Christmas Traditions.

[threeangels]

I would love to hear what others do every christmas holiday as traditions. We have a B-day cake along with singing for Jesus. My dd came up with this idea several years ago. Also like many other families I know we let the kids pick one gift on christmas eve to open. I would love for my kids to grow up with many of the traditions that I grew up with.

I think my tradition is to get through the whole run up to Christmas, and Christmas itself without having a nervous breakdown!

Oh why, oh why is it so stressful? Is it just me?

Please tell me I'm not alone...

Threeangels - like the idea of turning christmas cake into birthday cake. I've always thought candles would look good on our cake, and now I can explain better to ds about the religious side of things. Thank you.

I know its only October and I'm panicking already and really feeling physically sick when I think about everything to be done.
I have 3 kids who hate shopping and there is no way I can take them, so I have to snatch at limited opportunities.
This year I am starting early and trying to ease the strain both financially and emotionally.
We have had lovely Christmas Days the last two years with just my parents, my fil unfortunately is too frail to travel. I think Christmas is a lovely family time which unfortunately becomes more and more commercial.
We let our children open a few presents on Christmas Eve, half on Christmas Day and the rest on Boxing Day. We find that they don't get so overwrought and overexcited and it makes it into a lovely long celebration.
I always buy a Tunis cake or two because I love them!!!

I could go on and on about Christmas, I love it! Father is German, so our traditions have a teutonic flavour! Tree (as tall as the room) is erected on Christmas eve, and covered with real red apples hanging from threads,chocolates and spicebread biscuits and real candles! (Mother has several buckets of water strategically positioned, and tree is never lit then left unattended!)The smell is absolutely gorgeous! Presents go under the tree on Christmas eve night, after children have gone to bed. Stockings filled with little silly presents on ends of beds, for children to find on Christmas morning. No big presents opened until return from church on Christmas morning, and Mum has had a cup of tea(!). Lunch after present opening. Walk after lunch for those not asleep. Slob out in front of the telly. Maybe my favourite one is next day (Boxing Day) when several more presents are found under the tree- gifts from the tree itself! OK, if any members of my family are secret mumsnetters, then I've given myself away, but then any members of my family would recognise my nickname...

kkgirl, last year i did most of my xmas shopping on the internet - you can even get stuff delivered all wrapped up!

I married the original GRINCH!!! So all the Christmas stuff is up to me - I find it easier to start looking for pressies round about now as I spend less and get better gifts as they are just right rather than those bought in a last minute panic. Our daughter was only 6 weeks old last year so we didn't do anything special but this year I may have the energy to put up some decorations... I am from South Africa with divorced parents so one tradition I have is to always spend Christmas in some country other than South Africa so avoid 'choosing' which one to be with.

A tradition that I started in our family a few years ago is for everyone to have a small present to open after Christmas dinner but before the pudding. This was started because my dad and the youngies got bored waiting for me to let my main drop and finish my wine before going flaming the pudding, so we now all have a small present to open. Only a couple of pound but everyone loves it and everytime we find a different way to give them. Last year everyone gave a present to the person on their left along with a big kiss and hug. We also have the obvious stockings and stuff and church on Christmas morning and always sing happy birthday. AND I LOVE IT!

Tissy

Your message seems so magical. I can imagine it is Christmas Eve its so fairytale. Thats the bit about Christmas I really love, it shouldn't be about spending £100's should be about tiny presents in stockings and apples and all the natural things.
I shall try to make our Christmas more like it this year, it sounds great

I love the idea of making our own special, little quirky Christmas traditions. Things that DS can reminisce (sp?) about and bore my possible future DIL with in years to come....

We've only had one Christmas with DS so far, but I'm sure things will evolve over time. Went for a lovely family walk through the woods late afternoon Christmas Eve (just as it was starting to get dark) last year which I would like to repeat this year assuming I'm home from work early enough. DH and I had an Indian take-away and a quiet evening together before getting DS's presents out. It was so lovely and relaxing. Not sure what both our families thought about the curry the next day but no-one mentioned it Then we had scrambled eggs for a breakfast treat (didn't want just cereal but nothing too heavy). Might repeat that one too.

But I'll be on the lookout to pinch a few of your ideas so keep them coming. I love Christmas but DH is less enamoured so all the impetus comes from me. Every year he tells me we can't have a real Christmas tree because of the pine needles in his car but he always gives in... He knows I'd either pinch his car without telling him or drive around with it stuck out of my Ford Ka at a jaunty angle

We always take time out on Xmas Eve to listen to the Festival of 9 lessons and carols from Kings - for me that's where Xmas begins, and it's when I sit down and start to unwind, relax and enjoy it all. For breakfast on Xmas day we have homemade cranberry and walnut American muffins (made in advance and frozen, then defrosted and warmed in the microwave - yummy) with hazelnut coffee - a reminder of a wonderful Xmas we spent in the States with relatives once. The kids open their stockings of little presents from Santa in our bed first thing, then we open big presents from under the tree mid-morning with a glass of bubbly. Just as it starts to get dark in the afternoon we all go for a walk around to look at people's Christmas lights.

One tradition we started last year when DS2 was 2 1/2 is sprinkling Magic Reindeer Food outside before he went to bed. I take no credit for it - I found it on the internet last year and thought is was really cute.

The recipe is (if you're interested, if you're not then look away now ...)

Ingredients
Oats
Green & red sugar crystals (or colour ordinary sugar with green & red food colouring)
Small jar or a resealable bag
A lid/cellophane disk & rubber band to seal the jar.

Method
Simply layer the ingredients in the jar for an attractive finish or just mix them all up in the small resealable bag.
Add a label with the following instructions:

MAGIC REINDEER FOOD
Take this magic reindeer food and sprinkle on the lawn,
Santa?s magic reindeer must fly far before the dawn.
The smell of oats and crystal path will guide them on their way,
And you?ll wake up to Santa?s gifts next morn on Christmas day.

Give to your child at bedtime on Christmas eve to sprinkle outside for Santa?s reindeer. The ingredients are all biodegradable and edible so even if the reindeer don?t eat it, the birds might. If your little one is likely to check, go and sweep it up when they've gone to bed!! Don?t forget to encourage your little ones to leave Santa a plate of your favourite cookies & a drink by the fire and a carrot for Rudolph!

SoupDragon - I love that idea - will definitely pinch it for use this year!

We have only had dd for one year but I have always so enjoyed baking gingerbread to go on the tree in the lead up and then Christmas Eve doing all the preps, covering the house with holly and mistletoe and candles and having a few glasses of bubbly with DH whilst putting finishing touches to presents.

This year we are going to start a new tradition in my family. DD has so many toys and teddies etc that we are all going to donate a certain amount of money or in my case a toy hamper to Dr Barnardos or another children's shelter and only buy small presents for each other (grown ups excluding spouses) and just buy some gifts for Dd and other less fortunate children.

I must admit I love Christmas and all that goes with it, it's really special for my family. DH and I have a nice tradition of Christmas shopping in town (London) for a day with a nice boozy lunch in a posh restaurant as a big treat. It's great.

Im having an easy christmas this year. We are all going to Blackpool to stay in a hotel with husbands mum, dad, nan. Cant wait. So I dont have to bother with tradition this year.

Hi Everyone - I havent had the chance yet to read all your replies to my question about traditions but am looking forward to when I can break away from packing and unpacking. What a STRESSFUL DAY!

Hi Everyone, I love Christmas, just reading about all your traditions has given me a warm glow. I used to love the build up to Christmas as a child. Starting with helping my mum make the puddings and cake in the October half-term and taking it in turns to make a wish as we stirred the mixture. Then as it got nearer putting up the decorations listening to Christmassy music, and on Christmas Eve each of us children drawing and decorating a name tag to pin on our pillowcases, which we left out for Father Christmas so he would know who's was who's and leaving out a mincepie and a coffee for him.

I really want my two to look back on their childhood Christmasses in the same way, and am determined to start some traditions of our own. Even down to bringing out the same old decorations every year. Can't wait to read more of your traditions to see if I can pinch some!!

I am looking forward to Christmas so much now. Dd will be 10 mo, so this is our first time to start our own traditions. I love the reindeer food, the idea of having some of the presents on Christmas Day and the rest on Boxing Day. DD family always have stocking present Christmas morning, a 'table' present with lunch and then tree presents in the afternoon. I think that the little present with the hug and the kiss is wonderful. One 'tradition' I wanted to copy from a friend was to jingle some bells outside at bedtime (my friend used to tell her dd that Santa wouldn't come until they were asleep. They'd better get a move on since they could hear the sleigh bells) She then used to sprinkle some glitter from the door up to the bedroom and the Christmas tree so they could see where Santa went.

We always leave a mince pie and a glas of single malt for Santa - and Santa always seems to enjoy them very much .

As we have travelled around the world on holiday etc (starting well before ds and dd came along) we have collected little things to go on the Christmas tree. We have painted birds from Central America, shells picked up on a beach on Cape Cod (painted gold and tied with red ribbons), wise men from Cyprus, buddhist medallions from Nepal, a wooden santa from Switzerland, and other homemade or bought things like that. The kids love hearing the stories behind each thing as we decorate the tree, and each year we remember some good times past as we do it.

I'm glad it's not justs me who is starting to feel christmassy!!!!!!
Our traditions so far...(ds is only 2)are going to the garden centre to buy our tree and playing christmas music on the car stereo.DH and I decorating the tree while ds is asleep and then coming downstairs in the morning and turning the tree lights on before he gets up so that he gets a surprise!!(His 1st christmas he was 10months old,and we brought him down and showed him the tree and his reaction was so comical.He turned his head really quickly between the two of us and the tree and pointed and made 'look!!!' noises.As if it was a surprise for us too!!!)Midnight communion on christmas eve, stockings in bed in the morning,big presents after breakfast and games like charades after lunch.
I feel all emotional now!!! Pity it takes so much work and money!!!

We'll be in the Caribbean sitting on the beach drinking Coke. I can't wait.

tillysmummy, what a very good idea. Christmas tradtions in our house so far are me speaking to Father Christmas on the phone (actually ring ex dh) to let him know whether ds is asleep yet, me: "no, I'm sorry, he's not, you'll have to leave it a while I'm afraid, but I will ring you when he is asleep" - ds, listening at the top of the stairs, "did you tell him I am trying to sleep though?", leaving out a mince pie and scotch for FC and a carrot for the reindeer (debated whether to go with the whole father christmas myth but since I have, I really go for it) a real tree with loads of tacky decorations, a stocking with satsumas and chocolates and other little things, lots of chocolate, singing carols with my family.

Oh and rhiannon, I'm soooo envious!

Rhiannon - don't be surprised if you get offered something stronger by a passer by

Father Christmas a myth??? What are you talking about WWW???

I'm only just starting to get Christmas traditions as I am jewish and we have never had Christmas in the family home (we had our own Chanukkah traditions). DH is very into tradition, but I think I have got him to agree that we'll have Christmas at our house this year (last year I had flu and spent Christmas morning being sick in bed, going to the in-laws and only getting up for lunch!). I love the reindeer food idea and will have that. We have a fake tree (!) and do it early, I love looking at it! and loads of pressies. Stockings only in the morning (actually the biggest lumpiest ski socks we can find) and no pressies till after lunch and the Queen. This year I'm looking forward to doing the whole lunch thing, I might even make my own cake. I'm veggie so I'll do that as well as the whole turkey thing! I am excited already!

I'm excited too Chrunchie. I like the idea of putting the tree up at night so that it appears like magic to DS (or maybe in Sunday afternoon nap). Thanks Alexsmum. Also practical to keep DS's mitts out of the way....

What age did you all introduce some of these traditions? eg stockings. I would love to give DS one but suspect at 22 months he might be a bit young. What do you think? I'm sure I'm going to struggle to sleep Christmas Eve as ut is....

And like Tillysmummy DH and I take a day off work while DS is at nursery and go out and spoil ourselves - shopping without buggy and toddler and changing bag, a nice restaurant for lunch, hold hands etc. Got it booked. We're going to Manchester this year.