Christmas "traditions" what are your's? :-)

[africaqueen]

Hi everyone

Although i am yet to be blessed with a child yet, i love christmas soooo much!

I was just thinking of silly little things that sum up xmas for me...

1. Having a christmas food cupboard and eating most of the contents before xmas. lol

2. Enjoying a glass of bucks fizz with a chocolate brekky whilst lying in bed

3. Preparing a xmas eve buffet and having family round for drinks

4. Playing "fairytale of new york" really loud and attempting to do a irish jig. lol

5. walking around liverpool city centre and enjoyin all the shops decoarted and watching ppl xmas shopping, then finsihing the day with a hot choc

So what are your lil silly traditions that make u feel festive?

x

 

[Dinoslass]

Oooh, we have all kind of traditions gathered over the years. I love it. The fact that we have a combined english-dutch christmas already makes it a bit strange, but we do stupid things like singing songs outloud on different tunes or with self made texts, having a party on christmas eve with a lot of nice food, well, I don't know just nice things!!

 

[Sarahkka]

We have a very mixed cultural heritage, which means that we feel quite justified in enjoying a wide variety of traditions. Our favourite is one I brought back from Scandinavia (we are part Norwegian): the Jul Frukost or Yule Breakfast. It is a big smorgasbord of meats, cheeses, various pickled fish, breads, crackers, condiments, cookies, etc. You make all sorts of open-face sandwiches and you can drink coffee or beer and aquavit and you toast each other and the season lots! It's a bit drinky, but very fun!

 

[heathette]

3. Preparing a xmas eve buffet and having family round for drinks

Thats one of my favorites!!! My mummy always used to make about 100 sausage rolls sometimes I think christmas eve is more fun than christmas day!

My grandad used to hide a little "robin" in his house, then all us grandchildren used to look for it, (he always used to hint to me!) My mum then used to hide one in the tree for me to find. The last couple of years I have hidden little robin for DH to find for a little prize... I can see this one going one forever, I love it

x

 

[morri]

I described it in the presents thread already a bit

I dont have much decoration so far in my own place but I can describe how my mother used to do things
Shortly before the first of advent my mother always creates the advent wreath .
and decorates the house with collective crafts such as stars and angels and whatever we ever made and still do.
on the advent sunday everybody comes for the advent's sundays tea (and gingerbread etc)
When we were kids we also always ahd a sunday for baking christmas cookies
So christmas itsself starts in germany at the 24th of December
Until we were older we used to go to the maternity play in the church,
Now we don't anymore though
Anyway In the morning the christmas tree gets its decoration which should have been bought at the eve, but some don't like it so sometimes it is there a few days before meh xD) then my mother does the rest of the decoration and in the early evening between mostly 17:00h and 18 :00h everybody would be notified to be allowed to come down, by hearing the christmas carol'ihr kinderlein kommet' being played.

Before opening the presents everybody has to perform something like a song, playing on the piano, or a poem.
After that somebody starts and passes a present to the person that it is directed to, and this person gives abnother one their receiver etc.

after some time and after everybody has opened and checked their presents , there will be the christmas dinner , which vaires from year to year, but it is either roasted beef with red cabbage and dumplings, or anything else roasted.
the next two days are msotly for visiting the other half of the respective family (the inlaws)
btw , there is not fest that involves heavy drinking ever, lol

 

[katycam]

my main tradition is having chocolate fingers first thing on christmas day!

 

[princessellie]

we didnt really have any christmas traditions you know, this year though im planning on starting loads for leyla

on 1st december i am going to bring out her wooden advent calendar, filled with little things that she likes, im still not sure what to put in it this year, i might just give her money tbh, on xmas eve were going to make popcorn with cinnamon and watch a christmas film, were having pyjamas, dressing gown and slippers after her bath

christmas day is going to be BIG, were having all the family round for tea, im cooking for 12 people, my first christmas EEK! were going to over decorate the house, make a big big thing of it all so leyla remembers christmas being magical

x

 

[Jasa1911]

Our main one is our Christams Eve - we all go to my mums (as we always spend christams there In Laws and all!)

Although we arent overly religious we always go to midnight mass then when we go home we can open one present each in fron t of her iopen fire and round the tree.

Its all very festive! Love it!! CANT WAIT FOR CHRISTMAS!!!!!

 

[morri]

In our advent calender there is always some sweets int htere like chocolate or marzipahn, or rarely something like a pencil sharpener in case we forgot it somewhere again . btw to Nikolaus which is on the 6th of december you get nuts and choclate and fruit in your polished shoes but I also always got a new geometrical triangle since I am quite good a losing them xD

 

[amylk87]

I love chirstmas traditions! These were from when i was little and i would love to carry them on with my family one day:
1. Wear new PJs on christmas eve night and sleep in clean, freshly made bed (i still do this lol)
2. Christmas morning, we opened our stockings in our mum and dads bedroom before moving downstairs (me and my OH open our stockings in bed then go down)
3. One present (each) would be hidden somewhere and we'd have to look for it
4. Every xmas night we'd go to my nans (still do that now!)

Love Christmas

 

[princessellie]

oh god hearing everyones traditions is making me well wish it was xmas now!!!

x

 

[dippy dee]

we always go to mass xmas eve and then once home and the tiddly peeps are in bed we put flour on the floor and the walk in it to do santas foot prints, we also take a toy for each child upstairs, me and dh open our pressies the night b4 as xmas day is for the kids in our house.
When we wake in the morning the kids open their pressie we took upstair for them and this gives me and dh time to wake properly and get dressed etc in relative peace.
Then it is down stairs for the madness of handing the gifts out and unwrapping etc and a chocolate breakfast, once we are done we then do the rounds to my parents and sil's house mil has passed last year or we would of gone there as well so this year it will be a nice stroll down to the cemetry as well on xmas day then home for dinner and a relax.
I so can't wait for xmas to come i am to excited already xx

 

[Arlandria]

Oooo i love traditions!!!

My mum always used to let us open one present on xmas eve and for some strange reason it was ALWAYS new pj's!! Who would have thought!! (obv she picked the one we could open!)

Then we'd have an early bath, pj's on, carrot, mince pie & can of beer for santa & raindeer and lay out our sacks!

Simple but i'll sure be doing this with my daughter!

One thing we have to change/add - we dont have a fire place in our home so i found a 'santa key' that hangs on our tree so he can let himself in of course!

Ooooooo i'm giddy now just thinking about this!!!

 

[Jchihuahua]

I love traditions so much! I'm feeling all christmassy reading this .

I always totally spring clean my house from top to bottom in the days leading up to xmas (might not be so easy as I'll be 39 weeks pregnant this christmas ) and put new sheets on the beds on christmas eve so everything feels all lovely and clean.

Me and hubby go to the pictures on christmas eve to see a christmassy film (we saw 4 christmases last year) then go for a big mug of hot chocolate afterwards before heading home.

We have to be in bed with the lights turned off by midnight or santa won't come .

On christmas morning we have croissants, mince pies, fresh coffee and a glass of bucks fizz for breakfast and then open our presents.

We always take the dogs out for an after dinner stroll in the early evening and then come home, slob on the sofa and watch the christmas soaps!

My parents and brothers come round on boxing day to exchange pressies and have a buffet.