How does your Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing day go?

[VillageFete]

Interested to know how you spend these 3 days. Mine tend to be fairly the same every year, but this year we're doing a few things different and I can't wait.

Christmas eve this year is up early, hairdressers at 7.30am home to our Christmas eve hamper from the elves and will watch a Christmas movie whilst eating breakfast with DP & DD (Breakfast will consist of pain au chocolat and bucks fizz, wooo hooo!) Then it's off to meet some friends and family at our local pub, they have lots of lovely family activities and traditional carol singing and we'll possibly eat there this year. After this it's home for Carols from Kings, The Snowman & The Snowman and the Snowdog, bath, reindeer dust sprinkling, mince pie/carrot/milk for santa, hot chocolate and T'was the night before Christmas. Once DD is in bed, DP and I will have some gorgeous food and drink and watch some Christmas telly. All the wrapping is done in advance so we bring DD's presents down and then I go to midnight mass with a couple of friends.

Christmas Day - A nice long and leisurely champagne breakfast at mine for the inlaws, Christmas dinner is with my family at a restaurant this year, then it's back to my auntie's to see the extended family for a few hours. It's always lovely, loads of Christmas music playing, chocolates being passed around, wine flowing... Around 7pm we'll go home, pj's on, DD goes to bed and DP and I usually have some cheese/crackers/chutneys and a dessert of some kind while we watch Christmas telly or a Christmas film.

Boxing Day - Full breakfast for the 3 of us, a long walk in the woods, back home for hot chocolate mulled wine and then a little later on we go to my Cousin's house for a get together with some of the family. She does a buffet, the Christmas music is still playing and the chocolates are still being passed around. I then wonder why on the 27th i've gained a stone.

How does yours go?

[Kahlua4me]

Ours seems to be pretty much the same each year and suits us all.

Christmas eve getting things ready for next day, relaxing and laughing during the day. See friends in the eve for a few drinks. always plan on going with them to church but always miss it as get too caught up in playing games and drinking champagne.

Up early on Christmas Day. Dc open presents from Father Christmas whilst eating croissant. Off to church for 9am service with fil. Then back to his house and he cooks full English for all 15 of us. Presents exchanged between dc and cousins.

After that we are going home and my DM, db and dsil are coming over for a few days. Cooking dinner for us all, playing games, more presents and cocktails.

Boxing day will be a long walk with all of us somewhere local, a few drinks in the pub then home to relax and dc play with presents.

Perfect few days for us all!

[AuditAngel]

Christmas Eve DH usually works in the morning, I try to take the DC to do something for them (soft play, cinema etc.). Children's mass at 6, out for a curry with cousins and friends, usually about 14-20 people. Then the DC go home to granny for bed whilst the grown ups go to the pub.

Christmas day we have my family over, about 12 for lunch. DSis and her family go home.

Boxing Day we usually host DH's family plus friends, can be up to 40 people, so usually up quite early to sort out the buffet/tidy up from Christmas Day. This year DD1 is taking part in the chorus for panto and is working on Boxing Day.

[makemineapinot]

Yours sounds perfect - how do u manage long leisurely breakfasts with a dd? Unless she is an adult! My dc are always hyper!!they argue and fall out, I drink Baileys... Grandparents arrive (I'm a single parent so just a small family) we eat too much, have full Christmas dinner, crackers etc, gp fall asleep, dc fight over tv/breathing near each other etc etc, I drink baileys/wine/champers...
Would love a movie perfect Christmas - we live by the sea but no one ever wants to walk in the Bach as it's 'boring' or cold! But we love it all in our normal/dysfunctional way! Ah....

[makemineapinot]

By the way, we plan the perfect Christmas every year...

[DamselNotInHerDress]

Christmas Eve : wrap, swear a bit, dp makes mince pies with dc, I wrap some more, rush out for emergency presents, swear, wrap some more, people drop by in the evening for drinks, they go home, I wrap the last bits and put stockings on beds At about 1am.
Christmas Day : dc do stockings in our beds, we have breakfast, dp goes to collect grandad, while he does that I run around doing last minute cleaning before dp returns and our other guess arrive. Eat, drink, walk, be merry. They go home.

Boxing Day : Xmas all over again at MILS. Best day of it all!

[VillageFete]

Brilliant, love hearing what everyone's up to.

makemineapinot I think i'm somewhat romantacising it She's 5 now, so i'm hoping we can have a long & leisurely breakfast whilst she plays wishful thinking?

[elQuintoConyo]

Christmas Eve: go for a lovely long walk, see the lights etc. DH goes for dinner with his dad, one brother and one sister, I spend a cosy quiet evening with DS (very young, but eventually we'll do hot chocolate and a book, put out mince pie/sherry/water etc for FC and Rudolph).

Christmas Day: stocking opened on our bed. Open presents with Christmas Carols from Kings on cd player, DH makes breakfast (pancakes or Panatone with Spanish hot chocolate so thick you can stand a spoon up in it!). Hate fish, hate champagne, have croissants frequently, so none of those for us. Play with presents. Have a snack. Go for a long walk, hopefully DS can practise on his new bike, weather-permitting. I make lunch, nothing OTT. Play more with new toys. Do some Skype. Maybe watch a film, probably not. Have a small snacky dinner, some fruit and cheese.

Boxing Day: this year having Fil, Bil and Sil round. Quite informal and stress free.

In fact, all of Christmas will be stress free

[CaisleanDraiochta]

Christmas Eve (probably my favourite day out of the 3) go out in the morning to get lat minute food bits e.g bread, milk, fresh croissants for Christmas breakfast, then home for hot soup lunch. Afternoon spent watching christmas films and playing board games together and scoffing chocolates. Buffet type tea once it gets dark, during which the elves will leave the hamper in the living room. So then its baths and new PJs on and settle down to watch the DVD, before leaving out mince pies etc. and bed.

Christmas day we have stockings in my bed first thing, then a special breakfast before getting washed and dressed . DC are allowed to open any gifts left under the tree from people we won't see over the next few days and make thank you calls. Lunch is usually at DMs, followed by exchanging and opening of presents. home late evening and fall into bed.

Boxing day we have a tradition that this is when the DC get their main present (from me) which they find under the tree in the morning. Its normally a lazy day and we often don't go out and spend the day in PJs. No big meals as we mostly graze all day on chocs and leftovers- from the Christmas Eve buffet plus whatever DM has sent us home with the day before.

[2kidsintow]

Christmas eve, Dh usually works half day, but is sometimes given the full day off. We have a lie in then will do something with the dc lke go for a trip into Chester for a walk along the river and to see the lights. Tea is either some nibble buffet type bits or a takeaway. No hampers etc here. The dds go to bed and I bring down every opting that will have been wrapped a day or two earlier.

On Christmas Day the dds bring their stocking through and open them in our room, then we go downstairs. Dh makes bacon sandwiches and waits for a call from his mum who goes away each year. Then it's round to my parents for lunch and gifts. Then we pop home for a cuppa (and a cheeky nap sometimes) before going back for a buffet snack tea which is held on rotation in my sister's or my house. Her turn this year.

On boxing day it's a lazy morning, followed usually by a lunch of leftovers, but this year there won't be leftovers as we aren't hosting or cooking for ourselves at all Christmas day. I sometimes do a mini Christmas meal take 2 just to have lovely , eft overs for turkey sandwiches etc.

We also have a new year tradition. I take the dds to panto mid afternoon (dh's idea of hell but we love it) and then we come home to watch films on telly or box sets we may have received and put on a buffet tea of nibbles that stay out for the evening. New year is seen in with the family then we go into the street to watch the fireworks that everyone sets off and ti perhaps have a sparkler that may be left over from Nov 5th.

[JohnCusacksWife]

Wow! Yours sounds like a Sunday supplement Christmas! How do you manage it?

Christmas Eve - normally running round like a loony getting last minute food shopping, cleaning the house etc. Then into town late afternoon to see the lights and then dinner in the local pub before home to get the DDs to bed. DH and I then try to grab a drink while sorting stockings etc.

Christmas Day - DDs open stockings either in their rooms or in ours, then down for Santa presents, breakfast and any under the tree presents. GPs arrive around 1, more presents (and drinks), then lunch, then chilling, then games, then walk, then GPs home, DDs to bed, PJs on and more drinks, then bed!

Boxing Day - PJs all day, no cooking (just leftovers, selection boxes, chocolate oranges etc), movies, games, toys. It's a see no one and do nothing day...it's the law!

[makemineapinot]

Thank you johncusackswife our Christmas us not a Good Housekeeping spread either! village fete - please let us know if dd stays in bed till 9am then share the secret!

[WhereHas1999DissappearedToo]

Christmas Eve- I'll work till lunchtime, then me and DD (15) will drive up to two hours away to where my brother and mum live and where my other brother has a holiday house. We will normally have a nice long catch up and organise Christmas day and have a pre christmas BBQ. Me and DD might go for a bike ride/evening swim at the lake depending on the weather. (we live in NZ)

Christmas Day- open present's at brother's holiday house with his partner, her kids and sometime my grown up niece and nephews depending if they're there, we have a nice chocolate breakfast. Then we'll go along and pick up my mum and we would have Xmas dinner at my other brother's and SIL house with their grown up kids, again if they're there. Do some skye, watch some Xmas TV, play some games, just sit out on their deck with a nice glass of bubbles in the sun with leftovers.

Boxing day- might go along to the shops in the morning, stuff ourselves with chocolate leftovers, then we would probably go and spend the afternoon in at the lake, with maybe another BBQ for tea.

[blacktreaclecat]

Christmas Eve I sometimes have to work in the morning but it doesn't fall on my day this year :) H will work from home in the morning.
I'll do something with DS 2.5, probably go to be farm shop and then swings if fine. Hoping to do the village Christingle service at 3, then we have a party to go to (DS godmother). It's usually a nice do with lots of prosecco. Home in time to put mince pie, carrot and drink out for Santa and read a Christmassy story. H and I will have a few nibbles, watch something and have an early night.
Christmas Day - stockings in bed, open a few more presents downstairs. DS is getting a balance bike so thinking if it's fine we 'll go to the park after breakfast before grandparents arrive.
My parents and MIL arrive mid morning, have some fizz, open more presents. Not sure exactly of timings as it's DS first Chtistmas of getting it and he's dropping his nap.
Boxing Day is always just the 3 of us, my mum does more stockings for us (DH and I have a joint one these days). Lazy nibbly TV day but will probably try to get DS some fresh air and another play on his bike this year.
Day after Boxing Day I hit the sales!

[Turquoisetamborine]

On Christmas Eve we would normally spend the morning bagging up presents for the right houses and desperately trying to drop the last few cards off. I go to my friends house who has two kids for a coffee with my son just to see her.
We will then probably go somewhere for lunch then a walk in the woods to collect holly and mistletoe and feed the horses with carrots and apples. There is a Christmas Eve hamper left for son when we get home so he will play with the contents of that while h and I prep the starter for Christmas Day and sort the last few bits. We then settle down for a Christmas movie with some M&S party food, mince pies and chocolates. I would normally have champagne and baileys too but I'm pregnant this year. I did see some non alcoholic mulled wine in sainsburys so I'll probably have that. Watch Carols from Kings. Get son settled in bed and read him a Christmas story then we watch tv and exchange presents as the big day is (rightly so) all about son. H always gets a bit sad as he opens his present from his mam and it's always utterly crap and thoughtless. Not due to lack of money or anything, just as she doesn't care.
Next morning son jumps through wrapping papered living room door to get to presents and opens them. FIL comes round to see him and bring yet more presents. I make bacon sandwiches, croissants etc for everyone. Tidy round then get myself ready as like to dress up on Christmas Day.
Go to mam's where all the family will be there about 12. Greeted with champagne and son opens more presents. Lunch about 1.30 and it's bloody gorgeous. Mam buys a sweet in from a local baker, usually something like treacle tart as no one likes Christmas pudding. Watch tv for a while then go home about 4.30 to play with new toys and put onesies on and relax.
Boxing Day is son's birthday so all Christmas cards taken down and birthday banners put up. He opens even more presents. All the grandparents come round except mil to wish him happy birthday. I cook breakfast for everyone and we then do whatever he wants to do which is normally play with his toys in the house. About 5pm we go to my dad's with my brothers, SILS and nieces and nephews for another Christmas dinner. Home about 9pm then collapse!

[CariadsDarling]

On Christmas Eve Day my children pop in and out work hours permitting and help me with what needs to be done. In the evening they all come back and sleep here and once all the little ones are in bed my daughters and daughters in law help me finish off the wrapping whilst watching Love Actually and having a wee drink. Oh and we listen to the Carols from Kings whilst going about our jobs.

Christmas Day is always at my house so by about 8 am its sheer madness. We do it this way because its me who celebrates Christmas in a 'walk down memory lane' kind of way. It would be correct to say that Christmas is for Nana and my children go out of their way to do what they can so I have a great one which in return means we all do. We have fabulous Eids but i still love Christmas.

Breakfast is laid out in the dining room as a buffet and people help themselves and bring it back into the family room where the tree and presents are but mostly people seem to eat Chocolate.

Lunch is also laid out in the dining room but its eaten in the garden around the pool. I hire tables and chairs because once my children have brought home stray pals and people from work I can have about 40 people. I can also have family here as can my daughters in law. In reality I never know how many will actually be here on the day but I cater for 40. At Eid its 70 and my outside kitchen was built for cooking for large numbers so its not a problem.

After everyone has eaten and their food has gone down we have a swim and play daft pool games, do a sack race on the grass or play giant Jenga. But then again we might just sit there and blether away with someone having to translate for those we don't speak a common language with. It can be really confusing and some of the conversations we've had have been unforgettable. They give 'crossed wires' a whole new meaning . My children and grandchildren all stay over till Boxing Day but the children's pals usually go home in transport we arrange if they need it.

Oh and we always listen to the Queens Speech. Always!

And my late mum is always there on the day as well. Her name meant Star and I always have little stars scattered over the tables so she can listen to everything thats going on and be part of it.

Boxing Day its breakfast then everyone packs up and off they go home.

I love Christmas.

[Donthackmenow]

We are experimenting this year as have moved into our 'forever' home so want to get some traditions sorted.
We are having a drinks party the weekend before.
Then Christmas Eve is children's play at the local theatre and lunch with friends. In the afternoon I'm hoping dh will play with the children so I can be prepping for the next day.
Christmas Day - stockings in the morning, breakfast, get ready. Inlaws arrive at 11 (they are staying until 27th) so open more presents. Play with the toys, nibble, eat chocolate, watch tv. Have Christmas meal about 5, kids to bed (without a bath), watch more tv and drink wine.

Boxing Day is a bit more vague. We will have turkey curry for one of the meals and I think we will go to the local national trust for a walk. Also need to make a birthday cake for ds.

27th rest of family arrive to celebrate ds birthday so will do buffet and more present opening!

[poolomoomon]

Christmas Eve is crazy and packed to the brim with me doing last minute bits and bobs to save me from doing it on Christmas Day, helping DC to bake a snowman cake and Santa's cookies and all of our other Christmas Eve traditions. We make more of a big deal over Christmas Eve than the actual day really. It doesn't feel like there's enough hours in the day on Christmas Eve tbh. Have to get up super early and DH and I don't get to bed till late either.

Christmas is a far more relaxed day. After the initial excitement of present opening we have a lovely huge continental breakfast. I aim to at least do the muffin mixture the night before so all I have to do is put them in the oven... And I get the jus-rol croissants to put in the oven stuffed with dark chocolate and banana. Buy a naice Pannetone and get the waitrose frozen pain au chocolat to bake in the oven on the morning too. It's sounding more hectic than it is . I do a lot of the hard work for the dinner on Christmas Eve and the sauces are done well in advance so much of Christmas Day is sitting back relaxing, DC playing with new toys, nice bit of Bing Crosby in the background . After dinner we play board games. The only rule for Christmas Day is no tv and phones are to be used only to wish family and friends merry christmas if needs be.

Boxing Day is always a bit naff. Massive come down from the big day. I'm looking into something to do this year to make it a bit more thrilling tbh. I hate how sad it always feels for me at least, the DC don't seem to mind but then they're only young. We have crepes for breakfast, lunch is usually a nice plum port chutney with crusty bread, cheese and some more Christmas cake and dinner is a naice pizza. But we don't really do much of anything. Need to find something to fill it really... We usually watch a movie but that's it.

[Monroe]

I also love reading about other people's plans.

This year is the first time we won't be hosting the in laws on Christmas Eve. Dh works in the morning so the dc's and I will spend the morning listening to christmas songs and baking cookies and prepping the veg for the next day. When Dh gets home we are going to go to the cinema to watch paddington bear and then possibly out somewhere for an early tea. Then back home to track FC on Norad, leave out the cookies and carrot then bed.

Christmas day is very relaxed. The dc's open stockings on our bed while DH and I wake up with a coffee. We don't normally eat till 4 ish so we may have a cooked breakfast to keep us going. Then we take turns to open gifts. My DM and DG arrive around 1pm and we open more gifts before Christmas dinner. In the evening DH normally nods off on the couch while I watch something christmassy and eat cheese

We normally spend boxing day in pj's but this year we are going to a panto in town so we will lounge around for most of the day then get dressed up in the new clothes we were given the day before and head off in to town.

Of course, in the middle of all that will be the usual tears, tantrums and sibling squabbles but I still can't wait

[Thumbcat]

Christmas Eve - In the morning I prep as much of the next day's dinner as I can. DH goes out on a last minute quest for presents as he's crap at planning ahead. In the afternoon we go to MIL (she's foreign and they have their main celebration on Christmas Eve) for a big meal followed by presents. We log onto NORAD to see how Father Christmas is getting on. By the time we get home it's time for DS to be in bed, so we quickly scatter the reindeer food outside, leave out a drink and mince pie for Father Christmas and read Night Before Christmas. Once he's asleep we sneak all the presents down to put under the tree. When I go up to bed I put DS's stocking on the end of his bed.

Christmas Day - Up whenever DS is and he comes into our bed to look at his stocking presents. Then we go downstairs and open all our presents under the tree. I do so Jusrol pain au chocolate or similar for breakfast. Put carols/Christmas music on and get ourselves ready for the day/play with new toys/faff with dinner. My parents and brother arrive late morning and we have more presents and drinks. I do the starter around mid-day, so I don't have to bother with nibbles, and lunch for around 1.30-2ish. In the afternoon we play/chat/watch The Snowman. My family go home early evening and once DS is in bed we just chilll out and maybe have a few nibbly bits if we have room.

Boxing Day - My favourite day. Just the three of us. We stay home (and very often wear our PJs all day) and relax. A good old Christmas film on the telly (last year it was The King and I), DS plays with all his new toys, and no cooking - just lots of snacking on lovely nibbles and left overs.

[Thrif]

At work Christmas Eve, but in the evening everyone who'll be together on Christmas Day goes to the host's house for a veg prepping party. It's great, lots of wine and chocolate, everyone brings their peelers and we sit around the kitchen table having the kind of conversations you only have when all the generations are together, people are a bit tipsy and eye contact can be avoided because hands are busy! Gets a rotten job done quickly too.

Christmas Day will involve too much food and drink, probably a walk, Trivial Pursuit and some TV.

Boxing Day, 5k trail race in the morning. All ages and abilities can enter but those who don't want to come for the walk and fresh air and to cheer on the runners, then off to watch the football in the afternoon.

[VillageFete]

Thank you all for contributing, it's lovely to see how you all celebrate.

With me it's all down to planning, I make sure everything is done way in advance so I can really enjoy those days. My Cath Kidston Christmas organiser helps I've also learned from my mistakes, I go to bee earlier in the lead up so I can get up extra early & get things done. Also, no hosting this year. I want a year off (except Christmas breakfast) so I can just relax and enjoy it.

makemineapinot Not quite 9am, but last year I sat downstairs from 7.15am eating ferrero rocher & watching the Vicar of Dibley Christmas special, in the end I had to go upstairs at 8.20am and wake DD up! I'm sure if I have another child I won't be so lucky!

[CMP69]

I'm working until 5 on Christmas Eve have no idea what dh and ds will do. Tea and bed when I get home. DH and I will wrap presents drink wine watch telly for the evening. Christmas day will be just the 3 of us (by choice) for the first time ever
Breakfast, presents, Skype the family, dinner, telly, champagne. All in no particular order just cos we can. I am so looking forward to it!!!

[maddy68]

Christmas Eve, parents arrive in the afternoon, and the rest of the family arrive early evening. Takeaway,for the 12 people, games lots of plonk put kids to bed, carrot fir rudolf, drink for Santa. Fill stockings

Christmas Day, croissants with Buck's Fizz, open presents , bung turkey in.
Eat around 1.30-2. Evening we all go over to my brothers , family scatters to other relations/friends. Christmas night just me and dh and my parents watching sentimental clap trap while dozing

Boxing Day. Early roast 12.30 ish. Then off to the football.

[TheGonnagle]

Christmas eve: up for breakfast, finish any prep left over for the following day. Mid morning trip to Waitrose to buy random snack things/extra cheese etc. Lunch at the pub with friends, home to watch The Snowman/Snowman and the Snowdog. Bath for dd, Christmas Eve pj's on. Dinner for three (easy to cook, pre prepped). Dd to bed, bubbly and present sorting for us.

Christmas day: stockings and presents under the little tree upstairs in bed. Cheese and bacon croissants and cocktails for breakfast (lush). Arrival of gp's about midday, lunch at three. Presents after, more booze, chocolate, cheese etc. Games in the evening.

Boxing day: full english to ward off the hangover. Over to my dads house about midday, walk over the fields to the pub for a couple. Dinner at dads, more presents with my brother and his family. Stay overnight.

27th is my brothers birthday. Whatever he fancies doing.

[Cravey]

Christmas Eve is family round for a curry and drinks. Christmas morning is bacon rolls, a walk on the beach and diner around five. Boxing Day is everyone at my bar as it's my brother in laws birthday and we have music and food with all the regulars piling in. This year we have a cheesy elvis impersonator. Is it wrong that I'm really excited about it ?