Our Christmas is almost the same every year, it's hard to remember back to a particular Christmas as there's the same routine and traditions every year
Is your family Christmas the same every year?
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No. I have a new patio now though.
(Real answer: No, family members (ourselves included) 'rotate' around, take a year out, have a quiet one, have a drunk one.... all the sorts of different things people can and do do for Christmas, but there is always a day of immediate family together. It's just not on Christmas Day every year).
(Real answer: No, family members (ourselves included) 'rotate' around, take a year out, have a quiet one, have a drunk one.... all the sorts of different things people can and do do for Christmas, but there is always a day of immediate family together. It's just not on Christmas Day every year).
That's what customs and tradition are all about though. If you did something completely different every year, it wouldn't be a tradition. Mind you, there are things that are good traditional and others that aren't. Having a drunk uncle who makes an arse of himself every year might be traditional 
, but I doubt the ones hosting dinner look forward to it.
, but I doubt the ones hosting dinner look forward to it.
No.
I have spent Christmas abroad, in a restaurant, a hotel, at various family members homes.
Each have their own ways of doing things.
Some cook/eat turkey, others don't. Some open all presents at crack of dawn, others wait until after dinner.
My best Christmas, apart from when my family were younger, have been spent at a hotel on a Christmas package, then visiting family for tea Christmas & boxing days.
I have spent Christmas abroad, in a restaurant, a hotel, at various family members homes.
Each have their own ways of doing things.
Some cook/eat turkey, others don't. Some open all presents at crack of dawn, others wait until after dinner.
My best Christmas, apart from when my family were younger, have been spent at a hotel on a Christmas package, then visiting family for tea Christmas & boxing days.
Yes, same every year, and I love it. I could never contemplate going away for Christmas, I love being at home, with my family round me.
Our Christmas goes round pretty much on a three year cycle. This year, mine and wife's parents are coming to ours. Next year, we will spend Christmas with wife's family and year after that, we will be going to London for the holiday to stay with my family. Then it's back to them coming to us and so it goes around.
It's a happy arrangement that we are comfortable with. We're looking forward to my parents getting here on Christmas Eve and wife's family coming from just down the road (St Austell) on Christmas Day. Our little house will be quite full but we'll all get comfortably around the table for lunch.
All the shopping is done, the lunch menu is set, the fresh food is on order, ready for collection on Christmas Eve and the drinks cabinet is well stocked. The house is decorated, the tree is looking majestic and there are plenty of presents beneath it for giving out after dinner.
What could possibly go wrong..?
It's a happy arrangement that we are comfortable with. We're looking forward to my parents getting here on Christmas Eve and wife's family coming from just down the road (St Austell) on Christmas Day. Our little house will be quite full but we'll all get comfortably around the table for lunch.
All the shopping is done, the lunch menu is set, the fresh food is on order, ready for collection on Christmas Eve and the drinks cabinet is well stocked. The house is decorated, the tree is looking majestic and there are plenty of presents beneath it for giving out after dinner.
What could possibly go wrong..?
Originally Posted by Cornish_Piskie:
“Our Christmas goes round pretty much on a three year cycle. This year, mine and wife's parents are coming to ours. Next year, we will spend Christmas with wife's family and year after that, we will be going to London for the holiday to stay with my family. Then it's back to them coming to us and so it goes around.
It's a happy arrangement that we are comfortable with. We're looking forward to my parents getting here on Christmas Eve and wife's family coming from just down the road (St Austell) on Christmas Day. Our little house will be quite full but we'll all get comfortably around the table for lunch.
All the shopping is done, the lunch menu is set, the fresh food is on order, ready for collection on Christmas Eve and the drinks cabinet is well stocked. The house is decorated, the tree is looking majestic and there are plenty of presents beneath it for giving out after dinner.
What could possibly go wrong..?”
“Our Christmas goes round pretty much on a three year cycle. This year, mine and wife's parents are coming to ours. Next year, we will spend Christmas with wife's family and year after that, we will be going to London for the holiday to stay with my family. Then it's back to them coming to us and so it goes around.
It's a happy arrangement that we are comfortable with. We're looking forward to my parents getting here on Christmas Eve and wife's family coming from just down the road (St Austell) on Christmas Day. Our little house will be quite full but we'll all get comfortably around the table for lunch.
All the shopping is done, the lunch menu is set, the fresh food is on order, ready for collection on Christmas Eve and the drinks cabinet is well stocked. The house is decorated, the tree is looking majestic and there are plenty of presents beneath it for giving out after dinner.
What could possibly go wrong..?”
I'm gatecrashing.
the only thing that has changed is my Dad has retired and I am now head carver and family card school adminstrator 
Originally Posted by Nodger:
“I'm gatecrashing.”
“I'm gatecrashing.”
I'll go with you, I suggest we have half a dozen liveners in Cornish's local then we'll get round there
Originally Posted by Pitman:
“I'll go with you, I suggest we have half a dozen liveners in Cornish's local then we'll get round there”
“I'll go with you, I suggest we have half a dozen liveners in Cornish's local then we'll get round there
”
Wait for me!
Yes same every year. We may see my husband's family in the morning but we go to mine for lunch and are home by 6.00pm. They live nearby so if we want to drink we can leave the car there and walk home.
Its always the same. My husband and I go to my parents house for Christmas Day and we have coffee & biscuits on arrival. We then open stockings and presents. Then we have champagne and dinner. We are normally slumped on the chair in the evening watching Paul O'Grady visiting cute dogs in Battersea.
The only difference this year is that my husband is working Christmas Day morning, so we will get to Mums, open our stockings, have dinner and then do presents.
The only difference this year is that my husband is working Christmas Day morning, so we will get to Mums, open our stockings, have dinner and then do presents.
Originally Posted by mintbro:
“Our Christmas is almost the same every year, it's hard to remember back to a particular Christmas as there's the same routine and traditions every year”
“Our Christmas is almost the same every year, it's hard to remember back to a particular Christmas as there's the same routine and traditions every year”
Yep pretty much in the sense that we all go round my aunt's. There's usually around 20 people depending on who's going to their partners' places instead. If everyone decided to turn up to the same Christmas there would twice that.
But because the seating always changes, it's easy to tell what Christmas it was from stories and what not.
I thought that my Christmases were getting very boring and 'samey', and then a close relative died and you'd give anything to go back to it.
The whole point of Christmas is to enjoy time with people you love and if you're not doing that something needs to change.
The whole point of Christmas is to enjoy time with people you love and if you're not doing that something needs to change.
Originally Posted by blueisthecolour:
“The whole point of Christmas is to enjoy time with people you love and if you're not doing that something needs to change.”
“The whole point of Christmas is to enjoy time with people you love and if you're not doing that something needs to change.”
that's what I am doing wrong, I end up spending all the time with my family
Just getting into our new tradition, I only recently started sharing Christmas with my now fiancé and her parents and my parents
So luckily with her parents being German they do much of the Xmas Gift Giving on Christmas Eve so we go to her parents just outside of Frankfurt on Thursday, spend a few days with them then
On Christmas Morning take the 9am flight from Frankfurt to Heathrow arriving in Bath in time at around 11am
That way we're keeping both sets of Parents happy
So luckily with her parents being German they do much of the Xmas Gift Giving on Christmas Eve so we go to her parents just outside of Frankfurt on Thursday, spend a few days with them then
On Christmas Morning take the 9am flight from Frankfurt to Heathrow arriving in Bath in time at around 11am
That way we're keeping both sets of Parents happy
Last night we had a pre-Christmas dinner as my uncle was flying back to Canada today. Arrived at my nans house to find a full roast dinner (3 meats) and all the trimmings, mince pies and wine. Afterwards slumped in front of the telly we opened the box of quality street, my grandad gave me my own family sized box to take home but I left it at his to stop the temptation. I have another 2 friends/work Xmas dinners this week before the real thing on Sunday again! Considering a good roast dinner is one of my favourite meals, I have to admit I'll probably be quite happy to see the back of them for a while after the holidays.
Our other tradition is going around to Nana's and grandads on Xmas eve, it used to be after midnight mass but no body goes to that anymore. We will eat home made Christmas cake, drink port wine, listen to Christmas music and open 1 or 2 presents each.
Our other tradition is going around to Nana's and grandads on Xmas eve, it used to be after midnight mass but no body goes to that anymore. We will eat home made Christmas cake, drink port wine, listen to Christmas music and open 1 or 2 presents each.
Originally Posted by blueisthecolour:
“I thought that my Christmases were getting very boring and 'samey', and then a close relative died and you'd give anything to go back to it.”
“I thought that my Christmases were getting very boring and 'samey', and then a close relative died and you'd give anything to go back to it.”
Oh how true - make the most of it while you have them!
Yeah pretty much. My parents, brother and myself like it has been for decades. The only thing that's changed over time is that we play less games than we used to and there's more lazing in front of telly Royle Family style... but it's always great every year and would never change it.
Same routine and decorations for at least 30 years. The tree has been replaced this year as my dog is getting old and now sleeps in the corner where the tree normally goes so we had to get a smaller one to sit on the sideboard.
A couple years ago we had to replace the fairy that goes on top the tree as she was looking a bit battered but I managed to find an identical one on german ebay. It seems they were made in the 1950s in Germany so my dad probably brought it back with him when he did national service over there.
A couple years ago we had to replace the fairy that goes on top the tree as she was looking a bit battered but I managed to find an identical one on german ebay. It seems they were made in the 1950s in Germany so my dad probably brought it back with him when he did national service over there.
Yes none of us are that bothered about Christmas so we all spend it with those we live with. We try to make an effort to meet up to exchange presents before Christmas but that's about it and if there wasn't children involved we probably wouldn't even bother with that.
It is for my parents and siblings, although I tend to do my own thing these days.
The usual script is my siblings, partners and kids all pile around to my parents' place on Xmas eve and fight over beds until about 11pm, but because copious amounts of alcohol are generally involved there's usually a full blown argument before it's settled. My mum then makes some fleischsalat for the next day, and starts prepping the meat as we have beef and lamb, fowl (usually turkey, but depends on my mum's mood), and fish all on the same table. They then stick the presents under the tree and go to bed before 1am.
They'll then be woken up by some awful German Xmas music being belted out by my dad on the stereo about 6am (I'm half German) and him pretending to be Santa. It was kind of cool when the oldest kid was 6, but Santa doesn't really work now they're 14 and 11, and it's pretty embarrassing now. There's the usual shredding of Xmas paper before breakfast, which is more of a continental breakfast, but you can guarantee there'll be another argument between my sister and my brother over the blueberry bagels. Following that it's usually the construction of toys and inserting of batteries before the adults get stuck into alcohol - this is usually about 11am!
Some how my mum and sister manage to cook Xmas dinner without injuring themselves or anyone else - seriously anyway - or burning/undercooking anything. Food is served up about 3pm and the table is clear about 4, by which point everyone falls asleep for a few hours. About 8ish they'll have the evening meal which consists of leftovers salvaged from earlier and the fleischsalat. After this my sister's kids bunker up in their room and watch TV or play on consoles, and the adults start necking alcohol again and my sister and brother end up having another argument over something. My youngest brother tends to talk shop with my dad and my mum usually ends up flirting with my brother's boyfriend (usually what starts the argument between him and my sister).
Boxing day is usually spent with the adults nursing hangovers until dinner time, before having something to eat and opening more alcohol, so the evening is usually a repeat of Xmas night.
I'll occasionally go, but it depends on how recently I had my mum's homemade lasagne and coleslaw, as it's that I miss the most. My usual Xmas was spent alternating between one here (where I live when I'm working) and one with my (soon to be ex) wife, but this year I'm spending it with my minion (a kid who decided to adopt me as a father figure), loads of junk food, two Steam link boxes and my DJ console to piss the neighbours off. I'm at my parents' on NYE, but I've avoided it for the last few years and my mum has told me I'm contractually obliged to come this year. At least there'll be lasagne and coleslaw
The usual script is my siblings, partners and kids all pile around to my parents' place on Xmas eve and fight over beds until about 11pm, but because copious amounts of alcohol are generally involved there's usually a full blown argument before it's settled. My mum then makes some fleischsalat for the next day, and starts prepping the meat as we have beef and lamb, fowl (usually turkey, but depends on my mum's mood), and fish all on the same table. They then stick the presents under the tree and go to bed before 1am.
They'll then be woken up by some awful German Xmas music being belted out by my dad on the stereo about 6am (I'm half German) and him pretending to be Santa. It was kind of cool when the oldest kid was 6, but Santa doesn't really work now they're 14 and 11, and it's pretty embarrassing now. There's the usual shredding of Xmas paper before breakfast, which is more of a continental breakfast, but you can guarantee there'll be another argument between my sister and my brother over the blueberry bagels. Following that it's usually the construction of toys and inserting of batteries before the adults get stuck into alcohol - this is usually about 11am!
Some how my mum and sister manage to cook Xmas dinner without injuring themselves or anyone else - seriously anyway - or burning/undercooking anything. Food is served up about 3pm and the table is clear about 4, by which point everyone falls asleep for a few hours. About 8ish they'll have the evening meal which consists of leftovers salvaged from earlier and the fleischsalat. After this my sister's kids bunker up in their room and watch TV or play on consoles, and the adults start necking alcohol again and my sister and brother end up having another argument over something. My youngest brother tends to talk shop with my dad and my mum usually ends up flirting with my brother's boyfriend (usually what starts the argument between him and my sister).
Boxing day is usually spent with the adults nursing hangovers until dinner time, before having something to eat and opening more alcohol, so the evening is usually a repeat of Xmas night.
I'll occasionally go, but it depends on how recently I had my mum's homemade lasagne and coleslaw, as it's that I miss the most. My usual Xmas was spent alternating between one here (where I live when I'm working) and one with my (soon to be ex) wife, but this year I'm spending it with my minion (a kid who decided to adopt me as a father figure), loads of junk food, two Steam link boxes and my DJ console to piss the neighbours off. I'm at my parents' on NYE, but I've avoided it for the last few years and my mum has told me I'm contractually obliged to come this year. At least there'll be lasagne and coleslaw
I'm sure my family's Christmas is much the same as it has always been. My Mum moaning at my Dad and Sister for drinking too much too early and getting hugely stressed out if the meal isn't ready at the exact time she said it would be. Parent's bickering. Sister getting annoyed at parent's bickering.
Mine will be like the last 3 years. Spent in the Alps away from all the grief and stress.
Mine will be like the last 3 years. Spent in the Alps away from all the grief and stress.
Not really. It tends to move around the country depending on circumstances.
This year, I'll be at my parents up in Bolton. They've recently become friends with some Pakistani asylum seekers who literally struggle to find money for the next meal, so they're invited over and I've been volunteered to do a full-works Christmas dinner
This year, I'll be at my parents up in Bolton. They've recently become friends with some Pakistani asylum seekers who literally struggle to find money for the next meal, so they're invited over and I've been volunteered to do a full-works Christmas dinner
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