[little blue]

What are your plans for Christmas then?
Any traditions?
First time plans?
Local traditions?
Share them with us accidental smallholders!

[Fluffywelshsheep]

hehe booked a home visit from hubby in santa suit Santa if he has time before christmas.
not got any plan just thats it's gona be interesting with a 3 month old lol.

Not sure how many at our house as step kids mum is 'dumpping' them at xmas for her to look after her sisters kids.


Linz

[Roxy]

Please, don't remind me how near it is!!!  Cannot believe how the shops are already geared up.  I really cannot face looking at Christmas puddings in October.

I liked the old fashioned christmas ....cards, small gifts, tree.....snow!  It is far to commericalised now for me, the true meaning has gone.
Children expect expensive toys etc.  people feel under pressure to buy all and sundry presents, and get so stressed about the shopping.

We stopped going to the family christmas dinners years ago.  It was too much of a rush going there, and getting back to feed all the animals, so easier to stop going.  Really its a normal day for us, feeding animals and riding horses.  We always go out riding on Christmas Day.

I do have a little tree up, and a few decorations, but we definitely do not go overboard on trolley fulls of food.

I have cut down on christmas cards in recent years, preferring to donate to an animal charity instead. And last year, a lot of my friends decided to do the same.

[Old Empty Barn]

Ba Humbug ! ........ only kidding, I also would prefer it to be how it used to be ........ we now get Christmas stuff in the shops in September ! .......... I think we need to put it back where it should be instead of just another way to milk us for cash !

Dave

[gavo]

Well we have children and i can honestly say we have never had a request for a hugely expensive gift.If a request is above budget they get told santa doesn't like greedy children and he only brings what he feels they deserve as their are so many children to give to he has to be fair. Always worked and now that 2 are too old to believe they do realise they can't have everything just because it's christmas.
Last year we went away and left the fuss behind it was fantastic[wifes first christmas off in 19 years] so we did something special.We'll never repeat it until retirement going by the numbers.

[Hilarysmum]

Oh thank heavens we dont celebrate Xmas. 

[Paul Sill]

It will be our first christmas with little un who will be 4 months, round my parents xmas eve and inlaws xmas day which will be weird because i have always gone home for christmas, being 1 of 9 children its always manic/lots of fun

[ukag0972]

Xmas day in our house is very laid back!

The boys open their, sometimes expensive, presents. OH then goes out and feeds and checks all the animals. Possibly lamb a ewe or two!! He's usually home by lunch which then involves gouging out in front of the tv and  eating till we burst!
We hardly see the kids all day, bonus!!!

No hassle, no pomp and ceremony, no socialising!!

I love it!!

[JulieS]

I love Christmas!!!!    Even though I have teenage sons we still 'pretend' there is Father Christmas.  They humour me!!  

All the family come to me for Christmas.  Grans, Grandads, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins....So around 25 of us.  Fantastic!  

Will be really exciting this year, our first Christmas here in North Devon.  I must get organised next year to have our own turkey!

A changeover in the holiday cottage to do on Boxing Day.  
 
 

[gavo]

Must admit our favourite bit is boxing day lovely and relaxed ALL the family round nice large buffet and plenty to drink if you wish. Kids all playing happily with their new pressies. relaxed bliss

[little blue]

56 views and only 9 replies?  C'mon!
Share you Christmases...

[sandy]

I love Christmas, love doing the house up all Christmassy, I have gone down south alone to visit my daughters since living up here, I like the train journey but sadly cannot go as a couple as we have guests staying and our dog should be having pups so, my Oh will stay to hold the fort. When my children were young it was a traditional affair, I loved the toys myself, it was hard work but all part of the fun. A few years ago I took my familly to Devon, renting a big cottage for 13 people, it had a swimming pool and was great fun, open fires, loads of food, shooting, cycling and swimming with the added bonus of a baby to admire!! Us women made the paper decorations and brought branches in etc to decorate the house, the night before we left we were able to burn them all!!!! I hope that one year they can all come here to do the same, my eldest in in Austrailia so needs loads of money to get here. Before moving, I often worked over Christmas, in residential units...that was fun too, anyway I'm rambling and getting all sentimental 

[Roxy]

Come on Little Blue, you started this thread, so tell us about your Christmas!!!

[little blue]

Well, it'll be first Christmas with goats and pigs.  The dog absolutely loved it last year, unwrapping the presents, taking decs off the tree, dinner! So we'll be better prepared this year...
Jay goes mad with Christmas decs and ornaments, and he sets up a whole scene on the grand piano, with fake snow and everything (will see if we've a digital pic I can show you)
family v important, not just at Christmas of course... but with O/h's and father in law's health probs, we tend to encourage them to come here and I cook.
Nice to be off work in current job, Like Sandy I've done my time in resi care units!
We always went to a local pantomime, but again, J not up to that at the mo

But before that, theres the madness of THE CHRISTMAS CONCERT at work, the be all and end all of the season!! Manic,magical and (hopefully) musical ! Planning starts v early...

[Roxy]

ooh yes, you must take a pic of the piano with the scene - we would love to see that!!

I keep buying decorations for my little tree, and now it ends up rather top heavy - and last year it toppled over due to being over adorned!!
I also have a thing about those large santas, not the plastic models, I mean the ones of him decked in his long coat, carrying a sack of parcels, etc.  I started off with one, but he looked lonely standing at one side of the inglenook fireplace, so got another, then found a sitting down santa, so he joined the other two, and then the following year a fourth joined in.  Now I have moved, I have nowhere for them all to stand!!!