Who came to your house on Christmas day ?

My dog and cat.

No one. Mum was resolutely anti-social. No friends. No relationship with any neighbours. Poor Dad wasnt allowed to socialise even though he was normal.

No-one popped in on Christmas Day - that was for ordinary days of the year.

We were the family and those invited either to come on the 22nd or 23rd and stay at least until Boxing day, and probably to Ne'erday. In our circle of friends it would have been considered the height of bad manners to pop in on Christmas Day - you could do so on or after Boxing Day and on all the other days as well except Hogmanay, when everone was too busy rhouse-cleaning for the New Year to welcome interuptions.

Our family all lived close by. Mum did Christmas lunch for her parents and younger brother when we were small then When her brother married his wife was sdded. Then on boxing day she did the whole thing again for my dad's family, both sisters, and their fanilies. She was a good, confident cook, a cookery teacher, but it was a bit of a marathon. When her bother had a child she said it was their turn to host. They did for the one year then their marriage ended and it was back to the status quo!
I live 200 miles from my DS and his family and my DD. We are all at DS's house as his wife is a vicar so they have to be at home and she is very busy. It is a relief for me as I struggle to cope with cooking major meals now as I've got used to cooking for one! Last time they came to me was before my son was married and DD and DS did the cooking!
I'm enjoying having time with my GC as I don't see them very often with them being so far away.

Santa!

My best friend from school used to come in the afternoon when I was a teenager. I can’t remember if there were buses on Christmas Day then (1950s), or if my father fetched her in the car and took her home,

In the evening we visited the only relations who lived within walking distance, an uncle and aunt, and ate yet more food.

When my husband was alive we invited his workers and wives for a Christmas drink. Later, as a widow and living further away, I invited the local freelance farmers who used to assist me, and their mothers - and some fathers - (none were married ) to Christmas lunch. Sadly I have outlived most of them, so there are no more visitors on Christmas Day!!

About 5 years ago we had a Russian family turn up on Christmas day when we were just sitting down to eat. They weren't close friends, just acquaintances. I dont think they realised it was a bit off as they have different traditions and may have celebrated on Christmas eve. We were literally sitting eating while my poor husband was running round making them tea.

No one. Parents didn’t mix with relatives and they had no friends

My grandad used to call in for a glass of sherry on Christmas morning and then he and my nana always came for tea on Boxing Day.

My mum was one of ten, everyone went to my nans at Christmas. The house was bursting at the seams kids topping and toeing in beds dinner in two sittings, loads of playing board and card games. Letters to Father Christmas sent wooshing up the chimney on Christmas eve. It was joyous chaos (well for the kids anyway!) We saw my paternal Nan over new year.

When I was really young, Father Christmas briefly visited us in the early hours of Christmas Day, but I never saw him, because I was fast asleep.

As a child I can only remember my granny ( fathers mum ) coming a few times . Just for lunch then a few hours after before my dad would take then home again .
I say they because my Dads never married brother would come along also because he still lived with my granny.
He was quite a few years older than my dad and I believe probably gay ( but back then it was never spoken about ) he had a ' friend ' who also never married and lived with his own mother .

baubles Christmas in Scotland was a very low key affair when I was younger. The big celebration was kept for Hogmanay

When we moved to Scotland from Ireland my mother missed home so much at Christmastime. She thought Scotland was a joyless, Godless place at first, her family at home would be having a loving, warm, happy family Christmas and here there was only us.

Every year thereafter my mother’s maiden aunt would come to stay bringing suitcases stuffed full of treats to eat as well as small gifts for us children. She was outgoing and chatty and listening to her stories in her Dublin accent was a gift in itself.

We always went up to Yorkshire to be with Mum’s family. She was one of 10 and we all gathered together in Headingley, husbands, kids and partners. I don’t remember ever spending it at home in London. My mum always said Londoners were boring and didn’t know how to celebrate. Not sure what she meant 🥳

As my father was in the army, we rarely spent more than one Christmas in any house, so we never had family nearby. On Christmas day the tradition was that the officers serve the Christmas lunch of all those in barracks, so our Christmas lunch was always late.

However, my father was a Christmas person, so he set a routine for Christmas day that remained unchanged no matter what part of the world we lived in, whether it was very hot or very cold. Part of that tradition was that we were all home together and did not visit and did not have visitors.

There was one Christmas when we did do it differently. It included partying in the morning and going swimming after lunch. My sisters and I always refer to that year as 'the year we didn't have Christmas', which always infuriated my mother because, for reasons that are irrelevant, our parents had spent more than average on our presents

When I was about 9 the strangest guest turned up for Christmas Dinner. Only Dad seemed to know he was coming.

My Dad had invited the plumber, who had been doing work in the house for us and had told Dad that he lived alone and had no family. His name was Spreadbury and always referred to just by that name.

It felt quite inhibiting having this strange man turn up but he brought the most enormous box of chocolates with him which made him much more acceptable to me and my younger brother. I had never seen such a huge amount of chocolates in one box and never have since!

Not sure if Mum did know about the invitation as she seemed quite flustered but it was never repeated!

Always went
to Grandmas house. The whole family on Christmas Day - 15 of us for dinner, supper and all stayed over, in a small 3 bed house.
Boxing Day others arrived - another couple of families for a great party along with a visit from Father Christmas.
Carpets were taken up for dancing.

How on earth did we all squeeze in.
So much fun was had.

No-one. There was always just my mother and father, my adult brother and myself. He would then leave to spend the afternoon and evening with his fiancée at her home. Occasionally one of our neighbours would call in for a glass of sherry, but my father didn’t encourage company.

Various relatives rom Wales came to stay but not for long due to their farming commitments.
My Uncles didn't enjoy the visit as they found it claustrophobic in the suburbs.
Otherwise-it was an elderly Aunt and Uncle
She reminded me of Irene Handl in looks and she had a dry and rapid wit .

When I was little our next door neighbours dropped in on Christmas morning for a drink, I seem to remember Stones ginger wine featuring some how , and a warm homemade sausage roll.
The sausage roll was the odd thing, as I don’t remember sausage rolls at any other time of the year in our house 🤷🏻‍♀️

No-one, our grandparents were all dead, we never knew any grandparent. There were nine of us, the house was full and very happy. We would go for a walk an play in the park, all of us after lunch

My maternal grandparents lived close by and would come around to us for the day. Boxing Day was spent with close friends of my parents who had two sons similar ages to me my brother and sister. We alternated their house one year ours the next. They were the best days lots of happy memories. Lots of laughter and playing games.

From being very small until I left home most of my mother's family spent Christmas day at our home. There was never fewer than ten of us.
My mother cooked for everyone, don't recall anyone bringing contributions. How she managed I really don't know, the kitchen was tiny and we didn't even have a fridge. My father wouldn't eat turkey so she would cook a pork joint as well as turkey. On Christmas eve she would cook a ham and a tongue which was slow cooked and then put in an enamel bowl with a plate on top and a heavy weight which was used to press the tongue. I used to have to help with the stuffing, making the breadcrumbs and rolling the sage from a dried bunch hanging in the pantry.