I thought it would be interesting to hear from people about their christmas experience, as a child, as I expect they will range from 50's through to 00's (poss even 40s ?)

I was born in 1960, Addiscombe, Croydon.
For those a lot younger to know, there were no supermarkets, the local high street was everything.
Your parents would place order to be collected xmas eve from butchers, bakers etc, the queues were very long!
Present wise, there was non of this OTT culture of have it all, just a coveted item (such as an action man or big airfix model) & a few small practical things(socks, bubble bath)
So ,still xmas eve after traipsing all morning with mum around the local shops in the snow(it was often a white xmas in 60s) you'd get home & keep out of the way.
(dad was usually working as he was on the Ambulances)
The xmas eve shop arrangements were pretty crucial as ALL business closed, many until the new year, so shops were closed a good 6-7 days, if you cocked up supplies you had only friends or family to borrow from.
My brother & I would be punted off to bed before the more adult TV shows started, such as Steptoe & son or possible a live 'carry on' special, we would sit at the top of stairs listening to the banter, but not understanding.
Then the big day, normally waking up way too early and being under strict orders not to get mum & dad up at 6am!
dinner was by the book, turkey, roasties, stuffing etc & xmas pud with custard or cream, hats from crackers at the table, drinks for adults onwards (we may be given a tot glass of stones ginger wine or there was this strange whisky hybrid , clan dew?)
Mum, who never drank usually, would have a Bols advocatt snowball or babycham.
Tv would be the big film or a morcambe & wise special.
Boxing day, more of the same, plus footy was on plus of course turkey sandwiches for the next few days
(Have a great Christmas everybody! I think we all need it this year)

Edited by kingdowieonthewall (14 Dec 2022 10.15am)

Kids,tired of being bothered by your pesky parents?
Then leave home, get a job & pay your own bills, while you still know everything.

A 90's version KDOTW - from Lewisham:

Christmas morning consisted of lying in bed anxiously, lived in a flat therefore any movement would be deemed as a pre-decent time wakening.

Present opening, bucks fizz and maybe even some ferrero roches for breakfast! Similar stance on presents, was primarily little stocking fillers, maybe some clothes etc before your 'big present' which you usually selected yourself from the Argos catalogue (my younger brother was far less aware of finances than I was so that always became an ordeal in explaining anything in three figures could only be 'just in' and if so would limit number of overall presents).

Being good Irish Catholics church was next on the agenda, where you'd eye up friends for their new clobber and maybe compare presents. A family anecdote is my younger brother aged about 7 throwing a tantrum as he was barred from wearing his Palace shin pads to church. Not much has changed there unfortunately.

Next would be a trip to Grandparents and maybe see a few other family members briefly before a return home to enjoy your new stuff, Dad inevitably having a few sherrys etc and falling asleep. Mum getting Xmas dinner ready. Typically would have family around ours for the dinner which I suspect was a very typical Xmas dinner (Pulling crackers, Turkey, cranberry sauce, pigs in blankets, stuffing, gravy, pudding etc) however we always had boiled bacon too.

Evening consisted of progressive inebriation for anyone aged over 13/14/15, board games, music etc etc. I say the evening, that usually carried on for a few days before a 5 day hangover for all beginning Jan 01.

Oooh I'm getting all exciteds's now haha

Now Zaha's got a bit of green grass ahead of him here... and finds Ambrose... not a bad effort!!!!

Lovely post again Mezzer. It's warming me cockles all this!

On the Palace shirt, I hasten to mention that was very much my shoed-in secondary ask (beyond my 'big' present)!

All jokes aside, I still today find it odd (in my own mind of course) when I see people with new shirts at the beginning of the season as I align them so much with Xmas!

Now Zaha's got a bit of green grass ahead of him here... and finds Ambrose... not a bad effort!!!!

I had a Don Rogers palace shirt, the material was what you might call traditional stiff cotton, so it was a bugger getting your wee head through the small, unstretchy neck on the shirt

Kids,tired of being bothered by your pesky parents?
Then leave home, get a job & pay your own bills, while you still know everything.

Probably explains why a goal celebration back in the day was a firm handshake and congratulatory nod rather than all this taking your shirt off malarkey today.

Living down here does have some advantages. At least you can see them cry.

I still bought those annually despite no-one ever eating them so a few years ago I just put the unopened box in the loft with the decorations and brought them out again the following year