What actually happens on Christmas?

I am genuinely interested to know as someone who doesn't celebrate it or been in the UK just over a decade.

What exactly happens on Christmas?

Is it just a family get-together with a big meal? In which case why doesnt that happen more often?

I also come from multi-festival culture.

For Diwali there is a certain ritual per day (usually for 3 to 5 days).
For Ganesh Chaturthi its choice of each family ranging from 2 days to 10 days to celebrate.

Facetime me all day tomorrow

Christmas? well if you consider some of the traditions associated in the UK, it was basically introduced by the Germans in victorian times, decorating pine trees, mulled wine, greeting cards at least. That and what was written in a Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Very few people here observe the nativity, the narrative of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus or attend church. It’s been a commercial enterprise for so long now and we are seeing the economy battered by Covid, so perhaps Christmas should be left for the rich people to enjoy.

We don’t do Christmas here very well, often the loneliest times, or the most expensive for those that struggle financially for the rest of the year.

In Colombia the 9 day festival of story telling, singing, eating with extended family and close friends leading up to Christmas is a joy to behold.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novena

wake up
something nice and out of the ordinary for breakfast
exchange presents with immediate family (wife/kids)
family turns up (usual year, not this year)
start drinking
have turkey dinner and all the trimmings circa 3pm
exchange presents with extended family
continue drinking
fall asleep
feel full
have cold turkey sandwiches circa 9pm even tho still feeling full
watch crap TV
go to bed circa midnight

You missed the queens speech..

It’s basically a time of excess..

never watched it #seriously

Is it just a family get-together with a big meal?

yes

In which case why doesnt that happen more often?

pain in the arse

different families celebrate it differently. there's loads of small rituals. acceptable to drink upon waking. exchanging of gifts. reasonably good TV on (this was more of a thing in the olden days), kids love it, acceptable to eat chocolate upon waking, special meal with elements not found on any other day, way too much pressure to enjoy it, happy once over

The gravel thread gets locked forever

In which case why doesn't that happen more often?

we might do similar re having extended family around on Easter Sunday although more low-key and no presents

Nice! Way more casual than ritual then.

One of my big complaints about Indian festivals is that there is no drinking allowed.

When you guys say family, how extended family?

amen

@amey
Eid, Diwali and Hannuka are much better celebrations

it's everything wrong with this broken, hollowed out, self regarding country. but with unlimited roast potatoes.

and too much bread sauce..

@amey two years ago I celebrated with my daughters (first time in 8 years), plus a few friends and one random waif and strayer Rich from the forum.

The spirit of Christmas was in full effect, nothing excessive just a nice day sharing.

My daughters anointed me
‘Patron Saint of Waifs and Strays’ that day

bizarre statement

and the food; what are we looking at? Turkey? Roast vegetables? Gravy?

When you guys say family, how extended family?

Grandparents, uncles aunties cousins in laws. I think the most we had growing up was 13? We're not a huge family

Which statement?

Yeah. Sausages wrapped in bacon. Sprouts. Whatever veg you fancy. Sometimes people have other meat instead.of Turku

Turku

excellent

Not sure if this is applicable to anyone else but there seems to be this concept of 'The Normal Christmas' that never seems to happen. Every year something slightly different happens, you go to one family members house, they come to you, meal at 12pm, meal at 6, etc. And every year mum will say something along the lines of "It's nice to do something a bit different this year" when in fact it has been different every year.

Although I would agree that MTB-Idle's sounds like the archetype to me.

In the first few years when all of us desis shared a flat/house somewhere in London we just celebrated amongst ourselves; no1 has/had family here.

They are pretty much all gone back our outside London now.

We just got wankered all day; made some curry. In 2010 we all got drunk and walked all the way to Westminster from Peckham with stopping in local parks for a piss. Walked with cans of Stella.

Now I have a kid who is born here, I am not sure what I am supposed to do :P

Well this Christmas will be very different for many people.

Still the queue at my local butchers was around the block at 8am this morning, insane.