What do you do on Christmas day?

Jon

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This is our first Christmas at home in about 10+ years coming up.

We've always spent it away from home but this year for various reasons we aren't!

We've booked a meal out for Christmas Dinner but normally we would be away on holiday somewhere so would go swimming in the afternoon or out in the evening. Can't really do that this year.

What do you do on Christmas day? We don't have much immediate family around us to think it will just be a case of stuffing our faces and lounging around lol

When I was a kid I remember my mum spending all day cooking (and sometimes the night before) but I just can't be bothered with what is essentially a slightly more glossy Sunday Roast lol

As a teenager I used to work in a hotel so would more often than not work on Christmas day for a few hours! Even when I used to work at a pub we opened up on Chrsitmas Day! Is that still a thing people do?

I'm sure if you've still got small kids at home it's a magical time but at 38 with no small kids at home anymore the whole thing is just an inconvenience lol

bah humbug!
 
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Mattam

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bah humbug indeed!

We make both sets of parents visit us for dinner as it's a tradition after years of not being able to drag the kids away from their toys. The fact they are now both grown up and working doesn't matter a jot as it's tradition okay!
 
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Tmom

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We love Christmas :). We attend the Christmas Mass then back home to open presents and eat. We call family and friends, watch at least 1 classic movie (sound of music, etc) then have an early night as we will either be hosting if it is our turn or go visiting family on boxing day (4 branches of the same family alternate end of year get togethers).
 
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Jon

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Tell you one thing we always end up doing year because our family aren't nearby and that's what I like to call 'the triangle of doom'

Which involves us driving from Leeds > Norwich > Bristol > Cheltenham to see all the family

The emphasis is ALWAYS on us to do all the travelling which winds me up no end lol
 

Sherliarty

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I normally have a crazy Xmas Eve at my mum's and so Christmas day is a little less hectic but I do my best to cook up a Xmas feast with inlaws and sometimes another guest or two then sometimes we play games or just lounge in front of the tv. The following day we often have to see more family.

Depending on my mood I either love it or am a bit meh about it all!
 
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Karonher

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Dad and I go to my brother and his family. Then we go again on the 27th for nephews birthday - may go out this year as he is 21 - then again on the first January for sister in laws birthday. Only meal is Christmas Day.
 
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Peaches

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No idea what we're doing this year. I don't think it's going to be great tbh.

Ordinarily though, people congregate at my mums (where my sister also lives) or my brothers (town next door). I can't really host as I never have space, plus mum's on a farm with too many animals to arrange care for to travel/stay away for haha. Usually presents, group dog walk, a christmas dinner (I actually cooked it all last year and by some miracle managed not to poison anybody - the miracle being I've been veggie my whole adult life so really have no clue how to cook the meat they were all going to eat hahahaha) films....the usual I guess. With feeding of various animals interspersed!
 

Julesfh2012

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I always host and have done for the past 17 years, since we moved back to my home town. In previous years we have had my parents and the parents in law plus husband's uncle and from time to time my brother (he is widowed) and his son.
Times have changed though and my husband's parents and uncle have decided they are too old (well yeah, 87, 91 and 95!) and my brother and nephew have other plans, so it will just be me, husband, two kids, and my parents.

I don't anticipate it will be an easy Christmas as mum's dementia has got a lot worse and has affected her mobility and I think she will probably only want to stay a couple of hours.

Apart from that we just have a very chilled out day, kids open pressies, we have danish pastries and coffee for breakfast. I cook Christmas lunch and then once everyone has gone we put the little one to bed and have turkey butties and watch something good on tv.

We barely leave the house, so I can't imagine having to travel long distances on Christmas day. We're not a close family anymore so don't anticipate seeing anyone else, big change from the fun and chaotic Christmases I remember as a kid!
 

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This year will be: finish work on 24th.Then, assisting OH to get to work on 25th & 26th. Will involve waiting around for like 7/8 hours as public transport doesn't run those days.
 

Chammy

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We do it the very traditional way so I'll spend a lot of the day cooking after presents have been opened, eat food and then cabbage on the sofa with a Christmas film and eat shit - if we have room. I have a 10-year-old so it's still special for him, Santa is still in the picture so it's all good.

I was the same as you (@Jon) as a kid. My mum spent the day cooking, my dad was in catering so always worked at his hotel and when I hit working age my first few Christmas days were spent working.

I remember one Christmas where I was paid a set amount of £75 (I only physically worked about 3 hours), got £35 in tips and ate a Christmas dinner at work (it was a hotel) then went home for a family Christmas dinner haha In my tiny teenage mind it was the best thing ever.
 

The Reverend

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I've worked 1 Christmas day where the restaurant/pub owner overbooked and I was told to my face that I, personally, had ruined Christmas for that family.

A related low-point was making Marie Rose sauce with Cranberries and Soured cream :vomit: (imagine overbooking for Xmas day and then not having enough of everything needed to feed everyone.

I've not worked an xmas since.

Christmas will be waking up, listening to Christmas music. Probably going for a walk. Offering to help cook (it will be declined) and then eating chocolate, drinking tea, and catching the odd snooze.

I will arrange a family photograph and go to sleep far too full and far too content.

Boxing day will be a day of food-based remorse. I hope I can write some blog posts, record some videos, record a podcast (or two) and then catch-up with my brother and sister.

I fucking love Christmas.
 

hanna.obrien.79

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We spend every second Christmas just the 5 of us. My dad visits every other year. We get up and see if Santa has been, have a lovely breakfast and then spend the money doing the present thing and tending to the dinner that's on the go. We have a really chilled out day, no visitors, watch some tv, kids play with their toys and wear their new pyjamas that Santa leaves for them each year. It's a pretty laid back affair to be honest and we like it that way. We have minimal family involvement and we have learned to love it that way.
 

The Reverend

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We spend every second Christmas just the 5 of us. My dad visits every other year. We get up and see if Santa has been, have a lovely breakfast and then spend the money doing the present thing and tending to the dinner that's on the go. We have a really chilled out day, no visitors, watch some tv, kids play with their toys and wear their new pyjamas that Santa leaves for them each year. It's a pretty laid back affair to be honest and we like it that way. We have minimal family involvement and we have learned to love it that way.

Freudian slip there!
 
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Jon

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We spend every second Christmas just the 5 of us. My dad visits every other year. We get up and see if Santa has been, have a lovely breakfast and then spend the money doing the present thing and tending to the dinner that's on the go. We have a really chilled out day, no visitors, watch some tv, kids play with their toys and wear their new pyjamas that Santa leaves for them each year. It's a pretty laid back affair to be honest and we like it that way. We have minimal family involvement and we have learned to love it that way.
Minimal family involvement sounds bliss!
 
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Jon

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I need to start planning for what I want from my PLANNED 20th December COSTCO store visit!

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Jon

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Did you all have a good Christmas Day?

we’re in that weird phase now where no one knows what day it is!!

anyone bracing the sales?
 
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Tmom

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Did you all have a good Christmas Day?

we’re in that weird phase now where no one knows what day it is!!

anyone bracing the sales?
Christmas day was brilliant, indoors with my family. We are leaving in a few minutes for extended family annual meet up.
I have not done sales for years thankfully, ( I now wonder why it used to be a vital part of Christmas for me years ago).
I hope everyone had a pleasant time.
 

rninja

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Yeah, it was good. One memorable thing though: was on a slip road just entering a dual carriageway, a 999 emergency car suddenly appeared from nowhere and nearly hit. the other vehicle was doing like 90mph!
 

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