What do you do on Christmas Eve?

[bandthenjust]

Im after some new traditions.
I usually go out for coffee in the morning, then have a 'leisurely ' stroll around the shops. Party food/buffet thing in the evening.
Last year, we stayed in, played board games and stuffed our faces.
what do you guys do?

My OH and I allow live together both go home to our families for Christmas so we did a nice breakfast on Christmas eve and swap presents,then both head off to our mums. At mine my aunt and mum prepare the Christmas dinner while myself and siblings have a catch up - we have Christmas soup for dinner and then go to the pub for a while. Think this year I'll try and convince my partner we should have Christmas Eve together too. We always have Boxing Day at my parents that's the most relaxing day of them all in my eyes

We have 2 young kids, so we like to make it feel special! We go to the shops in town because it's always so busy and exciting, go for a coffee and sandwich, then we buy the kids a set of p.j's, book, and a cup for milk and biscuit before bed.

On a night kids get ready for bed and put cookies out, milk etc..

Once kids are in bed me and dh get all presents and put them all downstairs, tidy up, put the candles on so it smells Christmasy, do the carrot eating, put stockings on the kids doors, just getting it all tidy, and feeling homely for the morning.

Looks like a different house within 8 hours 😂

MaryDollNesbitt sounds wonderful

I always buy and gift wrap new nightwear for everyone and on Christmas Eve we open that package from under the tree and wear them.

@ShowOfHands room for one more?!

We get up in the morning to the Christmas Eve gifts from
The elves. This includes pjs, bath stuff, books and activities for the day

Then we clean the house and tidy. Pop out to see sil in the afternoon. Then after that it’s dinner (potentially dominos this year) then baths with new bath stuff. Then we all put new pjs on and have hot chocolate and watch the snowman as a family. Then ds1 goes to bed. Dd2 watches another film then she goes to bed. Then once she is asleep dd1 and I (if dh is at work) then put her siblings presents under the tree. If dh is here he does it with me. Then dd1 goes to bed. Her presents are put out. I have wine. We go to bed

We usually have a full english breakfast then watch a Christmas film, play board games and do some Christmas related crafting. Dc make sure their rooms are tidy for Santa. For quite a few years now we've met family for a drink in the late afternoon for a few hours- its nice to meet up and wish everyone a merry christmas. Then whilst very merry, get back home for a buffet tea, one more Christmas film and get ready for Santa before bedtime.

Following this thread for some great ideas!
This year DS will be 2.5 so hopefully will have more of an understanding. We will also have a newborn, my family are 150 miles away so been contemplating do I drive back to stay with parents, or keep it chilled at home. After reading all the lovely things you do xmas eve, i'm tempted to stay home and just enjoy the break and visit parents in the new year!

We never had any kind of traditions as kids, so would love to start some of our own x

Christmas music on.
I bake / tidy clean etc in the morning whilst DH nips out for last minute bits. After lunch we all go for a long walk, there is a park near us which often has deer so we try and spot ‘rudolph’.
Kids come home to a Christmas Eve box left by the elf, then we have a buffet type dinner.
Kids do the activity in their box whilst we clean up, then it’s a bath with festive bath bomb, new pj’s and settle down with a Christmassy film and hot chocolates / baileys. Reindeer food and all the santa stuff before bed.

Dh and I have a nice tea, something like deep baked Camembert with crusty bread to dunk in, washed down with a bottle of wine.

We have a bath, brushed cotton pyjamas on (me, not dh😂) then we just watch tv or music channels. That’s it really, simple but nice.

Usually stbx works. I take kids for a bracing walk or scooter ride. Maybe a trip to cafe with kids and my mum. Some time at home, kids playing me doing some housework. then me and kids go to Christingle service. Home for tea and wind down to bed with the putting out if mince pie and carrot etc.

Things will be different this year . Not sure if we will be actually divorced by then or not. But kids will either be going to him sometime on Christmas eve or staying the day with me, so new traditions to a certain event are on the way. But when with me will keep Christmas eve the same as much as possible.

My kids are olderat 16/14/10. We have a lazy morning, i have a tidy up, kids will watch TV, DH will potter, late PM I cook the turkey, prep the veg, have a drink and sort out the presents.

Thinking this year of going to town for breakfast and then a run with the running club before dark.

I cook my meats on Christmas Eve. Turkey, ham and sausage meat wrapped in bacon. I prepare the veg. We always have smoked salmon and scrambled eggs. We’ll usually watch something Christmassy then DH and I will go to midnight mass (kids no longer want to come - only two at home now). Feeling VERY Christmassy now I’ve written that 🎅🏻

Oh and we still leave a mince pie and brandy out for Santa (and a carrot for the reindeer) My youngest is almost 16 😂

DHs birthday...

It's manic!

We do dinner out, because I don't want to be cooking a big meal the night before Christmas!!!

Christmas Day is way more relaxing!

Last year was rushing around to different relatives, then nearly running out of petrol desperately looking for a petrol station made it just in time.
Hoping to be organised this year and have a relaxed Christmas Eve.

We always go to the theatre. Once home we give the DC their Christmas Eve boxes. They then have thier baths with their new products and they put on their new Christmas pjs. We order a takeaway and track Santa. A Christmas movie then goes on and we snuggle up to watch. DC then set out Santa’s snacks and we read their new Christmas books. Once in bed DH and I will have a glass of two of wine before setting out the gifts.

Their*

I usually manage to get the day off work, so sometime in the morning I get my food shopping delivered. We usually go out for a late breakfast or a nice lunch, call into see a few relatives and then kick back in front of the telly and have a buffet dinner, I deliberately buy far too much buffet/picky food so we've got lots of leftovers in the fridge for the next few days. We'll both have new Christmas PJs, and nice bath bombs for a soak before bed, once DD is in bed I'll fill her stocking and leave it on her door handle. The dog and cat also have their stockings filled and left in the living room with the door closed to prevent any naughtiness in the night.

We get up as early as we can, hoping it will make DC go to bed earlier. Then we spend the morning in our pyjamas and I put the blow up bed in the living room and the kids watch Christmas films whilst I make some breakfast (nothing fancy, just some cereal). We then get dressed and visit our family and give my parents and DH’s parents their presents. Then we drive home and put some more Christmas films whilst DH sorts out Christmas Eve boxes. We use the shower gel and shampoo and new bath bombs and bath the kids and put them in their new pyjamas then drive around the village and look at Christmas lights. When we get back we watch the polar express and the kids will fall asleep.

Nothing unusual really.

We bake gingerbread men
Go for a walk and feed the ducks
Then home to peel/chop all the veg, make the gravy, wrap the pigs in blankets etc
Christmassy film while eating gingerbread men
Gammon, egg & chippy chips for Tea
A special bath bomb and new Pjs for everyone

I probably prefer it to Christmas Day!

I host Christmas Dinner on Xmas eve for our parents and grandparents and siblings and then we have church at 4pm followed by drinks and nibbles at my mums. Can't wait [santa]

These are all so lovely (and making me very broody!)!