Which Christmas customs from your youth are no longer around, or on the way out? For example, sending and receiving Christmas cards?

There used to be an element of religion attached to Christmas when I was at school all those years ago. That is pretty much gone now in the UK. It is now just a family get together, with an eating and drinking binge. So much better in my view.

I still send and receive Christmas cards.

First footing may be harder nowadays, as it traditionally required a piece of coal.

Door-to-door carol singers are thinner on the ground.

A lot of Christmas stuff was school-centric, so it tends to vanish when you are no longer a kid, and don't have any children or they have grown up. School nativity plays, carol concerts and the like.

The Christmas afternoon TV movie used to be eagerly awaited, as it would only have been in the cinema before.

Christmas 'Eastenders' (sitcom) would have been a feast of yuletide trauma enjoyed by a huge audience. Now we are all just as miserable as the characters would have been in it, and don't need to see it mirrored on the TV.

All of them since we do not celebrate Christmas are happy to live in a non-Christian society.

Christmas assemblies and decorating the classroom in elementary school. We actually had Christmas trees in the classroom when I was in elementary school in the early 80's. On one hand, with the sensitivity to multi-culturalism and various religions that we have today, I can understand why that has been done away with. On the other hand, Christmas in its current form is a secular cultural holiday and so far removed from its religious roots (in most cases), that I see no problem if some school decides to do these things.

A note on the Christmas trees in classroom. My sister still teaches in Atlanta and says the reason the school board gave for taking the trees and decorations out was that they are "fire hazards." I get it, you don't want to offend certain people with your real reason, but come on...

We celebrate Christmas probably the most vigorously here in the Philippines. The declining traditions that I've noticed are the carolers, families gathering in their ancestral homes for noche buena, misa de gallo, and just the overall festive spirit. Christmas nowadays in the Philippines is more commercialized, similar to Japan and North America, where it's just celebrated for show rather than the actual spirit of it.

Not sure about this one, as I’ve been in Japan or elsewhere in Asia during Christmases for quite a few years, but everyone used to say “merry Christmas” as a common greeting to each other in shops, on the streets, in offices, etc.

Christmas in Japan?

just pure commercial event.

no culture,heritage,customs or religion related event.

not even days off like most part of the world.

as for us is family reunion,traditional food,drinks,a lot of talk.some talk with some cousins abroad.

no more postcards to be send-no more postcards to be received.

On Christmas we celebrated the birth of Christ, at home, in school and in the public square. Santa Claus was not a ridiculous fellow in a red suit, but St. Nicholas of Myra in his bishop robes. We did not have "Christmas parties", but family get-togethers to attend church together and then celebrate with good food and presents at home.

Most of that is gone now, and my lasting impression of my first Christmas in Japan is a visit to a big department store in Tokyo, and when I came up the elevator I was confronted with a big nativity scene, only problem was, the persons of the story were apes! An early picture of what the holiday has become today for most people.

I can only tell about some former traditions from Germany, that probably are declining or have disappeared. The secret Santa, which is something like giving to school mates or workplace co-workers a small wrapped gift in December, before everyone leaves for family oriented celebrations and days off from 24th to Jan 6th. All names are drawn like a lottery and everyone receives a neutral or fitting, never a bullying, present anonymously for the givers and receivers. And of course almost no more real candles or light bulbs are used, as well as tree decorations called lametta are not sold, which were like thin aluminium threads, sometimes not only silvery coloured but also reflective golden or red and give a very festive appearance to the tree. Many traditions have been sacrificed to the new environment saving quasi religion, last but not least sophisticated beautiful wrapping, packaging, post sending etc Finally, caused by smaller or childless families, less cakes or cookies are baked and big sophisticated family meals prepared like traditional BBQed goose or duck in Germany.

GBR48. Christmas Top of the Pops, for an hour before the Queen's speech!

It might be worth going carol singing now in the UK just to wind your neighbours up. Sing all the posh ones, like that "Gaudete" one in Latin. Do it deliberately when something good is on telly.

Last time I was in the UK, I saw an advent calendar with 24 cans of Pringles, so some things are definitely get better.

I'm tried my hardest to maintain the things that were special to me when I was a child so my family can share and enjoy them with me. Sod everybody else and what they do. Christmas has certainly moved away from its roots and many of the associated traditions, but when it is done right, it still has the same magic. I missed out on it for a while until we had kids, and then it all felt magical again. There is nothing in the world like the magic of waking up on a freezing cold Christmas morning and having that excitement, followed by the warmth, security and comfort of being with your loved ones. If I didn't have Christmas to look forward to, I don't think I could tolerate winter at all.

There used to be an element of religion attached to Christmas when I was at school all those years ago. That is pretty much gone now in the UK. It is now just a family get together, with an eating and drinking binge.

Pretty much like it was in the early 19th century, before Dickens. Interesting that the UK in general is becoming more Dickensian,

Christmas itself has been superseded by what should be called "Santamas."

My father brought home a Christmas hamper from his employer.

Now replaced by the cheap, vacuous secret santa.

When me and my brother were kids, my dad used to take us to the Social Club (basically a cheap members-only working class pub) for their Christmas do. It was loads of kids food, jelly and ice cream etc., games like pass the parcel and musical chairs, and a corny magic show by one of the members who in hindsight was probably at least five drinks in before it started but could still do fifteen minutes of tricks, all of which an eight year old could work out, with impressive bravado and showmanship "for the bairns". Another member, probably also drunk, would then waddle out in a Santa suit and hand out the presmies, Airfix models of tanks and Matchbox cars to the boys and whatever the girls got to the girls. Looking back, it sounds like something from the 1950s, not the 1970s.

kohakuebisu,

I was going to write something similar, but you've done a much better job than I would have. My memories were at my father's Rotary Club. Down at the beach or by a river somewhere, boxes of beers in the water to keep them cool, and a kid permanently posted over the ham and saveloys to keep the flies away. The "Santa" would always show up perched on the back of one of the member's convertible, more often than not falling off the back of it. Beard askew, padding around his knees, radioactive liquor-breath.... It was the highlight of the season for sure.

Don't see too many sit-on-Santa's-lap anymore.

I still send Christmas cards and some family and friends send me back one in return.

Customs I no longer adhere to are mostly related to stuff revolving around Santa - no putting out cookies and milk, no burning your Christmas wish list in the fireplace, and no hanging stockings by the foot of your bed.

Honestly, Christmas has become a lowkey event for me and I don't even spend it with family every year. Sometimes it's nice to have the day to myself ordering takeout, watching Christmas movies and kipping on the sofa.

We used to have a Xmas tree, put presents underneath it, put out all the Xams cards, and all the decorations. Now, none of that, too much garbage. Very few cards, everything online now, less waste. The only thing we still do is a special lunch and/or dinner and get-together. To be honest, Xmas changes when there are noc children.

To be honest, if we really were celebrating Jesus' birthday, we'd be doing it sometime in the summer, not right before the new year celebrations.

Carol singers going from door to door singing Christmas carols

Receiving presents for everyone...

Now the roles are reversed, haha.