Christmas - How to have a really nice traditional one

[UCM]

I know I know I know - it's August.

However, for the first time I have got guests and I want to make it really special.

We don't have any particular traditions but would welcome some. Nothing too expensive though.

I just want the day to be a little bit different and not just the pressie opening in the morning, dinner and crash out on sofa watching shite telly.

reading this makes me feel excited about christmas and it is only August!!!

Talking of Christmas traditions, something that really annoys me about DH's family (and I mentioned it last year, so I think things will change this year - humph!) is that they just go off and open presents by themselves. I think this goes back to when he was little - his parents probably traded a lie in for him opening his presents alone as soon as he got up. However, I think this is really rude and mercenery. I don't expect everybody to see every single present opened, but there should be some ceremony about it (preferably involving bucks fizz!)

Re: TV, I once spent a great Christmas at a friends house. They didn't turn on TV all day, but did have a couple of pre-chosen DVD's to watch. I think this is a good compromise - you get to crash out but it has a bit more ceremony to it than just watching whatever happens to be on. (However, I will definitely be watching Dr Who).

With timings, we have found it easier to have a buffet lunch (smoked salmon etc.) and to eat at around 5 as this fits in better with feeding children. Also it means you still feel like doing stuff in the afternoon if you aren't cooking, and potentially allows the cook a bit more of a lie in.

Meanwhile, our big tradition is swimming outside on the day, but I appreciate that might not be practical for everyone...

in some families a bust up is a family tradition. it doesn't have to be expensive unless the house is trashed in the process.

My 2 kids have been performing in panto for the last 3 years with only xmas day off

They absolutely love it and say it wouldnt be christmas for them without the excitment of the xmas eve performance or secret santa cast gifts boxing day but this year ive said NO because I want a christmas myself!!!

I have been a taxi for 3 years now and would like to have more than 1 day off. I now have very stroppy 13 and 10 year olds!!

Am I mean?

skribble you have your PIL in bed with you?

fill stocking (adults too!) christmas eve (everyone in sitting room with stocking fillers trying to surreptitiously stuff stockings with silly cheap but useful and practical gifts! - it can be done!!!, using scraps of old christmas paper from year before - trying to be environemtallyy friendly as well!)...

night before the littlies send their letters to father christmas... write/draw on paper their wants and thenw e put it in the fire and watch the sparks go up to father christmas..

in the morning we open stocking together....

then designate jobs for everyone carrots/ potatoes/ sprouts - this is the booby prize which we usually designate to the surly teenagers!!! ha! ha! / chocolate log etc

when christmas pud comes in we 'play' it in with the band (the littlies with assorted pots and pans and wooden spoons) making a helll of a racket

i could go on and on....

all these things are traditions from dh's side of the family... i love it to bits and it so lovely as this is what his mum and family did when they were younger... it is a huge family (usually 30 for dinner) so there is always someone on hand as well to dole out the alcohol!!!

have a lovely christmas...

Ours seems pretty standard:
open stockings in bed - always some chocolate money, up and dressed in nice clothes (pmsl last year when several eminent MNers confessed they had special sparkly knitwear for Christmas Day). Then treaty items for breakfast eg champagne / smoked salmon / pain au chocolat etc.
No church on Christmas Day itself but generally carol service the day/week before. No television (doesn't include new dvds we can't wait to watch though) and we usually get out for a walk after lunch to watch everyone parading in their new jumpers, riding new bikes etc.

The only actual 'tradition' we have is listening to DH's ancient LP of Captain Beaky either while we clear breakfast or make lunch - we did this the very first Christmas we spent together and it evolved into a running joke and then into a tradition.

Actually thinking about it the best tradition we have is Not Seeing Family - we put our feet down a long time ago to avoid the PIL Tug-Of-War, and generally have my family down the weekend before Christmas and go to PIL for New Year, which means we get to see everyone but never have to stress on Christmas Day itself. I really recommend it!

oh yes! we open pressies after christmas lunch 3 ish... but this could go on till 5 ish... when it's time to start thinking about turkey snadwiches...

Wish we could open pressies after lunch - that seems so much more civilised than trying to enjoy watching kids with an eye on the clock thinking of the food. (Ex scuppered that one as we had to open pressies before going off to see his relatives for lunch, and I can't take that away from DD really now as she is used to it).

My ideal would be stockings in the morning, play a game or watch a film as a family (allowing for quick turkey-basting dashes out) or go to church as fits your lifestyle, leisurely lunch, presents, time for kids to play and adults to sit feeling stuffed, maybe a walk to get appetite for the turkey sandwiches.

I LOVE Christmas.

If you do your pressies in the morning, you could always hold back a couple that Santa "forgot" - put them outside the front door and have someone to sneak out the back, run round and ring the bell before dashing back in, so you can open the door to a little extra from Santa. (Or perhaps you could ask a neighbour to ring your bell when you text them, if you're in a terrace, or if your bins are out the front you could go to put the rubbish out and say "look what's been left" etc)

This of course assumes you are somewhere that you can leave a present on your doorstep for 5 minutes!!!