Do you stay home or travel for Christmas?

[Marjo]

Hi all!

Do you normally stay home for the holiday period and Christmas time, or travel somewhere either within your home country or abroad?

I used to travel back to Finland for Christmas each year in the beginning when I first moved here over 10 years ago, but in the past few years haven't done so anymore. I prefer to spend my holiday at home now, perhaps visit a few friends locally, and relax. 

If you don't tend to stay at home over the holiday period, where do you normally spend it? What's the best location you've visited for Christmas? 

[Marjo]

@Cleoriff you mentioned it feeling weird to go visiting other houses just after opening the presents - I actually remember from when I was a kid that a few of my friends were saying this. They wanted to stay at home and play, and they were not allowed to take their new toys with them for the visits. 

@viridis Disneyland sounds awesome for this time of year, must have been an amazing experience!

@jonsie echoing @Cleoriff and @Anonymous above, lovely to hear about your Christmas plans.  

@Anonymous would you still go on the bike even if we had snow? Also, doesn't your face freeze when you cycle, against the cold winter air? 

@mahj that's a good question and I've been wondering about that as well. Not cooking anything myself (I'm a bit bad at it and also don't like it, too impatient!) so having an option to pop out for a meal during that time would be excellent. That's one small part of my holiday planned now! @Cleoriff Do you find that restaurants are super full during that time though? Do you need to book? 

[Glory1]

I will be spending Christmas and New Year with friends in Cambridge. Travelling up by car and back again a couple of days after the New Year.

Strangely though my friends are Jewish and celebrate Hanukkah, they also like to celebrate Christmas, having many non-Jewish friends. So it will be a traditional Christmas dinner with all the trimmings, opening the presents on Christmas morning and singing Christmas carols round the piano. It will also be very busy with neighbours dropping by for a drink and university friends coming for Christmas dinner, and Boxing Day as well. 

It'll pretty much be the United Nations with just about every country represented; both as part of the family through marriage, as well as friends. My friends, who are great grandparents have 6 kids who are all married with large families of their own, and 2 of the grandchildren also have children. So I expect a bit of a happy madhouse 

It'll noisy, happy and great fun and I'm really looking forward to it. I've not spent Christmas with them since my other half, Steve, died so it'll be sad too as we remember him. 

Belatedly, am also very happy to hear of your Christmas plans @jonsie. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time with your grandkids.