with niscuit we made, glass of milk, our special key to let santa in is placed outside and we leave some reindeer food. When we wake up in morning dh has to come down and check santa has been [tunrs on fire puts some toast in etc]. WE covered up ds main present last year and opened the others taking turns. Then at end we see what santa brought which is when he 'finds' the big present..lol Spend morning playing etc then my sisters come to visit. We then go to pil where there are more presents and we have dinner with them. Then we come home and zonk.

trice · 31/08/2006 13:29

We have new christmas pjs on christmas eve and go out to scatter food for the reindeer in the garden and tie carrots to the trees with ribbons. It is quite difficult to get teeth marks in the carrots at 1am while pissed. Father christmas likes mince pies and a glass of port in a special christmas glass.

the kids help me make swedish apple soup for chrismas eve with gingerbread croutons.

Orlando · 31/08/2006 13:29

At some point around Boxing Day dh always says 'It just doesn't feel very christmassy'

It's become a tradition, of a sort.

Anchovy · 31/08/2006 13:36

My sister always brings a new boyfriend round (she's 36). Its a time honoured tradition in our family. Last year we had a bit of a hiatus when the one planned to be introduced was revealed a couple of days before Christmas to have had a secret baby during the year (conceived on a fling before going out with my sister, but born while they were going out). It was a fantastically entertaining period - my DSis generally lives her life as though she was in EastEnders while the rest of us watch primly from the sidelines.

I don't want to count my chickens, but this year's one is shaping up nicely...

harrogatemum · 31/08/2006 13:38

yes - we all drink way too much Cava starting from about 10.30am whilst opening pressies.

Then we have a tradition of someone having an argument about the potatoes being soggy and no good for roasting so we have to start them again.

But seriously, last year on Boxing Day we played Call my Bluff or Balderdash or whatever you want to call it and had the greatest fun we've had for ages (my Mum's definition of the word "Bishopsstool" was "a special kind of seat used in the middle ages upon which clergymen would pass motions during long services".....and that will now be a tradition going forward!!

Greensleeves · 31/08/2006 13:38

PMSL Orlando

Did you see the Grumpy Old Men Christmas edition? It had me in stitches, especially Will Self. Excruciating.

KathyMCMLXXII · 31/08/2006 13:41

MIL has come to my parents house for the last two years and they have had exactly the same conversation, over Christmas tea, about Derbyshire versus South Yorkshire dialect and what word they used to use for muffin.
I am expecting it to happen again this year and for many many years into the future.

cg25 · 31/08/2006 13:42

Message withdrawn

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