we only have one tradition after neigh on 40 yrs of marriage I have always cooked Christmas dinner, as i keep telling the witch... its the one meal of the year i want to eat and enjoy

as i keep telling the witch... its the one meal of the year i want to eat and enjoy

A bit of an odd one, my birthday is later on in January and we always have a full Christmas dinner complete with decorations, crackers, turkey the complete works.
Last January we were in Egypt on my birthday and it was a bit surreal, we opened the patio doors on the morning of my birthday and Christmas tunes were getting played around the pool, there were a few puzzled faces but it certainly made me smile

I suppose I should tell you about our Christmas in July.... perhaps another day

I have an eight month old and so this year is his first Christmas and we will be doing lots of the things I did as a child.

A sack or pillow case for Father Christmas's presents - to be opened at an ungodly hour. Tree presents from everyone else will be after lunch.

Christmas dinner at lunchtime and cheese and biscuits and Christmas cake for anyone who is still hungry at tea time.

We've already done the trip to see Father Christmas in his grotto

When my son was small we used to take him to Goathland on the Christmas Santa Special.

Our Christmas day now that our son is an adult is to open presents on the morning then the whole family congregate at my parents to see the little ones in the family. Husband cooks Christmas dinner and washes up. Then we chill.

When I was a nipper, and there was Mum, Dad, two sisters and brother - we had a pillow slip at the end of our beds, of course we went to bed mega early hoping Santa would come quicker. The pressies in the sack pillow slip were I guess what you call tree pressies, and always had an Annual, I guess Mum and Dad thought we would read quietly and let them have a lay in bed.

Dad would always could Christmas Dinner, with Mum supervising and when all the prep for dinner was done, and Turkey was in the oven, we had to eat brekkie and then, we all sat in the living room and opened pressies one by one.

Loved it and miss it all

Well we have always had a real Christmas tree even in the years before the kids were born and now they are almost adults still carry on the tradition, Infact I can't imagine not having a real tree. Pressie go inderneath in Christmas Eve. I always cook the Christmas Lunch and we eat at lunch time never late in the day as it seems to us like you spend all day trying to achieve dinner time otherwise. Traditionally I drink Sherry whilst I cook it,

There are also some relatives I have visited on Boxing Day since I was born and I have carried on that tradition with my family, but sadly the 95 year old died earlier this year, but we shall still visit his wife who is only 80.

I always have great plans to visit the after Christmas sales (such as they are these days) and then rarely go as I am shopped out after Christmas.

I made an angel for the tree when I was 8. It still goes on my tree every year. She is going bald now but she has to be there
Christmas past- sitting round the fire watching Morecambe and Wise

Hi doe,

Slightly off topic but I enjoy a tipple or two of scotch or JD as I cook my turkey ....

1. Go buy a turkey
2. Take a drink whiskey of scotch or JD
3. Put turkey in the oven
4. Take another 2 drinks of schotch or JD
5. Set the degree at 475 ovens
6. Take 3 more drinks of scotch or JD
7. Turn oven the on
8 Take 4 whisks of drinky
9 Turn the bastey
10 Whiskey another bottle of get
11 Stick a turkey in the thermometer
12 Glass yourself a pour of whiskey
13 Bake the whiskey for 4 hours
14 Take the oven out of the turkey
15 Take the oven our of the turkey
16 Floor the turkey up off the pick
17 Turk the carvey
18 Get yourself another scottle of botch
19 Tet the sable and pour yourself a glass of turkey
20 Bless the saying, pass and eat out.

Would add my turkey is always cooked to perfection LOL!!

Christmas past was magical one year when I was little. We went to Midnight mass and when we came out the streets were covered in pure, thick snow. There wasn't any footprints to be seen so it felt really special and looked gorgeous in the street lights.

Hi Glynis,

I too recall going to Midnight Mass every year with my mum and dad as a child. One year in particular that sticks in my mind was rising on Christmas morning to about 4ft of snow, rushing down the stairs to find that 'Father Chrismas' had left a 3ft walkie talkie doll for me. We had so much snow that year, that we were able to build an igloo .... happy memories!

pat wrote:

Hi doe,

Slightly off topic but I enjoy a tipple or two of scotch or JD as I cook my turkey ....

1. Go buy a turkey
2. Take a drink whiskey of scotch or JD
3. Put turkey in the oven
4. Take another 2 drinks of schotch or JD
5. Set the degree at 475 ovens
6. Take 3 more drinks of scotch or JD
7. Turn oven the on
8 Take 4 whisks of drinky
9 Turn the bastey
10 Whiskey another bottle of get
11 Stick a turkey in the thermometer
12 Glass yourself a pour of whiskey
13 Bake the whiskey for 4 hours
14 Take the oven out of the turkey
15 Take the oven our of the turkey
16 Floor the turkey up off the pick
17 Turk the carvey
18 Get yourself another scottle of botch
19 Tet the sable and pour yourself a glass of turkey
20 Bless the saying, pass and eat out.

Would add my turkey is always cooked to perfection LOL!!

Oh how could I forget, Santa always arrives at our house in a big red fire engine later on in the morning with some presents he forgot to leave

Chris, we lived in Alton when our kids were little - we always went on the Watercress line Santa Special

Fiona,we, too ,have a 30 year + old home made angel for the Xmas tree -my wife made it when she was teaching at infants school before our kids were born- - but can't use it this year as the tree is outside on the patio because we have a (very) inquisitive 16 month old granddaughter!!

Our "traditional" Xmas is every other year now - we had 17 for Xmas dinner last year - but because of family committments it''ll be quiet this year - only 6 of us!
When we have a housefull :-
1. Party games on Xmas Eve evening.
2. Bucks fizz and bacon sarnies on Xmas morning.
3. A walk followed by "left overs" soup on Boxing Day.
and I almost forgot 4. mulled wine on Boxing day whilst the soup is cooking

Aww your Christmas Day sounds lovely Dave with all the family and the games I'd love that Strangely enough ex Admin Sarah's from Cardiff and they always have a house full of people and party games

Been thinking about Dave's post and, although I'd love the idea the day, I think, would fill me with dread

Where to sit all the people
How on earth would I know how many potatoes to cook?

I can see me flapping in the kitchen like Barbara from Royal Family, with sweat pouring down my face and me having a nervous breakdown
For those who have party games, what games do you play?

We have to arrange the dining room in a VERY scientific fashion to get 17 people in!!! -10 round our normal dining table using the seats pushed together as a bench so that we can get 4 or 5 on each side,then the old table from the garden seats 7 ....but people have to be seated in a certain order to fit everyone in, the younger ones get sent round the back and you have to raise your fork in coordination with the person on your left
To be fair the prep. isn't a problem -I get up ultra early to cook the turkey (or multibird roast) so that's done well in advance; then I start on the bacon butties and my wife's sisters are always keen to help out with peeling pots,sprouts etc whilst one of my daughters keeps everyone topped up with Bucks fizz
Games ?? Well,normally everyone brings some board games with them ....and we have had some hysterical games of Charades in teams over the years. Last year my B-I-L put together tests like they have on the Cube - that went down well especially stacking plastic glasses against the clock!!!

You must have a very easy going family Dave - our lot would bicker:-

"I'm not getting squashed in there next to him/her"
"Why've they got more sprouts than me?"
"I wanted the leg" (humph, would fold arms if they could)
"Stop digging me with your bony elbow!"

I think charades would be a good game and also the one with a post it note on your forehead as per Churchill dog
Couldn't play boardgames as per the reasons above
Think I'll just have another quiet Christmas with hubby and son. Eat dinner cooked by hubs then chill out on the settee with a Christmas film

Have a lovely day with your family Dave

Kiltman HT Mod wrote:

Oh how could I forget, Santa always arrives at our house in a big red fire engine later on in the morning with some presents he forgot to leave

Does Santa really come Graham or are you pulling our (Turkey) legs???

Oh yes he really comes, somebody not too far away has a hotline to Santa and (this is not for childrens eyes) lets just say for instance parents drop off presents at the station we go out on Christmas morning and Firefighter Santa then arrives and deliveres presents in his big red fire engine and then we go up to Robin House the Childrens Hospice here - yes it's all true, no turkey leg pulling here HO HO HO