What is your usual drill at Christmas?

Neyite

Santa still visits this house so it's mainly about that man. After that, its about being off work, hanging out and stuffing our faces.

I love it.

We don't have a set thing, both sides of the family are very easy going so this year, none of mine are going to be in the country so it's a quiet one for us:

Young wan will wake us at Stupid O'Clock to see what Santa brought. Coffee will be had and many wonky videos will be taken. Breakfast then maybe the young wan will be brought down to the relations to show off his haul while I get stuck into the prosecco start the dinner prep. They come home, a good feed had by all and then we maybe go to nearby family to belch and wallow on their sofa instead of ours watching some Christmassy thing on TV and stuffing our faces some more.

BettePorter

Flibble wrote: »

We crack out the board games

Any recommendations ? Beyond the obvious monopoly /trivial pursuit. The more row inducing the better !

Are Am Eye

BettePorter wrote: »

Any recommendations ? Beyond the obvious monopoly /trivial pursuit. The more row inducing the better !

Jenga or Buzz Wire

cassid

Up at 6. 30 am to see what Santa brought. Himself shows the children how to use their toys. I make breakfast. Everybody gets showers and we go for a walk together. Then visit my mother and then his father. Head home about 2.00 pm and have dinner 5.00 pm, into our PJ's and just relax. I don't drink alcohol but love a big mug of tea and sample my homemade Christmas cake. Send a few texts to families and think of loved ones, that we lost during the year.

I love Christmas time, my youngest wrote his list in August and we all got cards in September, our tree went up in November (the shame)

It can be a very sad and lonely day for many people. When you are looking at the ad's on TV they create an image of the ideal family Christmas and people wonder why don't they have that happy life you see on TV. I remember as a child the mother got so pissed by 1.00, in the neighbours, we had to put her to bed. If nothing else I learnt to cook at an early age.

Cookie_Monster

Nice Breakfast (with booze)
Cycle
Beach for swim
BBQ & drinking

it helps that christmas is 25c and sunny down here

rizzodun

My two oldest don't believe in Santa anymore, my middle fella is playing the system this year, which leaves my 5 year old who's the genuinely excited one.

Christmas used to be a bit of a pain in the ass but the last couple of years I've really made the most out of it, especially knowing the whole Santa deal is coming to an end shortly, which is kind of sad.

So, plan for this year is to spend it with the wife, who is luckily not working this Christmas day (did last year) and the kids, playing video games and watching movies, with a big dinner and very little alcohol, I can get pissed any other day I want.

I'm not sentimental but will really miss the excitement when the kids are off doing their thing, i just hope it'll be somewhere I can join in.

Flibble

BettePorter wrote: »

Any recommendations ? Beyond the obvious monopoly /trivial pursuit. The more row inducing the better !

Monopoly is always the one that gets the most arguments going, but a firm favourite that we KEEP returning to is Balderdash. It's fantastic

eviltwin

Having a quiet one, I'm working Christmas day

Realt Dearg Sec

I've always loved the build up to Christmas and the sooner I was able to get home to Kilkenny from Dublin to just relax there the better, meet people for pints you haven't seen in a while etc. On the day the routine is we go to our cousins before dinner and have a few drinks, used to hate it when we were still kids, been doing it so long now I started to love it. Then home for the big dinner (not the same since my grandmother died in 2012), lots of wine, and then cans and reruns of only fools and horses etc in front of the fire for the evening. Maybe some video games in the evening after my mam goes to bed.

I live in America now, so we'll arrive in Dublin airport (fingers crossed with flights!) on Christmas Eve morning, with my two year old girl ready to make my Mams whole year, head straight to KK. Try to stave off the jet lag to get in a few pints with folks that night down the local. The day itself will be the same as always but the new guest at the table (too young for Santa) will change things a bit. No lie in for one thing, those days are over! Can't wait, I loved Christmas when I lived in Ireland but it's a really important part of my life now, my connection to family, b friends, and place. If our connecting flight is delayed and we miss Christmas it'll be a really awful moment for me tbh.

Junkyard Tom

Drills are boring.

ChikiChiki

Usual drill is dinner, the mother gets drunk, starts a row and basically makes everyone feel miserable. It does be a nightmare.

This Christmas I will be milking cows in Oz and its not bothering me one bit since the last 4/5 Christmases were pretty s**t. I do feel a tinge if sadness as I know its not normal but I do look forward to the day I can enjoy it with a family of my own.

hairyslug

Will be up early with the kids (last year, our eldest was up at 4) then a big breakfast, walk the idiot dogs and I would normally keep myself busy making the lunch but the in laws have offered to do that this year so not sure what to do with myself for that time. Then playing with the kids toys and watch a bad movie.

the_syco

Wake. Breakfast. Dinner. Cans. Bed.

Estrellita

Christmas gifts opened early.

I cook and serve food throughout the day. Big spread for breakfast. Then Mass if we haven't gone Christmas Eve.

Catnap then start dinner preparations. Don't normally do starters because mains and dessert are so filling. Have dinner late due to big breakfast. Wine with dinner.

Watch Christmas programmes / films while grazing.

I make supper, normally turkey, ham, stuffing with salad sandwiches, pigs in blankets, cheese board etc. Tea or coffee.

Evening drinks, more TV and further grazing.

Enjoyable day. I don't like to go out visiting on Christmas day, prefer to just relax and enjoy a drink with meals and later.

bnt

I like to get outside for a bit on Christmas Day, depending on the weather. This year I have a bike again, so maybe on that. However, I remember being out in previous years on foot expecting the roads to be quiet, but the opposite was true.

Gwynplaine

fryup wrote: »

when do you have your xmas dump ?

xmas night or st stephens morning?

I'm a person who enjoys a dump at home, gets anxious when I have to in someone's house. So we're going to the in laws for christmas day and St. Stephen's day. I'll have to get a good squeeze before we leave home on Christmas morn. The toilet in the inlaws house is in such a position that when you go in, the people in the sitting room and the kitchen can see you go in (glass panel door). I like to take my time, but if I have to go when I'm there, which I probably will, I'll have to do it as quick as I can, as I do think that anyone in a jax for longer than 2 mins is definitely having a dump.

Why do people build a house with the toilet in the centre of the house? No en suites either.

juneg

Mass on Christmas Eve. Food prep on Christmas Eve. Makes the day after more manageable.

weldoninhio

I'll probably get up around 10-11, go down stairs to trade presents with my parents, brother and sisters, then back up to my room for the day/night. Phone off, head wrecked, not wanting to deal with anyone/anything.

I hate this time of year.

seamus

Haven't had a "usual drill" now for several years since the kids came along. Every year is a little different as they gain more awareness, so you can/have to mix things up. And you start building your own traditions. For the last few years though it's been getting the young one up, down to open her pressies, then I cook up a BFO fry just like my Dad used to.

Then we get ready and head over to her parents after lunch to drink sparsely and eat a responsible amount of Xmas dinner.
Or we head down to my parents and crack open a pint as soon as we arrive and don't stop eating for about 8 hours.

My wife is the only sibling in her family with a partner, never mind married, and my parents have lots of places to go to, so we end up in the in-laws more often than not. Next year though the youngest will be nearly two and we'll have built more space onto our house, so the plan is to stay put and never have to drag the kids away from Xmas pressies again.

Baraics Pollox

Herself usually heads down home Christmas eve to her family so I go to my folks house in the afternoon, usually get in the way of my Mam who does a fantastic job of dinner every year and has it down to a fine art, watch TV with my Dad, walk the dogs on the beach before having a light dinner (fried eggs and chips!).

Christmas eve night I'd usually go to a local for a few pints, usually with my brother and a friend although this year I think it'll be with my Dad and brother. I'd like that actually as we don't really share much time at all during the year outside the house. I will stay over in my family home that night. My brother (younger) still lives at home and took my room, the git.

Christmas morning I'll be woken at 6am no doubt by herself sending my a "Happy Christmas" text, forgetting that she's a bigger child than me sometimes. I'll text the brother to ask if he's awake (fecking technology, years ago I used to just get up, boot his bedroom door open and say "ITS CHRISTMAS!").

Like we have done since we were kids (bare in mind I'm 27 and the brother is 25), I'll lightly tap on my folks bedroom door to see if they're awake. They usually are and every year are like "for god's sake are ye lads still children!?". Deep down I know that they like this because despite being grown ups its a bit of an unofficial tradition that someday will end.

Downstairs, kettle on, dogs out the back, make tea and then exchange presents. Usually we give our parents their presents first. After exchanging gifts we have the breakfast, get cleaned up, turkey goes in the oven, Mam and Dad usually head to our Italian neighbours and nearly always come back a little glassy eyed after the "Irish/Italian Coffees".

Around afternoon my girlfriend will come back up from her folks (Christmas eve is more their thing) and we'll swap gifts, walk the dogs, help my mam and dad with food prep and have a few drinks before grub.

Have the dinner, usually an epic feast after which we waddle back to the couch to vegetate in front of the fire, having drinks, watching crap movies and maybe playing Monopoly (which usually involves insults and accusations of bribery, misconduct and cronyism...with added booze).

All in all, I can see how it could be a boring day but it's a day spent with my family and partner where we're all in good spirit and are happy. We've lost a few close family members over the last couple of years and my dad has been laid off over the Christmas period a couple of times which has added stress but this year is more positive and I'm genuinely looking forward to it.

Stephen's Day is essentially the exact same featuring reheats

mad m

Oh, 40ft at 8am on Christmas morning, meet few mates out there. Swim in it for a bit and then shake like fook!

Hector Bellend

Wake up around 6.30am.

Bang her.

Go back asleep again for an hour or two.

Have a good fry up.

Over to her oul ones for dinner.

Try and **** off some calories at about 5 O'Clock

Have a snooze.

Have a few sambos.

Drink beer and play online poker for a couple of hours.

Play some shyte board games

Try to finger her.

Go home.

Ride her.

Lollipops23

Xmas morning at home with my mam and step dad. Pressies, breakfast etc.

Head to aunty and uncles, whole extended family there. More presents, couple of drinks.

Dinner at mam's, head to my dad's that evening. More presents. Used to watch Doctor Who, but this year we've decided to play board games.

Round 3 is Stephen's Day, my step bros come to my mam and step dad's for second full dinner and, yep, more presents.

I'm usually exhausted by New Years.

Estrellita

Hector Bellend wrote: »

Bang her.
Try and **** off some calories at about 5 O'Clock
Ride her.

Yawn.

I wake up at maybe 10 or something. Chat with daddy. Dinner. Find the will to get dressed. Visit my mam. Back home and in to pjs. Have a cry. Eat my weight in chocolate. Sleep.

mad m

Hector Bellend wrote: »

Wake up around 6.30am.

Bang her.

Go back asleep again for an hour or two.

Have a good fry up.

Over to her oul ones for dinner.

Try and **** off some calories at about 5 O'Clock

Have a snooze.

Have a few sambos.

Drink beer and play online poker for a couple of hours.

Play some shyte board games

Try to finger her.

Go home.

Ride her.

Well you know what they say about people who talk about it.....Brutal post!

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

cnocbui

Makita cordless.

Buford T. Justice XIX

Normally up at 4.30 or 5 as we still have two for Santa. Furiously search for batteries for toys that Santa forgot to bring them for and join in the mayhem for an hour or two.

Bite of breakfast around 7.30 and down the yard for 8 to check the sheep and feed the pets and Ones that need a top up. Move any after lambing into pens and top up silage and water. Push in silage to the cattle and check they are all OK. Quick shower and off to 10am mass. Back home and load a few pet lambs into the car and off to the School fundraiser and let one or two of the younger kids feed the lambs.

Back home for 12 and give a quick run to the graveyard to pay my respects to my dad and back home for the dinner and a sup of wine. Watch whichever one of the Gruffalo cartoons is on and back down the yard to feed the lambs and check the ewes again. Push in the remaining silage and give a feed of ration to the cattle and sheep.

Back home again and a quick Turkey and Ham sandwich and settle down to watch whatever film is on or play with some of whatever Xbox game arrived, with maybe a glass of wine. Back down the yard at 11 or whenever the film is over to feed the lambs and sort the ewes again.

Have a quiet glass with herself and swear next year will be much more relaxed:rolleyes:

andekwarhola

weldoninhio wrote: »

I'll probably get up around 10-11, go down stairs to trade presents with my parents, brother and sisters, then back up to my room for the day/night. Phone off, head wrecked, not wanting to deal with anyone/anything.

I hate this time of year.

Don't worry, my kids sulk in their rooms a lot as well.

That said, they are 9 and 7.