What are your plans for Christmas?

[Darcy Baldwin]

It's 5 days, folks. 5 days. What are your plans for Christmas? Any special Christmas Eve traditions? What special foods are you going to have? Any big surprises for the kids?

[emmasmommy]

we had a MAJOR curveball thrown at us with my FIL last week and we're not sure if we'll be celebrating with them on christmas eve or not. Our plans as of now are....
Christmas Eve Day we'll go to my mama's to cook and get all the cookies and sweets made (she's having knee surgery the 22nd and won't be able to do anything so my sisters and i are doing all the cooking and what not that she would normally do so that our immediate family can still have a bit of a celebration). We're having prime rib, mashed taters, crash hot potatoes (since my kids don't like mashed potatoes), cranberry apple chutney, corn casserole, jenny's famous cookies (lol), ooey, gooey chocolate cake, and the sugar cookies that the kidlets decorate.
Christmas Eve night we'll go over to my IL's to celebrate with them. It's always super casual, the girls get to wear their new jammies, and we just all sort of hang out. I'm not sure what we're having exactly but it's usually just a bunch of finger food things.

Christmas Day we'll spend the morning at home and then go to my mom's house for lunch . then we'll go to Darik's aunt's house in the late afternoon/evening. His uncle's bday is also on Christmas Day so we'll be celebrating his 60th birthday as well. There we usually have the traditional 'big huge family gettogether stuffs....' turkey, mashed potatoes, corn,green bean casserole, and a boatload of sweets.
We're always busy but i love seeing the people we don't see that often throughout the year.

our only real christmas eve tradition is heading over to my in-laws in our jammies and then coming home and reading 'twas the night before christmas.'

no huge surprises for my kiddos, they're both totally clueless about pressies so it'll all be a big surprise for them lol

[Gemma]

For Christmas eve this year I'm going to book tickets to go to the cinema and then KFC for tea before coming home, last year the kids were practically bouncing around the house in excitement so I need to get them out for a few hours this year or I'll go mad lol!!

On Christmas day Steve will probably take the kids down his mums for a bit to see her and get their presents off her, if it's not icy outside I'll go with them, if it is icy I'll stay at home and tidy up whilst they are out(and play with the toys LOL)

Boxing day is a party food type day down my Nana's house! :)

The kids don't know what they are getting, and didn't even ask for anything so it was hard to buy stuff for them, so everything will be a surprise! I have got Jack an iPod Touch though so that will be awesome for him! :thumbup:

[MissKim]

For Christmas eve this year I'm going to book tickets to go to the cinema and then KFC for tea before coming home,

This American is totally reading this as you're going to Kentucky Fried Chicken for tea. Hoping this is one of those cultural things, and KFC means something different to you. :blink:

The kids and I have school through Wednesday. Thursday we're off to my parents. My dad had major surgery last Thursday (they removed vertabrae from his neck, cleaned them and replaced them... he was losing feeling in his hands and his balance was off and this surgery was the treatment) and my mom is working yet Thursday (she's a physician assistant and also on call Christmas Day and the day after) so my sister and I are making dinner. Soup in bread bowls, plus veggie trays, etc. We'll open our gifts Thursday night. Will move slow Friday, eat lunch at my mom's, then back home.

Once we're home on Christmas Eve, my oldest daughter and I will do a lot of prep work for Christmas Day. Bake cupcakes, put together a sausage and cheese tray, get the monkey bread ready to go.

We are having our first Christmas Day at home... well, ever. DH and I celebrated our twentieth anniversary this year and we've never spent Christmas morning at home. My in-laws insisted we visit them, and it's taken us this long to tell them we won't. That Christmas Day is going to be for us. We met them for lunch Saturday and my oldest (who is 16) said he wished we could just do that every year. So we'll see.

Looking forward to Christmas Day in my pjs, watching movies on the BluRay, making enchiladas for lunch.

And making my children clean up the house on Wednesday after they get early release at school. "If it's not clean, we won't open gifts."

[*Celeste*]

on christmas eve, we have no huge plans. i think dh is taking the boys skiing during the day. then at night it's just the four of us so we'll have a nice dinner (dh picked filet mignon, mashed potatoes, haricot vert with molten chocolate cake for dessert.) then the kids can open one present from a family member. we are going to 9:00pm mass so we won't have to go anywhere on xmas day. the boys will go to bed and we'll stay up making sure they are asleep. then santa will come. it's always a LATE night.

xmas day we will open gifts in the am. then dh will make us waffles for breakfast. after we will have to clean up and straighten a bit. my sister and her family and terry's aunt, uncle, cousin will be coming around 2pm. we're having just hors d'oeuvres for dinner - first time we've tried this so hopefully everyone gets enough to eat. i'm hoping we get to play a few board games in the course of the day.

[Darcy Baldwin]

Celeste, our Christmas is going to be pretty low key like that, as well. Though...we're not going skiing LOL

My Dad's and brother's families are coming over Christmas Eve for lunch and Tex-mex (our traditional Christmas Eve meal), and then I'm hoping to make Christmas Eve services (but certainly won't push them out the door to make it), then going to see Christmas lights, home for a Charlie Brown Christmas, Mom's super secret sleepytime hot cocoa, and off to bed.

Santa might make a surprise visit around 10:30 like he normally does (Russ climbs up on the roof with some big sleigh bells we have, stomps around a bit, and does a ho-ho-ho). Then makes the carrots and reindeer food we throw out in the yard disappear. This is about all the Santa we do, so it turns out to be a big deal. This will probably end up being the last year we do it, too :(

Christmas Day is just us. :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup: First time ever. We're so looking forward to a low key day! PJ's, movies, finger food, leftovers from Christmas Eve, video and board games, and just relaxing together!

[Gemma]

This American is totally reading this as you're going to Kentucky Fried Chicken for tea. Hoping this is one of those cultural things, and KFC means something different to you. :blink:


Lol, no it's the same thing here, the kids love the chicken from there but I don't so we don't go often but I'm going to let them have something from there on Christmas eve before we come home from the cinema! :)

[nikkiARNGwife]

I had a crazy-hectic week last week so I'm looking forward to a quiet Christmas week. We're having Christmas at my parents' on the 23rd this year b/c my youngest sister and her family can only come that day. My younger sister can't come home at all this year - the first year ever we haven't seen her at Christmas. My mom cooks a big meal and we let the kids all exchange gifts with each other.

Christmas Eve we have no plans which I'm so thankful for, so we'll just be home with the kids...DH needs lots of rest that day b/c this year there are several "assembly required" gifts from Santa going under the tree lol..he'll probably be up all night and might just want to strangle me lol

Christmas Day right now is undecided...we may go to my inlaws but I'm rather hoping they decide to come here just b/c I don't want to travel lol.

But between now and the Big Day I've got tons of baking to do. :)

[heathergw]

super super low key here... we'll try to go to our Christmas Eve service on Christmas Eve and probably just have a fun dinner, kids' choice and maybe open a present.

Christmas day will be super low key too and probably just open presents and decorate Jesus' bday cake and have that but really no plans... we might pick up some stuff for a nice dinner but we'll see. Mark actually wants to work on the house since we're trying to get the family room open before baby comes.

[MamaBee]

This year as in years past... on Christmas Eve after going to the 1:30 pm church service... then my Mom is making ham and tenderloin tips with the works... she will bring it to our house and my step-dad's uncle and aunt will join us for dinner. Then Christmas Day is when the crazy happens... my hubby's family descend on our house... I make hot beef sandwiches, German potato salad, calico beans and lots of finger foods... we nibble all day and then open presents in the afternoon.

[pewtertm]

Mom is driving up on Christmas Eve. We'll go to 11pm Candlelight service at church, come home and let Rachel open up 1 present (new pjs)...then I'm hoping she will SLEEP IN. Let that be my gift from her lol.
Once everyone's up we'll do presents and breakfast...not sure if there's anything else on the agenda for the day.

[Stacey42]

It's all quiet here. We do a big holiday party with everyone on New Year's Eve so the 24th & 25th are just the 4 of us. DH has to work the 24th with no clue whether they will let him off early or if some technical problem will keep him until 9pm so we have no major plans for that night. Pizza and holiday DVDs are what the boys and I are planning because that can happen whether DH is home or not. Christmas day we'll open gifts at some god awful hour of the morning :), have cinnamon rolls and breakfast casserole. Later we'll have prime rib & yorkshire pudding for an early dinner. The kids play with their new games & DH & I take turns napping. We Skype with my folks & my brother's family at some point depending on their schedules.

[kresta]

Hubby's office Christmas dinner sometime early in the week.

Dinner and gift-giving at my in-laws on Thursday evening.

Christmas Eve Brunch at some friends' house (Friday morning).
Christmas Eve service for church at 6.
Christmas Eve family gathering w/ my Dad's side of the family (grands, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.)

Christmas morning starts here at our house.
Then we go to my parents' for breakfast and gift-giving.
Then to the lake and family up there for Christmas dinner later in the day.

Sounds busy, but fun!

[ColleenSwerb]

We're heading home to NY on wednesday and I am SO EXCITED!! I haven't seen my siblings in far too long, so it's going to be a lot of fun to just hang out for a few days. :)

Christmas Eve we do a huge 7 fish dinner with our family friends. We're going on close to 10 years celebrating like this. We go to their place, eat way too much food, drink, sing Christmas songs, and just enjoy each others company. Jordan, my brother and I go to midnight mass with my BFF.

Christmas Day we spend mostly at home. My parents and sister go to noon mass (dad and sister usually sing - my Dad runs the folk group at the church), and my brother and I get the house ready. I'm don't think the grandparents are eating wtih us, which means it'll just be the 6 of us, which will be nice. For dessert we'll head over to my Aunt's, where the whole family will meet. Lots and lots of fun :)

[Keely~B]

Well this is a special year because the hubs is off Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, most years he works at least one or the other if not both so... YAY!! for us :) We're going to my mom's for a few days, there's a big (extended) family dinner Christmas Eve. Christmas Day is low key, our family and the grands, food, presents, chillaxin'.

[tanya.72]

I am having so much fun reading everyone's Christmas plans/traditions! TFS girls!

If all goes as planned then here is how our Christmas will go...

Christmas Eve:
Traditional Christmas party with my side of the family: dinner, games and a visit from Santa who will bring everyone a pair of Christmas PJs then hustle over to DH side of the family party to catch their movie watching and then open one present from them. Come home.. Make reindeer food and get snacks for Santa ready. Go to bed!

Christmas Morning:
Wake up and have Grams and Gramps over to watch DS open presents. Then whip up some yummy food for breakfast and let DS play with his toys. The rest of the day will be spent lounging and then visit family.

** We usually do Christmas morning at my parents or DH's parents house and this is the first year we are doing "our own thing" and inviting them to come over and be with us. I talked to my parents about it and they were excited and said it was going to be fun but DH's mom was not so excited about it. I really hope that it doesn't turn in to a big deal and she can come and be nice.

[kscwgirl]

Ours is a little different than normal this year b/c my Dad works on Christmas day until 4 pm.

So...
Christmas Eve - I work until 3 pm, go pick up Jeff, go get the kids and go to my MIL's for Christmas there. The kids are spending the day w/ my parents and going out to lunch and to see Tangled. They don't know they're going to the movies.. but I do. :D
They'll come home and open their new pajamas and slippers :)

Christmas Day - Normally we would open gifts at home, then go to my parents for breakfast and Christmas... but with my dad working, we'll be at home all day on Christmas.
So.. breakfast/gifts at home then they can hang out with their new stuff until we go to my aunts at 4:30 for Christmas with my entire family

26th - Christmas w/ my parents

[HeatherKS]

We kick things off this week with dh's office Christmas party on Wednesday evening. Christmas Eve we go to the IL's house for Christmas with them. We usually do a late lunch, open gifts and just hang out for a while and enjoy being together. We'll head home in the late evening to change for Christmas Eve service at our church and we'll probably let the kids open a couple of gifts each (Christmas pj's and their ornaments) before we head to church.

On Christmas Day we'll open gifts, have a big breakfast of sticky rolls and breakfast casserole and then we'll get ready to head to my mom and dad's. We're doing a late lunch/early supper there and opening gifts. The whole family will be there and I can't wait! :)

[lovely1m]

My Christmas sounds pretty boring compared to all this fun I have read. I have to work both Christmas Eve and Day, I work at night though, so after I wake up Christmas Eve afternoon, I will probably do presents and hang out watching movies and eating with the ex and our son. I do have the 2 days after Christmas off, so when I wake up on Christmas day, kiddo and I will drive across the state to visit all the grandparents for a couple of days.

[Leila]

Until a few years ago, we were Christmas travelers. One year with my family, one year with Andrew's. Then Andrew's mom got sick and we stopped traveling for Christmas. She was too sick for us to visit and we found that we liked being home alone for the holidays.

So now I make a nice meal for Christmas day as well as a special breakfast for the morning. Kids open presents and clean the paper mess, then we eat. After that it's hurry up and wait for dinner while everyone fiddles with their new stuff.

This year--take out and unpacking. Moving at the holidays sucks.

[Andrea Gourley]

Well we're having a lovely Christmas already :) I broke up for the holidays on Friday so we're enjoying just mooching around, watching some Christmas television, wrapping presents etc. On Christmas Eve Mam and I will be baking and preparing for dinner the following day. We always have the same traditional food on Christmas Eve - home made sausage rolls and cheese savoury tartlets - eaten in the evening when all the jobs are done and everythig is cosy and we watch something nice on the television. Christmas Day is spent opening parcels and watching others open parcels and generally just enjoying being together as a family and playing with new 'toys'. My brother and his fiance will come to see us during the morning but really it will just be us 3 and Haggis - who loves running off with wrapping paper and ribbons so that will be fun!

[Paula]

We're staying home this year. On Christmas Eve, we'll be having our traditional tamales and enchiladas. We usually open one present which is the standard pjs. LOL Then on Christmas we'll open presents and eat our big turkey dinner with all the fixings. We'll spend the day in our pjs and play games and stuff like that.

[hmlentz]

Ugh! Reading everyones wonderful plans I feel like such a stinker! We live 18 hours from ANY family. Packing up kids, suitcases, AND presents for a drive like that would be.... well... insane. I'm not there yet. So, we are hanging out alone for Christmas again. It's quiet and calmer than driving all over so that's good, but I sure do miss family when everyone else is getting together at home. My husband's family is much smaller (he's an only child) and they're split so he doesn't miss the crazy, but I do. I hope our kids don't hate us in the future for not driving all over to visit.

[LeeAndra]

We already had Christmas yesterday with DH's family. DH's grandma has had lingering health issues the past few months, so we just ordered pizza instead of MIL going to the trouble of making a meal with only 3 days' notice that we could all get together. She loved it! *lol*

We'll go to church Christmas Eve (one of the afternoon services so that there is childcare for DD), have some kind of easy dinner, give the kids their new PJs, watch 'Elf,' make Jesus' bday cake, and hopefully get SS to sleep at a semieasonable time. Oh, and that morning the local children's musuem is offering free admission for everyone, so I'm hoping to take DD to that.

Typical Christmas am stuff: singing 'Happy Birthday' and eating bday cake, opening presents, etc. The ILs are invited to come over and usually do, but not sure they will this year. I'll have a more substantial breakfast post-presents if they come. Otherwise, we'll go to their house for lunch, where MIL is making a smaller traditional Christmas dinner, and then drop SS off at his mom's.

We're driving up to my parents' the afternoon of the 26th. My aunt will meet DD for the first time, and I will be making some food for the next day: homemade cranberry sauce and Hot Cocoa Cupcakes. Gift opening is at 10 am on the 27th, dinner at 2 pm, and then DH and I will have to leave around dinnertime so he can work Monday night. My mom will be keeping DD until Wednesday, and I think I am more excited abt that than anything else! *lol*

[eranslow]

We are heading to WI on Friday to spend the weekend with my family. All us kids will be together again which is great - I don't think we've all been at my parents house since last January. We'll have a big Christmas Eve dinner, then dance around the house collecting presents that my mom has hidden. Then we'll open presents :) Some might go to Midnight Mass but I don't know. Christmas morning is spent playing with Santa's toys and all the presents we opened the night before. Dad usually makes something yummy for breakfast. Us kids usually go to a movie Christmas Day night while my parents stay home and watch Blake :) I'm looking forward to it!! Hopefully the weather will cooperate!

[~Julie~]

Well, Dave works every day this week except Thursday and Christmas so we have all our shopping done with the exception of a few gift cards. Kids have off starting Friday so we will just hang around the house and maybe clean their rooms.

For Christmas morning, I told them they can't get up before 730 and they weren't too happy about that. We will just open gifts in the morning then let them play for a little while. We will all get ready and head to my mom's house to open presents and eat. My dad's side of the family comes and we exchange gifts.

Sunday we will be having Christmas with my mom's side of the family, with the kids opening gifts and we will be eating some more. :)

I am just so happy Dave doesn't have to work this Christmas. He had to work last year and it just wasn't the same. We got the kids up at like 3:30-400 because he had to be at work by 6am.

[adrianka]

Ugh! Reading everyones wonderful plans I feel like such a stinker! We live 18 hours from ANY family. Packing up kids, suitcases, AND presents for a drive like that would be.... well... insane. I'm not there yet. So, we are hanging out alone for Christmas again. It's quiet and calmer than driving all over so that's good, but I sure do miss family when everyone else is getting together at home. My husband's family is much smaller (he's an only child) and they're split so he doesn't miss the crazy, but I do. I hope our kids don't hate us in the future for not driving all over to visit.

I think they will love you for it. Since I moved out of my home country, I travel back each Christmas and honestly, even minus the kids it's such a strain.

[crecia27]

It's 5 days, folks. 5 days.

Pretty sure my heart just stopped for a second...

[littlekiwi]

my grandma, mum and I are going to christmas eve service at the local church. Christmas day will be a turkey lunch with all the trimmings, gift opening & general catchup with the family. the 26th will be a fancy brunch then relaxing and the 27th mum and I will come home as I have an appointment that afternoon

[crecia27]

We do a family stocking exchange which will be on Thursday due to my son having to work Christmas Eve all day :-( Christmas Eve we will go to church, then my parents will come over to our house and we will have fondue and play games. The kids open new jammies that night. Christmas we will have lunch at my parents.

I'm most excited for my son to see the scooter he asked for Christmas morning. We've not seen it in a single store but I ordered it online right when he asked for it. He is convinced he won't be getting it and has asked for something else now.

[crecia27]

Christmas Day is just us. :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup: First time ever. We're so looking forward to a low key day! PJ's, movies, finger food, leftovers from Christmas Eve, video and board games, and just relaxing together!

This sounds so nice!!

[mummytothree]

Dh has to work till about 5 on Christmas Eve, but after that the kids will open the only presents they get from us (always new christmas jammies, but this year we added slippers) and the gifts that they got for each other (they draw names). Then we will eat dinner and then pile into the car and go see the light s at our local start park.

Then for the first time in 14 years we are staying home for Christmas Day. Usually we rush through opening our presents and then rush to all the Grandparents houses but not this year. We are gonna stay home in our jammies all day and play with toys and pig out on lasagna roll ups and crusty bread!!!

[Aimeemomof2+]

Christmas Eve: DH has to work, and will probably be late. The kids and I will just hang out here, snack, and watch Christmas movies. They have one small present to open on Christmas Eve AM. (legos) That keeps them busy for a little bit, too. When DH comes home, we will have dinner. We may stay up until Midnight and then unwrap gifts then.

Christmas Day: We all sleep in. (if kids get up, they will play quietly with the new stuffs) Have a late breakfast/brunch. We will head over to my parents by 1pm and then have another Christmas over there, then a giant Christmas dinner.

I am always thankful when DH's busy season at work is over. Once he is at home on Christmas Eve, I feel like the holidays can actually start.

[nesser1981]

Christmas Eve we'll have a Cartoon Christmas Marathon that ends with How the Grinch Stole Christmas, we'll watch all the classics. I'm making Steaks, Fried Shrimp, Twice Baked Potatoes, & Stuffed Mushrooms. Rum cake for dessert. Then after dinner we'll go look at Christmas Lights, come home, let the kids open their gifts to each other and the Christmas PJ's we got them. Sean will read the night before Christmas.

Christmas morning we'll open gifts, Sean will take everything out of the boxes, put together, etc while he watches a Christmas Story (I hate that movie) and I'll make Gingerbread Waffles and Sausage. And we have a Christmas Movie Marathon of our own while the kids play with their new goodies. Elf, Christmas Vacation, Christmas with the Kranks, The Santa Claus and a I think we have a few others. I'm going to make pigs in a blancket, mini ham & cheese tarts, & spinach artichoke dip to pick at for lunch.

At 5:00pm We're going to my inlaws, we did that last year too, and we'll have dinner there White Chili & Cornbread and open gifts from them. We stay in PJ's all day though. I told my MIL this was the only way I'd leave the house on Christmas day. And they only live about 6 miles from us.