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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Christmas Eve Traditions

73 replies

Joanne1991 · 08/08/2017 21:40

What's everyone's Christmas Eve traditions here's my Christmas Eve tradition.

I'm 26 and have no children so Christmas Eve for me I visit my dad with his presents (I still live at home) (my Mam and dad are divorced) then I come home have a shower pyjamas on then we settle down to watch the telly with a tub of sweets.But this year Christmas for me will be different as i will be visiting my boyfriends family on Boxing Day so I'm looking forward to that as it's my first Christmas being with Nathan but I'm stuck on what to buy him for Christmas

OP posts:
NorthumbrianGirl · 09/08/2017 15:38

Stimulates = cumulates

tootsieglitterballs · 09/08/2017 17:10

Ooooh, placemarking to read while I'm waiting for the midwife later!

SideOrderofSprouts · 09/08/2017 17:34

And I work in education so am always off at Christmas. Dh works shifts so sometimes he is sometimes he ain't

oldlaundbooth · 09/08/2017 18:18

Anyone here do 'réveillon'?

It's a French tradition where you wake the kids up at midnight ShockConfused on Christmas Eve, give them presents and food, then put them back to sleep. So they are of course tired little shits on Christmas Day.

DH is French and is insisting we do this in the future when we're divorced

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Réveillon

mathanxiety · 09/08/2017 18:22

My DCs used to do it in reverse - they would wake me creeping 'noiselessly' downstairs to the tree at the crack of silly o'clock am, and guess who was the tired little shit until she got her second wind about 11.30...

Dinosauratemydaffodils · 09/08/2017 19:18

My parents and In-laws arrive around mid-afternoon Christmas Eve. We have a casual meal (cold meats, crusty bread, smoked salmon etc) at 4ish and then watch Home Alone. Then we go to the Christingle service. They do mulled wine/biscuits in the Church hall afterwards so we spend half an hour there saying "Merry Christmas" to everyone.

After Church we come home and open the Christmas Eve box (which will be ever so more poignant this year as the person who introduced the idea to me died in February in a car accident). Ds puts his new pajamas on, has some hot chocolate and baked apples (baked before we went to Church and just left in oven) with everyone whilst we play new board game which was in the box and then hangs up everyone's stockings along with a biscuit for Santa/carrot for Rudolph etc and goes to bed. In bed we read a book about Poinsettias I was given in Mexico and whatever new Christmassy book was in the box, ending with the Christmas eve bit of the Enid Blyton Christmas Book which my Mother always read to me when I was little.

The adults then play another board game (I'm banned from playing Trivial pursuit because it's finally dawned on everyone else that I've memorized all the answers) so the Christmas Eve box will need to contain another board game, have drinks, cheat at said board game and hopefully go to bed reasonably early.

tigercub50 · 09/08/2017 19:31

I love Christmas Eve, although ours seems very quiet compared to some on here! We used to go to the Christingle but haven't for the last few years. DD & I sprinkle reindeer dust on the front steps & we leave out a carrot & a glass of milk for Santa. DH & I do all the veg for the next day (my parents always come to us) then when DD is in bed, we usually watch "Love Actually". No particular traditions for dinner. I used to do fish but nowadays we just cook what we fancy or have Maccie Ds.

WhenSheWasBadSheWasHorrid · 09/08/2017 19:33

So many great ideas here.

We do the Xmas pyjamas. I tend to book Xmas eve off (annual leave), dh sometimes works, sometimes doesn't.
A lot of our Xmas eve is spent prepping the front room for presents (Santa takes the credit). Hoping this becomes a bit less labour intensive this year.

Will have to get the kids out for a walk this year. Possibly visiting a pub on the way back.

Wayfarersonbaby · 09/08/2017 20:46

crumbs that sounds just lovely! I've always been a city girl so a community like that sounds magical to me!

Our Christmas Eve traditions depend a bit on whether we're at ours or at my mum and dad's house for Christmas; but as a rule we'll have quite a leisurely breakfast, and if we're at my mum and dad's they will both be doing bits of preparation and cooking for the following day (and usually they will be having their traditional Turkey Argument about whether it is being stored somewhere that is cold enough....) We used to go to have drinks with some friends of my dad's when we were younger, but now we're more likely to be at home all day, pottering with family, wrapping presents and listening to/watching the various versions of Carols from King's. Dinner is traditionally a takeaway (when we were kids it was the only night of the year we were allowed a takeaway!), so my siblings who live nearby will come round for that; and we'll normally then put DD to bed and settle in for a pleasant night of present-wrapping by the tree, in front of various carol services on TV, with a brandy or two!

In our house we always did the mince pie, sherry and carrot, but never Christmas pyjamas or boxes - don't think it was a thing then! - but we always had to have tidied our bedrooms and got clean pyjamas or nighties on, and we did a bit of carol-singing in the evening by the tree. Our stockings were always at the end of our beds, and I still do that with DD now - but they were small stockings, not pillowcases - they had novelties and chocolate and small games, and the rest of our presents - from FC and from family - were always by the tree for the next morning, to be opened after breakfast and before church.

If we're at home we might pop into town to wander about and look at the Christmassy shops while it's quiet and deserted, pick up the usual last minute bits and pieces we always forget, and might have lunch or a hot chocolate with DD). Then it's back home for, again, Carols from King's, something easy to cook like pea soup and bread or chilli and rice; then, bath, pyjamas, a new Christmas storybook for DD, mince pie, carrot and a glass of something for FC (claret at our house as I don't like sherry Wink), and up to bed for DD to put her stocking out. Then DH and I have a glass of wine, and finish wrapping presents and stocking presents, whilst watching one of the Christmas masses. (I love this and look forward to it all year!) I sneak in and do DD's stocking around 1am Smile

tootsieglitterballs · 10/08/2017 08:37

This has been such a lovely thread to read!

I adore Christmas Eve, it truly is my favourite day of the year. It's even more magical now we have our DS, and another on the way.

Christmas as a whole this year will be a tad different for us, as DS2 will only be between 2 and 4 weeks old!

DH always works on Christmas Eve as he is a chef, so busy time of year. This year he should he better have the evening off though, which will be lovely.

We usually start the day with something like Christmas tree crumpets or pancakes - a fun breakfast! We make mince pies, watch Christmas movies, Christmas music on all day , and we go for a walk into the woods.

We do a Christmas Eve box with new pjs , book, a few naughty sweet treats etc. Christmas bedding for DS this year (as he will be in a big bed this year)

For dinner we do cheese, pate etc, and a ham if DH is home. DS1 has this too and loves it.

We watch the snowman and the Father Christmas.

Sprinkle homemade reindeer food, then leave a mince pie, Christmas cake, sloe whiskey and carrots for Santa.

Bath and then Bedtime is slightly later than normal in the hope he sleeps in a little! We do the night before Christmas and a couple of other Christmas stories, then it's time for hubby and me to watch Christmas movies, eat more cheese, drink some mulled wine (that's been on the go all day!) and then go to bed before Santa comes!

Eeek - so blooming excited!

Trudee · 10/08/2017 22:22

Love reading these posts Smile
Our elf brings our xmas eve box in the morning so the dc's have some craft/cooking activities and usually a new xmas dvd to watch.
We don't venture out too much if we can help it. I usually cook my gammon which we have some of for tea with chips usually but debating doing nigellas macaroni cheese this year.
Our dc's are always desperate to go to bed early so we try and delay them with a board game etc.
Then it's reindeer dust, lush bath bomb from xmas eve box, mince pie and carrot etc before reading the night before xmas.
Then I (or we if dh isn't working - military) prep the turkey, cinnamon rolls etc before watching it's a wonderful life.
Hopefully dc's are asleep quite early so presents and Stockings can be decanted on my way to bed.
I'm a TA so always off over the festive period. I chose this career path so I could have the school holidays with my dc's as dh's job means he's very often away from home for long periods and I wanted to guarantee they always have one of us around.

Joanne1991 · 10/08/2017 22:38

I'm looking forward to Christmas this year I normally get up on Christmas Eve morning help my mum and nana with the prep for Christmas Day we have the Christmas music on before I go to my dad's at dinner time with his presents I spend a few hours there and then back home shower pyjamas and telly. Then Boxing Day for me this year is spending time with my boyfriend and his family ( Our first Christmas together) so I'm really excited

OP posts:
70isaLimitNotaTarget · 10/08/2017 22:45

I always book Christmas Eve off (I don't mind working NYE but not the 24th)

We do a light breakfast (toast) and have lunch (always veg grills, fish fingers, chips , salad, trifle or ice-cream)
Then films, catch up on the soaps.

Buffet supper at 10-30 /11pm

And......we put the guinea pigs in Christmas hats and photograph them Xmas Grin

NorthumbrianGirl · 10/08/2017 23:50

70 where do you source guinea pig size christmas hats? I think my piggies woukd look fetching!

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 11/08/2017 00:03

I bought some teeny Santa hats from a £ Shop that were bottle toppers.

Then I got a little knitted bobble hat from Lakelamd a few years ago for our Rex and Teddy boars .

They be easy enough to sew/glue a cone of felt and put a cotton wool popm pom on (and you can make them to fit your little guinea craniums)

Your biggest challenge is trying to get them to keep the hats on Xmas Grin

We line them up, pop the hats on, one will shake their head, walk away , turn their rump to the camera .
You'd think they'd give us one day wouldn't you ? Xmas Wink -and they tuck into all the veg peelings too
Sprout tree + guinea pigs. Thats another Christmas Eve Tradition !

MuseumGardens · 11/08/2017 09:44

Do sprouts affect guinea pigs in the same way they affect humans?

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 11/08/2017 11:45

Only one of ours would demolish the sprout tree trimmings (the others picked) but he had eye watering gas all year Xmas Envy

bimbobaggins · 11/08/2017 20:44

After all our chores were done and as much prep we could do for Christmas Day we would take a drive to the beach about an hour away and go in for something to eat so we didn't have to cook . Unfortunately my xdp passed away earlier this year so this Christmas will be the first without him so we are going on holiday. Will still go to the beach although we will replace our Santa hats with cork hats

MusicToMyEars800 · 16/08/2017 10:16

Christmas eve usually consist of seeing family during the day, in the evening I like to get into my fluffy pj's, get the kids to bed, pour a glass of wine or something else alcoholic, Get all the presents and wrapping paper, Then I sit with Christmas films on the tv and wrap all the presents and put them under the tree, when I'm finished I snuggle on the sofa with chocolates and snacks.

BiddyPop · 16/08/2017 11:03

If it's a weekday, I generally have to go in for the morning in the office. But we don't really do any work and DD comes with me. DH used to be off and come into the city with us and have coffee in town while I was at work, and then we'd meet to buy DD's birthday cake in M&S and any other last minute things we needed before getting lunch and heading home. But his company changed it last year to Christmas Eve being a working day. (Our office officially closes at lunchtime and we can leave realistically anytime after about 11 once we have shown up - his officially closes at 5 but the bosses tell everyone to leave at lunch - in both cases, you need to take a full day's leave if you don't go in).

After that, it depends on whether we are staying home or travelling. (If travelling, we might have already left but it's not unknown for us to drive to the other end of the country on Christmas Eve after work). If travelling, it's a round of both our DPs houses and keeping everyone else happy, before finding our cottage and hunkering down for a sleep (the rest of the year we stay with family, but for Christmas we find we need some space to retreat to separately).

If we are staying at home, we get home from town (and if it's a weekend, we probably go in anyway for lunch), and tidy up. We generally try to get a walk in the local hilly park or on the pier. DH and I prep for the turkey dinner (peel potatoes and veg, make the stuffing, make stock if I have a turkey neck, probably throw together a batch of mince pies) while DD makes cookies for Santa (she's 11 and now helps a bit with prep too, cookies may be made from scratch or sliced from a log of frozen dough depending on time available and energy levels). We may also have things to prep for 26th (DD's birthday and our annual "at home" for friends and neighbours), and we do things like clean out and set the fire for when we get home on 25th (lots of visits to do in the morning and early afternoon). Sometimes there are some presents to wrap or get out from cupboards.

There's usually either a Christmas movie on tv or music playing as we do all this.

Dinner is usually a buffet type meal of cured meats, seafood, cheese, salad-y bits, crackers etc.

After we have tidied up, DD (as the youngest in the house) lights the Christmas candle and we have a little period of quiet as we remember the good and bad things about the year just gone, people who are no longer with us, people who are away or that we won't see, and the Christmas season itself, and say a few prayers together.

Then we get out the Christams Eve box, which holds new PJs for all 3 of us, a posh hot choc (lump of choc on a wooden spoon to melt), a seasonal lush bath each for DD and I, and old favourites such as DD's plastic Christmas plate and glass for Santa's snack, her stocking, and the family copy of "Twas the night before Christmas" for her bedtime story.

DD puts out the snack for Santa and her stocking, then heads up for her bath and new pjs, comes back down for her hot choc and we snuggle her up in bed with the story and maybe read her another (rare treat these days, but we do still read to her sometimes in bed), before leaving her with an audio book to go to sleep.

Then DH and I relax for a while, (I may take a bath or leave that for another night), we have our own hot choc (which may be laced with something alcoholic), and head for bed before Santa comes down the chimney. We don't set the table or anything, but we do leave things ready for a nice breakfast and nice clothes out for doing the visiting etc in the morning so we don't need to rush too much.

yawning801 · 16/08/2017 11:13

Christingle with friends who used to live behind us (although they couldn't attend last year), watch Blackadder's Christmas Carol on UK GOLD (although we had to watch it on Christmas Day last year) and sometime in between that, put the presents under the tree.

But what are we talking about Christmas for? IT'S AUGUST!!!!

NoWordForFluffy · 16/08/2017 11:27

@yawning801 You're on a Christmas thread inthe dedicated Christmas part of MN. We talk about it all year round here!

If you don't want to discuss Christmas, avoid this part of MN!

tootsieglitterballs · 16/08/2017 17:06

Such lovely traditions!

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