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Christmas Traditions
janer1967
Community champion Posts: 7,339 Disability Gamechanger
Hi all
A new thread for discussion
What traditions do you have at Christmas, is there anything you do every year without fail, share with us, I have a few
Christmas Eve box for my son always contains pjs, dvd, sweets, and a book
We then both have tea and put on our new pjs and settle down to the DVD with hot chocolate and sweets or popcorn
Bucks fizz with brunch on Christmas Day
My brother, my sister in law and myself cook the dinner while my mum keeps the great grandkids entertained
We play games in the evening and do not have TV on at all throughout the day/evening
I buy everyone a silly present to suit their personality along with their main present
YOUR TURN NOW TI SHARE YOURS
A new thread for discussion
What traditions do you have at Christmas, is there anything you do every year without fail, share with us, I have a few
Christmas Eve box for my son always contains pjs, dvd, sweets, and a book
We then both have tea and put on our new pjs and settle down to the DVD with hot chocolate and sweets or popcorn
Bucks fizz with brunch on Christmas Day
My brother, my sister in law and myself cook the dinner while my mum keeps the great grandkids entertained
We play games in the evening and do not have TV on at all throughout the day/evening
I buy everyone a silly present to suit their personality along with their main present
YOUR TURN NOW TI SHARE YOURS
Replies
I don’t really have many traditions but I do buy a very very small box of some really posh chocolates from Scotland which are expensive - about £2 per bitesize chocolate. I get a box each for a few family members and always get one for myself to enjoy with a whiskey...
@66Mustang The chocolates sound as if they are worth spending the extra money and sure they are appreciated
@woodbine I’m sorry to hear of your wife’s accident. I hope she recovers completely in enough time.
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Maybe we can all share some favourite christmas recipes
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I get a bit enthusiastic about xmas think the build up and planning is all big part
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Yes, it looks like things will be a bit different this year. Do your children all have other people they can spend Christmas with?
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hard to explain why there were so many except even a packet of sweets would be wrapped up.
The children will probably have Christmases on their own. One has a flat share so they’ll,be with others, one has a partner so he will have company, one has a house share so he may be ok and one has no one, he will be our problem worryingly.
Last year, or it might be the year before, I lose track, somebody bought me a cognac advent calendar which had 24 miniature bottles of cognac in it. It was delicious and I discovered some great new cognacs. The year before that I had a beer advent calendar which had 24 bottles of craft beer in it.
He usually gets about 4 so always gives one to me but I must admit I fancy one of the alcohol types one year
Advent calendars with stuff in them may not be in keeping with pure tradition but I think they are very good fun and enhance the build up to Christmas.
Aldi have been doing a cheaper version of the Lego ones the last few years and also the alcohol ones
Will be checking them out when I go shopping and they go on sale
Aldi really step up their range at christmas well worth a look
Lidl is good as well
I always get an advent calendar too because quite frankly, you are never too old!! Again, I'm a sucker for an M&S kids one. Their chocolate is delicious.
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Not a fan of giving voucher as I think it is the thought you put into the gift that counts and also seeing their reaction when they open the present. Bur this year will be a lot different
Sadly we lost my Nan just over 4 years ago to Alzheimer's, but at Christmas before, they'd come to us for Christmas Day meal and we'd go to them Boxing night for a meal.
We'll still probably do that this year, uwell we would if not for the fact we're from seperate Households and under Tier 3 lockdown we're not allowed to mix, even though my Uncle's in Mum's "dsupport bubble" as he's her Brother, the man was 80 a week last Friday ago.
We're in a similar-ish position of some family members living with others, but others being alone. I'm hoping at least one of my brothers and I will be allowed to go to my Dad's so that the three of us aren't alone, assuming that my housemates make it home. I've just moved up to tier 3 though
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I'm not a fan of Christmas myself - for those of us that aren't religious it's just all about people, food and change...my three worst nightmares!
I don't even like receiving cards and gifts due to the potential contaminants that are brought into my home on them... Of course I'm grateful for them, but I find Christmas morning really stressful with decontaminating each item and washing hands in between each one, I'm worn out and my hands are wrecked before dinner time. That can only be worse this year with the threat of Covid as well as the usual threats of flu and noro. I do try to do myself something akin to a 'proper' Christmas dinner...pre-cooked turkey slices, pre-cooked pigs in blankets, frozen roasts, frozen parsnips, frozen veg...but that's been hit and miss in previous years, last year was a definite miss. Wasn't sure whether to bother or not this year after that but I know relatives will ask I have so have to make some sort of effort lol.
Hmm, that was a more depressing post than I was aiming for...there must be something I like about Christmas... I do like Die Hard 2...technically that's set at Christmas...
In terms of sending the presents, could you order presents online to their addresses instead? That would remove the need to go to a post office or meet anyone in person.
The debate around whether Die Hard is a Christmas film is very controversial- be careful!
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Im not into cards myself either but I do like to open presents with the family so I can see their reaction to their gifts, I always put a lot of thought int what I buy thrm
Seeing people's faces is the best bit! Although we usually know what we're getting from each other nowadays anyway
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Ordering presents online for direct delivery sounds like a good idea but I've done that for a couple of birthdays this year and neither were 100% successful! One got damaged in transit, and although it was replaced, was a bit disappointing. The other was meant to be 'letterbox sized' for an 88 year old relative...apparently it wasn't letterbox sized and was quite awkward so she had to answer the door and let the postman bring it into her property which isn't ideal. So I'm trying to think of things that are unbreakable and are letterbox sized... Trouble is, my relatives are all quite boring, me included! We don't really have 'hobbies' that can inspire thoughtful gifts...
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Shops I have used before
For gifts
Debenhams
River island
Next
Amazon
Boots
Mark's and Spencer's
Smyths toys
Amazon offers direct delivery to another address so that's what I've used so far. (Plus I've got a £5 voucher for doing a survey last month that I haven't used yet!)
I used Bloom & Wild for their 'letterbox flowers' which worked out very well with the discount code at the time. As mentioned in the earlier post, they didn't seem to fit in the letterbox though which kind of defeated the purpose. I'm told they lasted over 3 weeks!
Also for anyone that isn't part of a cashback website, it's definitely worth signing up if you buy a lot of things online. I have a Topcashback account myself so if anyone wants to join up, message me on here and I'll send you a sign up code which will give up both a small bonus.
Seems a bit weird they send existing customers offers that they can't use! I don't subscribe to emails myself as I won't be drawn in by offers - I only use the site when I would've bought something anyway.
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