How do you do Xmas??

wtf123

just wondering how everyone in their respective dwellings do xmas. like do you get a present for every sibling (as in brother and sister) or do ye do secret santa?

we used to do the present for everyone but this will be the third year we do secret santa. I have to admit that at first I wasn't up for the secret santa idea as greedily i was thinking id get less but its so much better. you raise the bar on how much you spend as its just 1 gift but you save anyway in the end and what you get is so much better. plus the secrecy is fun too.

tails

tSubh Dearg

My family have 2 Christmases.

We celebrate on the 24th for the Danish side of the family; starting off with the traditional starter, rice porridge which we'll usually follow with duck or pheasant or something along those lines.

Then we sing carols and do the Christmas readings. After that we light the candles on the tree and open some presents (mainly those from Danish relations who we'll be talking to on the phone over the course of the evening)

The next morning we get stockings from Santa (the whole household gets them, apart from the cat), go to Church and then we have all our friends and a fiar bit of family around afterwards for nibbly things (cocktail sausages etc)

When everyone is gone we open the other presents and relax for a bit. We tend to have our traditional turkey dinner in the early evening rather than the afternoon.

I love spending Christmas with my family and that we cover both sides of family's traditions. I'm now engaged to a Pagan so we'll have to see how to incoporate Yule into the proceedings as well

greine

Secret santa is definitely a good idea. I come from a big family (6 brothers and sisters) and the parents, so 8 pressies is pushing the boat a bit! We started about 4 years ago and its great craic wondering who got who.However, the first year I wasn't sure what was what and bought my sister a fabulous elf suit, and when christmas day came and we were all exchanging presents I was mortified cos everyone had really gone to town on the presents and there were DVD players, clothes, jewellery being given and received, I really felt sorry for my sister who was getting an elf suit and that was the only family present she would get, it was funny really...looking back! I picked her again this year so I will make it up to her but might throw in fake ears for the craic!! We have a budget of €100 or under now so that will get a fairly decent pressie. we still buy presents for the kids individually although there seems to be a couple extra every year!!!;)

CathyMoran

As I am getting married just after Christmas I am just paying for a meal out for my family. We will be spending Christmas in a hotel, it is the first year that my fiancee will be with me over Christmas so I am really looking forward to it.

Going Demented

There's 10 of us excluding our dad, and 26 nieces and nephews. So we dont buy presents for each other. We spend a lot on presents for our Godchildren and the father, we don't bother with buying for each other at christmas.

emeraldstar

i buy one each for my mother, father, sister, brother. Sin é.

Black Swan

Travel.

senordingdong

I like to bite the top off and lick the inside.

Rabies

greine, I'm from a large family also, 6 brothers and sisters. We always buy each other presents. Makes for an expensive christmas, but I enjoy it.

This is my first christmas out of the country, last week I went shopping and bought them all their presents. Right now they are flying back to Ireland from New Zealand. Can't break the habit

tolosenc

Do it all on New Year's Day. My agnostic opinion made me search for some other reason to celebrate and give presents at that time of year!

Ruu_Old

Moved down 'ere from AH.

edit : I mean, moved to a better place*sun shines through clouds*.

Ruu

Ruu wrote:

Moved down 'ere from AH.

Isn't every other forum a step up from AH?

/on topic: For years we got presents for each other (family), but we went for a kris kindel last few years. Isn't really fun I find, and seems to sap a fair amount of the remaining fun from Christmas away. I know there's more to Christmas then presents but still...

Presents for all!

racso1975

CathyMoran

As I am getting married just after Christmas I am just paying for a meal out for my family. We will be spending Christmas in a hotel, it is the first year that my fiancee will be with me over Christmas so I am really looking forward to it.

Well young lady you had better be in seperate rooms if your not married

But best of luck with the weddin got married myself on 28th dec last year and best day of my life

p.s. enjoy the church as much as u can as it goes in a flash

admiralofthefleet

i have 6 people to buy for and we just ask each other what we want, we also have a tradition that all presents must be opened by 12 noon on xmas day, any presents not opened by this time can not be opened until stephens day, so we can get on with the dinner and the party. we end up with roughly 30 people in the house on xmas nite

Ruu_Old

I can't really afford to buy a whole lot for people as with moving into a new house over the weekend, lots of expenses. I have agreed with people who I normally buy stuff not to bother with much for us and we can do likewise.

Cathy, have a wonderful first Christmas together with Shane. Enjoy yourselves, its always a very special moment.