Chrismas
Snow Maiden
Posts: 862
For me I have to say that it's not the same since my Mum died and also since all the kids ( ours and our nieces) became adults. We need the next generation!!
We spend the morning at home with our ' kids' and have a lovely traditional xmas dinner. Must say that now they have all been fending for themselves for a number of years , they are very eager to show off their cooking skills.........so I often find it quite restfull!
We then go over to my Dad's to spend the rest of the day with him and my siblings ( who spend the whole day with him,).
He is 90 now, so apart from seeing our kids and enjoying a family meal together ( which sadly does not often happen during the rest of the year),l feel the other meaningful thing about it all is 'memory making 'with my Dad, after all we have to face facts......how many xmas's are there left to share together?
l hope that I haven't made this sound gloomy....we really do have a fab time, and our kids stay for up to a fortnight and I take a couple of weeks off work as well.
What do you all do?
Posts
I love Christmas ...there, I've said it
We get together with family, have lots of laughs, play lots of silly games that everyone joins in (hunt the thimble is a favourite, using my Grandma's old thimble, plus Tippet, Paddy from Home and charades) and try not to turn the telly on
. However, I know I am blessed to have a lovely family who all (for the most part
) get on together.
Plus I love the build up too - decorations everywhere make me smile.
So, controversial it may be but .... I love Christmas
Me too Chicky!
I'm not religious but have faith, not in mankind tho sometimes! But like many I believe religion is the cause of fighting, wars and judgement of others, I believe the original idea was the simple notion of doing unto other as you would have done unto yourselves. As it stands, good advice! But for me Christmas is a time to come together and be grateful and show your appreciation for each other and what your blessed with and to take time to consider those that are less fortunate than ourselves. This should be all year round but at Christmas folks feel guilted into it, whatever works! 
Love it all the same!
Flowers, that sounds like how Christmas should be! You are right about making memories, that's why we work so hard to make it perfect!
not that it ever is but its the little things that go wrong that can turn into the funniest stories! 
Wonky - will you be playing Ring on a String at your house?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Oohh, how do you play that, sounds fun?
Every other year my four children, their OHs and however many grandchildren there are (9 now) come for Christmas. We have a sort of party with nibbly things to eat, bubbly, non alcoholic bubbly for children and we dance and play games and chat. Oldest grandson is now 10, last year he organised a little show for us (adults) to watch, parts for the children. They raided the dressing up box. Then, at bedtime we put the stockings (big woolly winter socks) around the woodburner in the hall (was a fireplace but I had a woodburner put there for more warmth). The children leave sherry and a mince pie for Father Christmas and a carrot for the reindeer.
On Christmas Day morning there is much excitement opening stockings, adults have them too, clementines in the toes, chocolate money, small pressies. Then we have breakfast and take it in turns to open the family presents that have been put under the tree. Then lunch time. We have roast fillet of beef as it's too expensive to have any other time, lots of veg. Christmas pudding and chocolate mousse (everyone's favourite). After lunch we go for a walk with the dog. Evening slump in front of TV.
But this year it is the in-laws turn so we have invited 6 friends for lunch. But the children have all said they will miss coming here so they want to do Christmas again here on the 29th December.
Ring on a String has been played at Christmas by generations of our family since the year dot ... apparently. It's a marvellous game as it can be played by a number of old and young alike and conversations can be continued during the game.
Everyone sits on seats in an approximate circle - the seats can include a sofa or two, footstools, pouffes, armchairs, dining chairs, whatever is available. The seats need to be fairly close but don't have to be touching.
The other equipment needed is a long length of string or knitting wool and a ring (wedding band/signet ring type - a curtain ring will do at a push as long as it's a proper circle and not a split one).
Thread the ring onto the string and tie the two ends in a knot so that you have a circle of string that can comfortably be held in both hands of every person in the circle (held palms down, knuckles up with the string passing through their hands - does that make sense?).
One person has to stand in the middle of the circle and shut their eyes.
One person seated in the circle has to hold the ring on the string hidden in their hand.
Everyone has to move their hands from side to side along the length of the string, pretending to pass the ring between them - and actually the ring will be passed from one person to another around the circle in either direction.
The person in the middle opens their eyes and has to tap the hand they think is holding the ring. If your hand is tapped you have to open it palm upwards, revealing the ring ... or not.
If there's a bit of a distance between two people and they can't pass the ring from hand to hand, the best technique is for the person with the ring to raise the string so that the ring slides down to the next person, while the person in the middle is looking elsewhere
Naughty uncles have been known to slip the ring onto their finger for a while, and continue to pass their hands over the string, causing confusion.
The person in the middle stays there until they have found the ring, then the person found in possession of the ring goes into the middle.
However, if the person found in possession of the ring is an elderly aunt or an inebriate and unstable uncle who ought not to be standing in a circle in case it makes them dizzy, younger relatives can be deputised to go in the middle of the circle for them.
The game can continue for hours and hours and hours. Perfect for a family Christmas
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thanks Dove, sounds fun.