Christmas 2023 - what plans do you have?

[Silly Car]

Less than a month to go before Santa empties his sack and given it is a time for falling out with the in laws, I thought I’d be nosey and see what everyone is doing?

We’ve hired a holiday let near Gretna Green with the ‘rents in law, sister and brother in law. Given we are the closest, I’ve be charged with the task of catering. In some respects it’d been easier to host them here but who am I to argue… I’m guessing there are certain reservations given the 12 hour power cut we experienced from midday on Christmas Day a couple of years ago

Main event will be roast beef and chicken gallotine(sp) with loads of veg and various desserts, I’m doing a different dessert dish for each day we are away so people can take their pick from:

Chocolate brownies
Pears poached in red wine
Apple & blackberry crumble
Tarte Tartin
Either cornflake or treacle tart

No Christmas pudding as the heathens ‘don’t like it’…

We are then home for 24 / 48 hours before we are hosting for New Year’s Eve, there will be around 12 of us if both daughters and boyfriends decide to turn up!

[weeksy]

As usual were off down to St David's to the MiL for 3-4 days, but this time I've set a few MTB trips at start and end to give me a holiday too.

23rd, 27th, 29th all riding time.

[MingtheMerciless]

Start 12hr nights on Christmas Day and finish on the morning of the 29th, working a 12hr day 30th but have New Years off

[Noggin]

I'm working Sat 23rd - Tuesday 26th. My nephew is here from 15th - 24th though so I reckon we'll do some sort of Christmas with him and his girlfriend that week.
With luck I get to drive them to the airport on the 24th, then working in the office (or doing transfers) on the 25th and 26th.

I do bloody love Christmas, but haven't had many good ones over here due to working and not being around friends and family (and having a lot of pain and misery with my shoulder n stuff ).

One a few years ago was freaking awesome and stands way out for me and most of the others that were there as a properly class Christmas day party!!

What I will do is dress up in a Christmas outfit (probably just a Christmas jumper!) and take Christmas cake and ginger bread men to work on Christmas Day. I do have homemade Christmas puds already, but I doubt the Fronch will want them!! LOL

BUT - if I'm in the office, I will get to ski on Christmas Day either before or after work, so that's a bonus

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I'm hoping my Xmas treat will be emptying my sack

[Skub]

I'm hoping my Xmas treat will be emptying my sack

Sheesh and they say romance is dead.

[KungFooBob]

I'm going on holiday for two days between Christmas and New Year.

To Liverpool. I'm going the Cavern Club and catching a ferry across the Mersey, might take a photo with the blue plaque on the house where Weeksy grew up, etc..

[mangocrazy]

I plan to be mainly eating and drinking.

[Taipan]

Looking after the elderly In-laws. As it was only going to be 6 of us and the M-i-L having dementia, we decided to cook at home, which will be the first time we've hosted for a few years now. My Sister asked if she could join when she heard about it and then my nephew asked if he and his new (Polish) mrs could come too. Apparently, everyone has missed Xmas dinner at our gaff? It's all very flattering,but we stopped doing it as its so much work which i cant be arsed with it tbh. I'm looking forward to it really, but the wife and I aren't being left to all the clearing up! Also the day is slightly marred as its my daughter's turn with her other half family, but she is now coming to us boxing day!

Boxing day is my Great Nephew's 10th birthday and my sister asked him what he wanted to do for his birthday. He said his best day would be going to Uncle and Aunty Taipans and having prawns and garlic bread! Now that is flattering and the boy will indeed be having great big garlic prawns and garlic bread!

So both highs and lows really...

[Cousin Jack]

Off to a nice country house hotel. Good food, and not too much contrived bonhomie.

[Mr. Dazzle]

I have a 6 year old child, it basically doesn't matter what I feel like doing

Going to see santa, going sledging with my neice and nephew too, going to see a new Disney film on her first trip to the cinema, probably going a few other places no doubt.

All she wants for Christmas is some jaffa cakes.

I'm looking forward to it

[Felix]

Step daughter bought a house up the end of the street. First time in probably 17/18 years its no in our house We are getting spoilt for a change

[wull]

Quiet one in the house for us, the in-laws will be appearing for an hour or so at some point.

[Yambo]

I fly to UK on the 22nd December (M flies back on Saturday), Christmas with M's mum in Kent then M and I fly to Bangkok on Boxing Day for 3 weeks in Thailand, Laos and N Vietnam.

I've never been a fan of Christmas and even less so now with the anniversary of losing my son on the 27th Dec.

[Mussels]

Nothing here, no visitors and no visiting as my wife is working Christmas day and I'll probably crack on with some DIY.
On boxing day I'm picking my daughter up to come and join us for dinner but it's still a quiet one and Scrooge here will be happy.

[Greenman]

Not much as my 2 sisters have fallen out recently and are staying in with their in laws.

I might pop over to have a bit of food at the parents and that's about it. Parents are a bit upset that we are not getting together this year!

I am more of a boxing day guy tbh. I normally stay sober xmas day then go out on a bender on boxing day as we go out to a pub in the day for a roast but this year that isn't happening either so i shall probably just stay in and get shit faced in the studio!

[Count Steer]

Ever since the power went off on Christmas Day (probably when everyone switched their ovens on), we've had our Christmas dinner the evening before then chilled on the actual day. (Family are miles away and we gave up trying to travel at Christmas). Sometimes gone for a walk, often exploring around places you never see without people milling about/traffic etc. You get a different sense of a place when you can amble about and look up at buildings above street level. It all feels a bit post apocalyptic too.

[tricol]

Well my dad is going to be starting his radiotherapy just before Christmas, so that's fun. Still not sure if I will be travelling back to spend it there or not. If not, we will just stay here and have a quiet one. I'm not a fan of Christmas. Love the time off work, hate the season. So yea, it can go f**k itself. Not that I begrudge everyone having a lovely family based holiday.

[gremlin]

I suspect there will be nine of us sat around my dining room table on the day. I may take some sage advice that somebody suggested on here when I was being a grinch, and ask that those who can, bring a dish. Many hands make light work. (Or as the Germans say when a group of same-named electricians fix things: Many Hans make lights work).

Boxing day we have a relaxing(ish) day then late afternoon we depart for Heathrow to fly to Thailand for a few weeks.

[MrLongbeard]

Barring the door, drawing the curtains and turning off the lights would be my ideal Xmas, but being married with a daughter I doubt I'll get my way.
So, best case scenario, the wife decides to let me cook the meat for the season on my smoker and I get to spend most of the day outside / in the garage.

Since my team at work has been downsized I'll be working for the first time in years over the Xmas break to allow my team mate to have xmas off with his kiddies, so it'll be a quiet couple of weeks with luck.