What are your xmas eve traditions?

[Mummytogoldie]

Not wwyd but what do you do? First Xmas in a new house with my 2dd and dp living together as a family. I want Xmas eve to be just perfect. Dp will be home from work around 3 Xmas eve and I want to start some family traditions to make Xmas eve special. Any ideas? What does your family do? Dd' s are 5 and 9 x

I do a box for each child covered in christmas paper containing new PJs, Christmas socks, a christmas mug (pound shop) a couple of sachets of hot chocolates, a box of sweets, a bag of popcorn and in the days before we had Sky movies, I always bought a cheap christmas dvd in supermarket...

Today I have bought them both a christmas fleece blanket at the local garden centre

They are 15 and 13 now but it is the highlight of their christmas they tell me!

I also always make some mince pies and they used to make a pastry gift for Santa lol

We bake biscuits in Christmas Eve and decorate for Santa.

Also... we used to sit and read The Night before Christmas and when each of them learnt to read well enough they would read it... then bedtime

Bit trickier now their teens but surprisingly they love the christmas traditions and have younger cousins to share them with now

I love Christmas Eve ... can you tell? lol

definitely new pjs

We have an argument about who will get which stocking. Then we watch Hone Alone 1 or 2 because I can't decide which one I like best.

And finally the presents are put under the tree just before they go to bed....omg it too exciting.

DS is 3yo. This year will be the last year that DH goes out to dinner with DFil, DBil and DSil (all single) next year DS will click more with Christmas and I think we should spend it together (even this year I don't give a hoot he goes out and we stay home).

I think we'll do a walk with a torch in the woods, or on the beach, home for dinner and bath, maybe a short film and Christmas story in bed then lights out. I don't think I'll ever bother with a Christmas Eve hamper.

We're having DB's family over for Boxing day lunch, but they'll be coming for Christmas Day lunch as of next year. Great: DFil can relax, DBil can help build Lego etc, DSil will keep me company in the kitchen where I neck cava cook and DH can flit between us all. Organised chaos

my.dad.dresses up.as.santa and walks along the roofs along our row.of.houses about 7ish to get kids excited before bed all the kids in our street, family and friends come out to see it ! and then xmas eve boxes, PJs,xmas dvd and hot chocolate !
sorry about..... fat thumbs

We get the house prepared for the arrival of our guests, whilst playing serious Xmas tunes!

We prepare what we can for the following day's lunch.

DH and DC always watch Polar Express (though they're 15 now).

Guests begin to arrive mid afternoon usually. Some might need collecting from the station.

When everyone's here I serve hot roast pork sandwiches and champagne. We chat and drink, perhaps watch a Christmas special on the telly, depending on numbers.

Then the DC put out mince pies for Santa (did I mention, they're 15?) and go to bed. DD usually bunks down on DS floor especially.

DH and I put out the gifts under the tree, eat Santa's pie and take a bite out of Rudolph's carrot and fall into bed...

We do last minute christmas shopping in the morning and lunch out.
Xmas film at home or cinema in the afternoon.
Christingle service at church early evening then home for a light tea.
Watch 'The Snowman, put all Xmas pressies under the tree, carrots out for Rudolph, baileys and a mince pie for santa. All on the fireplace with stockings hung up.
Kids go to bed and dh reads them Christmassy stories while I crack on with the veg.
Once kids are asleep and all the prep for tomorrow is done we wrap the kids presents and put them in the sacks/under the tree and then fall into bed.

Love it.

Apart from the usual FC rituals and PJs which appear on their pillows while they are in the bath/shower (wrapped in the same paper as their stocking presents) and a Christmas DVD (new or old) before bed, we do not really have Christmas Eve traditions. I think this is because we dont always do Christmas at home so often travel Christmas Eve (both parents and PIL live several hours away), or when we are at home have people staying with us. DH and/or I also often have to work Christmas Eve morning. DH usually does last minute Christmas shopping though!

During the day, it's Christmas music on loud while we peel veg, clean and tidy, lay the table for Christmas dinner, etc., so very little work has to be done on Christmas day itself.

Then off to Church for a Crib service - that's when Christmas really starts for us.
Evening is watching some Christmassy film then bed to wait for FC (well, now they're teens, they come to the midnight service and don't worry so much about FC, but it worked when they were little )

We always go to my family for the day on Christmas Eve. We get home to find our visiting elf has departed, leaving new PJs and a few other bits for the DC, so it's new pyjamas on, put out a whiskey and mince pie for Father Christmas, then bedtime for the children.

Once they're actually asleep, DH and I wrap everything and put it under tree, do stockings, drink fizz and unwind from spending the day with my parents

New pjs, fire lighting, candles burning and the Muppets Christmas Carol. We eat popcorn and chocolate and just relax!

First Christmas eve just dh, ds and I this year.

Christmas eve box with PJ and film to watch, with hot chocolate and snacks.
I will do some kind of Christmas activity with ds, may make a gingerbread house to be the centre piece on the table for Christmas day.
We are planning on going to a local carol service. I'm planning on pre ordering dinner at the fish and chip shop on the way there, and collect it on the way home.
Once ds is in bed, put the stockings out, and break open a bottle of prosecco

I'm at the fact that no-one seems to work on Christmas Eve.

I've only twice ever taken Christmas Eve as annual leave. But maybe everyone else gets more annual leave than me? I only get 23 days (plus bh).

DH always works Christmas Eve - he takes time off between Christmas and NYE instead. I'm lucky, where I work is shut anyway.

Our Christmas Eve traditions are particularly Christmassy I'm afraid. We always get a takeaway. DC have a Christmas Eve present to open, which is usually a book or annual so they can read it in bed. That's about it - we always go to other people's houses for Christmas Day and Boxing Day so what we do each year depends on where we're going.

not 'are', 'aren't'!