Whats your Christmas day like?

[florence2004]

Back in the UK we would open or stocking pressies early, get some brekkie and then do pressies under the tree. Turkey dinner with all the trimming was served at lunchtime folled by Christmas pud and cream.

A lazy afternoon was then spent playing with toys and watching the christmas day big movie and then the left over turkey and some other buffet style food was put out in the evening along with the christmas cake. - makes me happy just thinking about it!

So over here they have their big Christmas meal in the evening - seems a bit wierd to me but we are living the Canadian life now so I guess we should just embrace it.

Just wondered what your days are like?

 

[sj1973]

we all get up and open presants...then hubby helps children build there toys while i get dinner sorted we have dinner about 2 then play with children watch telly then bed....we dont go no where which is bliss phone family up on day.......i LUV xmas i get soooo excited!!!!xxxx

 

[hayls]

Get up kids open their stockings, go down stairs open their pressies 'under the tree' they never are as there are always too many toys!! lol!!!
Have a wee dram of something tasty! Down to hubbies Mams by 10am with pressies (that is ending this year, she can come to us!).
Then over to my Mams for crimbo dinner about 12 to eat at 1pm. (not sure whats happening this year as my Nans in hospital, so it all rests on if shes in or out, if shes in then my Mam comes to us, if shes out then we all go over there.

Have dinner at 1, pudding then, clear up and then its pressies time over at Mams and we all take it in turns to open a pressie each, it takes hours but its fab!!!!!
Then leave Mams about midnight and to bed, I love Christmas so much, but it here and gone so quickly isnt it!

xxxxx:hug:

 

[Susie H]

now the kids are grown, we don't bother much, in fact if there is work going I usually volunteer so that peeps with kids don't have to.
But living aboard we used to have it all:green:
first of was the feast of St Nicholas all the children start preparing for his visit to the school well in advance and because our village was next to the canal St Nicholas always arrived by boat, with Black Peter the children line the banks of the canal and sing songs as he arrives and black Peter throws sweets at the children, St Nicholas has a carriage pulled by a donkey and he comes to the school with presents for all and black Peter plays tricks on everyone. That night the children leave a shoe outside their bedroom doors and with a carrot in it (for the donkey) and a small glass of something warming for St Nick, he leaves all their presents and the normal chaos ensues we used to give the kids one present.
Then for us comes yule with the making of the wreath, a 24hour vigil and a lovely ritual where the youngest member of the family finishes the dressing of the tree and gives out a small useful gift to each member of the family. We worked for a Jewish company so we had the basket of fruit and normally the kids ended up at someones house to join in the celebrations
Then finally we had Christmas:lol: the carol service at the church was always lovely, I was raised Catholic so very nostalgic for me, goose for dinner and sherry trifle for afters, kids would be up at the crack of dawn, sometimes before:Scared: with all the presents so if they made it to 6pm it was only just, thanks to satalite t.v. I even managed to watch Morcem and Wise, and lets not forget the phone calls to all the family back home.
Actualy when I read all this I have to say December was a fantastic month:green: So my advise hun is yes join in with the Canadians but do the Brit bit to:lol: the kids soon grow up and hopefully its a long time until the grandkids arrive to put the magic back in Christmas:hug:

 

[florence2004]

Thanks Suzi.

Sounds like you were really involved in the Christmas things! Bliss

 

[dee]

out of interest what do canadians do at lunch then ? will have to be in the know coz we might be over there next xmas yee haaa :lol:

but then we might just turn up on your doorstep hun , haha (only kidding ) xx

 

[Zo Zo]

I don't really have a routine :lol:
This year my ex bf and I are renting a house on the coast, along with my ex hubby, his gf and their baby. I was scared of being alone so I asked them and omg they agreed!
But at least my daughter gets to spend Christmas with her Mum, her Dad and her half-brother, she is lucky we are all so friendly and amicable

 

[grafxgal]

Well seen as it is summer down here at christmas, we do the bbq thing.
First it's opening the presents for the kids then hubby cooks breakfast.
We then sort out where we are going if it's not at our house for lunch, this year we are going down to my mum and dads for the traditional bbq type lunch, then head back home in the afternoon for dinner at our place for our friends. All done in the sun:lol:

 

[melissaq]

My kids are all grown and gone as well .......But when they were young....

Get woke up at the crack of dawn ...then tell kids Santa's helpers are still sleeping ! ....
Have kids all run to the tree to open Stockings and see what Santa left out were we would see what each other had received ......then we usually had a big breakfast......and did dishes and got dinner stuff ( meats: Turkey or ham ) started
then "got ready" (ei;showers) for the day ........
Then we would gather around and open presents....where everyone would be entertained by their gifts for hours.....I would usually set a table with all kinds of snacks things out to munch on all day .....
Then kids would go play with the neighbors and adults ( friends ,family) would start to arrive either be cooking ,watching tv, or playing games , to just talking.....
Have dinner at about 4 pm and watch a classic Christmas movie ....clean up and go to bed......

One year when my kids were caught counting presents .....( they had lost the meaning of Christmas ..) so the next year we did all the normal stuff minus ANY GIFTS ......but did some volunteer work for the local kids cancer society .....that was the best Christmas ever ....not only did we teach a lesson to them but got oodles of "rewards" in return.....and the kids still talk of that year.....

Now that my kids are gone it's just my husband and I ....so we usually sleep in ......get up and prepare together a nice breakfast.....open our gifts we have received......call the kids.....watch a game/ movie on TV and enjoy the day.......Hubby will cook Prime Rib ....and leave me to the rest of the fixings .....and that's about it .....

makes me miss all the excitement/confusion sometimes of when my kids were small....:cry:

 

[alpina]

We start the night before with a big family party. We have a big feast, everyone brings one dish of food, then santa comes to give one present to each of the kids, then we usually have a swim.

On the day we take all the presents over to my Grandma's house to put under her tree. We usually have a roast lunch, just with her, Mum, Dad & me. Then we open our presents and spend the afternoon watching old family movies (usually really embarrassing ones of me as a kid).

Later in the afternoon, the rest of the family arrives for a late swim and barbecue tea.

We used to have a much bigger day when I was a kid & all my cousins were really young.

 

[rebeccaj]

ow I just L o v e Christmast. The best part is being with family and friends. This year I will be doing a champagne brunch for friends or anyone who doesn't have family to spend time with; its always an open invite (Ive even been known pick up the odd homesick traveller from the YHA and bring them home for a Christmas meal) and then a casual BBQ tea for extended family. Every alternate year I do the big traditional mid-day turkey dinner for family where everyone chips in and a casual BBQ tea for anyone whos around. I.E. One meal for parents (4), siblings & partners (12), children (9) and another casual for anyone who wants to turn up. Lots of food, bubbly and laughter. Im starting to get excited already. It was only today I was in the storage shed getting out all my Xmas dec boxes. Hubby says I have to wait a little longer though!!

 

[g5m_sh]

When i lived with my mam n dad i me n my little bro would get up as early as poss... Wake me mam n dad up, dad would go down stairs, but the fire and kettle on and then we would go down (feeling sick with excitement) we would open all the prezzies under the tree then open our Santa piles... mine was the settee and our Mick's was the chair. I would open mine, then help our Mick with his cos he was sooooooooooooo slow! We would stuff our self with selection boxes get ready (with all our new gear) get our best toy and visit the family to get all our prezzies off them. Then home for dinner and then stuff our self with ket and party food!

NOW... I still get up dead early, me and my boyfriend open our prezzies, Marks sooooooooooooo slow so i open half of his. Then i drop him off at his mam's and i go to my mam n dad's (in my jarmers still) and open all my prezzies and do all the above!

I love xmas...

xx

 

[1999judy]

We get up and the kids open their stockings in their rooms...the 2 older ones still have stockings at 14 and 16 so that Rachel 6 thinks that Father Christmas treats them all the same...the only difference is that the boys contain things like aftershave and PS2 games etc.
The kids open the rest of their pressies under the tree.
I make a massive cooked breakfast...yes that will amaze some people:lol:
The boys go to visit their dad and his wife and Rachel just plays with all her new toys.
Then I make a Christmas dinner to be served at about 5pm for all of us and my parents.
After that its just like any other day to me.....

 

[KellyT]

Well xmas for me is a bit different because it's my birthday on xmas day so it's not really xmas for me, more like, it's my birthday and that is why we put the tree up and do decorations! If you get me!! Hard to explain!
This year we are having my mum & dad stay so special meal xmas eve, the usual pressie opening and then all the trimmings for dinner at about 2 ish! I always open my birthday cards first then do all the pressies!
This year my daughter will be nearly 3 so it should be extra fun this year!!