Listography - Top 5 things that make Christmas Christmas.

Is that confusing? Should there be a comma after the first Christmas?

Anyway - the title may be confusing but the theme is very straightforward. What are the Top 5 things or traditions that make it Christmas for you.

To start the ball rolling here's mine:

1. Watching It's a Wonderful Life.
I remember the first time my husband saw this. It was Christmas day and we were at my parents with the rest of the family. He sat down harrumphing that he'd never heard of it and got up with red eyes and a snivelling nose as he ran for the door. Christmas hay fever I think he called it.

2. The Opening of the Roses.
Tin not real.

3. The Tree.
Taking the decorations down from the attic. Picking through all our favouites. Arguing about where to hang them...Each year I buy one new decoration for each of the kids so that by the time they move out, like when they're thirty or something, they'll have their own little supply that will remind them of Christmases past.

4. Smoked Salmon and Champagne on Christmas Eve.
Always have, always will.

5. The Family Bust Up.
It used to be fisticuffs over Guess Who. Then alcohol and new four new partners were added to the mix. Always interesting.

Now it's your turn to open up your Christmas houses to the rest of us. What are you absolute uncompromisable traditions that make help sprinkle the magic of Christmas over your family?

Don't forget to linky up your post below and visit some of the other entries.

Now where's my champers...?