We’ve started many of our family Christmas traditions already. The littles are all enjoying their advent calendars, the tree is up and the Christmas CD is in the car, but we’ve still got so much more planned and lots more festive fun to look forward to.
Santas Grotto
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a trip to see the jolly man himself. In the past we’ve been to the Grotto at Middleton Hall in Milton Keynes which was lovely. It has the most magical two story merry-go-round and is surrounded by a winter wonderland and Christmas market. You can even take a train ride through the delightful wintery forest before you see Santa. This year, however, we’re off to the Snowdome in Tamworth to meet Santa’s reindeers and play in real snow. Snow Angels here we come!
Panto
From an early age we’ve taken the boys to a Pantomime. Last year because of a last minute hiccup with babysitting we even took Anabelle along, which I have to admit I was quite nervous about as she was only 1. But she was an absolute gem and loved every minute. She sat on my lap, clapping and jigging and behaved herself the whole time. We were so proud of her, we’ve decided to take her along this year too. This years production is Cinderella and we can’t wait for all the “he’s behind you” and “oh no he isn’t” pantomime banter.
Christmas Eve Box
On Christmas Eve we all like to snuggle up on the sofa in our new PJ’s and watch a Christmas film or two. Hot chocolate & marshmallows in a novelty mug in one hand and popcorn in the other. There are obviously some chocolate coins and a cookie or mince pie thrown in for good measure too.
I pop all the treats we’ll need for the evening in the special ‘Night Before Christmas’ box and after an early dinner of Nanny’s sausage rolls and party food, the littles will open the box together and find out what film we’ll watch this year and see what new pyjamas they have. Over the years my absolute favourite pair of pyjamas I bought the boys was a Raymond Briggs The Snowman set, but as the boys get older I have to make sure they are a little bit less novelty and much more trendy. Gap has definitely come up trumps with some super sets for older boys as well as super cute girly ones for younger little ladies.
Anabelle being so young will go to bed quite early, but before she does we’ll all sit and enjoy a story together. The Night Before Christmas is an obvious choice, but ever since the boys were bought a copy of Julia Donaldson’s Stick Man it has definitely become a family favourite and we are so excited to watch BBC’s animated film of it on Christmas Day as well as David Walliams’ Billionaire Boy on New Year’s Day.
Treats for Santa
Also included in the Christmas Eve box is a ceramic Santa’s treat plate & milk bottle, a carrot for Rudolph and reindeer food. I just mix up some of my porridge oats with glitter and hey presto, magic food to help the reindeer fly! The treats for Santa plate & milk bottle set was from Matalan, which I think sold out within days but I also absolutely adore this set from Mothercare which includes a dedicated carrot plate. I’m half tempted to purchase it just for the carrot plate alone! This is obviously all prepared by the children and laid out just before they go to bed and then enjoyed by Mummy and Daddy when they’re fast asleep – minus the carrot and reindeer food of course!
Believing
I’m not entirely sure how the leaving treats for Santa tradition will go down this year as I’m sceptical whether the boys still believe anymore. Obviously they will take part for their little Sister, but deep down I can’t help but feel they are questioning it all and this could be our last year of them believing 🙁
I’m hoping viewing the orbiting international space station earlier in the evening and me telling them it’s Father Christmas’ sleigh will restore their faith and bring back some of the magic.
Rob & I will continue saying “you need to be good otherwise Santa won’t bring you presents”, asking them to write letters to Santa and hiding all their presents until Christmas morning, and won’t say anything until they do!
Presents
We’ve never been one for stockings although I know this is a very popular tradition for lots of families and I think after seeing Lottie’s Perfect Stocking Filler post I am definitely tempted to start this as a late tradition. As a child I was always told that all the presents came from Father Christmas, so I continued this white lie with my family. This approach however has not aided in them fully believing for long. As once the boys were old enough to read and write, they were reading the labels on presents and writing thank-you letters to family members for their gifts. I of course had to change my approach slightly the following year by telling them Santa just delivered all the presents and opted for one gift from Santa in a different wrap. This seems to have been a much easier process and I wish I had been more consistent with details regarding Christmas and Santa by establishing clearer rules earlier. I will certainly not be repeating my mistakes with Anabelle.
Christmas & Boxing Day
We are lucky enough to spend Christmas Day at home, surrounded by a mountain of gift wrap, boxes, instruction manuals and those crazy twisty wires they use to keep everything in place and we’re usually joined by my family for dinner and tea. The boys love it as they get to play with all their gifts and we love it as we get to pop them to bed and enjoy a Baileys and a stand-up comedy DVD.
Boxing Day is saved for Rob’s family. First we have lunch at his Mum and Dad’s House with his Brother, Sister and Niece’s, followed by football on the TV. Then an early tea and Trivial Pursuit at his Grandparents’ with his Uncle, Aunt and Cousins. Every year there seems to be more and more of us and less and less seating! We also pop to his Nan’s in the evening to spend time with his other Aunt and Cousins, indulging in yet more food (!) and partaking in a game of ‘Chase the Ace’. It sounds hectic and it is, but we all absolutely LOVE every minute of it.
We’re so lucky this equal share of Christmas time with both sets of family has worked out as we never have those awkward where are you spending Christmas questions that I know poor Charlotte and many of you have had to endure this year.
Christmas Outfits
I seemed to have gone completely overboard with festive knits and outfits for all the kiddies this year. Thanks to Lolly’s Best Christmas Outfits for Kids post they are all set for Christmas Jumper Day on the 18th. Anabelle also has an adorable silver and grey version of this angel winged tutu set from Mamas and Papas as well as another tulle skirt with stars from Zara which she’ll wear on Christmas and Boxing Day. The boys’ outfits are proving a little trickier as they like to choose their own clothes now, but we’ll get there.
So what family traditions do you have? Do you have older children who still believe or do you think they are playing along? What festive fun will you be getting up to?
Only 11 more sleeps until Santa. Can somebody please come and help me with my wrapping!
I love how the words ‘the big day’ change meaning depending on whether you’re on this site or rock my wedding…!
We’ve been exceptionally lax about Christmas this year, Mr H and I have been really busy so we’re only just getting ourselves sorted – our Christmas tree is still in the conservatory in a bucket of water – having an extremely good soak before we put it up!
I love having lots of traditions and we have some like yours – we do a panto each year, and Christmas pjs – although I make it trickier for myself by wanting to get ones that match. Less easy to find acceptable ones with an 8yo boy and 3yo girl to buy for..!
Our run up to Christmas started this weekend – we went and bought our Christmas tree from a local Christmas tree farm, which has lots of natural bits to buy, a petting zoo (you can feed the creepy llamas and persistent goats!) and a very good Father Christmas to visit.
Everything else really revolves around the main event – matching pjs on Christmas Eve, reading The Night Before Christmas (and The Jolly Christmas Postman!) before bed, stockings up for FC to fill. We’re really looking forward to the animated version of Stick Man too – although I’d be surprised if it knocked ‘the witchy book’ (Room on the Broom) off the top spot.
I think that the key to a magical Christmas for kids is consistency – we celebrate in various places year on year (including abroad), and so it’s important that our traditions are portable.
Oh, and one absolutely unbreakable rule in our house – no tree presents until everyone is up, showered, dressed, breakfasted and has a glass of champagne in their hand!
Room on the Broom is fab, I’m hoping they repeat all the other Julia Donaldson animations, as Anabelle was too young (and probably still is) to appreciate them before.
I love that you all get up, showered, dressed and have breakfast before you open your gifts. I am literally too excited and am usually the first awake, waiting for the children to stir. We do all venture down stairs together, camcorder in hand waiting to record their reactions, and more often than not a selection box breakfast -oops! xxx
It was my mum’s rule and we’ve now adopted it. I think it only works if you do stockings, as overexcited children have had something to unwrap already and have new things to keep them distracted while everyone else gets themselves together.
If you have Amazon prime, the tv streaming service has Room on the Broom, The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo’s Child as part of the package.
I love that we’ve adopt our parents traditions 😉 It will be interesting to see if any of my babies will continue any of our traditions with their own families, not that I’m wishing their life away, gosh it’s going too quickly as it is 🙁
I don’t have Prime but my Dad does, so I will definitely have to check this out. Thank-you 😉
Have an amazing Christmas Sara xxx
May be getting just a little bit excited now Lorna! Christmas traditions have been a bit hit and miss whilst the girls were young but this year we are starting to ramp it up! There is so much I remember from my own childhood that I want my girls to enjoy.
We have done letters to Santa and Molly has visited the main man himself on a little school trip at a lovely Christmas tree farm.
Stockings will be hung up and if I have time I may make them a new one this year. I’m also going to get them to sit down and watch my favourite Santa Claus the movie on Christmas eve before we head to the local church for a nativity play. This is chaos but lovely as all the children do it and there is even a real donkey that joins in the fun! Then round to neighbours for a festive drink and home to bed.
We do plenty of festive baking with cookies and a gingerbread house which the girls loved decorating with sweets.
Christmas morning will be mayhem I’m sure and we try to see as many family as possible. This year I’m not cooking (hoorah!) so heading off to my sisters for a yummy lunch. I think the girls may actually burst with all the excitement.
10 days to go!
x
It definitely gets so much more exciting the older children get and the more they understand. I used to love baking with my Mum and still pop round to help her roll out the sausage rolls and make a wish when mixing the Christmas cake. Your Christmas with your girls sounds lovely Lottie xxx
Lorna, I think your husband needs to step up with the carrot. My dad used to eat the carrot, complete with skin, to leave the carrot end with teeth marks in for us to find on Christmas morning. Mum was too worried we’d find peel or half an uneaten carrot in the bin and put two and two together. I like to think the boost of vitamin A helped him see to fill the stockings in the dark. We don’t have kids yet but I’ve told my husband he’ll have to do this (it seems like a man’s job!) and he’s not keen… Another of my favourites is a gift for any pets in the house. We used to get almost as excited about these as we did our own gifts!
Come to think of it Laura I think we do have a little nibble to avoid uneaten ones being found where they shouldn’t too and we certainly need the boost of vitamin A when we’re laying out the presents.
We used to buy a new squeaky toys for our dog when I was younger too & he’d have his very own Christmas meal! xx
This post has made me so excited about Christmas!! My little girl is only 18 months so still a bit young this year to really start doing any of the traditions but I absolutely can’t wait to do all this from next year onwards! I’m going to do the traditions from my childhood like leaving the carrot and mince pies out on Xmas eve and going to a pantomime etc, but also going to introduce new ones like the reindeer dust and Christmas Eve box of goodies! We always had a little stocking in our bedroom and all of those were from Santa, then downstairs we had our bigger presents and as we got older my parents told us that some were from Santa and some were from mummy and daddy / relatives and Santa delivered them. I accepted this no problem until about the age of 9/10 I think. My mum still did the stocking until I was about 25 though haha and still now writes ‘from Santa’ on some of my gifts, love it! Hope your boys still believe this year and you all have a great Christmas ? X
I think I’ve definitely missed a trick with the stocking for the boys as they were growing up. I will definitely add this to our list of traditions with Anabelle next year, especially as all the miniature stocking filler gifts seems so much cuter.
The boys are 9 & 10 now so they have lots of questions they want answering, but we are just continuing to play along for another year and hoping it works. They are at the stage where they want to believe but know too much.
I still get a Rupert Annual from Father Christmas a.k.a Mum & Dad which I think I’ll get forever, love that you still get a stocking too.
I hope you have an amazing Christmas with your little lady Sarah. xxx
My little girl, just 5, and I always wrap up in our pjs and jumpers and coats and walk round the village on Xmas eve to see if we can spot Santas sleigh! The I.s.s helps when that passes over!!! It is rising at 4:42 I think this year ?. Next year there will be another addition by Christmas so maybe have to add the Xmas eve box with some baileys for mummy as I’m missing out this year!
Ah that’s lovely. I remember going for a walk around the neighbourhood to see all the Christmas lights with my eldest on his first Christmas. I only recall doing this once though; we should definitely reinstate this tradition, our street is full of twinkly lights.
Baileys are definitely essential for any parents Christmas Lia. I was pregnant for two consecutive Christmases and it was the only time I missed enjoying a tipple.
Hope you have an amazing time xxx
Thanks. You all too! We will be telling our families on Christmas day so at least I don’t have to make any excuse why not having a tipple!
We do the Christmas lights thing too, there is a village near us that goes very American!!! My daughter said she was that excited she almost cried. ?.
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Ah that’s lovely.
At my home, we have a tradition of giving presents. There are no small children in the family, that’s why we do not need Santa Clous. But in a few years surely there will be children and we will have more family traditions and more magical holidays.