Read how Mumsnet users make their Christmas magical

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From picking out the perfect Christmas tree and hanging mistletoe above the door, to tracking Santa on NORAD, the Christmas period is full of magical moments for both parents and children alike. Whether you have certain traditions you do every year, or you want to try out something new this time around, IKEA want to hear the ways you make Christmas magical.

Here’s what IKEA have to say: “This season is about gathering your loved ones, being cosy and enjoying time together. Everyone has their own way of celebrating. Whether you put up a tree or simply light a candle, it’s easy to create a home that is designed for magical moments.
We love offering solutions to make it easier and more fun to interact at home, whether sharing a meal, playing games, or just having a chat. When guests are visiting there’s nothing like lighting candles to get the festive mood just right. Try some Christmas scented candles (out of reach from little ones), with the winter spices ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and nutmeg, to help you create a welcoming feeling of warmth and cosiness.”

Which Christmas moments do your children love the most? Do you write letters to and leave treats out for Father Christmas and the reindeer? How do you keep the magic alive as your children get older? Which magical Christmas moments were your favourite when you were a child, and have you tried to recreate them with your own children?

Share how you make Christmas magical on the thread below to be entered into a prize draw where 1x MNer will win a £300 IKEA e-gift card.

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

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My Grandad used to take me to see Santa every year and Id look forward to it every year, he made the whole day special and I hope to carry this tradition on with my children.
This year my DD doesn't understand 'Christmas' but is old enough to be excited by it all, so I am going to make our front room look so magical just to see her little face light up.
We have written her letter to Santa and she posted it herself, and we will be leaving out treats for Santa and Rudolph on Christmas eve.
Christmas doesn't have to be lavishly expensive, its the little things like choosing a special bauble each year and watching childrens eyes light up that make it so nice.

All of us putting up and decorating the tree together is one of my favourite traditions - we all know our different roles/strengths ( i am on untangling fairy lights, but my husband is in charge of putting them on the tree) and we use mainly the same decorations each year, so it's lovely to see the old favourites come down from the attic. Our four year old gets stuck in, and gets so excited when he realises that Christmas is coming.

We have the elves arriving on the 1st December bringing the advent calendars and a tree decoration, this is the first day of our christmas. We put up the decorations on the 1st too and put the Christmas CD in the car. Then the elves leave little gifts and activities throughout December. We then go to see the big man after we pick up the eldest on his last day of school and have a fabulous time. Then the elves leave Christmas eve and leave a thank you package of pjs chocolate and a movie for the evening. In the day we like to go and see a movie, this year we are going to leave watching frozen 2 till Christmas eve. It truly is a magical month, and start new traditions each year.

Elfis the elf visiting through December, leaving little treats, or a note reminding our son about good behaviour! Then on Christmas Eve, Elfis leaves him a treasure hunt to keep him busy on this most exciting day & the prize is always an activity that will keep our son entertained for the rest of the day, making Christmas day come quicker for him & giving us a chance to get the chores done

Things we do to mark Christmas include

• a trip to see Father Christmas with their cousins
• attending a carol service at a nearby cathedral.
• going out together to choose a Christmas tree and then decorating it together (I do then have to do some rearranging of the decorations when they’ve gone to bed!).

They love putting the Christmas tree up together with the Christmas music on all singing along. They also love the return of the elves which I’m not so impressed with! 🤦🏼‍♀️

Which Christmas moments do your children love the most?

Listening out for Santa and his reindeer on Christmas Eve is a big favourite especially if we have put some reindeer food out.
Then of course on Christmas morning it’s time to check if Santa ate the mince pie and the reindeer ate the carrots.

Do you write letters to and leave treats out for Father Christmas and the reindeer?
Yes, my dc gets his best writing paper out and all his felt pens to do the letter, which takes several days to complete !

How do you keep the magic alive as your children get older?
Decorations, Christmas parties, ice skating and Christmas films / theatre

Which magical Christmas moments were your favourite when you were a child, and have you tried to recreate them with your own children?
As a child I really enjoyed getting all the decorations out and dressing the tree, and of course this is something we still love to do. I keep all the homemade / school made decorations too and continue to hang them on the tree.

Watching Muppets Christmas Carol and Gremlins with mulled wine

We keep it simple, some twinkling lights and tinsel, one special meal for the three of us and lots of movies together.

It's only our son's second Christmas, but we started a tradition last year of buying a new, meaningful Christmas decoration each year - something to remind us of each year of his life - not bought this year's yet but looking for something suitable!

we all go xmas tree shopping together, choose a new decoration each and then come home drink hot chocolate and marshmallows while listening to xmas music and we put the deciratons and tree up

My Christmas tree is up all year round with all the fairy lights too. I like it so much I don't see why I have to put it away! Our best Christmas traditions are the Christmas Eve afternoon curry cook and the walk round the park on Christmas Day morning. The curry cook is the start of it all, the shopping done, the house warm, the fairy lights on and the playlist set up! A great feeling!

Christmas Eve was a,ways my favourite bit about Christmas, going to be bed in new pyjamas.
Always being fascinated that once finally asleep I would wake and not remember the 8 hours I was asleep.
Hoping that I would get what I’d asked for, excited that I was getting gifts. Knowing that there would be present on the end of my bed left by santa.
Birthdays never had the excitement levels of Christmas.

my eldest is helping me this year with the younger two, they will all go to see santa once before xmas and send letter, which they get a reply on xmas eve :)

Ever since I was very little I’ve loved watching cookery programmes on TV, so for me one way to guarantee feeling Christmassy is to put on the Christmas specials of those, especially Nigella, Delia and Jamie.

The Christmas market on a crisp cold evening is always good, especially with mulled cider in hand.

The Christmas pop playlist goes on throughout Advent. Otherwise, it’s preschoolers singing Away In A Manger that gets me every time.

Has to be Christmas eve watching or favourite Christmas films with the family. Early night, Early rise ready for a family festive dinner

When I was a child I used to love visiting relatives we wouldn't see on Christmas Day on Christmas Eve to deliver their presents. It always felt like Christmas was 'real' to me then.

On Christmas morning my sister and I would be stupidly excited and awake at about 4.30 am - we were allowed to open just one present from out pillowcase stockings before mum and Dad got up.

Which Christmas moments do your children love the most?

Their chocolate advent calendars.

Do you write letters to and leave treats out for Father Christmas and the reindeer?

Oh yes, we write a list together and send it to the North Pole and leave him cornflake buns and milk out by the chimney.

How do you keep the magic alive as your children get older?

I make Christmas footprints on the floor, and cover the fireplace with glitter.

Which magical Christmas moments were your favourite when you were a child, and have you tried to recreate them with your own children?

Going to see Father Christmas, and as there is a really good 'helper' in our local garden centre, we always go there on the last weekend before Christmas, and have lunch out there.

My magical Christmas moments were sitting at the table for Christmas dinner and my grandma had party poppers and little wrapped presents on the table. She thought crackers didn’t give enough of a bang and the surprises were a bit naff. I do the same thing with my 6 year old, she loves it. Although now I’m the one preparing the meal I’ve stopped aiming the party poppers to land in food…

Go choose Christmas tree from local farm, moment husband is about to start chopping it, change mind and suggest another. Do this at least 5 times before deciding to go with a pre-cut goodun. Squash in car, try to prevent kids blinding selves on pine needles bursting through every crevice. Home to decorate, (detangle fairy lights we forgot to pack away nicely last year, blue tac fairy’s wing back on, tell child to stop bashing cat with giant reindeer).

Local community centre to have Xmas disco and meet “Farmer Christmas”, eat 3000 party rings, getting high enough off e-numbers to serenade FC with all the carols about baby ‘cheesus’.

The last few years we have hosted the family as my parents aren’t up to that job any longer, elbow deep in the turkey’s arse, Prosecco on the go, laughter and silliness emanating from the living room, parents dog chewing party poppers, more family arriving, kids galloping around squealing with laughter, more Prosecco, games, presents and inadvertently setting fire to the table cloth when lighting the Xmas pud.

Can’t bloody wait!

This year we are going to the panto as a family and I’d love to make that a tradition while they’re so little.

Oh and putting the tray together for Farmer Christmas on Xmas eve, yes darlings he prefers Prosecco, not beer, and leave him malteasers yes, yes, or the whole chocolate orange why not, he’s a busy chap, he will be hungry. It’s bonkers and beautiful!

Lights, tinsel, Christmas stockings hung on the staircase, and on the big day, I buy spray snow, and Santa footprints so they can see where he has walked from the chimney to the Santa Sacks under the windowsil.

We leave a mince pie and a glass of sherry (and a carrot for the reindeer)

We like to bring out our old decs, many of which were inherited from my grandparents. We also love to make new decs from felt, pine cones etc. We have winter candles to make the house smell 'Christmassy' and love to bring out the Christmas themed plates, gravy jug etc

We try to avoid watching TV or messing with mobile phones and concentrate on quality family time

I had Ukrainian parents and we always celebrated on Christmas Eve with an evening meal of 12 traditional dishes, opening of the presents under the tree and then off to Midnight Mass. Then on Christmas Day we'd have the traditional Christmas meal of turkey & trimmings! This tradition continues with my own children & this year we will be joined by our granddaughter of 6 months who will probably just be excited by all the paper to play with!

We always go to pick the tree together as a family and then decorate it while listening to christmas music. The kids really enjoy it.