What do you do on christmas eve?

[mrsSmurf]

I really love christmas eve but it always seems to go in a blur...last minute shopping, wrapping presents etc.

So this year im planning to be more organised in the hope that we can do something nice or just relax at home with some mulled wine .

So what do you do?

I'm usually working, but have managed to get Christmas Eve off this year so we've booked to take the dc to see a show called Snow Child. It looks wonderful.

I'd like to get some traditions going though, our dc are 2 and 4.

Nice meal
Get pissed but not hangover-level pissed
HTH

Go and get tree. Decorate it. Have family for lunch- go to church. Have snuggly tea in front of fire.

Children go to bed (eventually). Depending on what day of week it is more family arrive. Finish wrapping presents. Drink port. Put potatoes and meat in aga.

Spend 3 hours messing around waiting to be Santa.

Rush downstairs in middle of the night to eat forgotten carrot.

Sometimes we go to ballet or pantomime matinee as well.

It's always a mad panic...collcting chairs and extra forks from family...waiting around til late to make sure all the children are asleep (the older they ger the trickier it is).

Sort out all the presents into sacks and piles. Very time consuming.I have 8 little darlings!!smile]

Present rounds, final prep indoors, kiddies midnight mass, then fish n chips for tea, bath and bedtime so all smelling nice for Santa :) then prep for xmas dinner next day and then playing santa and bed :)

DC decorate the gingerbread house or yule log, and wrap their presents.
'Midnight' Mass at about 4pm, then eats and drinks with friends either at home or at theirs.
Then new pyjamas, hang up stockings and put out something for Santa, track Santa on the internet then bed.
Whiskey & ginger wine for DH & I, stuff the stockings, then bed.

HaHa Herbietea..Its my DS1s birthday as well.. kind of adds another dimension to Christmas eh?

We put our Father Christmas please stop here sign up outside,then we go inside & make mince pies for the main man.

Then we make reindeer food & sprinkle it on the lawn.

We go for a walk round the Christmas market & buy last minute gifts for each other.

Then we go home for a bowl of beef stew or similar (i will have made it previous in the slow cooker)

We got for a walk round the village to see everyones lights & see if we can see him in the sky.

Watch home alone or the polar express,bath ds,see where Father Christmas is on the tracker & try & settle ds down for the night.

Then me & dh will sort out his stocking,put his presents under the tree & fall into bed exhausted but excited.

As a child we used to have a Norwegian lunch and get one present from the nisse (elves)
Very special and I want to do this with my DD.

When the girls were little and we lived in Bucks we used to have all the neighbours around for a drink or two, just so we all got to see each other before our families descended on the big day.

When we moved back to Durham we were the newbies, I didn't know who had what planned but was v brave and sent out a few invited to the 6 nearest houses. Four families came, one family were in Portugal and another were already committed to a family do. We all had a great time, we came at 6 and were gone by 9 so still plenty of time to get organised. Some of the children who came were v young and it was so lovely to see their excitement and new pj's!! I will hopefully be doing it again this year provided dh gets a new job and I'm not in a pit of despair!!

Make/decorate Christmassy biscuits.
Watch Christmassy movies whilst eating Christmassy biscuits.

DH is usually working, so the DC and I like to lounge around in our pyjamas, pigging out. Same goes for Boxing Day.

Go into city centre to see te christmas lights.

Do family photo with the massive Christmas tree.

Ice skating on the outdoor rink followed by hot chocolate.
Visit santas grotto
Visit nativity scene

After all that we will usually head home and get DS ready for bed, putting out santa and the reindeer snacks, checking google.

Once DS is in bed, presents are wrapped & put under the tree.

Finally relax with a glass (or 2) of baileys then bed.

Drive 300 miles.

Rush into town in a panic to finish my shopping.

Our family tradition is a big lunch at my Dad's house and opening one present each. We drive over to my in laws in the evening and go out with DH's friends for festive drinks before walking home by midnight. My parents divorced when I was very young and Christmas Day was always hectic rushing round to see everyone. We now have the Eve at my Dad's, the Day with my in laws and Boxing Day with my Mom. Both parents have other plans for the Day and this is a lovely way to spend time with everyone with no one having to drive and spreading present opening and food eating over 3 days!

I absolutely love Christmas and the things everyone does with their Children are so gorgeous. Can't wait until we can start our own traditions!

Work sometimes but usually half day.

Last minute shopping for batteries, more beer and stinky cheese for sis.
Always realise around 5pm that have forgotten to buy crackers so run round late store and buy some crap ones.

Bake mince pies.

Ring friend to wish him happy birthday cos everyone forgets.

Wrap stocking fillers.

Head off pointless seasonal row with DH about why I do all this stuff at the last minute (he does precisely none of it).

Go to bed way later than intended feeling knackered but warm and fuzzy.

Long walk

DH and children ice the cake (yes, we know it should be done earlier, but it isn't), including the traditional marzipan bunnies (don't ask)

Nine lessons and Carols (on radio, sadly)

Festive film of children's choosing

Roast gammon for dinner

Long discussions as to which alcoholic beverage to leave for Father Christmas

Hang up stockings and bed

Frantic stocking present wrapping/present assembly with much wine and festive film of my choosing (DH not a fan of festive films)

DH did spend three hours outside in the dark one Christmas eve assembling a climbing frame and slide afte rthe children had gone to bed

We have the whole family round to ours for champagne and supper.

We have always have a huge sort of deli supper with yummy cold meats, cheeses, breads, salad, etc.

We started doing it cos we always go to my mum's for Christmas day and she really pushes the boat out so she likes not having to do anything about dinner the night before. Also we invariably have non-family people over on Christmas day so it's nice to have a meal with just family.

Dh plays golf.
We go out for a meal about 6pm.

We're going to a party this year.

:)

There's some lovely ideas here...I really can't wait for Christmas this year .

We go to the zoo or aquarium and have the whole place to ourselves

Sometimes go to 6pm Mass (but usually go on Christmas day instead).

I used to spend Christmas Eve in a blur of last minute cooking too. Now I get everything done in advance (freezing all those once last-minute baked cookies etc a month ahead and making sure all gift wrapping completed by last day of term).

We spend the morning dropping off last minute cards to friends and neighbours.

Lunch is always sausage & mash :)

Afternoon - long walk in the woods, getting DCs all excited about imminent arrival of gifts by chatting about where HE might be right now in the world!

Back home for hot choc, mulled wine, mince pies, popcorn and sweeties, whilst watching a christmas movie.

Around 6pm, DH takes DCs to play in another room whilst I prepare the sitting room with candles and new pj gifts under the tree. Snuggle into pjs followed by new christmas story plus The Night Before CHristmas :)

Leave beer and mince pies by fire and time for bed :)

We also leave a trail of paper lanterns (Lakeland) along the path leading up to our house so that Santa can find his way.