What will you and your family be doing on Christmas Eve?

[SNOWMANdymoo]

I almost prefer Christmas Eve to the actual day itself - just all the anticipation, snuggled up together and being all cosy.

We will probably just have a nice walk and hot chocolate somewhere before coming home, putting ds and dd to bed and then opening up a bottle of wine and sharing a nice cold meat, pickles and salad kinda tea.

What about you?

Not sure it seems a bit funny it being a sunday this year. I think I might take the DCs to Church in the morning and get DH to start the cleaning. Then in the afternoon I normally visit my Great Aunt in the nursing home, so will take the DCs and get DH to finish the cleaning. The home, watch Polar Express, have a nice, hearty meal (something like sausage and mash or stew), get Santa and Rudolph things ready, bath the children, read the Night before Christmas. Then when they are definitely asleep, get the loft ladder out and get all the presents down. Then assemble DD's dressing table. Then a baileys I think and to bed.

On Xmas Eve we always let the kids have their little stocking pressies which consist of little sweeties and little cheap toys and then we are going out for dinner with grandparents. Then DP and I plan to watch Love Actually with a bottle of wine and then will open our pressies to each other at 12.00 as we never have time the next day!

Staring down the barrel of the festive season and contemplating despair.

Christmas Eve -
mass at noon followed by lunch at my parents
(but that's every sunday so no change there)
We are staying with my mum and dad this year cos its only me & DS (nearly three) so we'll be there from lunchtime onwards enjoying the chaos and mayhem that usually ensues at my parents. (again that's every sunday so no change there).
dinner followed by bathtime & bedtime story for DS so that he is in bed by 8pm at the latest so that i can then go back to our house (only around the corner) and collect all his presents from our neighbours who have been storing them for me, take them back to my parents and then start putting together wooden tool benches and art easels wrapping up various thomas, postman pat & bob the builder stuff all the while drinking wine and trying to help mum prepare the veg for the next day!

Collect turkey from butchers. DH will be doing any ironing and washing that needs done - so we don't have to worry about it for a couple of days.
If its dry we shall go for a walk on the beach, leaving the dog at home this year as she isn't allowed to get too excited and have long walks now!
If it's wet and very windy we shall settle down to watch soemthing like Polar Express, then MIL will be here.
having a light dinner before getting DSes ready for bed. Then can settle down with a glass or four of wine

Ds, DH and me will be putting up the decs, DH wants to maintain/develop a trim up at Xmas eve tradition

I'll be admiring my children in the village nativity service. An unexpected advantage (?) of village life, my children get to be in the nativity play without us ever having darkened the door of the church.

also will be revelling in NOT seeing any of the grandparents over the holiday period. and making merry with the mulled wine.

we are at the pantomime in the afternoon and then best friends come round at night just get a takeaway and a few drinks and present swap and then children in bed at reasonable time

Then not much sleep for me with excitment

Well don't mull it too vigorously fennel, you'll burn all the alcohol off

I bought two cheap bottles for mulling but we, um, already drank them in a couple of moments of emergency wine-less-ness.

Crazydazy - am liking your plan v much! May have to borrow it. Not least cos we've got a 3-4 hour drive to Norfolk on Christmas morning, and I fear I won't get chance to open pressies first.

not a lot really, the kids will get overly excited about the following day and be impossible to get to bed and i will be wrapping presents and staying in on my own

We usually go for a walk along the sea and then to the local pub to eat at about 3,Home to wrap pressies and do veg etc and then watch tv and drink wine I love xmas eve

OOoh Christmas Eve can't wait...

I will be having a lie-in as dd at her dads,

No doubt eat chocolate and drink tea as I get packed for staying at my dads for a couple of days, while watching Christmassy film.

2.30pmish - go to my dads

3.30pm dd will be dropped off and then we will go to see The Snowman (at the theatre) with my dad and my cousin.

When we return and sisters get back from work we will (hopefully) eat a fantastic veggie meal cooked by my uncle (amazing cook).

DD to bed and then adults up drinking wine, watching TV/playing Scrabble and chatting...

I like christmas eve the best. Will be driving back to North Notts from Hants in the morning, having spent a few days with my parents. Home by lunchtime. Call into office to make sure no emergencies, then home for last minute preps, but nothing too stressy. No carol service at tiny village church this year (new vicar won't do it ) so little drinks party with DH's boss and his family at their rather glorious manor house before taking DCs home for their bath and into new jammies and putting out cookies and milk for Santa. They will go to bed but DD1 will keep coming down until about 11.30 telling me she can't sleep, whilst I myself am deadly tired but hopefully too 'merry' to care much. Wrap last of pressies whilst ploughing through the Baileys and watching something lovely on TV. Finally get to bed at around 1am by which time, hopefully, little buggers are asleep.

Christmas Eve is always spent round my parents house, as it is when we celebrate Christmas with my nan. (she always goes to my aunty on Christmas day)
Mum makes a dinner at lunchtime with crackers etc & we hand nan her presents after lunch.

sleeping after a night duty this year

Would like to be watching a muppets christmas carol and making turkey gravy and bread sauce and possibly going to midnight mass.

Probably will be wrapping presents at the last minute too and playing Santa

wrap kids up warm and go into town with the buggy to collect meat from buthers and pick up a few nice bits from the delicatesen.

Go home probably put the beef in the oven and watch a chritmassey film.

Then in the afternoon my mom, dad, brother and his girlfriend are coming over to go to the christingle with us.

Bath, new pj's and bed for dc's - put out mince pie and pillowcases etc.

Mulled wine and cold meat/pickles/cheese etc for the adults then everyone goes home except my mom who is staying over.

Try and find all the pressies and put them out for santa.

BED

Church in the morning (cos is Sunday; our church has cancelled the Christmas morning service in favour of sleep & presents). Making the birthday cake after lunch with dd, while ds is asleep. Then probably the park to let off steam. Opening the new Christmas pjs after tea.

Will now read the thread for more inspiration!