What do you do on Christmas Eve

HollyBollyBooBoo · 2016-10-25T03:21:47+00:00

I want to make it magical and special but am stuck for ideas. We will go for a nice walk and then my DM will come over in the afternoon, dinners sorted. Not sure what else?!

MrsDilligaf · 25/10/2016 04:36

We go to a christmas carol singalong, which is great fun - standing around in a car park freezing our bits off (generally speaking) and sipping sloe gin. It's all over by 7.30, and everyone is home by 8.00.

Take a drive around looking at the lights on local houses, with super cheesy songs playing.

Bake some cookies and munch on them whilst watching a christmas film drinking a MASSIVE bottle of Baileys

LeftRightUpDown · 25/10/2016 04:41

We are going to a pantomime this year.

Previously we have gone to local "breakfast with Santa" events

UsedToBeAPaxmanFan · 25/10/2016 04:50

How come everyome gets to take Christmas Eve off work? It's a Saturday this year, so I won't be working but usually I'm at work. We do get to shut the office early on Christmas aeve - 4.30 rather than 5.30 - but that doesn't allow time to do a lot before dinner.

I did once take Christmas Eve as a day's leave, got my parents to look after the dc, and dh and I went to King's College Cambridge for the Festival of 9 Lessons and Carols service. We had to queue from 7am but it was absolutely worth it. There were people at the front of the queue who had camped overnight!

RaingodswithZippos · 25/10/2016 04:53

Church, then home to watch Love Actually whilst wrapping presents and drinking mulled wine.

mathanxiety · 25/10/2016 05:35

Probably some last minute trips for Christmas shopping, emergency purchases of little things like parsley or more wine or icing sugar or toilet paper. I speak from sad experience when I say it's nice not to run out in the middle of Christmas afternoon.

We do last minute wrapping of gifts to each other and they are set out under the tree.

Then preparation of a few things I make ahead like cranberry sauce, stuffing, tiramisu, and the dessert for later in the evening (most likely a baked chocolate pie).

We get dressed up, and go to Mass at 6, though we may go to midnight Mass this year thanks to one family member's work schedule. Normally we pick up a huge pizza after Mass and go home, eat, have chocolate pie, coffee, and open presents from each other and from family and friends. This leaves the space under the tree ready for Santa Claus.

After I persuade them all to go to bed for the love of puppies I rack my brains to remember where I put everything and arrange the piles under the tree and I fill their stockings with German chocolate coins and Santas from Aldi.

I am usually working until at least the day before Christmas Eve, but where I live Christmas Eve is basically a holiday unless you work in a hospital or security/army, etc. or public transport. This year DD4 (my only child left in school) will only get out for the Christmas holiday on the 23rd December though she could be out on Thursday depending on her exam schedule I suppose.

Ilovecakeallday · 25/10/2016 06:35

admire Christmas lights, lunch out, theatre and then home to Christmas eve box 🎄

GoofyTheHero · 25/10/2016 06:40

How come everyome gets to take Christmas Eve off work? It's a Saturday this year, so I won't be working but usually I'm at work. We do get to shut the office early on Christmas aeve - 4.30 rather than 5.30 - but that doesn't allow time to do a lot before dinner.

I'm a SAHM. DH books it off as part of his annual leave allowance (which I also did when working). DH's birthday is the 23rd Dec so we both prefer to have those days off together than the week between Christmas and new year.

tralaaa · 25/10/2016 06:47

I book of this day. Do an early morning shop - prepare veg for the big day, not this year tho as we are having something different the meet up with a friend to gift swap ( not this year tho as she's going away (:( have a takeaway and watch telly then the best bit fill the stockings and put them by the fire and put presents under the tree

Sierra259 · 25/10/2016 06:48

On maternity leave this year, but most other years I would have worked - it's a nice, chilled out atmosphere and we always finish a couple of hours early. Plus, DH and I live close to both sets of parents, so we don't have to travel for Christmas visiting!

The last couple of years, we've taken DC1 to a child friendly Christmas service. I can see a Christmas film tradition starting too! DC1 is nearly 4, so last year was the first time they really started to "get" Christmas. Next year they'll be on school holidays, so loving some of the ideas above!

sonlypuppyfat · 25/10/2016 06:48

I like to go shopping in the morning for last minute things, then we like to go to McDonald's for lunch because it's next to the cinema where we watch a family film. Then it's back home for Christmas eve presents. For our evening meal we have a buffet and I always roast a duck

GeekyWombat · 25/10/2016 07:03

Walk at the beach first thing followed by hot chocolate. Various errands after that and then mince pie making and an afternoon of craft for DD and wrapping for me before KFC for dinner (much loved family treat and no cooking / clean up), Muppet Christmas Carol, new PJs and bed ready for Father Christmas' arrival.

00100001 · 25/10/2016 07:06

paxman we're supposed to work until 5pm Christmas Eve. But I work in a independent secondary, and there's normally 6 members of staff in. We just go home after lunch, as were just twiddling our thumbs

perditalost · 25/10/2016 07:06

8am collect food from farm shop and Waitrose . Actually Ocado delivering this year at 8am but still need to go to farmshop . Whizz to fishmonger etc. Pick up mince pies and cake.

Put up the tree and decorate the house. Used to buy the tree but now almost impossible on Christmas eve

Fish and chips for lunch often.

When children were younger crib service and dress up nativity.
Now midnight mass later on.

Guests arrive. Light supper, alcohol, cakes etc. Sometimes a game or 2. Mulled wine.

Food prep. Wrap the gifts until about 2am as I am useless. Make 60 Yorkshire puddings before turkey takes the heat out of the oven. Set breakfast table. Go to bed.

perditalost · 25/10/2016 07:08

That if in the Uk. go abroad at least every other year.

OhtoblazeswithElvira · 25/10/2016 07:12

Paxman I work in the public sector in a back-office team (so no contact with the public) but we have to open every Christmas eve. Like you we are lucky if we are allowed to close an hour early - woo-hoo . I have managed to book Christmas eve off maybe 50% of the time in 19 years which isn't bad. I have never had a phone call or an e-mail when at work on Christmas Eve.

If off work we go for a walk around the village looking at people's Christmas lights. We try to have a special meal - nothing elaborate or heavy. Other than that it's the usual - Christmas box arrives magically, we read The Night Before Christmas, etc. Would love to do more but it's hard when MIL is around - she only "does" Christmas day, firmly believes that Christmas eve is just another day and will not take part in anything special on Christmas Eve.

HungryHorace · 25/10/2016 07:13

I book at least 3 days off in the week before Christmas so I have time to prepare stuff, visit my family down south and generally not rush beforehand. My DH also has a 23rd Dec birthday so it's nice for him to be able to make it a bit special rather than it getting absorbed into Christmas.

I'm loved in the office as I'm happy to work in between Christmas and New Year where most people prefer the other way round.

The only hard and fast thing we do on Christmas Eve is that I make mince pies. Otherwise it's just finishing off bits and bobs and generally trying not to excite the kids too much (they're 3.6 and 2.5 this year, so last year was the first that my oldest vaguely got it (she's definitely understanding this year!).

We might go to a kids' service somewhere local if there is one, but otherwise I try to keep it mostly low key.

Fueledwithfairydustandgin · 25/10/2016 07:15

Down to the village to see Santa (his sleigh "flies past" on the back of a pick up ) then new pjs on, new books read. Put DS to bed then make a gingerbread house with SIL2and a bit of help from proseco meanwhile DH and engineer SIL1 make up the toys. Sometimes go to the pub for a quick drink depending on if we can talk FIL out of it or not.

lostlalaloopsy · 25/10/2016 07:35

I love Christmas Eve!! We make biscuits/chocolate bark in the morning and deliver to the neighbours. We make extra of course for Santa. We will go for a walk in the woods behind the house in the hope of burning some of the kids excitement off!! Once we get back the elves will have left a wee hamper with new pjs, bubble bath, toothbrushes and marshmallows.

I collect glass jars throughout the year which we decorate, pop in battery tea lights and leave on the drive as a landing strip for Santa. We will attempt to watch a film, but dd will start asking to go to bed from 5pm - very unusual for her!!

It's all great fun

missyB1 · 25/10/2016 07:40

DH will be at work,not allowed to book day off (doctor). I will do any last minute shopping, then take ds to children's crib service at local church, then home to bake mince pies. Hopefully DH will be home 7ish.

Suzietwo · 25/10/2016 07:54

I also love Christmas Eve. We invite our friends to drop in for drinks on their way to the mid afternoon service. Then kids watch a film and we eat fondue

NattyTile · 25/10/2016 07:54

AM - to market, to pick up last veg etc. Hoover, polish, make house as nice as it's going to get.

Fish for lunch, always, with as many local replies as want to come.

Christingle service in the afternoon with as many children as we can round up.

Baths, early nights, Muppet Christmas Carol or something else silly and Christmassy.

Assemble stockings, have a lovely long drink of baileys or similar. Any spare adults off to midnight service, leaving minimum of one adult responsible for children and ancient rellies.

smEGGontoast · 25/10/2016 07:59

We have a morning making more mince pies because the original 2 batches will be all gone. We also make gingerbread houses and pretzel wreaths for the neighbours.
Husband will take the kids to deliver them (with a bottle of something very alcoholic) and get chatting while I'm changing the bedsheets for festive ones.
We'll have an early dinner and walk to church for the carol service. We sip sherry from a hip flask there and back
I'm always the last one out the door because I play elf, getting the christmas box out of hiding so the kids think it's been delivered while we're out. They open it all up as soon as they get in and while they get into pj's, I get the popcorn and chocolate milk ready for their film. Santa's plate then bed for them.
I prep veg and pudding for the next day and husband carefully coordinates strategy with fil who usually plays Santa under the cover of darkness.
He'll stay for a snifter then we arrange it all under the tree.
Afterwards we sit and watch a bit of TV. It's usually all done and no faffing until 2am.
Sometimes I go to midnight mass alone too.

AlwaysNeverOnTime · 25/10/2016 08:00

We never really do much in the morning.
In the afternoon/evening we will have indoor picnic (blanket on living room floor) with party food, paper plates, hats ect. Chocolate ice cream is always pudding! We then dance to Christmas songs and have a party. Then go for a walk to look at all the Christmas lights (so that I can put the Christmas eve box out) we then go home to find the Christmas eve box that the elves have left. We change into new pjs and make a hot chocolate. Read the books/magazine in the box and do the crafts then put out the magic key/mince pie/carrot ect then bed time so me and DP can put the presents under the tree and fill up stockings.

Slightly different this year we are having people round this year so instead of a living room picnic on the floor we will just have a buffet on the kitchen table with party games and music as usual.

I love Christmas eve!

travelmad · 25/10/2016 08:09

Depending on what time DH finishes work we don't tend to do too much on Christmas Eve, but we do go to the Church Christingle/Carol service. We always take the kids outside after tea to watch Santa fly past (ISS) then once they've seen that they go inside and put new pjs on, watch a short Christmas film and head to bed. DH and I then fall into a bottle of Baileys, finish wrapping presents and prep the food for Christmas day.

prettybird · 25/10/2016 08:26

We have Christmas dinner with close friends and family on Christmas Eve - but instead of the UK traditional Christmas pudding, we have the traditional Danish rice pudding - a sort of sweet rice risotto with whipped cream and chopped almonds folded through it. There is one whole almond and whoever gets the whole almond gets the almond prize.

My dad's mum was brought up in Denmark, hence we follow the Danish tradition on Christmas Eve.

It makes Christmas Day lovely and relaxed as there isn't a big meal to make for lots of people and the Christmas pudding just needs to be put on to steam.