What do you do on Christmas day?

Ronni

Well-known Member
Location
Nashville TN
Do you guys have Christmas Day traditions, or things you like to do on Christmas day?

I stopped making Christmas Dinner once my kids got to an age where they weren't getting up as soon as it was light out to see what Santa brought. Instead I make a huge Christmas breakfast...eggs, country ham, sausage, bacon, grits, red eye gravy and sausage gravy, fluffy biscuits with mounds of butter and jam, pancakes or french toast (sometimes both) and unlimited coffee and orange juice and hot spiced tea.

Once the kids were grown with families of their own, we've started going to my daughter's house and gathering there. We usually go there for all the get togethers because she has the largest house. Her kids are still young enough that they're getting up at the crack of dawn to open their presents, so her personal Christmas morning is over by 7 or 8. Everyone straggles in sometime around 9 or 10, I get there early to start on breakfast. My gifts for everyone are already under the tree, and everyone else adds theirs as they arrive.

Once everyone's eaten, we move to the room where the tree is. Paige finds gifts from under the tree and hands them to the various kids who take them to the recipient, and we take turns opening, ooh-ing and ahh-ing, or laughing, or getting emotional (me, usually 🤦‍♀️ 😂) over what's been gifted, with the kids having to be reigned in a bit from ripping into all their presents all at once, and instead impatiently waiting their turn.

After the present opening, some of us head back to the kitchen to clean up while others hang with the kids and help them with whatever toys require adult supervision or putting together or instruction reading or whatever.

After that, whoever can heads to a movie together! Some years it's pretty much everyone, some years it's just two or three of us, depending on who has other commitments that day (significant other family/relative/friend get together/volunteer work etc.)

It's a fun day and I look forward to it most of all every year!!
 

Christmas used to be different when my parents were alive. All the siblings and their families would gather at my parent's house or one of their houses to eat dinner, open presents, play cards and just have fun. Lots of noise, children playing, laughing, the occasional argument. You always felt the holiday spirit.

Now, all of the siblings pretty much have their own families and we don't gather together as a group anymore. Last Christmas, it was just hubby, me and our daughter. Our Christmases are pretty quiet anymore. However, this year my daughter moved into her own condo and is hosting Christmas. She invited my brother and one of her friends, so it will be a little more lively.

She doesn't cook, so I will pretty much end up bringing most of the food over. This should be interesting.
 
We have our family Christmas about a week before Christmas..This allows the family to be with their children on Christmas Day..

We try to have a big family get together on Thanksgiving Day.
 

We always have a nice family get-together on/about Christmas. With all the in-laws, the exact day varies, from year to year. This year is the "inlaws" year, so we will have our celebration on the 28th, at one of the daughters house. The wife and I have hotel reservations at our favorite casino, so we will spend Christmas day having fun, and enjoy their fine meals.
 
My parents always went down south for 6 months out of the year for about 30 years so we used to have it at my mil’s house. Once they moved away we stopped having the big family Christmas and now just stay home. Last year we had a big family get together with my in-laws at a huge fancy restaurant - Mandarin. It was also the first and last Christmas we had with my parents after 30 years and we made it special. I put up their Christmas decorations, a Christmas tree and made a special dinner with crackers. I brought my saxophone and played Christmas carols afterwards. It was bittersweet.
 
On Christmas morning I attend Mass. Go to my family and get spoilt rotten both days. Christmas Eve I dont do much just chill out at home. The aftermath of Christmas is laid-back and the run-up to the New Year is quiet. New Years Eve used to be gr8 but dont do anything inless invited out like I was last year to a friend's. Watch telly and the celebrations in London UK and the fireworks and hear the deep chimes of Big Ben
 
christmas is very different now, since my husband had his stroke, our lives have changed dramatically........we will stay in alday, and have the conventional food....😢

my hubby naps in the afternoon, and goes to bed at 6 30 pm.....

BUT ,if its a dry morning, i will push him along the seafront, and stop at our beachside cafe and have Hot Chocolate and marshmallows.......😊
 
On Christmas morning I attend Mass. Go to my family and get spoilt rotten both days. Christmas Eve I dont do much just chill out at home. The aftermath of Christmas is laid-back and the run-up to the New Year is quiet. New Years Eve used to be gr8 but dont do anything inless invited out like I was last year to a friend's. Watch telly and the celebrations in London UK and the fireworks and hear the deep chimes of Big Ben



not forgetting Jools Holland ....🎼🎼
 
I'll putter around making a little nicer breakfast and a little nicer dinner, watch the Queen's message, enjoy the memories and feelings associated with Christmas but other than that it will be a pretty standard day.
Don't people who live in apartment houses have ''tenant parties'' or something like that? Just asking, have been a tenant a couple of times, but never in an apartment building. Don't remember Seinfeld having one, but Kramer did start a disastrous-for-Jerry ''tenant name and picture'' thing.
 
Don't people who live in apartment houses have ''tenant parties'' or something like that? Just asking, have been a tenant a couple of times, but never in an apartment building. Don't remember Seinfeld having one, but Kramer did start a disastrous-for-Jerry ''tenant name and picture'' thing.
I'm sure there are plenty of things I could do and places I could go but it's not how I choose to spend Christmas.

Like the song says, “Don't try to fix me, I'm not broken...”
 
I'm sure there are plenty of things I could do and places I could go but it's not how I choose to spend Christmas.

Like the song says, “Don't try to fix me, I'm not broken...”
I wasn't trying to fix you, I know you're not ''broken''. Like I said, I never lived in an apartment building, was just curious. I did live in a townhouse and they had holiday parties for the condo owners.
 
I wasn't trying to fix you, I know you're not ''broken''. Like I said, I never lived in an apartment building, was just curious. I did live in a townhouse and they had holiday parties for the condo owners.
I suppose that living in an apartment building is just like living in any other neighborhood.

The management doesn't sponsor any type of gathering but I'm sure that some tenants get together for various celebrations.
 
Christmas Day ..... after two weeks of racing around, and getting everything done

iu


and doggy ....
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Our family have a "Christmas tradition....My brother is having Christmas at his home this year....His kids, have 3 from his son and 2 from his daughter...
And My hubby and I have 11 of our family...Also, my sister in law's 95 year old father and his girlfriend....HaHa!!!!

We actually have fish on Christmas Eve...I make the clams and spaghetti in Red Gravy...Or some may say Sauce....
Everyone brings what they want....It is just too much food....And Gifts!!!

On Christmas Day, we have a quiet dinner with my son, his daughter and his wife....We have to split up with my daughter, she has to go
to her Motherr in law....on Christmas Day....And my brother has Christmas with his wife's family....My grandson and his fiancé go to her
family....(Grandson and fiancé are getting married next year....
 
I attended or plan on attending only two parties this year - family and the local senior's club and the senior's aren't having a grab bag this year. So unless someone on my meal route decides to show their appreciation (most don't, it isn't required and I wouldn't want someone to spend or give beyond their means if they are short on funds), I'll only have one gift to open.
 
Up until last year, Rick and I would simply spend a quiet day at home, usually watching old movies on TV. I would usually make something simple, but special for dinner. This year, much to the dismay of some friends and family, I am going to stay at home, and continue that tradition. Just stay home, reflect on the past year, and plan for next year. Not sure what I am going to have for dinner, though.
 
Having Christmas in my home wouldn't be the same since most of the older generation has passed and I'd be terribly sad, but thankfully my daughter has Christmas at her home and my two grandsons make it a whole new experience with new memories to be made.
I always remember the old ones but tuck them away in my heart so I can enjoy the day.
 


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