Where do you spend Christmas Day?

implausible

I'm interested in finding out what other people do at Christmas once they have kids. My family don't live near us, so we will spend Christmas Day and have dinner in our own house, visit my in-laws in the evening and then travel on Stephen's Day.

Lisha

My husband and I always had dinner at my parents house, he does not get on with his own mother. We might call there in morning or day before more likely. So for us it's mass, go to friends mothers house (close friends), call home for garlic potatoes, load up car, go to my parents. Then about 7 come home put kids to bed and finally open the wine

January

Tradition since we had number 1 was: Santa in our own house, breakfast in my parents house and dinner in his parents house and staying over in his parents house that night.

But this year my partners dad is in hospital after having a major stroke and my mother in law is having dinner in the hospital with him (he's not well enough to come home for the day). So we will have breakfast and dinner in my parents and then go to the hospital for a while and then back to our house for the first Christmas in 4 years.

liliq

Last year we went to his mam and step dad, as his step brother, step sister and her family go there every second year and were there last year, so we thought it would be nice to have the kids there the same years.
This year we are staying at home, just the three of us.
We will see my dad the evening before Xmas eve, as we do every Sunday, and probably visit some of his family with him on Xmas eve as well. On Christmas Day, my mum will call into us after she visits her dad, and that will probably be it for the day.
On Stephens day we are going to his mam and step dads as his mam has a big dinner that day every year with extended family.
It's hard these days, as along with families that don't get on, there are a lot of 'modern families'!

Lucyfur

In our own home. Whoever wants to see us on the day is more than welcome to come and have dinner with us, but we don't leave the house

implausible

Great to get some replies. I know Christmas is a time for family and all, but I was beginning to wonder if I was strange for not wanting to pack up the lot of us and head down the country to an overcrowded house and stressed-out mother for Christmas Day! I want to enjoy a peaceful Christmas Day and let the madness begin after.

Sleepy

Ours is generally a bit hectic as there are three sets of grand-parents and two of those are divorced... So, what we've done the last few years has been:

Santa, presents and breakfast in our own house.
Morning Coffee / Bucks Fizz in my step-son's Dad's parents.
Christmas Dinner in my fiancée's parents.
Then drive to Galway (a good chance for the kids to have a nap after getting up at the craic of dawn) for tea in my mother's house (When I finally get to have a drink!)


We generally stay with my mam a few nights to catch up with friends and family then head up to my Dad's place in Mayo for a night before heading home. I think this may be the last year we do things like this though. My sister's buying a nice big house during the year so she may be hosting the dinner next year (tis about my family's turn to have the grandkids for dinner!).

Mr.Wemmick

Lucyfur wrote: »

In our own home. Whoever wants to see us on the day is more than welcome to come and have dinner with us, but we don't leave the house

More or less the same in our house.. we've a no-driving rule, walk to church in the morning and then that's us for the day.
Do all the driving, running, visiting, present giving in the weeks leading up to Christmas but it's all stop on Christmas Day.

doubletrouble?

this will be our first christmas in our own home since we've been together in over 11 years. last christmas day was spent in hospital with the little man.

myparenting101

Spending time with my family, Merry Christmas to all & More fruitful Year to come!

eviltwin

We spent it with my mother in law, she's about 40 mins down the road. It was okay but with a teenager and a preschooler as well as two dogs its becoming difficult, we really felt it this year. From now on we will stay where we are and let people come to us if they want.

Lisha

eviltwin wrote: »

We spent it with my mother in law, she's about 40 mins down the road. It was okay but with a teenager and a preschooler as well as two dogs its becoming difficult, we really felt it this year. From now on we will stay where we are and let people come to us if they want.

We always go to my parents but now with kids that will be 6 and nearly 3 next yr we def will stay at home next year. Too much running about and kids barely got a chance to look at presents.
I like the sense of occasion that grandparents bring to Xmas day but have decided to put kids first from now on

hoodwinked

We do Santa at home then go to mass, then onto my grandmothers for the great gathering of all my relatives/close family friends for the gifts exchange, and so everyone can see our daughter all dressed up!


then we might pop down to the inlaws for an hour (unless like this year they saw our daughter on christmas eve) and then onto my mothers with my siblings ( they are teenagers im the eldest by miles ) for dinner,

we stay at her's then for the afterparty where other family members call up and drink into the night and we'd go home when our daughter starts getting tired or bored.


st stephans day we don't leave home or get out of my pj's and we play with all the santa toys! (its my favorite part of the whole 2 days)

Suucee

For the past 10 years its just been me and the OH. He went to his parents. 10 mins away and i either went to my brothers with my parents or had my parents up to my house. Im the baby of the family and closest to my parents so have always been with them.
This year was my lil ones first xmas and her daddy couldnt bear to be apart from her. So xmas eve we met my brother, sil and their kids in my parents to give pressies. Then went for dinner with my sister, her kids and my parents. Xmas day my parents came up to our house for dinner and that evening we went to OH's parents where all his siblings and their kids arrived at the same time so it was a great atmosphere and i finally got to sit, relax and have a glass of wine.
Tomorrow we will be having dinner in his parents.
Next year we will be spending the morning with my parents and going to his parents for dinner. His parents have us booked. MIL cant wait.
So looks like it will be with different set of parents each year.