Unusual Xmas traditions?????

[Nicos]

Just wondered if any of you have any 'unusual' traditions?

To get the 'snow'ball rolling.....

My neighbour- now in her 50's hangs the same hollow chocolate shapes on her tree as she did when she was a little girl!

Instead of Xmas crackers we have a small tree in the dining room with little pressies for each person at the 'feast'.
As a thankyou to the general Xmas dogsbody ( ie me!!) and for the little gifts - which take HOURS to find and wrap-everyone then does a 'turn'( can you hear them groan???).
eg - Xmas carol played on partially filled glasses of water, wine, champagne always goes down well, as does the hanging spoons on noses competition and a short play with homemade sock puppets etc etc ....

What do you lot get up to every year???

[Mrs Dobby]

Not really unusual for us, but we Wassail our plots on xmas day, its the only day we can be sure of having off together, so we take a flask of spirits, and toast the plot and the coming years bounty by having a drink and pouring a bit on the plot! Of course, with 2 plots it doesh means we is a wickle bit merri when wesh gets home! Hic!

[Snadger]

People round here jump into the North Sea wearing only swimsuits about this time of year!!!

Damm silly idea methinks.....if the cold doesn't get them the pollution will!

[JennieAtkinson]

Pretty quiet here locally, they just wait until the last Tuesday in January and then just blitz it then (Up Helly Aa - Viking Fire Festival).

My husband and I always give each other at least one present that we have made ourselves. Getting a bit difficult to find some time now on our own now that he's retired and I only work three days a week! So there is alot of furtive making and hiding at the moment and suggestions of "why don't you go for a long walk"!

[smallblueplanet]

Oh oh.....the OH seems to be catching their family's xmas tradition of decorating their house for christmas - decorating with paint that is!

Apparently, for them redecorating the kitchen on or about xmas eve is traditional..... We're halfway through repainting the living room atm, should be finished tomorrow.

[NOG]

At our feast we have chestnut stuffing that we make out of the nuts we collect in the woods.

This causes us to all break wind and we blame it on the dog (which we havent got).

[wellie]

Trousers will definitely like your style when I tell him NOG!

[Farmer_Gyles]

i get up early on christmas day - very unusual for me to get up early .....

[moggssue]

No traditions here as such ... the tree is hung with wooden decorations my mum had as a youngster and I still use (she died three years ago) and we always keep back one small present to give each other in the evening - again something started by my mum - when all the excitement of the morning giving has died down. Does the pub every christmas eve count?!?!

[SarzWix]

People round here jump into the North Sea wearing only swimsuits about this time of year!!!

Damm silly idea methinks.....if the cold doesn't get them the pollution will!

Hahahaha, I'd forgotten about that one Snadger! We used to get all wrapped up, and Dad used to take us to watch the nutcases doing that down Seaburn, or off the pier at Roker on Boxing Day... Always ended up with a 'noggin' at The Seaburn hotel. Still, I think they usually raised money for charity, so the hypothermia was possibly worth it?!

[Winged one]

I would like to start wassailing our plot this year - maybe not on Christmas Day though, the eve or weekend before? (1st Christmas having it).

We keep our pressies for the afternoon and open them in front of the fire while waiting for the turkey to cook. After all the mad rushing around visiting is over.

And I have a personal tradition since the year I was 15 - having a beverage (usually of an alcoholic variety) in the room with the tree, only tree lights on, after dark, a couple of days before Christmas. Sitting on the floor reflecting on the year by myself (was a nice time when mum and dad were out some evening and all the others were watching a film in the other room - could be a bit of a madhouse with 6 of us and M&D) - I still manage to do this every year and it is a nice quiet time of reflection for me.

[SarzWix]

And I have a personal tradition since the year I was 15 - having a beverage (usually of an alcoholic variety) in the room with the tree, only tree lights on, after dark, a couple of days before Christmas. Sitting on the floor reflecting on the year by myself (was a nice time when mum and dad were out some evening and all the others were watching a film in the other room - could be a bit of a madhouse with 6 of us and M&D) - I still manage to do this every year and it is a nice quiet time of reflection for me.

Now that sounds nice...
Would you mind awfully if I borrowed that idea?

[Nicos]

I decorate our little dining room tree on my own and then sit and wait for someone to arrive home. For me it's the real beginning of Xmas and the bubbly is ready chilled
You're all welcome of course!!!!!

[rustylady]

People round here jump into the North Sea wearing only swimsuits about this time of year!!!

Damm silly idea methinks.....if the cold doesn't get them the pollution will!

Yes, we have the same tradition. Known as the Lowestoft Charity Christmas Day Swim. I've been down to watch, but you won't catch me even dipping a toe in the North Sea at this time of year. Usually put money in the buckets or sponsor someone.

[Hazel at the Hill]

Whatever changes have happened in our family over the years - growing up, I guess - the one tradition that still hold 'cast-iron' is going to the Festival of Nine Lessons' carol service on Christmas Eve.

The rule here has always been 'you come along unless you have a fine excuse not to!' and extends to family & all hangers on - friends, extended family etc etc.

From going with mum and brother and sister when little, then as a student furtively glancing at the watch to see when we could get gone as Christmas Eve was such a Night Out (the game here is to count how many of the devout congregation you'd see later in the local getting pie-eyed!) then with various boyfriends, then nephews and nieces, family friends, work collegues - the invite is open to all.

Back to the house (mum's, but latterly mine) to gather the wrapped pressies from their hiding places and ooh and ahh when putting them into the washing basket under the tree. That's a proper tree - even now I have to buy one of those ones which sheds all the needles by boxing day, and the whole thing is a brown stick come New Year, just because it 'smells right'. Mince pies and a glass of sherry ('I won't have a drink, darling, just a sherry....') and then, duty done, glamorisation for Going Out....

Funny that it was such a chore to go to the service when young - I wouldn't miss it for anything now.