Happy Christmas traditions that would baffle the children of today.

At the Christmas meal toasting ‘absent friends and family’, we still do it.

My DC carry on those traditions so maybe our family are unusual.
It's now me who is a bit lazier and bah Humbug!
I was amused and surprised recently when I asked 7yr old DGD what they were doing at school for Christmas.
" Oh just Nativity - nothing Christmassy!"

Midnight communion-finally getting to sing the last verse of O Come All Ye Faithful.
Getting out the characters to make a snow scene on the frosting on the Christmas cake.
Satsumas and nuts (no nutcracker in there, so why?) in the home made felt stockings that we revamped every year.
Advent calendars that were about Christmas and just had pictures, no chocolate.
A tin of toffees being a really exciting treat!

We would all have a sock at the end of the bed containing a bath cube, (don’t know what my brothers got!),an orange maybe a comb and other bits and bobs topped off with a Christmas cracker. We all had to have breakfast and be dressed then Mum would hand out the presents calling out our names (I was one of six). Then dinner, queens speech and trifle etc for tea. Wonderful but lots of hard work for Mum. Don’t remember Dad doing much! Mum was a marvel, very hard working with not many rewards in life. Except for us of course, I hope we were enough.

Aww the memories. We used to raid my dad's sock drawer to find the longest sock to leave out for Santa to fill. We stretched and pulled them to try to make them even longer hoping to get a wee bit more. An orange, an apple, crayons, chocolate coins and a big tube of Smarties were always found in them on Christmas morning.
My sister and I still do it for each other, although we have shop bought stockings now and no need for crayons....
My granda always gave me a small log which I glued cotton wool to, some little figures and then I stuck a small calendar to it. That was always my granny and granda's Christmas present from me.

Oh Marmardoit, we sent FC communications from my four year old twin granddaughters up the chimney last week. He, if course, replies by regular post.

The sock with tangerine, nuts and a couple of tiny toys . A pillow case for gifts. Usually with the books I always asked for. Mum and Aunt preparing veg and basting the turkey. Dad and Uncle sorted the table and the open fire. Gifts for the adults (just three each) and a couple more for me stayed under the tree until lunch was prepared and clothes changed. Me with my nose firmly in a new book unless asked to help.

My Dad calling out names and handing out gifts with great ceremony, a glass of egg nog for the women, not sure what the men had, a rare lemonade for me. A long lunch. Radio on. My Dad and Uncle in charge of washing up Adults falling asleep in front of the fire leaving me to read in peace and play with the dog. Card games later, sandwiches, cake, mince pies and sausage rolls for tea. More games after tea. Sneaking a new book off to bed.

We shared Christmas with my Aunt and Uncle until I was adult, it gradually evolved, television arrived as did my cousin, ancient cars were purchased, there seemed more noise and rushing about. I’m amazed how much I remember of those very early years and how gentle, safe and cozy it all felt. .

A tall , hopefully handsome, man knocking at the door with a lump of coal for first footing( Yorkshire) Plunging a glowing red poker into a glass of beer at New Year ( London ). Do they still kiss under the mistletoe? Here Christmas Dinner is becoming more and more a Seafood dinner.

Our stockings were our dad's socks with a tangerine and one gift.

I still put a satsuma in stockings!
You’re right, though, littleflo - tangerines were a real treat. As far as I recall, we only ever had them at Christmas, but then there were a lot of things we rarely had - chocolate biscuits and orange squash are two that come to mind.

It was Midnight Mass for our family of 5 then we had not roast beef sandwiches ( the beef was in the oven while we were in church then we were allowed to open our presents presumably so we didn't wake our parents up at some ungodly hour...
We played with our presents ,had lovely Chrismas.dinner and watch TV we are 3 female a now in our 60s.and 70 s.
Happy Times

Either you re all young or I was poor as we didn’t have a tv until just before I left home at 18/19 my grandparents had one when I was 16 Mum and dad after that
So my childhood Christmas memories are quite different like Mamadroit it was a pillow case at the bottom of the bed
A Christmas tree with real candles that you lit 😳 shock horrow fire risk and we always had Melton Mowbery pork pie
for breakfast with toast and full Christmas dinner, then celery with ham sandwiches, trifle and Christmas cake (Nan made) for teatime
Listen to the queens speech at 3 that’s my memories

Christmas tv was such a treat then,, as ‘blockbuster’ films made their first tv appearance at that time. They might be about three years old, but if you had missed them at the local cinema, this was your chance.

No videos to buy or rent, no box sets, not like now, when you can buy films not long after their general release.

We settled down to watch the Christmas films with our tangerine and nuts. Our presents too. Aunts and uncles came acalling throughout the day and Boxing Day there was always a huge family party. Happy times and memories.

Probably going to a church service on Christmas morning is a novelty to a lot of children now.

Yes the Christmas films - no videos in those days. I really believe it was far more special then beginning Christmas Eve morning the tv would be on. There wasn’t breakfast tv then. Leslie Crowther used to be on taking presents to sick children in hospital.

We always had an apple, orange and chocolate coins in our socks. The toys were in a pillow case at the foot of the bed on Christmas morning.

We wrote letters to Father Christmas but we never put them in the post box. Mum put them on the open fire so that they went up the chimney. I must admit even as a five year old I wasn't convinced FC got the message.

The Blue Peter advent crown (wreath, etc) made from wire coat hangers and with real candles!

The lighting of the Yule log was an important moment in our house, most children these days would have no idea what a yule is( other than the chocolate variety)