I am working Christmas Night. I will be taking down my Christmas display and packing it up for next year. Usually someone scheduled to work Christmas Nights will organize some sort of fun. We have had dip and dessert parties, midnight breakfasts, finger food frenzies, etc. I haven't heard anything yet but if something is going on I will contribute to that, even though I am never able to physically attend. I cant go far from my office building because as soon as I do, a truck will show up. I have no idea what else. I imagine I will be pressed into service for some sort of Christmas Eve feast at my sisters house. But I will just cook for it, not attend it. I want to hole up at home with SO, the pets, hot chocolate and Christmas movies on Christmas Eve. Our big family Christmas party will be sometime the week after Christmas. I will cook for that. I feel like the holidays slip by so fast! I wish the season was longer so I could fit more leisurely and festive fun in!

Enjoy your family!

My kids and grands are around 1/2 hr from me. Everyone will be here. My DD ex is a holiday dad and coming next week to see the girls. She will be here most of the day. Son and family will come after they visit the in-laws. In fact I'll have everyone for dinner tomorrow after a Christmas party and the following Saturday along with friends for dinner and drive thru lights. Geeze, I' m never going to get out of my kitchen.

I will go from Maryland to Virginia Christmas Eve and spend the night with my daughter and her family. We will go to church in the evening then to my daughter's home for Christmas Eve dinner. Christmas morning will be a little chaotic as the 5 grand children open gifts and we have brunch. Later that day will travel back to Maryland for dinner with other daughter and her family. That leaves my youngest daughter who I will see in Pa. the weekend before Christmas as we celebrate her daughter's third birthday.

We're going to Palm Springs/Cathedral City for two weeks and will stay in our house in Cathedral City for the holidays. We go to restaurants and shops in Palm Springs while we are there and don't have much else planned. We might do some hiking in Joshua Tree National Park or Anza Borrego, but if we go to AB, we generally spend a night or two in Borrego Springs, as it is an hour and 20 minutes from our house, whereas Joshua Tree is 45 minutes away.

It's going to be a quiet one this year. Sister and her family are coming, but only for the week between Christmas and New Year's. I'm planning on baking, but not on any big holiday dinners, which honestly, I don't mind, since I'd be doing virtually all the work.

This is the second holiday season without my mom. Last year we were all together here, and it was really nice - a little crazy, but nice.

We just recently flew to Michigan to spend 9 days with my siblings and their families over Thanksgiving, so we’ll be staying here at home for Christmas. We bake and cook together, watch Christmas movies, and visit with friends and neighbors. We put out our farolitos, which is a beautiful New Mexican tradition. Paper (lunch) bags filled with about 2-4” of sand, and a tea light-type candle nestled in the middle of each. On Christmas Eve they’re lighted to welcome the Christ Child.

What is everyone doing for the holiday's?

As little as I can possibly get away with!! I would just as soon we jumped from Halloween directly to Valentine's Day....the holidays are not my favorite time of year for a number of reasons. My local family is often out of town visiting out of state relatives so I can hunker down and enjoy my holiday the way I want :-) I will have step puppy with me while his co-owner mom is back east and we will have a leisurely day playing with new toys (his), eating, having something festive to drink and watching whatever Christmas programming strikes my fancy!!

I'm working Christmas Eve and day. Last night went driving around looking at Christmas lights with a friend when the others, either not feeling well themselves or had sick family members and cancelled out on our game night. We snacked a little on the broccoli/cheddar salad I made for it and hazelnut cookies and then drove around.

My daughter and her boyfriend will come by one of those nights, I'm sure as they will probably drop off their dogs for me to watch when they go to dinner with other family. My son will be overseas still. He's coming home for a visit sometime in February.

I have some turkey in the freezer I froze a few days after Thanksgiving. I wasn't going to make a turkey but then got a craving so I bought a small one. I will probably thaw some out and make a little meal of it.

I expect my 3 daughters and their families who all live within 10 miles on Christmas Eve. 15 in all counting DH and me. I cook and roll out lots of shellfish all afternoon, and then in the evening serve linquini with lobster sauce followed by steamed lobster tails. There are very little leftovers. I don't know how they eat it all. The kids will open presents but leave a few from us to open on Christmas Day. On Christmas Day, I make the rounds to see what Santa brought in the morning and land/collapse at one daughter's house for dinner. The other daughters usually come by for dessert. It is definitely hectic but fun. I am so lucky they live close by. When my parents were alive, we travelled to NY by car when school got out. My MIL and mother were responsible for the dinner then.

We are having Christmas in Florida! Oldest DD and her fiance are vacationing on the east coast and we drive here on the 22. Oldest will fly down on the 21st.

We were up in the air about doing Christmas here but it made sense this year.

We bought our first ever artificial tree and I got generic ornaments. I miss my special ones but no way do we have room in the car to them down.

I'll be hosting...no idea how many are coming yet...I suspect 8 but it could be as many as 14.

We’re excited to be hosting friends from the Lowcountry again for several days, They are like family only they come bearing a couple of bushels of fresh oysters and hopefully some clams. We’ll have an outdoor oyster roast on Xmas eve with some good friends.

The Beaufort contingent will stay for our pre-New Year cocktail party, which (of course) has been on hold for a couple of years. We decided to make it less formal this time because who wants to get all dressy after all this time in ”soft” clothing, right? It would be next to impossible to get most of the men into a tie and hard shoes, I expect.

It will still be big bash, with loads of food, drinks, dancing, and fun. The caterer is all lined up and ready to go. Preparations have already begun!

Will be my 2 daughters and their SOs and my husband and I for Christmas Day. We start with stockings and mimosas, then have brunch; lox, bagels and cream cheese, Monkey bread, an egg, cheese, bacon and spinach casserole, fruit salad and hash brown patties - long standing joke in the family as hash brown patties were the only thing that one DD requested for Christmas breakfast for years. I set up a coffee/hot chocolate/liquer/garnish station and hen we move on to gifts. When the gifts are done, we take a break. Some go for a walk, some take a nap (we have a couple of shift workers) and I start organizing the finger food that constitutes dinner. ( We have a full on Christmas dinner for 15 with the extended family on the 27th) We then put out a bunch of finger food/appies and play some games. I wouldn't have it any other way, it's perfect for us.

I don’t know what we are doing for Christmas Eve and Day. I don’t even know for sure if I am ringing in my bells choir on Christmas Eve. I’m suddenly the throes of a possible sale of a property I oversee, and have been getting it emptied just in case. I may or may not know in a day or two if it will happen, or maybe in a week. or two. I finally took my fall wreath in and hung an artificial Christmas wreath (I love to use real ones), i have not put up any outside lights, we don’t have a tree, and as I look at the mantle I am reminded to put the bisque pheasants and the pumpkin candle holder away.

My brothers both just moved into new condos with rooftop terraces, but both have declined to host anything for Christmas. We are really so few, now, if we want: seven. Maybe 8, 9, 10, but the formal fancy nights are in the past. We are in a new stage of, what will our new traditions be?

All I know is, I have two, kind of three, bachelors over the age of sixty in the family who I would love to invite the family to THEIR homes for Christmas Eve, and serve pizza. I need a year off.

Amazing how busy it will be for most of you. Yet, handled so well.

I'm so impressed with everyone. I haven't even finished decorating the tree, house is a mess with decorations I haven't put up. Have no idea what to make for Christmas Eve or Christmas dinner.

After reading all these incredible posts, I really need to get my act together!

Jane

I am not part of that ready group. I don't think I am ever as ready as I want to be. I have a lot more gift shopping to do and worried that the gifts will not be delivered in time. I put the Santa and snowman outside but I have not connected the cord for the lights yet. I depend on my grandkids to do the rest of the decorating. I usually invite the grands to a children's Christmas party to do crafts, wrap presents, set up the creche, bake some cookies, and put up the tree. Not sure if they all will be able to come at the same time this year as most are teens who are very busy with friends and have part time jobs.

Ready or not Christmas guests will arrive and they will enjoy themselves. Everything will fall into place. They won't know what is undone.

Nothing. I've been wondering what to make, I didn't want to make another turkey, and was toying with a prime rib, but it's spendy and I might mess it up.

Then, last night when I got my Christmas prezzies from my new neighbour and friend, she asked what I was doing for Christmas. I told her nothing and she invited me down to her place. Her two sons are coming over. and I've met them a couple of times. I hope her one son brings his dog Sam. LOL So that's what I'm doing.

She also mentioned being the greeter at her church Christmas Eve. I asked if they sing Christmas songs, and they do. So I told her I'll see if I can round up a friend and go see that Christmas Eve. I took Gino's mom to a service one time a couple years ago and we really enjoyed the music.

A casual friend didn't want me to be alone one Christmas eve and she asked me to go to her Catholic church for mass. That one I didn't care for. LOL

Child and I only have one plan for the time they're home. We're going out to eat in our fancy, full length velvet gowns. Other than that, it'll be the yearly birthday brunch bash for the youngest of my six siblings.

Daughter#2 will be driving from Houston. She drives because she has always had a dog or two she doesn't want to leave. This year it is a young, rescued doberman. I wonder how the Christmas trees will fair. Christmas Eve will be a tamale dinner at #1 daughter's house and friends without close family and family. Christmas day will be just 5 of us , dinner at my house. Daughter #2 will stay for a week. Presents will be fun this year with 16 month old! I will ENJOY new year's eve by myself and cleaning up christmas stuff.

My family will all be at my home for Christmas Dayl I am so excited to see my MN greats! i will attend Christmas Eve Services at church.

My Christmas has officially started!! Drove my sister to the ferry this am on her way to airport to NYC for Christmas with her kids so step puppy is now officially in residence! He is like a Christmas gift that just keeps on giving :-)) Also came home laden down with the contents of her frig and a big sack of prezzies that I will force myself to wait until the actual day to open.

Well, I have done nothing since our modified Thanksgiving. No cooking, baking, decorating, nothing. Daughter, sil and 2 granddaughters were supposed to come home on Black Friday. Hunt first day of rifle season on Sat. then home on Sun. 5:40 am Black Friday morning daughter calls, both girls are sick and she doesn't feel great either. I had the turkey, filling balls and pies already made, nothing else. We packed up what I had made and headed to MD. by Sat. all 3 had been seen by the dr., all 3 tested positive for Flu A. Daughter was the sickest of all, can't take anything except tylenol coz she's still nursing.

DH came home Fri. evening. I stayed to help with the girls. I came home the following Tues. sicker than a dog. I am Just Now feeling better but now DH is sick. Ugh!!!

Sooooo, son is flying in from Florida, we pick up him and his pup at the airport in Harrisburg on Christmas Eve at 8:20 in the evening, then we will drive back down to daughters house. Do presents Christmas morning then go to Mass together. When we get back from church, who knows, prob sil's family will come over. We will make appies and finger foods and relax. I'm just truly grateful we will all be together.

I only finished painting the staircase last Thursday so nothing much Christmassy has happened in the house yet. I wrote and posted the cards today. The cake is made and marzipaned but not yet iced. The puddings were made in October. The mince pies, cranberry sauce, bread sauce, brandy butter, pigs in blankets and one of the stuffings (the other needs the goose liver) are all made and in the freezer. The cellar is well stocked. The goose and gammon are on order. The door wreath is coming on Friday. We’ll get a tree this week. It only takes an hour to decorate and I’ll make some greenery swags too....... And I’ve just this minute heard that a crate of traditional cakes has been dispatched from Naples.

We have agreed on a maximum spend of £10 ($12.50) per person per gift and a donation to a charity of our choice. That’s all done so there’s only minimal wrapping needed.

It's the same-same every year: I spend the day cooking while everyone visits in the living room. I think next year, I'll be telling my kids they can cook dinner for me for once. While I get Christmas Day off from work, I don't get it off at home. I'll have most of it all ready to go before anyone even comes over to open gifts. I like to eat dinner around 3:30 or 4 so clean up is early and we can sit and enjoy the evening without a mess. Plus I have to work Boxing Day which means I have to go to bed early for work Monday. I'll have the potatoes and vegetables ready to go so that when everyone shows up, I won't be in the kitchen as long. I am going to make home made dinner rolls. I use the bread machine for that and finish them in the oven.

This year my youngest son has a new girlfriend who has a little boy so at least now my grandson will have someone to play with Christmas Day. It'll be different having two kids over. I am doing the turkey in my turkey roaster again (no oven to heat up the house!). I cover it in bacon and the smell is divine!! And I'm doing a ham in the smoker outside.

This is the cheapest Christmas I've ever done. I bought the men all the same thing, and I bought the girls all the same thing, with the exception of my husband. But my grandson and my sons girlfriends little boy, I spent more on. Next year: we are drawing names. As adults, we don't need the gifts anymore. Christmas is for kids.

Not doing much. i just have too many other things going on, not related to the holidays. I’m with gardengal, would gladly skip from October to February. I bought a fresh tree in a moment of insanity. Its sitting outside in a bucket of water. Now I have no desire to haul,

it in and decorate it. I may give it away if Ithe mood doesnt strike me.to decorate.

My younger son and maybe his SO will come for our traditional Christmas breakfast. We may exchange a couple simple gifts.

They leave for Florida the next day so I doubt they want a big dinner. Maybe we’ll have something on Christmas Eve.

My older son in CA is going on a trip to Baja California, leaving this week and not returning until after New Year. We decided to skip it. Ill send him a check when he gets back.

I put up some outdoor lights, fewer than in the past. Ill put up a few indoor decorations, too too.

I could happily live without the whole thing but it is impossible to ignore. Sorry to sound like Scrooge!

WittyNickNameHere ;) mothers/wives don't get a day off. Lol. I'm cleaning camp now for a new years eve friends and family weekend, then heading home tomorrow to do more cleaning,wrapping and cooking for Christmas. What is hubby doing? Sitting in the recliner. What is he going to do at home? Sit in his recliner.

" WittyNickNameHere ;) mothers/wives don't get a day off "

What you and Witty are describing is far from the case in many households. Meal preparation and cleanup are often tasks that the two members of the couple do jointly and when meal guests are family/close friends, it's common in many families that they would pitch in too.

Oh functionthen look. Sometimes I think the same thing.

I bet we're the only ones who will be starting our sauerkraut on the 25th. Heh, it's a good time of year to ferment cabbage as the house is cool. Then we can laugh the rest of the year about Christmas Kraut, and my wife will sing, "Oh Christmas Kraut, oh Christmas Kraut, thy green leaves fermented..." and other spontaneous variations.

We're having a quiet Christmas. It's what DH wants, and he's due. We've driven, been away from home, done whatever we could to make sure my mother had a nice holiday for so long now. With losing her, my sister very sick the entire year, many responsibilities to handle, he wants very much to stay here, have a quiet day in his own home that he loves, and a beef bourguignon dinner. And after all these years, dinner with just me.

It's what he'd hoped for at Thanksgiving, but my sister (on the mend and much, much better) wanted all the family together at her house. We did that, he didn't want to disappoint her any more than I did. (running ourselves ragged trying make sure she didn't extend herself by doing more than a little prep or any of the cleanup). But now it's his turn to have a holiday his way.

A couple of these last years, with the Covid restrictions in place still in mothers facility, we were allowed only in her small senior apartment. Not in any of the dining rooms or restaurants downstairs. I couldn't even go to the laundry room with her personal clothing and risk being seen, scolded. We've spent more than one holiday evening in hotel, with a picnic type dinner that I packed...Last year we thought we'd have a quiet drink and something to eat in the bar at the hotel and what we found was a pianist banging out loud carols, standing room only, and a celebrating crowd festive people...we went back upstairs to canned drinks, cheese, nuts and crackers ;)

The beef dinner and an apple pie will be a snap for me with what I've been used to baking/cooking.

We won't be completely without family, there are many on his side still here locally. We may go early Christmas morning to a nephews for coffee and light breakfast, watch the littles open Santa's gifts. One of them is just 10/ 1/2 months and began walking this week, she's completely adorable and lots of fun.

Sounds wonderful!

I decorated since my youngest has been away at college and was homesick. Not sure what we are having for food. We received a ham in the mail the other day from a relative. It was still cold, but thawed so we have been eating that in meals. I really don't want to cook and would prefer beef over ham and turkey.

I need to get a few more presents. I had bought some professional/career clothing items for my oldest. He asked for help putting together a wardrobe for a conference he was attending so I ended up giving him his stuff early when he was home for Thanksgiving. I need to get a few more things for the others. My husband caught me buying online and I had to give him his stuff early too.

I have two pet sitting jobs over the holidays so I'll do that and we have to go to a bowl game for my kid's college team. It will be fun and busy.

Well @Elmer J Fudd when your house is as small as mine is and there is NO room in the kitchen for two bodies, while it may be the norm in the nice big houses with big kitchen that have an island and you can see into the living room from the other side of the house, it's not possible in all homes. I don't do the clean up (I didn't mention that part) one of my kids pitches in to do that for me. I do the cooking and baking. ;)

When family was still growing up and at home for Christmas, we moved the big meal to Christmas Eve. We still did Christmas brunch but that is a make-ahead meal anyway. But between brunch, holiday treats, some festive appetizers and leftovers from the night before, there was more than enough to eat and nothing that required spending hours in the kitchen.

Even now when it is usually just me, I still plan my big holiday meal for Christmas Eve and so am free to graze through Christmas!!