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?

I am part of a global Christmas card exchange, so Christmas eve morn, we sit in bed and open all the cards from around the world which is lovely. Then we go to the supermarket where ds and (now ex) dp go and get sausages and wait in the cafe while I trot round. We go home and set the fire pit up and cook our sausages over the fire, then I food prep while they wrap up their pressies. We then open Christmas eve box which has new nightwear for us all, and a Christmas film that we put on. Ds reads us the night before Christmas, and he's off to bed with a stocking hung on his door. I get all the pressies under the tree, lay the table, finish food prep, then get an early night with a glass of wine and every intention of watching midnight Mass. Yet to see it 😄

Go to work,come home,shower,get into pjs,have tea and veg out with a cuppa.My kids are too old for ''santa'' now,thankfully.

Usually have a lay in if possible Christmas eve unless we have a day out arranged. Then get up have a nice breakfast bake some cookies for Santa and then husband takes kids out to park/for a walk while I tidy up. Then it's CE box, play games, bath, watch Christmas film in snuggly Christmas eve pjs both from CE box and then get them off to bed. I did see something advertised last year which we couldn't afford at the time but am going to try and organise for this year though which looks fab. An enchanted forrest all decked out with Christmas lights with an ice skating rink, a festive maze and a ski trail. Will try and book that this year as they would love it.

I love these.

We go to the theatre early doors to see a Christmas production with friends, then out for lunch. Back home for about 1, then potter at home whilst I cook the hams and other last minute cooking. Go out about 4 to stroll and look at Christmas lights. When we get back the elves have been and left a box with some PJs, a bath bomb and some sweets. Then it's dinner, it was ham and mac and cheese but that felt too rich so not sure this year., Then bath and bed for toddler but back downstairs for eldest for a Christmas film. He potters off to bed then we chill with wine before going up later.

Following this one as needing ideas!!!

The only tradition my family has is to have Track Santa (NORAD) on! Super exciting for children x

I used to run around manically cleaning, cooking, wrapping, whizzing up to a carol service, stressed to bits trying to get ready for the Big Day. One of the loveliest things I ever learned on MN when DS were small was to do all the frazzle earlier and go out on Christmas Eve as a family to have fun. Now we always go to a local lake where there are whte doves and hand feed them seed to start the day. They often come and sit on our hands to eat. Sometimes we go for a walk in the countryside afterwards or to a show or into London for lunch or to the Frost Fair at Hyde Park. Even if we stay in, it's just lolling in scented baths and watching cheesy films and unpacking hampers.

Get last minute shopping as we usually visit the canaries a week or so before Xmas, we come home on 23 or 24th Dec in time for Xmas.

We always go to the cinema.
This year we'll go to the matinee so we can go to the cathedral afterwards.

Myself and friends go to the local am dram theatre to see the panto which is always a riot as the actors get the kids on stage.

After that we go back to one of our friends house for a buffet lunch again with all the kids (9 of them now all under 6) The boys go for a beer to the local pub and we all have some fizz. We also get all the kids to line up in the annual “sofa” pic, we’ve got them every year from birth.

Then home for takeaway, baths, new pjs and wine/hot xhocolate

mine are all grown up now, so none of the Santa stuff applies, although we still leave out a mince pie and a dram of whisky out of habit.
I go to bed before the dcs do which makes stockings difficult and not very exciting to be honest.
We always watch Carols from Kings on christmas Eve and then have buffet stuff but I seriously cannot be arsed with it all anymore..
DD2 will be spending Christmas with us this year, then both she and dd1 will be heading off on Boxing Day to boyfriends/friends, leaving teen ds who will either be holed up in his room or off with his mates. I must admit, I'm finding it hard to get excited about it....

We meet up with friends and both our kids and partners at about 2pm go on an early doors pub crawl, get bus back home drink a bit more eat lots and then say good bye to everyone, go to bed and wait for Santa to arrive!!!