[Closed] Your family's Christmas traditions?

We have the Massey Christmas Raffle, where the tickets are drawn out of a snowman that my 73 year old father made as a nipper. The prizes are numerous and terrible.

No rock solid traditions as such as growing up my mum worked shifts in a hospital so it varied from year to year when she was working - she'd always be working either the night of xmas eve or xmas night so we had to move the day around to suit.

One constant feature though is my late father never drank spirits .... so he had no idea how to serve them to anyone else. A gin and tonic was mixed in the same ratios (and portions practically) as lager and lime. The last boxing day we spent together he poured me a whisky at 10am that took me until 4pm to finish drinking.

Bike ride

Its surprisingly busy with walkers who are often not that pleasant

I used my first christmas in the house with the OH to invent a few traditions that i wanted to initiate.

These included champagne & bike rides and a hash brown/ black pudding based breakfast.

I ruined it the second year by being too hungover to get out of bed so these were all cancelled - she's since worked out i made it all up! 😳

i am impressed that you have hash for breakfast then still get out 😉

New pyjamas for everyone on christmas eve. And then a family reading of 'Twas the night before Christmas' at bedtime.

Take my Nana to church in the morning, open a couple of presents then steal an hour or so for a decent trail run before gorging ourselves on fine wine & roast meats.

My late father was a librarian, so would buy every member of the family a book. They were given out on Boxing Day

This Christmas will be the first without him, so I'm intending to keep the tradition going

We always go for a film and meal out on Christmas Eve.
Rouge One this year.

Granddad always sang the same songs (suitably modified for our young ears), here are a couple:

It was Christmas day in the workhouse
The snow was falling fast
We don't want your Chjristmas pudding
Stick it on the wall

The boy stood on the burning deck
His feet were covered in blisters
As he had no knickers
He had to wear his sister's.

I now sing them to my daughters...

Mrs R & I always make time to watch It's a Wonderful Life.

Years of mam-induced massive pressure to have the 'perfect' christmas which invariably always ended in stress and arguements. Meh. We poked chrimble off years ago and now me and OH just bundle off out on the bikes early doors if it's dry and back home to stuff our faces with home-made burger and chips for christmas dinner. It's lovely.

We used to have a Christmas Box (made to look like a house with cotton wool for a 'snowy' roof - all made by my dad. The 'chimney' was big enough to get a child-sized hand in and pull out little stocking filler gifts in a 'lucky dip' style. This used to come out after Christmas dinner and all the other presents had been opened.

I have continued it, but we have gone simpler with a big box wrapped up like a present, with a hole in the middle to punch through and get to the gifts.

Christmas morning usually starts with a massive argument developing, then everyone thumping about the rest of the morning in a bad mood, followed by a half arsed attempt to visit or entertain relatives followed by an atmosphere at dinner you can cut with a knife.

I know it sounds really old fashioned but the men of our house (Dad, my Brother and myself) go down the pub for a couple before xmas lunch.

We always invite Mum but she always says no. I think she's probably happy to have some peace

Personally, I always try and go for a run or a ride Xmas morning.

Drunken Domestic Violence, not in my House obviously, but means there were few traditions from my childhood I wanted preserved.

It's a mere 23 'sleeps' until we can draw a line under this nonsense and get on with our lives.

We would only put the decorations up on Christmas eve, which seems to be fairly unusual.

Rouge One this year.

There's a film about make-up? I shall have to tell the wife 😛

We don't have many traditions other than pressies in PJs followed by a big dinner some time in the afternoon.

I am also very much liking the developing tradition of 'Elf on a Shelf' which we have done with our two girls since they were old enough to understand. I hope they carry on that particular tradition should they have children of their own.

There's a film about make-up? I shall have to tell the wife

🙂

We always spread present opening throughout the day, seems a rare thing to do but works for us.

Christmas crackers are only pulled before pudding.

Go for a walk after lunch.

Only biscuits, cheese and cake eaten in the evening.

We always get a £1 coin and a tangerine wrapped and given as a present by my Mom.

We (OK, me, my brother and my wife) always have a dirty hangover following far to much ale on Xmas eve. This has led to a traditional trading of emergency hangover cures. This year I'm going for a heady combo of High5 Zero caffeinated tabs and 2 soluble paracetamol followed by the "kill or cure" combo of double vodka and Berocca. My brother swears by Nurofen liquid capsules and green tea.

Then I have to go outside, normally a bike ride, occasionally a run. This may, or may not result in a vomit, depending on how well the above tradition has worked.

Afternoon tradition is fresh PJ's, a cheesey Xmas film (Love Actually is my favourite), followed by lots of Port and lots of cheese.

it's then an early night before the most sacred of all Xmas traditions, the boxing day bike ride.

bike ride, Elf or Muppets Xmas Carol film, lunch watching Top Of The Pops, buffet for tea. Perfect

As soon as everyone is awake the kids start on the chocolate, and mummy and daddy start on the bucks fizz while we watch them open their presents.

Most surreal Christmas was one of the first with the later-to-be-mrs-steve-g, when we were round my mums on xmas day and my brother who had obviously not been to sleep at all turned up in a full batman costume to open his presents a little the worse for wear

We (OK, me, my brother and my wife) always have a dirty hangover following far to much ale on Xmas eve. This has led to a traditional trading of emergency hangover cures. This year I'm going for a heady combo of High5 Zero caffeinated tabs and 2 soluble paracetamol followed by the "kill or cure" combo of double vodka and Berocca. My brother swears by Nurofen liquid capsules and green tea.

I find a better solution is a large Buck's Fizz.

I find a better solution is a large Buck's Fizz.

It's a task that gets harder each year.

We have a naughty Elf for my daughter, each night he gets up to an act of mischief which my daughter finds funny, but he also reports back to Santa, so we can blackmail her each time she is naughty saying that the elf is watching and will tell Santa!

Slightly off-topic but going to be an interesting one this year - I used to go to my aunt's after my parents passed, but this year for the first time ever she's going to her granddaughter's, so the final link to every Christmas of my childhood has gone. 🙁 On the other hand, means Mrs Pondo and I can start making our own Christmas traditions, we've having her family round, which'll be interesting. Champagne whilst cooking dinner, I think, would be a nice one to start. 🙂

I normally do the cooking and enjoy a beer or two whilst doing so. My beer of choice last year was Leffe, which is rather strong alcohol wise and usually comes in smaller bottles. I remember slurring my words during pudding and promptly fell asleep at the start of the movie only to wake up precisely at the end credits. I'm thinking a less alcoholic beer this year, trouble is all the 3.something or v low 4% beers (Fosters, Carling, Green Carlsberg *shudder*) are all awful.

trouble is all the 3.something beers (Fosters, Carling, Green Carlsberg *shudder*) are all awful.

Our santa thing is now (6 years and counting) a trip on a lickle train in the local park.

Xmas day is now we stay put in the morning for pressies, then MIL's for dinner. We work on the basis that we have more kids, therefore the world can revolve around us 😀

Last year was brilliant. I try and be miserable throughout but it's tough!

Sitting down to Christmas dinner on mismatched chairs so everyone is at different levels around the table

go for a ride, eat a normal lunch (cheese sarnie last year) have a beer, read book, go to bed

rock n roll

My family's tradition was to sit around and open presents slowly, carols on the hi-fi, with breaks for mince pies, with everyone watching everyone else slowly peeling the wrapping off each pressie.

My wife's family used to open everything in about 30 seconds, then trade the ones they didn't like among themselves, often in front of the 'giver'. 🙂

Which tradition should we maintain?

Wake to R4, scrub veggies to R3, Run over the fields, muck out cattle, light fires, Breakfast (Eggs Ben & Champers), Church, Lunch (Turkey/Farm Beef) open Prezzies, muck out cattle & feed sheep, open Beer, stoke fires, play games with nephews, open whiskey, watch Christmas TV.

Fairly normal for us lot.

Church on Christmas Eve afternoon. Not particularly religious family, but it's important to us.
Look forward to a dram once the kids are in bed.
I hate the over commercial build up with a passion, & going to Church marks the real start to Christmas for us.

New pyjamas and a small secret santa present on Christmas Eve.

On Christmas Day when you have a poo you have to shout 'HOWDY HO' in a Mr Hankey style from the throne 🙂

Not so much a family tradition but a work tradition... Each Christmas we smoke a fine cigar and burn a laptop on the last work day before Christmas.. A sacrifice to the IT gods if you will...

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A run Chritmas morning, and never turkey. Beef en croute.

Falling asleep in front of the TV, just as the Queen is about to start.

We're not going home for the first time this Christmas so this thread is interesting.
Which of your traditions to adopt? Ha.
Going to miss Christmas Eve with my friend(s) in the local.
Not to mention my mammy's prawn cocktail . 😉
Oh goodness ,just realised I won't be going anywhere near Skiddaw on Boxing Day . Aaaaghhh.

My wife's uncle will do a bottle of whiskey before arriving at our house. He will then proceed to crack "jokes" or be a racist -[I] they're just not like us [/i] - for the next 6 hours.

I will walk away to avoid conflict / or stay put and have conflict.

Later my wife an I will have a row.

It is Mr Mule's birthday on Christmas day (the inconsiderate bugger) so Christmas day is Strictlly Birthday, until we go to my parents' house in the evening - then we have Christmas.

In terms of xmas day traditions, we have a tradition of chilling out with my parents, eating too much food, opening presents, and having a pleasant relaxing night chatting about random stuff while drinking Mr Muke Sr's expensive whisky, before going to bed at silly o-clock in the morning.
Not that exciting - but a really nice relaxing stress free day.

As usual I will be up at 5.30 to go to work coming back home at 9pm. I will have to be jolly all day at work and usually cook my staff a breakfast.

Mrs TJ simply locks the doors and takes the phone off the hook to have a day to herself

Generally my parents end up fighting, or things just go quiet at about 7pm. Christmas holds no good feelings for me to be honest. This yea may be different as my mums illness will change things. Unfortunately it could be the last one she remembers. She has Alzheimers.

I'm a strict traditionalist.

So its a blood sacrifice and fire during the longest night...

Christmas is for the weak... 😉

Got a take away curry banquet last Christmas Eve and warmed it up for Christmas dinner, mum didn't have to run round in the kitchen all morning and I didn't have to wash every pot and pan they own before I went home.
Will prob do the same this year.

Anything to get the day over, I just like normality.

I'm working till Xmas eve then back in on the Tuesday. Rather be at work than having to be nice to people you hate and generally jolly through the crappy Xmas period.

Bah humbug.......

Some right sad bastard haters about.

I love the whole festive period, Xmas Eve is prob my fave though.

Driving, there's always driving now I have grown up children. We go to the Son-In-Laws pub on Christmas morning. Strangely there is free beer. I will at some point have to ask Mrs Sandwich to ease up on my daughter. There are board games and a little rubbish TV. Cheese will also be in attendance for the evening with cake. We didn't do it last year and I missed it.

Phil Spector's Christmas Album. Waking up to The Ronettes and the wall of sound.

Still play it now, even though the 25th for me means little more than a long bike ride and a big curry for tea. This year though, junior's 'aware' of Christmas for the first time so I'm going to have to step it up a bit!

Eat, drink, sleep and watch TV ...

Go out for a walk if I can be bothered.

Christmas Eve means finishing any wrapping, ride or run with the dog, Pub with close family (first one without my Mum, whichllbe emotional), Christmas films, kids in bed, bubbly and party food with the wife, set up the traditional Christmas scenario of old man with white beard has broken into the house, drunk port, eaten carrots and mine pies, and left two presents - if I'm lucky there may be some naughty business with the wife.

Christmas & Boxing Day at MIL's. all the usual stuff, turkey, wine, song and presents and the number one tradition of 10.30am Jameson &a Ginger Ale. Walk the dog in the woods, take in some air then hit the port and cheese and cold meats. Bliss.

Pissed before the turkey is properly cooked and asleep by the Bond movie.
I hate Christams.

First Xmas as newlyweds coincided with my first meeting with MIL in England and stay over at hers for the holiday. Already sounds dangerous but she was initially charming. All went well until we upset the applecart by nipping out stargazing (it was nr the Lizard) which she took major offence towards for reasons I still can't fathom. Anyway blazing row (nearly blows) between Mrs MR and MIL the next morning so we hastily packed camped at a local inn for NYE where got steamingly drunk, ordered a 'Bangalore' curry (local special allegedly hotter than a phaal) and went back to room. mrs MR took one taste and sensibly refused it. I was not going to waste money or go hungry so sat on the bed force-eating it until literally crying with pain before throwing up. Left it an hour before joining revelling clientele in the bar and then somehow got a good-natured ear-bending from a militant 'Scillonian Nationalist' dressed as a zombie. Got more drunk,escaped the zombie to find Mrs MR doing synchronised handstands against the residents lounge wall along with a strange girl from Bristol, both of whom were hardly recognisable as their skirts were around their necks (THERE you are! look this is my new friend ANITA!! HIC, SPLAT). Ffs

Joined by an arriving French couple (which stopped the gymnastics) we then drank more while telling tales around the table which somehow descended into Franglais discussions about the word for breaking wind.

Me - 'Ah, in English - fart - f.a.r.t'
French bloke - 'ah - en Francais...' at which exact point he let rip a perfectly executed and lengthy fart , amply, er, amplified by the leather sofa.

Much laughter before we finally made our excuses and staggered to our room. Approx 2.30am there was gentle yet persistent knocking and Bristolian giggling on our door - assumedly from Handstand Woman. Much drunken 'shush'ing until she finally gave up and the knocking ceased. Mrs MR now passed out and snoring - I can't sleep now so I grab my PS2 from luggage and hook up in the TV lounge to play GT3 on the giant projection screen until passed out alone. Made some reparations with MIL on New Years Dayand scoffed her generously cooked ox tongue which I still refer to as Mother In Law's Tongue 🙂

A xmas we once hoped to forget yet now remember with curious fondness!

My little brother and I always watch Sneakers. It's the second best Christmas film ever made. Oh OK, I forgot Yogi's First Christmas, it's the 3rd best Christmas film

"I want peace on earth and goodwill toward men."
"We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing."

For some reason, we start christmas late, like, decorations go up just a few days before. But they stay up til the 12th night- my brother's birthday. Law is you have to take them down by the end of the 6th January, which for us means you can't take them down before. I think the "don't put them up early" thing was a live christmas tree thing originally. Anyway, proper traditions shouldn't make sense.

lunge - Member

We always get a £1 coin and a tangerine wrapped and given as a present by my Mom.

Until the day they die, my mum and dad will give each of my brothers a 50p piece and an apple, wrapped in tinfoil, for christmas. Nobody knows why but some day I plan to use it as evidence they've gone senile and get them thrown in a home so I can sell their house.

Nobody knows why but some day I plan to use it as evidence they've gone senile and get them thrown in a home so I can sell their house.

That's cold!
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But genius 😆

We're pretty dull compared to you lot.

Just the four of us on Christmas day + ageing mother in law who is no trouble. Christmas dinner is basically a normal roast dinner with addition of pigs in blankets meaning the day is not wasted on the kitchen. Boxing Day is only ever just us. Usually go out to a country park if it's nice. Bit of a walk or famiky bike ride.

New year brings us to Christmas 2 when we go to see my parents.

Years ago before marriage I used to go out in Bournemouth as designated driver on Xmas eve with my then girlfriend and friends then would be in Suffolk for breakfast on Xmas day, which usually consisted of the streaky bacon intended to go on top of the turkey.

We've got quite a few thinking about it

There's one that's quite special for us though. My wife always had her Dad's old rugby sock as a stocking. The story goes that before her first Xmas, her mum realised she didn't have a stocking so her Dad put a hole in the top of his rugby sock and they used that. It then became a tradition and she still has it and we use it every year. My FIL passed away a few years ago and now I put a present in it each year for my wife. When we had kids ourselves, I followed suit and put a hole in my football socks (don't play rugby) to make their stockings and so it carries on.

A few years Mrs W and I went to my parents for Xmas day lunch. Unfortunately MiL not happy as "everyone went there for Xmas lunch" - compromise agreed we would go there for tea. Arrived there at about 4.00pm only to find that no one had ate lunch - MiL insisted that everyone had to wait until we got there before they could eat. Anyway two Xmas lunches later and angry looks from rest of family

Thank god it will soon be over

so her Dad put a hole in the top of his rugby sock

Wasn't there already a hole in the top of his sock?

Bucket bongs before breakfast followed by carols and presents.

Perhaps a little graffiti in the afternoon, the streets are quiet.

The tradition here is that I always seem to be working Christmas Day, so usually get home in the early hours on the 26th.

But on an average Christmas Day it'll be a late start, getting down to present opening first. Usually delayed because my brother won't have bothered wrapping anything or realised that he's forgotten to get someone a gift.

Leisurely breakfast, lunch skipped (I go for a long run now) then Christmas dinner as a family in the evening. Crap film on TV, much beer, nearly always have great time.

My grandma used to love Christmas with us but died 4 years ago; it's still tough.

Every year we go swimming in the sea after breakfast. No swim, no presents.

Blackadders Christmas Carol.

simmy - Member
Anything to get the day over, I just like normality.
I'm working till Xmas eve then back in on the Tuesday. Rather be at work than having to be nice to people you hate and generally jolly through the crappy Xmas period.
Bah humbug.......

Seriously?? That's actually pretty sad 🙁

Every year we go swimming in the sea after breakfast. No swim, no presents.

That's weird, that used to be one of our Christmas traditions too. Though my dad used to take us out on a boat and throw us into the sea so we could swim home. That was easy, though; the hard bit was getting out of the sack.

Me and my old man always used to go and get pretty pissed up the local while my mom cooked the dinner. That stopped when my old boy could no longer drink. Christmas is rather a sober affair these days. 🙁

We don't usually have anything traditional because up to now either one of us was always working, (Prison service & NHS)

However, now that wer'e both part time....we'll probably get extra pissed on Xmas eve, get up about 10 on Xmas day, attempt an extra fancy Sunday lunch (cos that's all it is in reality) get pissed again, go to bed early on Xmas night.
Job done, roll on next Xmas. Not.

Awkward silences punctured by racist opinions and joyless present giving from an approved gift list. I told my family what i really wanted for Christmas this year was to be ignored.

As per the last 16 years we'll go to the in laws place on Christmas Eve. There will be a big chunk of cow in the smoker or on the BBQ and we'll eat that whilst the FIL and I drink too much red wine & whisky.
Christmas morning is time for a ride, duration and type (road or mtb) depend on severity of hangover.
Wife usually works some sort of shift due to being an A&E nurse practitioner. This year it's a twilight. That means presents distributed late morning and dinner early afternoon so she can have it too, although for the rest of us it marks the descent into a food induced coma rather than work thank god.
Boxing Day is off to our caravan for a few days of riding and relaxing in equal measure.
Buffered if I know what my 'blood' family do traditionally as I've not shared the day wi any of them for a long time, other than a few phone calls. Mum is a nurse, as is one sister. Another sis is a police person and the third lives in Japan so the odds of us ever being in the same place at the same time are vanishingly small...