How do you sepnd Christmas?

[Hulababy]

Following on from soem comments I have read on MN elsewhere really.

Just curious (nosey!) as to what others do over Christnmas regards where they are, who they see, etc.

my christmases are allways crap i spend it with dd and dp , dp sulks all day cause he gets bored! i see my best frield but dont see family

Christmas day is fot family, we are lucky(possibly!!) that both sets of parents are very close, so I cook for about 14, most of my day is spent in the kitchen with gallons of G&T, which funnily enough is quite good! Last Christmas Day was magical though with the snow!

Boxing Day - football or a long walk somewhere!

morning at home, opening pressies. then entire family descends on one house for an hour (and i mean entire - aunties, uncles cousins etc), then dinner with my mum and dad. ds1 & 2 go to their dads at 2pm so we then usually go for a walk or something with ds3. dont see dps mum cos she lives quite far away and doesnt like staying away from home. see her weekend before or something

For us:

Dec 23rd is my nana's birthday (my dad's mum) so during the day or early evening we also viisiit her at home. My parents, and oftne my brother and sister will come over too. And there all the rest of the family popping in and out that day too.

Christmas Eve morning - last minute shopping and preparation

Christmas Eve afternoon - will visit my parents and DH's parents (they live in same town only 40 mins drive away from us). Mainly to collect presents from them, and also to have a quick drink and for them to catch some of DD's magic Before DD both families would meet in pub for drinks. But now we try and be home well in time for DD's bedtime - so we can do the whole stockings, mince pie and sherry routine.

Christmas day - always spent at home, just the three of us. We started this as soon as we mioved in together, when just the two of us. Means no travelling and messing around, and we can both relax and drink. And DD gets to open her presents in leisure and to play with her new stuff. last year we all went to a local restaurant for a Christmas meal - walking distance, which was lovely. Otherwise food is nice and simple to prepare, but quite traditional, just courtesy of M&S

Boxing Day - my parents, brother and sister, DH's parents, brother and SIL all come over to our place in the afternoon. We do a big buffet. Some may stay over (brothers/sisters etc) too - depends on when bank holidays fall. Very relaxed and good fun.

Then rest of the holiday depends on who is off and when. We will generally over the week spend some time and a meal at both sets of parents house.

And New year's Eve may be spent with friends or family - no plans made till last minute since having DD.

shouldve added a few in places, we always enjoy xmas, didnt want whole thing to look sad!

Last year we and our best friends and their children rented a 100 year old country church converted into a holiday home and stayed there! When we woke on christmas day we were snowed in! It was very magical! this year we are having a cosy day at home with just us and the kids!

At home, with my dh and dc. When I was young we spent it at home with our parents, and now we do the same. It's a good day, but it would be nice to have my parents over for Christmas, or my sister, or both, especially since my sister and my dad would like to, but my mum wouldn't.

It's a shame because my parents give us our Christmas presents really early (Oct/Nov) so there's no surprises, but dh and I insist on our children opening their pressies on Christmas day.

DS2's birthday is 22nd December too, so when he gets older, it will probably be more hectic!

It's cancelled this year! Bump will only be 5-7 weeks old at most and the last thing I'm going to want to do is troll around or have folks over! Usually though FIL would come over from Wales on Xmas Eve or 23 Dec just to drop off presents (has to do 'the rounds' so only stays about an hour) then rest of Xmas Eve to ourselves - just DH & I.
Xmas Day - out with my folks for a curry and then back to theirs/ours for a few drinks etc and evening to DH & I
Boxing Day - to MILs for family get together, buffet & drinks, evening to DH & I
Rest of holiday visiting various DH relatives (I'm from a VERY small family and they all live miles & miles away).
New Year's Eve - meal out just DH & I at our favourite non-rip-off-just-cos-its-New-Year restaurant, back home for 1am.

We stay at home and have my dad and sister & her two kids stay with us. All the family gather at one house for an hour at about 11.00am whose house is different every year.

We send them home on bocing day then ususally go to stay with friend or go to centreparcs with friend the day after for the New Year. We don't see Dp's familly as they live a couple of hours away we normally got to them early December for a weekend.

Our first baby is due around Xmas this year so i imagine things will be changing slightly.

I lurrrrve Christmas! We're always at home - went away once and it was entirely miserable.

This year I'll have grown-up ds1 (but not his dw) and ds2 and possibly his g/friend, also my two dd's but sadly, no dh as he'll be abroad, working.

We have porridge for breakfast, with whisky and cream in, and Bucks Fizz (great combination, lol!!) then carry on with the BF while opening presents. We have dinner at some point in the afternoon, after which I lie on a sofa and go to sleep (unless my mother is here, in which case I have a migraine and go to bed for several hours)while everyone else clears up the debris. If anyone's hungry later on they have to go on a hunter/gatherer expedition in the fridge.

At New Year dh will be home, also the boys' partners and ds1's inlaws, so that's...um...10, or 11 if dd's b/friend is here too. Looks like someone will sleeping on the sofa but I guarantee it won't be me!

Oh, drat, I've just thought. Dd1 is working on Xmas Day so I'll have to delay my Bucks Fizz extravaganza until I've collected her. How annoying.

We get uo open pressies and then go over and see my dad and brothers (dp pops to see his kids whilst we are there). Then we come back and my mom comes round and also usually my one brother comes here for dinner too.

Does anyone have any suggestions for a non crap christmas? Our last three Christmas's have been horrible and I really want it to be a happy one this year!!!

Me x

Either at home, with my parentd or with in-laws. Alwats see my family eityer the week before or the week after. Loved the Xmas me and dh spent on our own though, she says wistfully

usually
xmas eve we go to midnight mass in carmalite monastry it is lovely and really brings xmas in..we go with dh parents. Last year we didnt as ds was just one but may go this year as he is a bit older so will sit still with a book but depends as baby is due on 16th so if on time we will go.
xmas morning open presents at home with ds
Then my sisters arrive at about 10-12
Go to dhs parents at 1-5 ish or they come to us. Then home and ds plays while i try and tidy up some of the mess...lol Then ds goes to bed and we usually have a small drink, eat too much choccie and watch a xmas film/dvd.
Boxing day dh is usually back in work although we are hoping this year that he will be home on paternity leave

Normally have everyone round to ours Christmas day and Boxing day,and end up cooking for 10.
After dinner some of us watch tv and the rest of us play Monopoly,Trivial pursuit and Scattegories.
This year though we're all going to the local carvery on Christmas day,but having everyone as usual on Boxing day.

We're going to Egypt and sailing on the red sea

pre ds i worked all of Christmas. Didnt celebrate it in any shape or form, no cards up, no pressies no tree no decs. Complete humbug.
Now we do the works and i love it, for ds and for our selves, love it.
Try to have Christmas day off if at all possible although i have had the past 2 off so i think i will have to work this year

this xmas at home playing a new board game we buy. we cook a big dinner and relish every single second we are 300 miles away from any relatives.

we are saving up becuase xmas 2006 we are going snowboarding - first time snowboarding skiing or anything and it will cost a fortune for 5 "adults" adults my arse - thats a different thread

In past years kids get up early start opening pressies while ex-p prepared xmas tea for us,kids and my dad,speak to different relatives throughout the day.
What i would love to do is take the 3 kid sout somewhere really family like,christmassy!! then have dinner out on xmas day,so......this is our first year just me and the kids so guess what,this year we are going to see mother goose panto in theatre on xmas eve,come home have cosy night,get up ealry have mega fun in our pj's me and the kids then take us all out to dinner,me ,kids and my dad,then come home for more fun and pressie opening.There is no way im spending our first xmas on our own with my kids on their own in the sitting room and me slaving away in the kitchen so big splash out his year for us,just means a litle less on the pressie front,but more memory making i think!!

here in Aus - sometimes on holidays at the beach, sometimes at home

get up early
open some presents
breakfast
either go to the beach or travel to who evers place we are having lunch at ( if we are all around take it in turns between my 2 siblings, mum and me)
open family presents
eat cold lunch - seafood, cold cuts, salads, etc
and dessert - iceream, cheesecake, pavlova etc
vege out/go for a swim again/have a kip

go home/stay at the beach

light dinner
go to bed knackered

Depending on where we are - may go to midnight mass ( not quite the same as going in the UK - walking through sleet and rain )

Boxing day - catch up with extended family - aunts uncles et - eat too much again and generally chill out.

As in laws are in England do not need to do the mad run between the two families.

Last year was a bit hectic - dd2 was only 5 weeks old and it was our first christmas in Aus so we had everyone here ( mad or what!!) But my SIL's were fab - they helped prepare some of the lunch - the cousins spent the day in and out of the pool and I just took it easy.

This year were are off to the beach as my brother lives at the coast.

When we were in the UK - it was just dd and us and then we caught up with dh's family later in the week - possible boxing day or something like that.