Christmas eve

[foodiemama26]

Just wondering what Christmas eve traditions people have and how they started. I love watching a Christmas film in my new pjs with some Christmassy snacks!

[MonumentalAlabaster]

I make a Christmas cake a month in advance and my 3 adult daughters arrive home and do the marzipan, icing and decoration together on Christmas Eve. I love to hear them all talking & laughing together in the kitchen! (Also I am very clumsy so rubbish at decorating anything myself....)

[Tinselistacky]

We are going ice skating this year for the first time!!

[Nicpem1982]

We take home made bird feeders and hang them in our local park for the birds Christmas Dinner, we also feed the ducks on the pond and dd (3) wishes them happy Christmas and lastly feed nuts to the squirrels

Then home for a family board game, hot chocolate and a movie

It started initially when dd was 3 months as she wouldn't sleep due to teething so we took her for a walk to let the fresh air knock her out, now she just won't sleep Christmas eve as she's so excited so we take her for the fresh air to knock her out.

[wendz86]

We don’t really have traditions as we are usually at different houses each year but we do have Xmas eve bags and do the stockings , snack and drink for Father Christmas before bed . We used to always get a Chinese takeaway but have different things now . My sisters in laws always have a bbq !

[Lovemusic33]

Nic love the idea of the bird feeders in the park .

We are doing a Christmas movie in our new pj’s. I do Christmas Eve boxes with pj’s, book, teddies and snacks.

[gingerclementine]

We go to a local NT garden and hand feed the birds and ducks, walk around the lake and buy some mistletoe cut from their trees. We've done it for a few years now and I look forward to it so much. Tried to start a tradition of taking the DC to Winter Wonderland but after they'd been once they never wanted to return, and seeing as it was £££ and a schlep into London I'm happy they still love feeding the ducks locally even though they're in their teens!

[moutonfou]

We usually go to the cinema then have takeaway. My mum always buys me new pyjamas :)

[theredjellybean]

Panto Christmas eve afternoon then home for fish pie and wine... Lots of wine
Started when children were little as way of passing the afternoon.
Now dds and dsds are all young adults they won't hear of us not going.
So this year, me, dexh, dexh' dp, four dds.. Three dds boyfies, my very elderly df, my dB's dp and her 2ds...and the elderly next door neighbour... We usually have a few light refreshments in the pub first and at the interval... Dp and dB staying home to cook (drink beer and talk sport).
It's lovely way to fill the afternoon... I love seeing all the excited little ones, and the cast are usually a bit silly as they know it's last show before their day off...

[HoneyDragon]

Elves deliver pjs and bath bombs and then a beige buffet on the coffee table and movie about 6pm in new pjs.

[SpikeGilesSandwich]

Finish wrapping presents, put them out for the morning and go to bed, didn't know you were supposed to do anything else. Is it a thing?

[Juanbablo]

In the morning we do some Christmassy craft or make a gingerbread house. We go to a christingle service at the church in the afternoon. When we get home the elves have delivered new pyjamas. We have dinner, bath the children and watch a Christmas film with some hot chocolate.

[goose1964]

I suggest going to midnight mass and everyone says no way

[walnutwhip88]

What's a beige buffet?

[HoneyDragon]

Lots of naff Christmas shaped stuff from Iceland, cheese and pineapple, and sticky cocktail sausages

[thedcbrokemybank]

I love Christmas Eve. We always head to church for the family service at 4. Get home and dc get new PJ"s and a game to share. Neighbours come round and we drink far too much and usually have slow cooked roast beef baps. Kids watch a film. Pack everyone off to bed and then usually regret leaving wrapping to the last minute. I love filling their stockings. It is my favourite part of Christmas.

[toomanysmallpeoplecallmemom]

Make mince pies and either go to panto, cinema or watch a film with Christmas Eve box, cook a ham to have for tea and with Christmas dinner

[Corcra]

We go for a walk & hot chocolate. Then we watch a Christmas movie. 😊💗

[Stompythedinosaur]

We do something as a family like soft play or a petting farm and have lunch there. Home for the xmas eve basket, with sticker book, DVD, bath stuff, pjs and snacks. Kids do sticker books while adults prep veg and do bits and pieces, then early bath, into pjs and watch the DVD.

[I8toys]

Mums birthday so family lunch out at local pub. Ds2 in church choir so church if not on Christmas day morning. Fire pit out, toast marshmallows and drink hot chocolate. Santa pinata to bash the hell out of. Maybe sparklers. Daft physical boardgames this year - get a grip and king pong.

[mailfuckoff]

Family church Carol service at 4 then home for hot chocolate and sorting out boys to leave for father christmad. Children in bed then a mad rich to finish wrapping, fill the stockings and get everything ready. Then bed (normally sober and knackered )

[RebootYourEngine]

Christmas eve evening has always been spent watching a Christmas film in cosy fluffy pjs then drink and food out for santa and then bed. This year is the first in yeara where i have had the whole of Christmas eve off work and i dont know what to do with myself and teenage ds.

[CheesyFootballs]

Cook my Christmas ham so the smell fills the house. Thats the smell of Christmas Eve to me .

Usually have a walk to blow out the cobwebs.

Make a quick and easy dinner while listening to Carols from Kings, then crack open the fizz and chocolates in front of a film with the DC.

I prefer Christmas Eve to Christmas Day, actually, and always have. Its a lovely day.

[DownTheChimney]

We take home made bird feeders and hang them in our local park for the birds Christmas Dinner, we also feed the ducks on the pond and dd (3) wishes them happy Christmas and lastly feed nuts to the squirrels

Ah, that's so nice

[BeyondAssignation]

Up until bedtime, Christmas Eve is the only day where nothing Christmassy happens (apart from DH tracking FC online).
My birthday

[ShowOfHands]

@SpikeGilesSandwich

didn't know you were supposed to do anything else. Is it a thing

There is no supposed to about any of Christmas. The 24th is important to some people, sometimes for religious reasons, sometimes for cultural reasons and sometimes for practical reasons. Sometimes, because it's your favourite day of the year and your young DC are v excited and you're all actually off work and school and celebrating, you might do some stuff. It might make the day better. You might then do it again next year and lo, tradition is born. No it's not a "thing". No it's not expected.

I steam my pudding and bake a ham so the house starts to smell Christmassy and we go for a very long walk either on the coast or at a NT property. In the evening we watch a film together and read several books, always The Tomtes Christmas Porridge first and The Night Before Christmas last.