Christmas Traditions

I did debate doing a Christmas post, but I have ended up doing it because I can’t ignore it’s Christmas and I have a bone to pick with everyone…..

Why so many different ways of doing it?

Before my life on Twitter and blogging I used to be a frequent visitor and poster on forums, specifically infertility and pregnancy ones. There were 3 main topics of conversation at this time of year:

1. How Father Christmas featured in the present giving?
2. What colour theme were you doing for the Christmas tree?
3. What Christmas traditions do you have in your house?

Point 1 is always VERY interesting. Until my foray into forums I had just assumed people did roughly the same sort of thing as me.  A collection of presents from Father Christmas in a stocking or sack at the end of the bed and a collection of presents from mummy and/or daddy under the tree.  Apparently not everyone works like that.  Some people have all the presents from Father Christmas and they may be in a sack or may be under the tree. I don’t like that, but maybe that’s because I’m selfish and want to take some of the credit for the mad dash of present buying.  SOME people have every present from EVERYONE come from Father Christmas.  So poor old grandparents, aunties and friends hand over presents that were delivered to their house for the child.  Sorry, I don’t get that. I think it’s a bit insulting to the people who put a lot of thought into present buying.  Of course, some people don’t introduce Father Christmas at all, preferring not to lie to their children. I don’t have an issue with this. Each to their own and I think most parents who go down this route instruct their children to keep quiet with the other children (or at least I hope they do).

Point 2.  Again, until I visited forums I didn’t know Christmas trees had themes!!  Bad enough we have to beat ourselves up for the rest of the year because our living room is a hotch potch of fabrics and colours, but now I’m supposed to be coordinating my tree as well.  As it happens, I quite liked the idea and although most of my tree is silver and white decorations (which can be a little cold) I have some teal mixed in, which match my cushions.  Oohh get me!

Point 3. This I love.  I had no idea when I had children that I could start to create my very own traditions that may be taken for future generations.  When I grew up we didn’t really have any traditions apart from the kids getting to decorate the tree (imagine Christmas threw up on a silver tinsel pretend tree) and we had presents from FC and our parents. The former opened whilst still in our rooms and the latter done after breakfast with us all sitting around the tree. Our tree was always fake, hence my penchant for them now and the whole “not getting” of real trees.

The timing of the present opening is still going on, but I’ve also started taking the children to shops or garden centres to pick a Christmas decoration every year.  Something around £2-£5 and I get to pick one too.  Then as these start to take over the tree I’m slowly shipping all the cheap plastic stuff off to Christmas heaven.  Hubby tried to bring in a posh breakfast to the Christmas morning but I wasn’t that keen and the kids refused to eat it, so that hasn’t gone too well. He was doing scrambled eggs and salmon (for himself) but I was then hungry an hour later, so hopefully he has taken the hint and we’ll just wolf down our breakfast cereal so we can get on with the important stuff of present opening.

When the kids are a little older I plan on having a proper Tree decorating night, maybe with mugs of hot chocolate and Christmas carols.  Hopefully I’ll get some more inspiration as they get older and FC takes more of a back seat in the celebration.

I can’t pretend any longer. I LOVE CHRISTMAS and always have and I hope to instil that feeling of joy into my own children.  A day to enjoy our lovely gifts and appreciate how wonderful it is to have family to spend it with.

What are your traditions?  I’m on the lookout for inspiration?