Normally in 1 or more soap there is always a death/diaster on or near Christmas

Sure look at last years:
Corrie: Tram crash (Molly, Ashley, Charlotte)
Hollyoaks: India murdered xmas eve

Rita Sullivan has to sing and serenade everyone in the Rovers/Street over lot's of little mini scenes of characters faces/locations lamenting the latest tragedy/heartbreak that has befallen them. Also theme music is often left out to capture the escence of the situation. Great thread KornerKabin! We should have more fun threads like this particularly now it's nearly christmas!

Secrets caught on tape have to come out at christmas

A row will break out over Christmas dinner, the person who cooked the dinner will then inexplicably smash food everywhere ala Chrissie Watts thus giving themself more clearing up to do on top of everything else.

Everyone is able to attend a Christmas Day wedding (even if they don't know/don't like/have recently slept with half of the couple getting married) and no one comments on how unusual it is to get married on that day.

Only one 'chavvy' family in the neighbourhood will have completely over-the-top Christmas lights on the outside of their house.

In the real world, nearly everyone has them these days

BIB = love this

Thanks soapnut! It's a lovely bit of fun

You really made me laugh with your Rita comment - so true!!

Any matriarch who stresses the importance of having a 'proper family Christmas this year' is in for a major shock.

- Someone dies in a freak accident or disaster.
- Someone is murdered.
- There is a dramatic reveal over an affair.
- Someone declares it will be 'the best Christmas ever' and wants a nice 'family' Christmas.
- How about a nice old Christmas fire?

There'll be turkey-related shenanigans.

...and dodgy christmas kiddies toys which will result in surefire disaster!...

Someone with long, curly hair called Chrissie smashes a bowl of sprouts on the floor because nobody could wait until AFTER DINNER!!!

Or, at least, that should be an annual occurence.

Someone gets a suspicious text/call christmas morning when everyone is opening their presents.

We NEVER seem to see anyone go christmas shopping! All gifts must come from the doorstep market or the local shop..

The local wheeler dealer type will try to shift dodgy foreign toys which speak Japanese, or a load of Christmas trees, turkeys or knock-off jewellery/perfume.

One family will struggle with money around the festive period. Attempts to get some cash will result in at least 1 member of the family ending up with a criminal record.

Those who aren't part of a family unit with have a very unconventional Christmas - their main goal will be to guzzle booze all the day. But if they are feeling peckish they will aim to steal some food from somewhere.

One character who's been banished from the family for their dastardly deeds throughout the year will be seen moping around on Xmas day, maybe drinking heavily whilst watching all the festive cheer going on without them. They will then either be murdered by an unknown assailant or will try to take their own life - if it's the latter they'll be found just in time by the local religious do-gooder who'll be their only source of morality from now on.

A Nativity play will be held at the local community hall where a donkey will hilariously go missing, the electrics will go off leading to the play being held in romantic candlelight, or the local religious do-gooder will have a fit when the young director tries to make too many changes for their liking.

The women are ALWAYS in sparkly tops and dolled up to the nines. Peggy was a classic for this.

Anything caught on camera is located beneath the christmas tree and watched and then all hell breaks loose

Characters will wish 'Merry Christmas' to every extra they see in the street but the extra will just smile, nod wildly and not say 'Merry Christmas' in return.

It is a bad Christmas.

Everyone buys their christmas trees from the same person/place at a knockdown price and haggling/arguments will ensue. Dierdre in Corrie brought hers from the grocery store in a recent episode?!

Unlikely groupings of single, widowed or loner characters share a 'depressing' Christmas meal together.

Also, a family ends up taking pity & inviting somebody to share their dinner with them at the last minute, & it's normally someone they have naff all to do with all year.

Yes! Haha

At the end of the episode, EVERYONE in the cast makes their way to a central point outside, e.g. The Rovers, Queen Vic, at EXACTLY the same time, usually while it is snowing and regardless of what drama has gone on in the episode, they are all in a festive mood and dancing/singing to Slade or Wizzard, etc.

Doctors did this yesterday