How do you spend your Christmas Eve?

[huffpuff]

Assuming you're not working.....

we spend the morning in our pj's just generally pottering about the house. After lunch of cold meats and pickle etc we head out for walk on local beach and then to garden centre for hot chocolate and cake.

Then off home for baths and back in pj's (new ones especially for xmas eve!!) and watch a christmassy film. Then story and children off to bed while me and dh open wine and pig out!!!

What do you do~?

[SqueakyPop]

I do lots of food preparation, and perhaps shopping for last minute food.

We go to church in the afternoon, and usually have people back for drinks and nibbles.

In the evening, the children get their new pyjamas and sent to bed quite early so that DH & I can do the present wrapping.

We go to the Midnight service at church.

[SqueakyPop]

I do lots of food preparation, and perhaps shopping for last minute food.

We go to church in the afternoon, and usually have people back for drinks and nibbles.

In the evening, the children get their new pyjamas and sent to bed quite early so that DH & I can do the present wrapping.

We go to the Midnight service at church.

[ranting]

Last year, I did the hw in the morning, bit of RnR in the afternoon, then veg peeling and turkey prep in the evening.

This year I am working until 7.30 so I will be nursing my sore feet with a glass of wine and a mince pie.

[laughalot]

We just usually potter arond in the day kids go to sleep fairly early with new pj's and then my dh usually gets his ann summers treat . Followed by lots and lots of wine.

[TheInvisibleSpookDidIt]

We have a little 'pre-xmas' party, just the 4 of us. Lots of chrismassy music, party food, put granparents and other family presents out. We put the reindeer dust down te driveway, santas whisky and cookies out, and the reindeers carrot.

The we put a christmas film on until boys bedtime. Once they're asleep we put their presents out, then do the stomping reinder dust through the house, biting the cookies and carrot, and of course drinking the whisky

Xmas day is always so busy, it's lovely to have some time just the 4 of us on xmas eve.

[slayerette]

We have a little party too. Morning is normally a leisurely getting up followed by a walk - maybe a final dash to Tesco in case of last minute grocery emergencies. Lunch is very simple - soup and a sandwich - and then we put the Christmas CDs on and spend the afternoon sorting out a party tea. Carols from King's at 3 pm marks the start of Christmas for us. V. childish tea - crackers and party poppers and crisps and sausage rolls and jelly and so on - and a Secret Santa pressie for everyone. After tea, we snuggle up to watch The Snowman and read Christmas stories and poems. Then DS hangs up his stocking and puts out whisky and mince pies and carrots.

Once he's asleep, we stuff his stocking while sharing a bottle of wine and watching wonderfully crap TV.

I love Christmas Eve - more than the day itself, I think. Writing this has made me really excited about it - I love the combination of children and Christmas

[eandh]

DH always has to work and never home very early, so normally catch up with my Mum & Dad (Dad always off work but Mum may be at work depending what day it falls on) normally go and have cooked breakfast somewhere then walk round garden centre Christmas display.

In the afternoon nice walk or run round park then home for dinner (normally a bit make shift for kids like sausage and mash) bath, xmas film and bed for kids (DH normally arrives home in the middle of this bit!) then takeaway for me and dh and sort the dd's presents and earlyish night in preperation of the 'has he been yet' questions

We have in previous years been to see Father Christmas at Leeds Castle on xmas eve but didnt book tickets this year as I feel guilty that dh can't be there with us

[heymammy]

DP is usually working but tends to finish around 4.30pm so, when he comes home, we wrap the kids up warm and and head into George Square in Glasgow where they have the outdoor ice rink, carousels, twinkly lights, expensive glowsticks and all that.

We take the train which is mega exciting for the DDs and saves us trying to park. We spend a good couple of hours there then home for about 7.30.

The girls open their new pyjamas pressie then get changed and into bed. They are normally pretty good at falling asleep on Xmas Eve so me and DP can then chill out and get the santa sacks out of hiding

It works for us and DD1 (5) now realises it's our 'tradition' so she's reeeeeeally looking forward to it already!

[HappyMummyOfOne]

I tend to take the day off work and DS and I chill with a nice picnic style lunch and xmas dvds and games during the day.

We order a takeaway when DH comes home and just chill some more. DS has new pj's and a book/dvd and goes to bed usual time aftr doing the reindeer food sprinkling and leaving santas treat.

Once asleep, DH goes into the loft and pulls the pressies down (dont wrap xmas eve for DS as dont have the time) - DH then normally sends me to have a bath or read whilst he wraps mine last minute.

[brightwell]

Doing Birthday type stuff, cake pressies etc....it's ds's birthday!

[spookycharlotte121]

In the morning I rush about getting last minute things done. Then we usually watch something nice together to get us feeling christmassy. In the afternoon we go to the crib service at church (ds was baby jesus last year) and then we go home have some nice soup for tea and I put the kids to bed and go to midnight mass, im on my own this year so they will probs come too. When we get home we open one small gift each and then go to bed. I love christmas and we always have nice music playing in the house. I want to make this one the best yet!

[biscuitsmustbedunkedintea]

Spend the morning recovering from the night before, as it's my birthday on the 23rd and always have friends round. DH arrives home from work at midday. Finish wrapping and watching christmas film. Crib service at church at 4pm, followed by supervising the crafts in the church hall afterwards. Dash into parentals to hide/pass over their stockings. Feed, bath and bed DD (am starting the new pj's tradition ). Then have close friends over for christmas buffet and drinks. Used to take it in turns to go to people, but we're now the only ones with children so easier for people to come to ours. Fall into bed around 1am.

This year will be different as work in their wisdom decided to open on Christmas Eve for the first time ever. Am p/t and not due to work but being kind am covering for someone so they can fly back home on 23rd which is cheaper than late christmas eve! Upside is it's partytime in work and even put on childcare and Father Christmas so can take DD in with me

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

dh works in the morning, so I just do prep type things, then we chill out in the afternoon before we go off to church for the Childrens Mass. I often help with the Nativity bit which is great and dd has a part (usually an Angel amongst a multitude of Angels). Then last year we went to a friends and had a lovely traditional Polish Christmas Eve meal. It was fab. Then home, dd puts out carrots and whiskey and goes to bed, we drink whiskey and then try to quietly distribute the presents under the tree.

Only am stuck on hiding place for pressies this year but thats a whole new thread!

[taken4granted]

DO last min food shopping fill t he car up etc - then go out for lunch to a nice kid friendly place then top it off by going to local church for their nativity carol service - its lovely and really reminds me and dd what christmas is all about - not just presents - then when dd has eventually gone to be - get out the baby powder/talk and my santa footprint stencil a nd rudolph one = makje footprints from the fire to the tree and outside spinkle reindeer foor on the drive ( porridge oats and glitter) eat a mince pie half a carrot and drink the brandy and go to bed snuggle up and look forward to the morning!

[katie3677]

I'm half German so we have a semi-German Christmas Eve meal, with cold meats, smoked salmon, Kuchen etc and open a few presents, then we go to Midnight Mass.

[kyrasmummy]

I do last minute shopping in the morning, even if i don't need anything i still love going and always end up buying, go home for lunch and always watch santa claus the movie, have some soup then go to church for christingle at 6pm go for a walk through the park, then home for bath, new pj's and leaving things out for Santa.

[mashedbanana]

this year i'm working but usually go to local greengrocers for veg then home and prepare it.after lunch go for a walk.go to christingle at 6 pm then stay afterwards for coffee and mince pies.go home bath dd read xmas story put to bed.dh fetches chinese takeaway whilst i have a bath.open wine eat food put santas goodies out and do footprints from chimney put pressies out go to bed.

[fakeblonde]

We spent too many years running about and wrapping until 2 am !
Last 8 or so years we have made sure everything is done so we can enjoy Christmas eve which I personally think is more exciting that C Day !
We usually play carols end enjoy very clean house for a change,visit to drop few cards ect,have lunch in town.
Then we go to the local hospital and sing carols around the wards for an hour, all treck up the the Big House for drinks and nibbles with close friends, then home for the Polar express all snugged up in the conservatory and toasted marshmallows over open fire outside before bed.
Oooh yes -Track Santa on line !
When kids done their bit and all snugged up to scared to leave their beds our neighbours come over in their pj`s and we drink a bottle of champagne and leave snowy footprints all over the fireplace x

[Starbear]

Love readings these. We haven't quite got into a Christmas Eve tradition. Might pinch some here but do have a little problem that I might start a new thread.

[daffodill6]

Part middle european theme - part british! I do last minute food shopping in am and then food prep in the pm to Carols from Kings - usually brandy butter by then. Off to Crib Service around 6 pm, on return drop prezzies at friends.
DH has mixed European origins which used to mean a 7 course non meat meal on Xmas eve night at MILs followed by prezzies. But it got too difficult when DD was born and understood about Santa, and she's older so now after Crib Service we have a 3-4 course fish meal at ours with other family... which just about leaves us room to do the English bit the next day!!

[Wendyjayb]

Housework in the morning, then when dh finishes work we go for a nice long walk to tire 3 year old ds out. Hope and get all the veggies done. Dinner for ds and new jammies
Once ds is in bed we get a takeaway and open a bottle of wine. Get the pressies out of hiding and an early night x

[Starbear]

Haven't set down a Christmas eve tradition but going to start this year I like the new PJ's tradition. Maybe lunch out. I think dress nicely for the crib service, back for tea then games put a carrot, mince, pie and sherry out for santa then bed and pudding and drinks for DH and myself before we do the santa stuff

[eidsvold]

just spending time together - if dh is at work - just the dds and I - maybe last minute wrapping and sorting of gifts.

Then we go to my aunt's place for dinner - usually my cousins, the dds a couple of aunts and uncles, adopted family of my aunts - huge spread - sit, eat, chat, drink -t he dds run around until we finally drag them home around midnight. THe dds have lots of attention from their great aunts and uncles and cousins and dh and I get to sit and chat.