What Christmas Traditions do you have?

[clorogue]

Do you have certain things you do each year for Christmas, has it followed down through the family?

Are you continuing it on for your children or are you breaking it because you don't like it?

What traditions have you heard of or would like to do?

[k1rstie]

we always go to the local panto on boxing day, and go on the miniature steam railway to see father Christmas a few sundays before Christmas.

Today was my husbands last day off before Christmas Day, and he will be working 12 + hours everyday until then. (works for a supermarket). So these 2 activities are the only 2 things we get to do as a family over the Christmas period (other than Christmas meals - even then he will be on call on Christmas day, and have to go in to do a premises check)

If he did not work in food retail, he would love for us to go to a carol service, and I would LOVE to go away for Christmas.

[winstonian]

Last year was our first ever Christmas Eve off as a family and we have decided thats it now - every year we are going to be off and go out. We went to Warwick castle and are going again this year, it was lovely.
A tradition stolen from a friend is giving new pyjamas on Christmas Eve (makes Christmas day photos much nicer)
We all have Christmas day together - 17 of us this year
Stocking on the childrens bed, my husband could not understand this but he has now seen the excitement!!!!!! CANT WAIT!!!!

[singingcactus]

We don't have any traditions. Our christmases are very anti tradition in our house. I dealt with dogma and the misery of tradition my entire childhood. Now we are free of it, and it is great. We do what we feel like doing each year.

[Daisy De]

We always have Bucks Fizz and bacon sandwiches Christmas Day breakfast, don't know where it came from but its very yummy

[mrs robbie williams]

stockings on the fireplace which are then filled xmas morning (if 'santa' ever gets time to go to the shops and get the bits to put in them - must do that today)
mince pie, glass of milk and a carrot before youngest goes to bed, yummy takeaway xmas eve, chaos xmas morning, collect mil and then dinner around 3 then chill - boxing day we go to my mums with my brother and his family. Dh back to work on the thurs and im back on the friday. Panto the sunday after xmas.

[Mouse]

We seem to have started a family tradition of the 'silly christmas eve present'. We all have a meal together on Christmas eve, then we each have a silly present to open. We've had things like a false moustache set, christmas toilet paper, a horn for a pushbike.

My children are now growing up & we're going to get to the point soon where we're not all together at christmas. They still say they'll want their silly christmas eve present though

[little chickee]

Our main Christmas tradition is that we take our time to open our presents.

Kids get their stocking when they get up followed by their Santa present.
Then we have breakfast, get dressed etc. Then a present. Collect MIL, then a present. etc.

Presents are spaced out through the day, they get one betwenn main course and pudding. They usually open the last ones before bed on Boxing Day.

This is something my parents did with us to keep the exitement going longer. I like it and my boys like it.
Seeing them all whispering together and then coming over and asking if they can open another present then we um and ah theatrically about wheter they get one ( always do!), love it!

I know my older sister does the same but my younger sister used to but now they open all their presents at once as her younger son couldnt cope with the suspense!!!

[buttonmoon11]

Ours is:

Christmas Eve is a day of baking with the kids which is great. Take away for dinner then the Christmas boxes which have new pjs slippers, hot chocolate sachet with marshmallows and a small gift. Carrot for Rudolph, mince pice for the big man himself then sprinkle reindeer food outside before bed

Christmas Day: presents in the morning then a lovely lunch. It is the most hectic day of our year but the least stressful if that makes any sense. We all have fun and its well just great. Oh we always go for a walk before lunch and have to wear silly hats with Christmas jumpers

Boxing Day: yummy bacon and cheese baguette for breakfast then another roast late afternoon. We spend the day doing naff all but playing and laughing

That's us, the kids love our tradition as its mainly their ideas. The kids make my Christmas, presents are nice but I'm not too bothered. As long as my family is with me (or remembered) we are all happy and smiling and the meal is great then I'm happy

[loocyloo]

when i was a nanny i generally worked christmas eve and we used to for a nice walk & meet friends ( other nannies & charges ) for lunch.

but when i got home, mum would be running round like a loony, having done food shopping, wrapping pressies and although thats the christmas eve i had always known and i enjoyed it & it was fun, as i got older, i felt it was just too stressed and didn't have any magic to it, plus mum was then always shattered on christmas day.

so when DS was born, i made the decision that i would never work on christmas eve, and that all the shopping and organising would be done by the 23rd. ( the only thing i do on christmas eve is prep veggies etc for christmas lunch , usually in the evening ). we used to always go swimming, either me and DS, then DD when she was born, and if DH is home, then he came, or if he had to work, we went on our own. we then got into the tradition of meeting friends for lunch at a local pizza place after swimming, and then all of us would go to church for crib service.

we moved 20mths ago and none of the local ( and not so local! ) pools are open, so last year we went for a long walk on the beach and had pizza for lunch! ( the friends we used to meet have also moved, so have had a change to their tradition too! ) in the afternoon we go to crib service, then tea, playing games, watching whatever christmas things are on tv and then, last year we all went to midnight mass.

this year we are going to family for christmas but we are still planning a cristmas eve walk ( no shopping or jobs ) and midnight mass.

happy christmas everyone
xxx

[CHUNKY MONKEY]

Hello, we have made our own traditions with our family.

We go to the panto on Chistmas eve but this year its on the 21 Dec

On Christmas eve the children get boxes from Santa which have new pjs, slippers or slipper socks, a small gift they have asked Santa for and a few other bits. We put out a carrot for Rudolph, mince pie and milk for Santa then sprinkle reindeer food outside. Kiddies get to watch something festive and have some treats.

Christmas Day: We open our presents in the morning then have our Christmas lunch. Games and fun the rest of the day. Walk in the woods with the doggies (although this may be moved to boxing day if we over indulge!!! DH and I watch a film (I cannot remember the name but I really like it)

Boxing day friends over for party food

Thats what we like to do, long may it continue. I love Christmas

[karensmart4]

We still put an Orange and an Apple in the stockings..... I don't know why because we can eat them every day but it's tradition and it would be bad luck to break with tradition wouldn't it I think in reality it keeps happy childhood memories alive

[tulip0803]

Wrapping presents until 2 o'clock on Christmas morning - Just like my Mum!

[Chimps Childminding]

Wrapping presents until 2 o'clock on Christmas morning - Just like my Mum!

Been there, done that

[Mickey Mouse Clubhouse]

Christmas Eve the girls get new pj's and a new pair of slippers to get changed into