Christmas traditions & advent for couples

xDisneyDivax

Hi all,

I'm looking for some inspiration for new traditions! It will be our 2nd Christmas married so I'm really keen to start new traditions for both Christmas eve and Christmas day. Also ideas for advent!! I have googled it but would love to hear what yas boardsies do!:D

Toto Wolfcastle

For the last couple of years I made an advent calendar full of activities to do every day. Each night (or day during the weekend) we had something Christmassy to do together. We watched all our favourite Christmas films, made hot chocolate, drove around the area to see the Christmas lights, went to a tree lighting ceremony, and loads more. There were a few non-Christmassy things too. One night we played scrabble. Of course it wouldn't be an advent calendar without chocolate so I bought some really nice chocolates for one of the nights, and Christmas beer for another.

It was a lovely excuse to do all the Christmassy things we wanted to do and we got to spend loads of time together.

This year we have laziness and Lindt advent calendars.

The other thing we will always do is wake up in our own bed on Christmas Day (when we're not with my family in a different county) and have a lovely breakfast together. That's our time before we head elsewhere for the day.

Another thing you could do is go to one of the screenings of a Christmas film in the cinema. Pick a different one every year, throw on a Christmas jumper and have a lovely festive evening.

Jude13

This year we give each other a gift on alternate days for each day on the advent calendar. Only small ones, it was such a good idea but turns out to be a massive pain in the back side thinking of so many things to get.

Day Lewin

I've been married a long time...but before that I had never heard of an Advent Wreath.
My husband's family always used to do it, he assures me.
(Nowadays all the churches have them but I think that is quite a recent novelty for them.) - my OH says his family always did it, even back in the 1950's, a long family tradition since the 19th century.

It is a circle with four candles, three purples and a pink (or red)
On the first Sunday of Advent, the youngest person present lights the first candle. On the 2nd Sunday (today) the second youngest lights two...and so on, until all are lighting on the last Sunday before Christmas - we do this for the Sunday main meal.

We had kids, so as our family grew, the honour of lighting the first candle changed hands several times...now they're grown up it's just him, me and the cat but we still do it!

PS the pink or red candle is for the 3rd Sunday "Gaudete" - rejoice!

It is supposed to symbolise the rebirth of light gradually becoming brighter as the weeks pass until all 4 are lit.

I actually love the Advent wreath and get candles ready for it every year, and I put bits of ivy etc around them -- on something like a tin plate with blu-tack to hold them.

baby and crumble

Myself and my partner get each other advent calendars every year. Last year I got her the Star Wars Lego calendar and she made me one with a little envelope every day I had to open to tell me things she loves about me.

This year I've made her an online one with lip sync videos, photos from past Christmases, things like that.