Christmas Family traditions

When I was a child my father would take me to the bake house with our massive Turkey for cooking on Christmas Eve, I loved to see all the turkeys in their tins ready to go in the oven, I would go back later to pick it up with him and can still remember the excitement I felt when seeing and smelling the cooked birds.
My treat would be to have a slice before going to bed.
Years later I used to cook the turkey Christmas Eve so my kids could have some before bedtime.

The only 2 traditions I remember as such, was my mother making the Christmas pudding(s) - everyone had to have a stir and make a wish.
And we were always taken to see Father Christmas at a big department store.

We had no TV until I was 11 and there wouldn’t have been any spare money for the cinema - a very rare treat then - but Christmas was still always a magical time.

My personal tradition for decades now, is that I must either watch or listen to Carols from King’s - preferably with mulled wine and mince pies! To me it’s just not Christmas without it. When we lived overseas I’d always listen on the BBC World Service - I’m still a fan of that.

I and my family always order a Chinese on Christmas eve and watch a muppets Christmas carol, It has been our tradition now for more years than I can remember. We also always open 1 present each before bed time and buy new pyjamas for Christmas

Sounds a bit like us, CaptainCarol.

I always watch 'Carol's from Kings ' on Christmas eve. I have done for years. It was my quiet, still moment in a time of great busy-ness. Now I watch it for the singing. When my marriage broke up and it was my two children and me, every year we would buy three identical Christmas tree ornaments to signify we were a wee unit together. The kids still talk about it. When I was young, a must was top of the pops on Christmas day. My favourite film is 'It's a wonderful life.'

I don’t remember particular traditions from my own childhood except my mother did marvellous stockings and right up until the time I left home at 19 I still got one and sat on my parents bed to open it.

Our traditions now are to have new pyjamas for the children and after they’ve been put on after our meal, we all sit down to watch a new Christmas film , hot chocolate for the children , a glass of something for us.

Favourite Christmas film is Arthur Christmas. Watch it , it’s an absolute riot and completely suitable for even small children

I also always buy a new tree ornament for both daughters and granddaughters every year

We don't really have any traditions to follow now; but when the children were small, money was tight, and after buying all the necessities, I could find that there was nothing special for tea on Christmas Eve, and so it began that we would cut the christmas cake that evening.
Most time we would have been too full anyway on Christmas Day, to enjoy it.

As a family when I was a child we went to church on Christmas morning and then went into our neighbours for a drink and nibbles. In the evening our neighbours came to us and we either played Momopoly or Newmarket followed by supper. I always remember being exhausted by then. Oh and we always watched the Queens speech

Twiceasnice Arthur Christmas is my favourite film too! Always Carols from Kings on Christmas Eve. As children we went out Carol singing early on Christmas Eve. I used to enjoy that a lot. I remember we didn’t have a lot of fruit in the house when I was a child. We were occasionally allowed to go and buy an apple from the greengrocers, but on Christmas Eve afternoon I would go with my father and we would buy apples (always Cox’s), oranges, dates (big seasonal treat) and nuts to put in a big glass bowl. The turkey, which my mother had plucked of its feathers and drawn?, would be hanging in the cellar. Queen’s speech either on the radio or, later, on the tv, and I always remember sitting with my dad on Christmas Eve watching a sort of one act opera called Amahl and the Night Visitors. I can still remember the theme music that ran through it.

We always had warm mince pies straight from the oven for breakfast on Christmas morning. I always thought it was a cosy family tradition.

It was only once I had grown up I realised that they were straight from the oven because my poor Mum had been up since the crack of dawn slaving away to make sure we all had a special day.