What are you doing for Christmas?

We will have our daughter and family here in France. The house is perfect for Christmas with masses of space, log fires, country walks etc. We will Skype at present opening time with our son and family in Spain and hope that they will make it here sometime!

Lovely to read about all your plans - it seems you will need a holiday to get over the holiday!

I will certainly be visiting relatives and friends over the Christmas period and although I am now alone I don't feel lonely.

After lunch I plan to have a long walk across the fields and then back to a log fire and watching a Christmassy film!

I have 12 this year some years its more .its some think i,ve always done .

My sister and I will be having Christmas dinner together then a cup of tea and Christmas cake, goodbye and back home to watch our respective TV programmes.. The real fun starts with the Family Christmas Party which will be on 29th Dec. We always have sausage and mash and last year I cooked 120 sausages and made 4 gallons of fruit salad! We all play silly games and have a session of Secret Santa, sing carols round the piano, have a bran tub experience and catch up with what all the grown up grandchildren are doing. The next day my sister and I collapse!

My son is coming home with his new partner whom we've yet to meet, will spend a few days over Christmas with us then fly to Edinburgh to her Mum for a week , back to us overnight before catching flight home. I hope the poor girl isn't too overwhelmed as there will be 15 for lunch on Christmas day, so I will have both my daughters and my son together for Christmas dinner at our eldest daughters (the only place that has enough space), plus all but two of the grandchildren who will be spending this Christmas day with their Dad . I find it sad that every other year my second daughter is minus her children, but she makes up for it on Boxing day she usually spends Boxing day alone with them.

Barrow I can see your reasoning , its nice that you'll be able to visit people at your own pace too.

We are being descended upon! We have DD2, SiL and DG2 coming on the Sunday and leaving on 27th. Then 3 of the remaining 4 children, DS1, DD1 her husband and two children, DD3 her husband, baby and puppy, will come for lunch on the big day. DS2, partner and sons will go to her family but call in for present opening, champagne and nibbles on the way. That amounts to 12 people and a baby so we are having 2 tables - one for the grown ups and one for the children, which DH says he will erect in the garage!

On Boxing Day (my favourite day!) we'll eat after DH and DS1 come home from the football and anyone is welcome.

The next day - we sit down.

Then it's New Year when we have DH's brother and his wife to stay. Which is great, as she is the nearest thing I have to a sister.

I'm going to spend time over Christmas with DS1 and family. Other DS and his family will be coming over on Christmas day. It will be good to be with the four young GC - it is still possible that senior GD will also join us. When I come home, I will be expecting my sister and her husband to come from Scotland to spend a few days with me and see the new year in with good friends. My cousin, who always comes over from Florida to her house in the Wirral at this time of year will come for lunch on new year's day - oh and DGD is 21 on hogmanay, so if she is not away, we'll take her out for a celebratory lunch.

I will be spending three weeks with my sister in Manchester, going up to Scotland for a few days to stay with her son's family. I will also be going over to Yorkshire to stay with my oldest grand-daughter and her fiance and my two little great-grand-daughters, and her cousin will visit me at her house. Sadly, I won't be seeing my daughter and her other three children for a second Christmas because they have cut off all contact.
I will speak on the phone to my other daughter in New Zealand - I am looking forward to spending six weeks with her in February and March.
I will also be meeting some lovely Gransnetters for lunch, which is very exciting

I can understand your wish to be in your own home, Barrow - perhaps you could make some visits on Boxing Day, or at New Year?

First Christmas alone (well the two of us, so it is different). Our eldest and grand-children are off to Ireland to his parents, and our youngest and partner have to keep the business going in Tenerife and try and catch the Christmas trade. We will be visiting them mid January for 2 weeks- then the others will be coming here for half term in Feb.

Shame in a way you won't accept those invitations, but I can see what you mean. Must be nice to know you were asked.

In the next few weeks, if we hear of other friends in the same position or any of the young families on the local expat Forum - we will invite them to share- but just playing it by ear now. If we are on our own, I won't be sad. We'll cook a really nice meal, and then go for a snowy walk with the dog.