[Funwith3]

I am loving all the Christmas threads!

So I wondered, what does everyone do on Christmas day, once the big day arrives? Do you have traditions? Do you sleep in, or get up early? Do you have family breakfasts? When do you do presents? How do you do presents? What time do you eat? What do you do during the day in between eating? What do you do that night after the festivities are over? Also, if you are the host (and especially if you have little kids of your own) do you drink during the day? Do you drink to excess given that it's a celebration? Do you enjoy hosting Christmas or do you find it stressful? Do people help you?

Here's me:
Kids run in and wake us up too early to say that Santa's been. We make coffees immediately, kids tear open their presents. This year I want to do a special pancake breakfast just for DH and our three kids. We all have showers and get ready. I spend the morning getting ready for everyone to arrive (lots of salads, desserts etc to make), setting up the table etc.

Family (both our sets of parents - so just 4 people) arrive around 1pm and we stand around drinking and chatting before sitting down to a roast lunch. I have my mum bringing roast vegies, and MIL bringing the ham. Then we might sit down and do presents.

My family's tradition is that one person (or family) get to give out all of their presents first and watch with delight as their presents are opened. Then the next person (or family) gives out all of their presents, and so on. DH's family tradition is that one person (usually FIL) sits next to the tree and just hands out presents willy nilly, to everyone, so that at any given time everyone has a present that they are opening. I don't like this as I usually miss watching a present that I've put lots of thought into, be opened. I like to watch people's faces when they see their presents (because I pick GOOD presents!!)

Then we just hang around...we keep drinking, we chat. Kids might go outside and play with their new ball, or tennis racket, etc. Then we start thinking about what time we might want to eat dinner, and then my sister and her husband arrive. We do the same thing all over again... we sit down for dinner, and then do their presents.

Usually I just have one or two drinks throughout the day.

They all head off around 9-10pm.

I sit down and have a hard earned cup of tea.

[~THE~MAGICIAN~]

We let the kids set the pace. Usually they are up about 5am and that's totally fine with us.

They open stockings first, then we make a cuppa. If anyone wants something quick to eat, they grab something.

Then we move to the lounge and open the presents under the tree. That way the kids don't nag to open more gifts. Once they are opened, that's it.

Then breakfast. This year ham and cheese croissants and juice/chocolate milk (the kids chose the menu)

They play and play and play.

I shower and dress then start any lunch that needs attending to.

Visitors arrive about mid-day. We exchange presents. Eat food. Kids play games (often a board game altogether) if it's hot they play on the waterslide.

Adults might snooze on couch due to early start.

Eat more food through the afternoon and leftover for dinner. Everyone eats when they are hungry.

I clean up a bit, Dishwasher goes on. Kids shower and put on their new pj's. (Father Christmas always brings some!)

We watch a Christmas movie.

Everyone falls into bed around 9pm.

I never drink on Christmas Day. DH does, but he is away this year.

This post has been edited by ~THE~MAGICIAN~: 23/12/2012, 02:40 PM

[iwanttosleepin]

We're have a very odd christmas this year.

Wake up will be early but I am buying DS7 a new alarm clock day and a limit will be set!

Then have a cup of tea and open the presents. Facetime the grandparents at some stage.

A limo is picking us up at 11.15 and then picking up some other friends and taking us out to lunch at a 5 star resort - all you can eat and drink with kids entertainment. then the limo will pick us up at 4.30 and deliver us all back home.

at which I think we will all fall into bed!

[FiveAus]

Our present tradition is that they all go in a pile, and I stick a Santa hat on my head and hand them out one at a time. The recipient opens it, shows everyone then the next present gets given out. It's fun, the kids (all grown up now) absolutely love it and insist it stays this way, and we have lots of laughs.

This year we are going out for lunch with two of the kids, one partner and a granddaughter, then coming back to our place for presents in the afternoon. Others will arrive then too.

[gina70]

Love Christmas!

I usually wake early and lie there waiting for the kids to come in, but now they are getting older they don't wake up as early. I also put coffee on, then presents, relax for a bit, then buttermilk hotcakes for breaky. Relax again.

My sister will come around about 10:30 and we will do presents and then she will drive us over to my niece's home for more presents and lunch. We will stay there till late afternoon.

Then back home to relax.

I like Christmas to be a stress- free happy day.

[BadCat]

We'll be up around 7.

Everyone gets dressed and has breakfast before presents. Kids christmas treat breakfast is Rice Bubbles. DH and I will just eat some toast or something.

Presents are handed out one by one and everyone gets to see what each other have received. Then we play with our presents, read our new books etc until lunch. Lunch will be cold turkey, ham and salads. We'll probably take a break before dessert. We'll laze away the afternoon and have leftovers for dinner.

That's a standard christmas around here. We often have someone share lunch with us and sometimes we'll have grandparents over in the morning for presents. This year we'll have friends over for lunch and they will probably spend most of the afternoon with us.

[snuffles]

Ours are always different. Our family tradition is to be somewhere different from the year before for Christmas. This fits in well with the defence lifestyle also .

Last year as we weren't moving, we went camping for Christmas. We *only* got our stockings on Christmas Day, and had a seafood lunch. And went to the beach. Then we had a 'second' CHristmas with all the trimmings on January 9 (it was a bit of a job to find a whole turkey for that). We got our gifts from each other that day too.

This year, we moved house in August (although still in the same area) and have decided to have one Christmas, at home. Although we have invited extended family, it'll be just us (they live a long way away so fair enough). For that we'll have stockings first thing, breakfast, and mum and dad sit around bleary eyed drinking coffee whilst the kids open their under the tree presents. Then we play with the presents!!! DH does the lunch (mostly) which will be ready about 4pm (hence covering lunch and dinner) and I cget the dishes, yay.

[~buzz~]

We will get a phone call from SIL at about 6am
Go to MIL's for presents and coffee
Home for presents, shower, dressed
Going to MIL's for lunch
Going to BIL's in the afternoon
Then home for the rest of the night

This is the first year we will be doing this and the last.

[Poss and Soss]

Do you have traditions?
Yes and no.

Do you sleep in, or get up early?
Given our kids are smaller probably up at the usual time. If DS does climb in to bed earlier we will do the usual morning cuddle and when we're ready (or when he whinges) we'll get up!

Do you have family breakfasts?
This year was planning croissants - but the kids have eaten the ones I bought! Will get more tomorrow.

When do you do presents? How do you do presents?
We have some friends coming this year, so we are doing 'big' pressies (at 9.30am with 3 members of the family who may or may not decide to stay for XMAS lunch. THAT is fun to plan for) before our guests arrive at 11.

Then the kids (including the visitor child) has a santa sack. Adults (including guest adult) will open their pressies then.

What time do you eat?
Again this depends on whether the family members decide to stay. 1sh if they don't, 2ish if they do.

What do you do during the day in between eating?
Chat. Watch the kids play. Watch TV or listen to music. Clean up and pack the dishwasher!

What do you do that night after the festivities are over?
Sleep!

Also, if you are the host (and especially if you have little kids of your own) do you drink during the day?
Yes

Do you drink to excess given that it's a celebration?
Yes

Do you enjoy hosting Christmas or do you find it stressful?
I love it although I get stressed cooking everything!

Do people help you?
Yes - and often I wish they wouldn't!! Every year I say 'look after the kids and every 15 minutes check in whether I want you to do something'.

E.g. p*ss off out of my kitchen, but be around for when I want you to check there is a fresh hand towel in the guest bathroom, that the table is set etc.

[jazzpup]

Our last couple of christmases have meant getting up at 4 so DH can see presents being opened, then he is off to work while me and the kids traipse around the countryside going to eleventy billion family things because our families all insist on doing christmas day on christmas day. (Yes that sentence is long and exhausting because that is what it is normally like)
This year we are doing Christmas at our place and DH has the day off (YAY!!!!!)Ok so it means 6 at breakfast, 20 at lunch and 11 for dinner, but no driving. I am excited but all the house work now is sucky!!